Book Review:Solid by Shelley Workinger

Eighteen years ago, a rogue Army doctor secretly experimented with a chromosomal drug on unknowing pregnant women. When he was killed not long after the children were born, any knowledge and evidence seemed to die with him - except the living, breathing, human products of his work.

Almost two decades later, the newly self-proclaimed “open-book” military unearths the truth about the experiment, bringing Clio Kaid and the other affected teens to a state-of-the-art, isolated campus where they soon discover that C9x did indeed alter their chromosomes, its mutations presenting as super-human abilities. The military kids, who come from across the nation and all walks of life, come into their own as lighter-than-air ‘athletes’; ‘indies’ as solid as stone walls; teens who can make themselves invisible and others who can blind with their brilliance.

As Clio comes into her remarkable ability, embraces new friendships and embarks on first love, she also can’t shake the suspicion that the government has not been as forthcoming with their attentions as they claimed… (From Goodreads)

While this book seems to be marketed as strictly sci-fi, I found that this book focused more on the characters. That wasn't a bad thing, in my opinion. I actually enjoyed getting to know the characters, and watching the friendship grow between Clio, Bliss, Garrett, Miranda, and Jack. As the story progresses, tension builds, and details about the experiment are revealed. The reader is kept mostly in the dark about the experiment, learning new information only when Clio does. This added to the suspense of the story, and I was anxious to know more. I imagine that the abilities of the characters will be explored more deeply in the next book, which I'm looking forward to.

I really enjoyed Workinger's ability to make me suspicious of every supporting character. I wasn't sure who was going to betray whom, and that unpredictability kept me engrossed. I have a theory that the military is either going to betray them, or try to make them some sort of secret weapon. I'll just have to wait and see if my theory is confirmed.

There was one scene in particular that wasn't in the novel, and I really wish it had been written. The reader doesn't get to see Clio find out about the experiment, or learn that she might have special abilities. I can only imagine the reactions of Clio and her mother, and I wish that I had gotten to see it.

It was a good start to the series, and I'm looking forward to watching Clio explore her abilities further in the sequel, Settling.

Solid
By Shelley Workinger
222 Pages
Rating: C+

You can find more information, and an excerpt from book 2 here: http://www.solidnovel.com/