Monday, August 9, 2010

Book Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs


 Virals
Virals by Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Razorbill
Publish Date: November 2, 2010
Hardcover, 304 pages


My Review:
Why I read this:  Kathy Reichs, need I say more?  I've been working on catching up on her Tempe Brennan series and then I see she has a new YA novel coming out.  So I jumped on the chance when Book It Forward Tours put it up for tour.

How is the novel driven: Plot, with nice character development for what I hope will be a series.

My thoughts:
Fast moving, full of suspense and great characters as well.  I really enjoyed Ms. Reichs first foray into young adult books.  Take the suspense of her adult books without the gruesomeness that is there at times (I mean Tempe deals with decomposing bodies) and you have a great YA suspense book.

I enjoyed getting to know Tory, Ben, Hi and  Shelton, each one a very different teenager.  The main thing holding them together is the fact that they live on a compound together for other researchers on one of the islands off of the SC coast and they go across the harbor to school in Charleston.  But this is enough of a bond to seal them together as close friends who explore together, get in trouble together and just generally watch each others' backs.

When the four of them find a dead body and other clues that lead to a decades-old murder they band together stronger to try and solve this murder and stay on the run from the bad guys.  I had a slight clue to who was behind it all but didn't really figure it out completely until it was spelled out for me in the book.

While a little out there at times, it is fiction and it is very enjoyable fiction.  The suspense area of young adult is a little smaller than other genres so this is a nice addition.  I look forward to more stories involving these four characters and more from Ms. Reichs in both the adult and young adult market.


Well worth your reading time whether  you are a young adult or an older adult. Virals has suspense, good characters and a plot that will keep you turning pages until the end.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:
Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage sci-philes who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their new found physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

About the Author:
Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist, like her character Temperance Brennan, and creator of the Fox television hit Bones, now in its fifth season. Reichs has written twelve books in the Bones series, all New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Virals is her first novel for young readers.

Her Website
Twitter

FTC Information: I received this book through Book It  Forward Tours for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

It's Monday What Are You Reading - August 9

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week 
  • Freefall by Mindi Scott (review)
  • Matched by Ally Condie (review)
  • Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook) 
  • Chill of the Night by James Hayman (review) 
  • Evermore by Alyson Noel (library)  
  • Spells by Aprylynne Pike (library) 
  • Catwalk by Melody Carlson (review) 
Reading Now:
  • Definitely Dead (audible on my Kindle)
  • Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
  • Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner (review)
Next:
  • Firelight by Sophie Jordan 
  • Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Reviews completed this week (books read before this week):
Other books still need to review:
  • Wings by Aprilynne Pike (library) 
  • The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (mine)  
  • The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
  • Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
  • Virals by Kathy Reichs (review)
  • A Change of Heart by Shari Mauer (review) 
  • Monster High by Lisi Harrison (review)
  • The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer (review)
Summary -

Busy week reading and enjoyable.  Family life has calmed down and my boys spent a lot of the week with my parents and had a ball.  It was my mom's first week of retirement and she really enjoyed it.

Favorite book of the week:  Matched by Ally Condie - this book is excellent and I can't wait for the next in the series.