Virals by Kathy Reichs

Pages: 454

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Supernatural / Suspense / Mystery

Notes for parents:  Some language and violence, but nothing excessive

The Back Cover

Adventure has always been in fourteen-year-old Tory Brennan’s blood. After all, she is the niece of world-famous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. So when she moves to middle of nowhere Morris Island, South Carolina, to live with a marine biologist dad she’s never known, Tory does the best she can to adjust to her new life.

There she meets a group of local kids who are just as “Sci-Phile” as she is—science geeks who’ve grown up exploring the backwoods marshlands of nearby Loggerhead Island. But there’s something strange going on at the Loggerhead Research Institute … maybe even something deadly. After rescuing a stray wolfdog pup from a top-secret lab, Tory and her friends are exposed to a rare strain of canine parvovirus, changing them---and their DNA—forever.

Now, with newly heightened senses and canine-quick reflexes, they’ll have to solve a cold-case murder that’s suddenly become very hot … that is, if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer’s scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends.

They are a pack.

They are virals.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

In case you didn’t know, Temperance Brennan is the main character in Reichs’ adult novels, and the inspiration for the t.v. series Bones.

What’s good?

The story has a solid flow with action, suspense and humour in all the right places. Tory and her three cohorts are well-drawn, likeable characters and there’s a good supporting cast. The location itself—Charleston, South Carolina, with its picturesque downtown, and interesting outer islands—takes on a role of its own.

Best part: Coop.

What’s not so good?

Who are these kids? They know about sonicators, epiphyseal fusion, post-war dog tags, canine diseases, PIS, DNA…seriously!? Tory is suppose to be 14-years-old! She’s so smart she skipped a grade. If she was that smart she’d be working on her PhD! Dr. Karsten, a professor and scientist, is too stupid to change the default code on a keyless lock, but Tory can identify the age and gender of a dead body based on a visual examination. Not believable.

Worst part: “Healthy dentition. Wisdom teeth not fully erupted…” – This was Tory examining the body. That was the moment I stopped believing I was reading about a 14-year-old.

Recommendations þþooo

The author’s attempt at a strong female character is sabotaged by her shortcuts. Instead of making Tory resourceful, Reichs gave her mindboggling intelligence. Instead of forcing her to deal with the mature world--which could have added to the suspense-- Reichs made the adults oblivious so they could be ignored.  There was a lot of tension, danger and mystery, and the story was definitely entertaining, but I was constantly distracted by the details. If the author had made the characters a little older, the adults a little less clueless, and made the ending a little less ridiculous, this could have been a great story.

Reichs, Kathy. Virals. New York: Penguin, 2010