Virals

Author: Kathy Reichs
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 987-0-545-39879-4
Year Published: 2010
No. Pages: 454
Genre: Science Fiction
Main Character Gender: Female
Read & Reviewed by: Kali




Tory Brenan, the niece of well-known forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, is a self-proclaimed science geek and tomboy. She lives on the island off the coast of South Carolina. Her friends are a few teens on the island she lives on. The group rescues a sick puppy caged for medical experiment on a nearby island. They are exposed to an unknown virus as they nurse the puppy back to health. They develop canine tendencies and super sensory skills. Using their new gifts, they attempt to solve a cold-case murder.

This is Reich’s first young adult novel but she has written for adults previously. This book is fast moving and full of suspense. She uses cliffhangers at the end of chapters so that I was desperate to read on. I kept turning the pages and finished this book in three days.

I like the supernatural elements because when the teenagers were in the middle of something intense, their powers would kick in and they could run at extreme velocities, have supers strength, were telepathic and have extremely good sight even in the dark. I found this made the book more interesting because they were more like super heroes and a likely match for the criminals.

The main character Tory has a maturity beyond her own age and it made the book more captivating because when something complex comes up she could find a way out of it. Her close friends are equally smart so the dialogue is intelligent and the author doesn’t waste time explaining facts because they are all aware of what’s going on.

The other characters play an important role in solving the case and contributing to the story. Hi short for Hiram is the only person that is capable of using some machines necessary for solving the cold-case murder. Ben is also necessary for the book because he had bought a kit to pick locks off of eBay so that’s how they get into the science lab to use some of the machines. Shelton stubbornness and self-confidence liven up the book.

I gave this book a 9/10. I recommend this to people who like a book mystery. The next book in the series is Seizure.