Over Memorial Day Weekend, I got the chance to sit down and read Magnetic Shift, a Spencer Hill Press YA book by Lucy D. Briand about teenagers and NASCAR. I, personally, am not a fan of cars driving around in circles as fast as they can as a sport, but it was interesting to get an inside look at all the things that go into a race, as well as getting a storyline about some teenagers involved in the business. Teenagers working with a racing team? Is that heard of? Dean Grant specializes in finding talent in 18-year-olds and bringing them onto his team. Cue Colton Taylor, teenage heartthrob and super fast driver.

But that’s not who this story is about–just the love interest. The book is written from the point of view of Lexi Adams, a 17-year-old who works in her abusive stepfather’s junkyard and has supernatural abilities to move metal with her mind. Her stepfather sends her to work for Dean Grant in exchange for advertisement. She has no say and no desire to be in a position to reveal her gift to anyone.

I think the most interesting character development in this book is in Lexi’s struggle to figure out how to handle what she calls her curse. She only discovered her abilities Freshman year of high school and has no idea how to stop things from flying around when she feels different emotions. How is she supposed to be a normal teenager with a normal life and a normal crush on a hot guy who seems to like her back? The most impressive thing is that she fought to gain control no matter what. Even if that meant giving up things she really wanted in order to protect others–an act I didn’t support solely because I was so connected and thought she was being irrational.

This book sucked me in and I almost yelled at Lexi a couple times–like how can you not see that you lose control when you’re sad and angry, not when you’re happy? Are you actually not seeing what’s happening around you? And why is it so hard for you to believe that someone likes you? Come on, girl. Get your act together. Though I had many near outbursts as I engaged with the characters, I genuinely cheered them on and willed them the succeed. As if it would actually change the story. For not being all that interested in NASCAR, I sure couldn’t put this book down.

–Rebecca, Intern