Kathy Reichs Does it Again!

Virals may be written for teens but it is a great story with the Kathy Reichs' touch that has gone into all her Temperance Brennan books. From beginning to end, the story engages with interesting characters and a complex plot. As an adult, I considered not buying this book written with teens in mind, but it peaked my interest as a devoted Reichs' fan. I purchased it, listened to the book in one day, could not turn it off and at the end wished for more. I will certainly buy more of her "Teen" books. Hurrah for the Virals!

14 people found this helpful

Mixed Feelings

I have mixed feelings for Virals. I really wanted to like it more than I actually did. I think I had high expectations going into the book and then was slightly disappointed when it wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. If I gave half stars, I would probably give this book 3.5 stars but in this case I rounded up to 4. Overall, I thought it was a creative and original story and it held my interest consistently but there was something missing.

Compared to other popular Young Adult novels of the day, Virals is distinctly unique. It stars a mystery solving group of teenage friends that get themselves into way too much trouble. The four friends are children of employees at Loggerhead Island Research Institute, and spend their free time on Loggerhead Island exploring. When on a mission to find a lost wolf-dog, the groups stumbles into a science experiment gone wrong and expose themselves to a canine virus. The group uncovers more than bargained for and are compelled to unravel even more mysteries putting their lives at risk over and over again.

There’s no question that Kathy Reich is a solid writer and great story teller. Her story was compelling and I often found it hard to hit the pause button (audiobook). I feel the book is best described as reminiscent of Nancy Drew and Harvey Brothers with a super hero/mutation flare. It looks like Virals was her first young adult book and compared to her adult novels I think she dumbed it down a bit for the younger audience. It was a clever story with smart characters but it definitely felt young, the equivalent of the PG movie. That isn’t bad a thing, but since I am an adult, it felt young for my personal taste. This book would be great for middle school age kids and older.

The main thing that got a little under my skin were the multiple boys that showed romantic interest in Tory and then nothing ever came of it. There were a few scenes that made it explicitly known that three boys liked Tory and she even makes note that two of the boys are seemingly acting territorial over her. The lack of romance is not normally a big deal for me and little to no romance doesn’t ruin a book for me, but why note it if you aren’t going to do anything with it. That said, I also want to note that Tory was a strong female character who’s life didn’t revolve around the boys in her life. Love wasn’t her main interest, solving the mystery was. I appreciated this quality in Tory as many YA heroines are very boy focused. In fact, Tory almost had the opposite of boy vision, she didn’t even notice when one of the boys was trying to date to her. On the other hand she does like one boy, but he’s taken

Part of me feels that a little romance might have helped this book by making the characters seem more real. The main characters are in a constant state of fear or stress and romantic emotions often help balance out the characters and the book. As a reader, I felt like I was left hanging, wondering why there are hints of a possible romance only to be disappointed in the end. Maybe a relationship will develop in the next books to explain the purpose of the scenes featured in the first book.

Overall, Virals is a fun book. It’s different, intriguing, and good for all ages. Reich leaves it open for a sequel and I have no idea what’s going to happen in the next book. I have to admit I am interested in finding out what happens and I might end up getting the sequel.

4 people found this helpful

Really enjoyed this one

What am I doing reading a kids book. That's what I thought at first. But ended up enjoying it from the start. Yeah, it may not be what I usually read but was a well written story with some great characters.

3 people found this helpful

I hope she writes another in this series soon!

I've read all of Kathy's work and love her characters and intelligent attention to detail. Although perhaps written for young adults/teens, this was a great listen...more interesting characters and story lines. I'm having a hard time turning this one one off! Kathy, more in this series soon, please!!

3 people found this helpful

A great listen

This is a youth book but I was riveted. A bit of fantasy with the crime but fast paced and fun. I loved the wolf dog.

3 people found this helpful

I want more!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story was great and had enough story details and sci fi aspect especially for girls interested in mysteries.It was a just a good story! I would love to read more of their stories. Kathy Rechs are you listening?

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the characters and their relationships. Enjoyed a detailed plot line too.

What does Cristin Milioti bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She had just the right voice quality for a young girl and put that feeling into the reading.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved that all was resolved in the end.

2 people found this helpful

If only...

Kathy Reichs' adult books were as interesting! I hope she continues this young adult line of books, even writing more about the "Virals". I really enjoyed this book and it was nice to have a book that I could play with my kids in the car on our vacation. I have listened to this book at least 4 times!

2 people found this helpful

virals

This is a great book for any age. If you love dogs and ever wanted to get into there heads this is the book for you. Hope there are more to come.

2 people found this helpful

This was nostalgic

Vitals has been my favorite book since seventh grade and when I found it on Audible I couldn’t resist listening to it. The way Cristin reads is immaculate and made me feel like I was in the story. I love this book and the performance.

1 person found this helpful

Awesome!

Reichs! Great captivating story & excellent reader! Hard to lause, and I pined for quiet time to continue the story.

1 person found this helpful