The Green Girl and the Serum by S.T.L. Armstrong is a SFF novel that features young adults who have transformed into Mega Humans after being injected with a serum by the British Military. This transformation gives them a whole new look including unusual skin colors as well as a variety of unnatural and unpredictable abilities. The military’s goal is to use these Mega Humans in warfare, but things don't go according to plan.
Green Girl and the Serum centers on Mega Human, Green Girl, a.k.a. Stacey Roberts who was injected with the serum as a young woman. She escapes from the military and lives on the run. As the story opens, she has hooked up with her former boyfriend, Ben Fox, who is a powerful Mega Human who leads a group of Mega Humans known as Haven. Haven hopes to make peace with the humans and show them that they can coexist, but a second group of Mega Humans, the Outcasts, wants to take over the world. This group is led by a Mega Human known as Surge, who was once a friend of Ben Fox’s.
The plot follows an intricate web of relationships as these two groups clash. Friendships forged before the serum stir up complicated issues among these Mega Humans as well as humans involved in the Mega Human program including Green Girl’s scientist father. The plot grows ever more involved because the Mega Humans continue to evolve into something other than what they once were. Learning to control this power is central to the story. Some seem to go mad and become evil with no conscience. Green Girl struggles with a growing anger that often causes fierce outbursts. She reacts without weighing the consequences which often leads to regrets.
I enjoyed the story. The characters are interesting and the plot intriguing. For that, I’d rate the story 5 out of 5 stars, but the author’s passive writing waters down the action at times and hinders engagement as a reader. The plot also had one incongruity I found distracting near the end of the story. Taking these elements into consideration, I recommend Green Girl and the Serum as a 4-star read.
With Haven Mega Humans, the Outcasts, regular humans, and
the military involved, this plot offers plenty of action and unexpected twists
and turns. I recommend this book to those who enjoy science fiction set in a
dystopian society with elements of advanced technology that generates
mythical-type mutants with unnatural powers and I look forward to the next book in the series.
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