Total Book Geek: Review: Control (Shift #2) by Kim Curran

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Scott Tyler is not like other teenagers. With a single thought he can alter reality around him. And he can stop anyone else from doing the same.

That's why he's so important to ARES, the secret government agency that regulates other kids like him: Shifters.

They've sent him on a mission. To track down the enigmatic Frank Anderson. An ex-Shifter who runs a project for unusual kids - as if the ability to change your every decision wasn't unusual enough. But Anderson and the kids have a dark secret. One that Scott is determined to discover.

As his obsession with discovering the truth takes him further away from anyone he cares about, his grip on reality starts to weaken. Scott realises if he can't control his choices, they'll control him.

Review:

Control starts off a couple of months after Shift. Scott is now a full agent at ARES. Together with his partner and girlfriend Aubrey he has to find new Shifters. Still the last events from the previous book have left a mark on Scott, making him doubt every decision he has ever made. With the ability to remember every choice, that is quite a lot.

His task for the past six months has been tracking down the other adults with the shifting ability. Which has all been going pretty well, except those few times he's been stabbed. Now there is only one person left, Frank Anderson.

Meanwhile there are some other strange things going on. Someone is shifting major decisions, suddenly there is a new Prime Minister, children of important people are getting murdered, then they are alive again... Scott is going nuts with all these changing realities. He is having a hard time figuring out what has changed, what is still the same and why someone would do those things.

Since he is actually the only one who knows something has changed, it is up to him to figure out who is doing this. While trying to figure out what is going on, he starts alienating the one closest to him. Not on purpose, but his quest for the truth becomes so consuming, he starts pushing the limits of their trust in him.

Overall Scott is a very dutiful guy, does what he is supposed to do and tries to go by the rules. Unfortunately that does not always work out the way he wants to. Still his intentions are good.

I also like that dual part of Scott. On the one hand he's a regular teenage boy, trying to get through puberty without making to much of a fool of himself. On the other hand he has this power and with that comes certain responsibilities. So when he gets mad or hurt, he can become very scary. He changes. He's no longer himself and his powers give him the chance to undo all if he wants. It's up to him then to make the right choice.

I liked Control a bit more than Shift, because there is more action and Scott is now growing into his responsibilities and natural leadership qualities. Also there are some major plot twists that I did not see coming. The overall tone of the book becomes a bit more darker and the complexity of shifting becomes more clear. The effect of changing your choices might be greater than you thought.

Ooh and that cliffhanger!!! It's going to be a long wait for the third book to come out!