Virus by Sarah Langan

Virus

by Sarah Langan

Something lurking in the woods threatens to destroy an entire town in Sarah Langan's brilliantly crafted second novel. Lois Larkin should never have taken her class to the woods for the field trip. Preoccupied by the betrayal of her fiance she never even notices when little James Walker doesn't get back on the bus and suddenly the quiet, prosperous town of Corpus Christi is plunged into tragedy and united in shock.

Reviewed by Rinn on

2 of 5 stars

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Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book...
As the POV switched so often, I didn't feel any sort of attachment to any of the characters, so the deaths really didn't mean much to me. I thought it was interesting how the reader never really quite got to see exactly what the infected did, from a POV chapter. Everything was hinted at, through the remains of the people and animals - and although it was obvious what went on, without a full description of it, it felt like the reader was partially in the dark, like the infected when they attacked.

As I mentioned previously, none of the characters really drew me in. There were quite a lot of stereotypes - Maddie especially annoyed me; I just really hate the overuse of teen slang in books. Lois was a complete sap. I still don't understand why the virus centred around her, why she was in control, and why Fenstad's family lasted the longest.
Quite a grim read, although I'm not sure what I was really expecting from the blurb!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 30 March, 2012: Finished reading
  • 30 March, 2012: Reviewed