REVIEW: Virals by Kathy Reichs

VIRALS by Kathy Reichs

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Mystery

Pages: 448 (Hardcover)

Publication: November 2010

(Razorbill)

Goodreads 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.

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Review: In Virals, New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs first venture in to the young adult market, we meet 14-year-old Victoria “Tory” Brennan. Tory is insanely bright, which isn’t shocking given that her aunt is Temperance Brennan, the brilliant forensic anthropologist from Reichs’ adult crime novel series. Being exceptionally inelligent isn’t easy, especially on a teenager, but Tory is written as very well adjusted. The story starts after Tory’s mother is killed by a drunk driver and Tory is forced to go live with her father, who she doesn’t know.

Tory’s father, despite being a research scientist on a remote island in South Carolina, is very much a stereotypical YA parent... absent, distant and disinterested. In his case, he simply doesn’t know how to be a parent, having had a teenager he was unaware he’d fathered land on his doorstep. But, the fact that he looks at what would have to be a grieving young woman trying to remain stoic, and decides she’s capable of handling most things on her own is disappointing. Most of the adult characters in this book were lacking, and I had to remind myself they were being “viewed” through the eyes of a 14-year-old. In that context, they come across as more real and human.

The story unfolds when Tory and her three friends spend their free time exploring the island where their parents work. They discover a secret lab performing unapproved experiments on wolf dogs, and an old set of dog tags. As intelligent kids with a knack for science and too much time on their hands, they begin investigating these two seemingly unrelated things and stumble upon a 40-year-old murder. They also learn more about the unauthorized experiments than they ever wanted to know... and their lives are forever altered.

Virals is an unusual blend... a mystery and, while I’ve seen some classify it as paranormal, to me it seemed more science fiction along the lines of Michael Crichton’s novels. Reichs utilizes her vast skills to keep the book moving and the writing fast paced, and her scientific knowledge to make the science fiction aspect more feasible.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book, and was thrilled with the lack of the requisite love triangle, but did feel that some parts of the story were over-simplified. Recognizing that Tory and her friends are all geniuses, the idea of kids breaking into a heavily secured lab was a stretch for me. At the same time, the teenagers are all written with a maturity far beyond what I see in most teens of my acquaintance. Despite these “reality checks,” Virals was a fun, entertaining read, and I am interested in the next installment in this series, Seizure, due out October 18, 2011.

Rating: 3 stars