Book:  Solid
Author:  Shelley Workinger
Release date:  July 9, 2010
Publisher:  Createspace
Pages:  222
Source:  Author

Teens who discover they were secretly genetically altered before birth are brought together at a classified site where they forge new friendships, find love, develop “super-abilities,” and even unearth a conspiracy.

Shelley Workinger’s debut novel, Solid, is a fantastic read.  I started the book knowing almost nothing about it and by the end I was shocked that there wasn’t more buzz about it.  It’s not published by a big publisher but that is not because it isn’t a fabulous book.   I loved it.

Calliope (Clio) Kaid has never really fit in anywhere but she just assumed it was because she moved around a lot, not because she was genetically mutated.  When the US government reveals the experiment that changed her genes, Clio doesn’t have a clue what to expect in her life.  The government decides to get all the kids together and study them over the summer and at first everything seems fine.  Clio is making friends and maybe even falling in love.  Too bad everybody wasn’t up front when the program began.  Somebody at the camp has been hiding something and Clio may be getting too close to the truth.

Clio was a surprisingly normal girl which made her very easy to like.  She wasn’t aware of anything different in her but she didn’t freak out when she did find out.  She was very rational but also very scared.  She was worried about what the mutation might do to her but also about Jack, the boy she liked, who was also very easy to like.  All the characters had their issues but they were purposeful issues to make them easier to relate to.

The plot wasn’t too busy but it was interesting and very captivating.  Solid is a short book and it took me very little time to read it.  I was definitely into the book from the very first page.  It was a unique story and one that I can’t wait to read more of.

Overall, Solid is a great book.  Shelley Workinger set the story up wonderfully and I can’t wait to see what she adds in the next book.  =]

First line:  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.

Rating:  A

Cover:  B+