Shifty by Lynn E. Hazen Review

Fifteen-year-old Shifty knows all about moving around and next to nothing about where he came from. When he's assigned to a new foster home and family, he tries hard to keep cool and stay out of trouble. But it seems like the more he tries to do the right thing, the more trouble he finds. As Shifty navigates a series of messy summer adventures, he struggles to find a balance between the street-wise spirit that has helped him survive and his longing for a place to call home. -Goodreads

Honestly, when I received Shifty for review, I was sure that it was only going to revolve around troubled kid who had hit rock bottom. In some aspects, it was. But there was one thing I hadn't counted on: Shifty was FUNNY. Laugh out loud, reread it three times funny. Although, when I first began reading it, I don't think I quite grasped exactly how hilarious it truly was. It didn't hit me until my mom asked about the book, and I recounted all the events that I had read up to. By the time I finished, we were rollin'. I'll never understand how Soli managed to get himself into so much trouble, but it was undoubtedly entertaining.

Here's an excerpt that I found particularly chuckle-worthy; Soli had just been given instructions from an elderly woman to deliver dinner to Lester, who was living in her home:

When we get in the elevator I look in the bag at Lester's dinner, it's a small bottle of water and a big can of cat food.
"Sissy, this is crazy. We can't do this."
"Why not?"
"Because either Lester is a cat, or he's a strange guy who eats cat food."
"Either way," Sissy says, "Lester's hungry."

I wouldn't say this is a traditional young adult book, by any means. There were times I felt that the story could easily fall into middle grade, had Soli been a bit younger. The book as a whole was a good surprise, and I'm interested in seeing what else Lynn Hazen has to offer the YA community.

Rating: 8.5/10