Solid by Shelley Workinger

Title: Solid
Author: Shelley Workinger
Published: July 2010 by CreateSpace

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Tags: YA | Sci-Fi | Series (Book 1)
Includes: Brief violence, Sensuality

First Lines: As per his nighttime routine, he checked the security panel to ensure that the system would alert him of any intrusions on the perimeter he'd set around the lab.

A brilliant scientist/Army doctor created a drug for pregnant women (without their knowing) eighteen years ago. It was a secret genetic experiment, and after he died, all the evidence and knowledge about it seemed to die, too. Except for the products. All of the children that were birthed from these women seem to have special abilities and the military is isolating them from the world to find out more. Clio (Calliope) is one of these teenagers and it's not long before she has a bad feeling about why all of them are really here...

I really related to Clio; she was a wonderful protagonist, my favorite thing about a novel. Clio was down-to-earth, friendly, humorous, and an every day girl in contrast to her special ability. I seemed to feel her emotions with her, and really grew attached to her. Jack, her little love interest, and Bliss, her new best friend, were also fantastic in-depth characters. Garret was such an entertaining guy that never failed to lighten up the mood. Everyone in this book had their own unique personality and the characterization was spot on. The romance between Clio and Jack was cute and didn't feel forced at all. I found myself smiling during scenes between them. I also really enjoyed the author's writing style and descriptive details.

From page 101
Reveling in my happy thoughts, I decided to take advantage of this unscheduled day and relax. I drifted off the main path toward the edge of the woods, looking for a good spot to stretch out in the grass and just watch the fluffy clouds parade by. The grass was cool and soft on my back - not luxurious enough to camp on without a pad or anything but plenty comfy for a dreambreak.

There didn't seem to be a thick plot though, and lacked sub-plots. The whole idea of teenagers with special super powers, like invisibility, seemed like a very small detail in the overall book. They never used their powers to fight, which is what I expected for the big climax. I was confused what the powers of the athletes and art kids were, too. Hopefully this will be cleared up in the next installment. However, I did think it was a very creative story! The author weaved together a background story to answer most of my questions and the puzzle pieces came together in the end. It was a little slow at first getting into this novel, but I finished the last half of it in a day or two. Not sure if I'd go as far as saying it's a page-turner, but it definitely held my attention and was enjoyable. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Settling.

Cover Thoughts: I really love the colors! The chromosone picture is pretty cool and unique for a cover, but it looks a little too much like a science book I think. Very creative nonetheless!

Book Supplied by: Author for review.