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Red House Books is going through a bit of a update!

I've always had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted this space to be but I've been detoured from my path by...lots and lost of other people's opinions and ways of doing things...

I'm committed to this little chunk of the interweb but I've also branched out into other places so! Now it's time to think of Red House Books as more of a hub of all things me! And Me is a hell of a lot of book love!

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Book Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs

Age: 12+
Publication Date: November 2, 2010
Pages: 464
Series: 1st in a series
Book Acquisition: received an ARC at BEA

Book Summary:
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 newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if 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. (from Goodreads)

Quick Thoughts:
Loved it! Kathy Reichs is one of my favorite authors and this book is a wonderful start to what I hope is a long lived YA series. Lots of action and mystery!

What I didn't like:
I didn't love how young Tory and her friends are. It's realistic to a point but I was worried that the hard science aspect, which I love, would be dumbed down. It wasn't but I'm really curious how future books will play out. Tory is an extremely intelligent girl but at the same time, she's just a kid. I guess this is more of a concern of mine rather then a dislike :)

What I liked:
This book was a fabulous read for me. All the style, mystery and flare that makes Kathy Reichs's Temperance Brennan series so wonderful, in a new young adult package.

A great story, great mystery with a slight paranormal / super powers thing going on. Supper fun to read and I really felt a connection to the characters. Tory is pretty amazing and I love how she interacts with her friends. I really liked the secluded setting and I'm hoping future books will take place on the island as well. It's the perfect setting for intrigue and mystery.

Reminded Me Of:
Kathy's adult Temperance Brennan series - no surprise there :) Also, take away the paranormal element and the island setting / teen mystery solving / animal focus elements really reminded me of Bonnie Doerr's Island Sting.

Who Would Enjoy It:
Fans of Kathy's, also fans of paranormal teen fiction who also like really good mysteries. Despite it's hefty size, I can see younger readers, both boys and girls, really gobbling this one up!

Overall Rating:
5 / 5 Stars

Books in the series: 
Virals (Nov 2010)
Virals 2 (Summer 2011)

Linkage Love:
Publisher's website
Author's Website
Goodreads

3 comments:

  1. Great review Em, glad to hear you enjoyed this book! I'll get to it eventually. :)

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  2. YA mysteries? sounds like a good read for me too =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Kathy Reichs and looking forward to Virals!

    ~Alyssa
    Teens Read and Write

    ReplyDelete



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