A ridiculously long time ago, I went to a Kathy Reichs booksigning. She was in Beaver Creek promoting her young adult series, Virals. At the time, I’d read three or
four of her Bones books. They’re
good. I enjoy them, but at times they can be a little dry. Still, I was excited
to meet such a talented author/scientist.
I bought the first two Virals
books at the signing. I just read the first one last week.
I can’t believe that it took me so long to sit down and read
it, and even more I can’t believe that these books got so little attention when
they came out! Tory Brennan is smart, sassy, and fierce. She’s a leader, self-confidant
without being arrogant. She’s interested in boys and clothes, but her life
doesn’t revolve around them. She’s an athletic science geek, an adventurous spirit
and an animal lover.
She’s everything that I wish I could have been when I was
14.
Though thrown together by circumstance, Tory forms close
bonds with three neighbor boys, the other Virals. These strong, completely
platonic relationships give the four of them solid footing when adults prove
untrustworthy and they find themselves surrounded by murder, conspiracy, and
mysterious burgeoning powers brought on by a science experiment gone awry. Even
better, since the books are written by a scientist, they push the bounds of
reality just so, making the reader
believe that the wild circumstances the Virals find themselves in are possible,
even if not probable.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through the second book right now,
and so far there are hints of what might be romance, and the possibility of
actual werewolves showing up—science based werewolves, no magic necessary. How
often do you see that? Add in some missing pirate treasure, and you’ve got the
makings of a sequel that will not disappoint.
While technically classified as YA, these books will appeal
to anyone who loves a good adventure. I’m not generally a fan of sci-fi myself,
but these books don’t read as sci-fi and all of the science is broken down into
easy to understand bites so that even an art nerd like me with only a limited
science background can follow along.
These are quick, exciting reads that never have a dull
moment. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.
I'm still sitting on the thick end of a David Foster Wallace collection after eight months so I completely understand about 'not getting around to' reading some books. There's no rush.
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