Settling by Shelley Workinger (ARC Review)

Publisher:  CreateSpace/Shelley Workinger
Pages:  242

Release Date:  July 4, 2011

From the Cover:

At the beginning of the summer, Clio Kaid was one of a hundred teens brought to a secret Army installation.

But it was no ordinary camp and they weren’t ordinary kids…

Soon after learning they were the products of a secret genetic experiment, the teens began developing super-abilities ranging from bounding lightness to blocking heaviness; blinding brilliance and the ability to vanish. These same gifts made them targets of a psychopath in officer’s clothing, and they found themselves fighting for their lives.

Picking up where “Solid” left off, Clio and her friends realize that they aren’t ready to go home; they’re determined to stay on campus and continue their journey of self- discovery. But someone doesn’t feel the same way and will do anything to drive them away – even kill.

Friendships will be tested, abilities will evolve, and more secrets will come out as the teens race to stop the killer before he sets his sights on one of them…

Clio, Calliope Kaid, seems to have everything working for her. She's found her niche, even if it's at an Army installation because some whacked out Army doc on a power high corrupted her genome, like everyone else at the camp. She has the most awesome guy in camp as her boyfriend. Not that she and all of her friends at the camp haven't had the lives screwed up, having to deal with the aftermath of the CX9 experiment Dr. Heigl put their pregnant mothers through. Now, they've all discovered these special abilites... the stars, the jocks, the heavies, and the stealths, each with their own unique ability. And, they've decided to keep the camp open, let the kids attend school there. A place where they fit in.

But, something else is happening to Clio, something she can't explain. She's angry when she doesn't need to be. She finds herself attracted to Ford, Lt. Graham when she really shouldn't be, especially with the awesomely hot Jack waiting for her. What the heck is going on with her?

Then, Dr. Larson (who doesn't really have any fans at the camp) is murdered, placing everyone under suspicion. Do they have another killer hidden within their ranks?

Settling by Shelley Workinger is an excellent follow up to Solid. The characters are well developed, and I found myself liking them as much in this book as I had in the last. (Except I wanted to kick Clio in the patootie.) For me, the story seemed a little slower paced than the first book, but I think that's because I already knew all the characters, and the plot unfolded in a way that I didn't think it would go. All in all, I very much enjoyed Settling. It tells the next part of Clio's life and summer at the New Jersey Army Installation. There's so much we don't know about that's going on in those massive buildings, and I wanted to grab one of the kids, and demand to explore. And why do they need blood draws, if the Army is only trying to figure out how Doctor Demento's work (Heigl) then one draw should be enough, right? Is the Army hiding something up their sleeves? All questions I'll be looking to Book #3 for answers.

Settling is a YA paranormal romance/fantasy about what can go wrong during an unauthorized experimentation. If you a fan to preternatural storylines, give this Indie author a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed, I know I wasn't. I think Settling could be read as a stand alone, but I think you'd get a much better feel for the characters, their backgrounds, and connections (as well as the abilities) if you read Solid, Book 1 and follow it with Settling, Book 2.  I recommend this book to YA lovers, PRN and UF lovers, and fantasy lovers, something for everyone. For now, I'll be patiently waiting to read Book 3, I'm left wondering where this story will go next. Also, everyone please stop back by my blog on June 28, 2011. Ms. Workinger will be here to tell us a little more about her series and to hold a giveaway. Mark your calendars!