I received an ARC copy of this book from the indie publisher, Big Thinking Publishing.
Paraplegion, as befits a book about people who don’t quite fit in, is a long novella, or maybe a very short novel. I enjoyed it, and it would be fine for a teenage or YA audience.
The story starts with a well used sf trope, the young soldier preparing to be the pride of the unit, interacting with their peers and their mentor. The set up could lead in several different directions, but Barker definitely knows where she’s taking her heroine, on a voyage of self discovery that sails through choppy seas and finally finds the perfect harbour.
The main protagonist is well drawn and easy to identify with, and the supporting characters are beautifully scripted for their roles in the story.