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Tory Brennan is the leader of a ragtag band of teenagers 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 find themselves exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus. First comes sickness … then the changes hit. Heightened senses. Animal-quick reflexes.
Even as the friends struggle to uncover the truth of what’s happening to them, they find themselves combining their scientific curiosity with their newfound abilities to solve a cold-case murder. But as more clues are unveiled, they realize they are in danger. Someone is desperate to stop them from uncovering the truth.
But Tory and her gang are more than friends now. They’re a pack. They’re Virals. And they’re determined to stay alive long enough to catch the killer’s scent.
Virals is a unique superhero origin story that’s light on the superhero aspects but heavy on the science and mystery.
The main character, Tory Brennan, is the sort of smart, self-confident heroine that YA sometimes lacks. She can be bossy, and sometimes she comes across as mean, but she’s also the driving force of the story. Without her passion and knack for getting into trouble, this story would go nowhere. The other teens are also entertaining and well-developed. They’re intelligent, and they are often willing to use their nerdiness and tech savviness for a little breaking and entering.
I did have one qualm with the book. I had a really hard time grasping the ages of these characters. Tory is supposed to be 14, but I kept picturing the Virals as 16- and 17-year-olds. Part of the reason for this is probably that these kids are uncannily smart, which leads them to talk like adults at times.
Kathy Reichs is the author of the Temperance Brennan books (which inspired the popular TV series Bones). The main character in Virals is Temperance’s niece. It’s easy to see the level of detail she put into her adult books by reading this series. It may also be another part of the reason these kids seem older than they are.
Either way, with its scientific details, super abilities, cold-case mystery and solid settings, this young adult mystery book is the perfect story for adventurous readers. I am definitely eager to have more adventures with this group.
Rated: Moderate, for over 20 uses of mild language, 12 uses of moderate language, two uses of strong language, 5 mild variations of strong language, and 5 uses of the name of Deity. A few sexual jokes are made. Violence includes death and some blood.
