Solid by Shelley Workinger
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publish Date: July 9, 2010
Paperback, 228 pages
My Review:
Why I read this:The author contacted me via email and the premise sounded interesting so I accepted it for review (and I'm glad I did).
How is the novel driven: Character. Solid is about setting the ground-work for the series and about the characters. There is action, but I would say it is primarily about the characters.
My thoughts: Solid is a very intriguing novel. I was sucked right into it from the beginning. Getting to know Clio, Jack, Bliss, Melinda, Garrett was really interesting. Clio is the main character, but the other tie in closely with her and really make the friendship aspect of the book work well. The characters are well-done teenagers, they behave in typical teenager ways even with their extraordinary gifts.
The premise is set up very well, these kids have special abilities and they have been collected together for research and for the government to make up for a doctor creating this difference in them before they were even born. The set-up is well-done and not overdone. Ms. Workinger does a beautiful job launching you into the story and building up the premise as she goes. I never felt bogged down in the story at all. Engaging dialogue keeps it going and entertaining.
As the premise sets itself up, the characters begin their interactions and the reader gets to know each of them primarily through Clio's eyes and Clio learns more about herself in the process. Of course to make it interesting there is much more to the book, but I don't want to give anything away, so suffice it to say the plot is extremely interesting and keeps you engaged throughout the book.
I would actually say my only complaint would be that it's too short. I wish things could have developed more, but I guess that is what the next two books are for. Since I enjoyed Solid and it's characters so much I will definitely be checking out Settled and then Sound. I look forward to more adventures and friendship with Clio, Bliss, Melinda, Jack, Garrett and Alexis.
My Rating: 4.5/5.0
About the Book:
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...
About the Author:
Shelley grew up in Maine, graduated from Loyola University New Orleans, currently resides in New Jersey, and considers all of them home. There are three books planned in the Solid series, Solid, Settling and Sound.
Her website
Shelley's page on Goodreads
FTC Information: I received this book from the author for review. I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws. I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.
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