Virals: (Virals 1) (Virals, #1)

by Kathy Reichs

Fourteen-year-old Tory Brennan is as fascinated by bones and dead bodies as her famous aunt, acclaimed forensic anthropologist, Tempe Brennan. However living on a secluded island off Charleston in South Carolina there is not much opportunity to put her knowledge to the test. Until her and her ragbag group of technophile friends stumble across a shallow grave containing the remains of a girl who has been missing for over thirty years. The question is, did whoever was responsible for the girl's death have anything to do with the sick puppy they rescued from a secret laboratory on the same island?

With the cold-case murder suddenly hot, Tory realises that they are involved in something fatally dangerous. But events take a turn for the bizarre when they escape some would-be attackers by using physical powers more akin to a dog than a human... Could the puppy hold the key not only to the murder, but also the strange changes that are taking place in their bodies?

• ISBN10: 0099544571
• ISBN13: 9780099544579
• Publish Date: 27 October 2011 (first published 1 November 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Imprint: Arrow Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[clairelm]

Having read a couple of Kathy Reichs' books I wasn't quite sure how she would translate to writing a YA book. I needn't have worried, this book, while different, was brilliant.

The central four characters were well written, with depth and the supporting characters weren't shallow or insubstantial either. I did think it took a while for the virus to develop, I think it was almost halfway through, but that didn't mean it was boring, there was still plenty going on.

I liked the link between the adult and young adult books and I think this is a good way to get younger people into reading her books, I'll certainly be looking up more of both the Virals and Bones series.

[Rinn]

Also posted on my book blog, Rinn Reads.

I was never particularly drawn to Kathy Reichs' books until last year, when I saw her whilst working at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. After reading the blurb of her latest release, I decided that it sounded just like my kind of crime fiction. And whilst the Virals series is not part of the Temperance Brennan story, it follows a similar vein - and is about Tempe's niece, Tory. It is Bones for the younger generation.

Simply written, fast paced and exciting, I really enjoyed the story. There were a couple of plot twists I managed to guess in advance, but one or two that caught me off guard! I wasn't one hundred percent sure about the narrative voice though. Whilst Tory is a good character - not your 'typical' teenage girl - that is also one of her downfalls. Several times she tells the reader how she is not one of those girls, caring only for clothes and makeup - which is fine, apart from when she claims that all other girls do this. However, she is intelligent and quick-witted, and whilst a lot of her friends and acquaintances felt like stereotypes, they worked well together. And it is nice to have some YA fiction where the heroine claims to be intelligent, and then actually proves it.

The setting of the book sounds gorgeous - isolated in what is first a peaceful, idyllic way, but later becomes a little menacing. I wanted to learn more about the islands, and the research that Kit was doing.

This is definitely very much a Young Adult book though, purely from the style of writing and the way that Tory's internal monologue plays out. I still enjoy YA fiction in general, and definitely enjoyed this one. I actually had no idea when I started reading it that it was more than just a crime novel - there's a hint of the supernatural in there too.

I am aware, from reading other reviews, that this book is very different to Reichs' usual style - so I look forward to reading the first of Temperance Brennan's adventures, and discovering whether I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed this.

[tellemonstar]

I liked Virals. It’s a crime-mystery novel without a lot of the gory parts that you find in adult crime novels, so great for younger teens who are into science and mystery. Also the teenagers in it are normal, everyday teenagers. Tory is a likeable character and a fairly reliable narrator. She’s very strong-willed too, which must be a Brennan family trait.

The mysteries – the murder and the viral infection are well-handled and move along nicely once they are revealed. Virals does start off a little slowly, but builds up momentum quite quickly without rushing ahead too far. You discover things as Tory and friends are discovering them, which works quite well. They discover the answers to the mysteries by the end of the book, and you didn’t guess the whole ending from early on.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes YA fiction and mysteries/crime novels.

Full review here