Book Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs

Virals by Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: November 2010
ISBN: 9781595143426

Source: ARC provided by Traveling ARC Tours

Virals 

Tory lives an unusual life, as the daughter of a scientist working on a secluded island.  When she and her friends rescue a dog that has an experimental virus, they don't expect to catch it.  Not only do they catch the virus, but it causes them to gain some unusual powers - superior vision, hearing, and sense of smell.  But, what they least expect is that they've stumbled on something much bigger and more dangerous - something that others would kill to keep hidden. 

Things I Liked:
It had a quick and exciting plot.  The story kept you guessing and moved at a fast pace throughout.  I liked the scientific details and the fact that our main characters were not afraid to be nerds.  It felt a lot like a crime drama, keeping my interest with its unexpected twists and turns.  Tory was a spunky and cynical character, but also had a sweeter side as well.  


Things I Didn't Like:
Since it read like a crime drama, I found that I didn't enjoy the way it was written.  It felt like it was written as though a person was thinking or saying things to a friend - in a very informal, fragmented way.  It bothered me enough that I had a hard time enjoying the story.  I also thought that while I enjoyed the scientific details, it didn't feel realistic enough to suspend my disbelief.  I'm not generally a fan of popular action-adventure fiction, and this one definitely fit that description for me.  But it will appeal to those who do like these kinds of books and to those who like the TV show Bones.  

 
Read-alikes:
A bit like Dull Boy by Sarah Cross


BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
plenty


mrg-factor: X
some minor references


v-factor: ->->->
lots of action violence


Overall rating: ***

Do you generally enjoy these types of books? I'm starting to feel alone in these sentiments :)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage


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