Solid

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 for 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.

While exploring her own special ability, forging new friendships and embarking on first love, Clio also stumbles onto information indicating that the military may not have been entirely forthcoming with them and that all may not be as it seems...

My Take:

I enjoy YA books, I enjoy paranormal/fantasy books, I enjoy YA paranormal/fantasy books.  But sometimes in the sea of vampires, werewolves, angels, faeries and demons a person can feel like they are drowning.  It was nice to get a life preserver thrown to me in the form of Solid.  The concept was different, it almost had an X-Men vibe to it with the genetic mutation and super abilities aspect.  The idea that a rogue government scientist was secretly treating pregnant women to cause their unborn children to have said super abilities just added a nice extra little layer of spice and intrigue.    I really enjoyed the pacing of the first half of the book.  It was setting up the storyline very nicely, but unfortunately, the second half felt very rushed and the conclusion was quite abrupt.  So while the ending didn't really float my boat, I am still looking forward to the next books in the series.  I like the characters a lot and I am invested emotionally in their relationships.  Solid was a quick and entertaining read and I'd recommend it to YA fans.  Its not going to change your life, but its a great way to kill some free time.  I think I'll give it a rating of a 3, Find a Used Book Store.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If Solid was a movie it would likely be rated PG for some violence and references to sexual content, but no actual content beyond "making out"

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

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