Review: Virals by Kathy Reichs

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.


I actually finished this book a while ago, and although I remember most of it, some parts I don't remember as well as when I first finished it.  So any mistakes on characters, plot, etc are probably because of this!

I thought this book sounded interesting - it had a mix of action/adventure, supernatural and crime, which sonds a bit odd but was mostly fine when I was reading.  To start with the book was quite slow, mainly concerntrating with Tory meeting with her friends, going to school and describing where she lived, and even with Tory's discovery of important things (I won't spoil the book by saying what!) there was more of her just doing everyday things than any of the promised exciting action.

However, Virals did get better as Tory and her friends found out more about what they were investigating and the research building's (?) secret work.  And I was definately not expecting the action at the end, which really improved the book for me!  I liked how all of the mysteries Tory came across were solved at the end of the book and weren't dragged on into the next book.

The supernatural element of the book was good, but I think sometimes it didn't suit the general theme of the book (crime), and it only seemed to appear when it would help the characters and the plot!  However, from the ending I think it might be featured a bit more in the next book.

I didn't really have many problems with the characters in this book, apart from the author making Tory's Dad's girlfriend (?) obviously (and kind of unrealisticly) annoying, and how Tory and her friends never told their parents what was actually going on/the parents didn't seem to care or notice.

Overall I enjoyed Virals, but there were just a few small things I disliked and some slow paced parts.

Rating: 4/5