Boy 2.0 (Boy 2.0 #1)

Win "Coal" Keegan has been living in foster care with Tom, but when his foster dad has a mental health crisis, he ends up on the McKay's doorstep. The father, Jackson, and the mother, Candace (or "Doc"), haven't had a foster child before, but have three children, Aaron, who is in high school, and young Mia and Hannah. The family is friendly, but boisterous and a little overwhelming. Doc makes sure to give Coal some space, and to let him know she understands that the move is difficult. When Coal decides to get some air and go for a walk, Aaron agrees to tell the adults where he's gone, but also tells him to be home by dark. Coal finds a small side street where he can draw a picture in chalk of a woman who has been wrongfully killed, but when he is almost finished, a man comes after him with a gun. Panicked, Coal runs, and when the police arrive, he tries to hide behind a dumpster. He notices something odd-- he's become invisible, and so the police go right by him. When he gets home, Doc is worried, since he seems shaken. She's a psychiatrist, so knows when teens are lying to her, but gets Coal cleaned up and sends him. To bed. He's tried to tell her about the invisibility, but it's hard to explain something like that. He also tells his best friend, Door, at school the next day. Wanting to know more, Coal does some research, and comes across the Mirror Tech labs that are located nearby. He and Door take a tour of the facility with some other kids on the weekend, but don't feel comfortable doing any of the screenings that the director, Dr. Hunter Achebe, is having others do. Coal has interacted with some mimetic fabric, and a volunteer there, Isadora, mentions that the fabric usually doesn't act that way. There are still lots of questions, and Coal does unpack some of his worries with Doc, as they do yoga and run through some breathing exercises. When Coal mentions all of this to Aaron, Mia, and Hannah, they help him research, and come across information about Project Snow White, which was run through Mirror Tech, and which was supposed to help women with infertility issues. At school, the vice principal pulls Coal aside, and he thinks he is in trouble, but the vice principal wanting only to mention that there was a chalk drawing found, and the police wanted the artist to know that he could file charges against the man who shot at him. Coal and Door have tried to figure out what makes Coal turn invisible, and figure that it has something to do with a fear response. When Dr. Achebe asks Coal to be an intern, he's flattered until they get to the lab and the scientist not only takes blood and spit samples, but also some skin! Coal finds out that Tom, his foster father, was a scientist working at Mirror Tech. He and Door decide to break into the lab with Isadora's key card that Door swiped, and try to get more information. The boys claim to be going to a silent protest, but sneak into the lab. They manage to find some secrets and retrieve some files, but are, of course, caught. Doc shows up to protect him, but Coal knows he needs to figure out these secrets from the past. Does Coal's ability to turn invisible have anything to do with his birth mother, Mirror Tech experiments, and genetic manipulation, or is it something else? Will he be taken by the military and researched, or will his new found family, and Coal himself, be able to save the day? (I don't want to spoil the twists and turns!)

What worked:
The opening hook describes the mysterious circumstances when Coal is forced to change foster homes. He really likes his foster father Tom but one day Tom starts telling him to run while trying to stab people no one else can see. Coal and readers don’t know anything about his real family as he was left on a doorstep as an infant. This backdrop leads to all kinds of possible explanations when Coal discovers he can turn invisible. Readers can use their imaginations to fill in details and modify their ideas as more information arises. There must be more to Tom’s character than we know and the story of Coal’s parents must eventually be revealed.
It's always interesting to watch how characters respond when they suddenly acquire “superpowers”. Coal escapes a traumatic situation when the police can’t see him hiding right in front of them. He freaks out when his skin becomes invisible and is frightened by the unexplained. Doubt then sets in when he can’t make it happen again and he can’t trust anyone to share his secret. He finally confides in his best friend Door and their curiosity is piqued. This range of emotions is more “realistic” than immediately deciding to become a new superhero. Coal never even considers intentionally using his invisibility because he’s more concerned with understanding it.
A couple of social issues are included in the book. Racism is an underlying issue throughout and police brutality in particular is highlighted after the news of a young girl’s death. Coal has a frightening encounter with a white man and police officers after he’s spotted painting a mural of her. This terror leads to his first episode of invisibility. Coal’s new foster parents, Doc and Jackson McKay, try to balance their understanding for his emotions and freedom while trying to keep him safe from dangerous situations. Moral and ethical questions arise when Coal learns more about genetic engineering and the manipulation of DNA. This would allow scientists to speed up human adaptation in response to the rapidly changing global environment. However, just because something might be possible doesn’t mean it's something that should be done.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot could use a faster pace as most of the real action begins when Coal locates a company that is cutting edge in the field of genetic engineering. It also seems overly convenient when Coal moves in with the McKays even though the parents say it was unexpected. The transition is too smooth so readers will know there’s more to the story. The parents and children go out of their way to support Coal so it’s surprising when it takes so long for him to trust them.
The final verdict:
Readers will empathize with Coal as he struggles with his new ability after being shipped to a new foster family. Strong emotions are embedded in the story as he tries to uncover the mystery of his past and the dangers in his future. I recommend this book for lovers of origin stories, science, and social issues. Give it a shot.