What was I thinking putting this book off?! It has been sitting on my shelf for years and I never got the nerve to pick it up. That was probably one of my biggest book related mistakes!

Kathy & Brendan Reichs have a real hit on their hand! I have been reading the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs for years and I always wanted to get into Virals. Silly me bought the book and admired it for years, until I finally managed to dust it off and pull it into my reading pile. THANK GOODNESS because this book is a real gem and I need to binge this series. It's just too freaking good to not read!

Now, before I get ahead of myself, readers must remember that this is a YA novel and not an "adult" novel like the Temperance Brennan series. There are fun story lines focusing around being a teenager, and people need to remember that this book was made for a younger audience. I love books like this, because I can get into the fun of a younger book. But, some readers won't be expecting a "YA" novel - you should be!

Off to the races!!!

Tory Brennan is our lead (a distant, grand-niece of Temperance, if I am remembering correctly) and she's just as smart as Tempe! She's also sassy, barrels of fun, and gets in probably too much trouble in this book. She's not a girly girl, she likes hanging with her guy friends and she likes being smart. Seriously, I relate way to much to this girl! Her gaggle of friends get into trouble on an island nearby, rescuing dogs, talking to monkeys and trying to solve murders. Typical teenage stuff, obviously.

I love that this group is smart and for the greater good. I also felt a twinge of "save the environment" themes going on. Mixing in all the fun and goofy scenarios the teens get into... I have to say I like this book. I also really love the terminology that's used in the book. It's not "dumb-ed" down and these kids know what they are talking about. Do they know too much? Maybe. Or they are just really smart kids.

What did I not like?
Mean girl subplots always annoy me because they are so common. I get this is a very typical trend, but I'd love it to see Tory have a girl friend who isn't a total snob. Shockingly, there are some not snobby girls out in the real world! But, there has to be drama in this book so I totally get it. I remember in high school there were snobby girls all over the place too.

I also think that the introduction of fantasy was great, but it needed a little... more. There are more books in this series, so I'm assuming that the fantasy side will be explored more there. At least, I hope so! The little bits of fantasy just wasn't enough for me! I want to know the ins and outs of it!

Overall, this book is lots of fun and super smart! I really enjoyed reading it and I couldn't put it down! Books like these are why I love reading - I can whisk myself away into another world and just enjoy myself.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA with a fantasy twist, loves the Temperance Brennan series but wants a bit more "fun", people who loved Bones (this SCREAMS the fun of Bones!) or if you just want a smart YA novel with fancy terminology (to teach yourself something new).

Five out of five stars! ( )

What was I thinking putting this book off?! It has been sitting on my shelf for years and I never got the nerve to pick it up. That was probably one of my biggest book related mistakes!

Kathy & Brendan Reichs have a real hit on their hand! I have been reading the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs for years and I always wanted to get into Virals. Silly me bought the book and admired it for years, until I finally managed to dust it off and pull it into my reading pile. THANK GOODNESS because this book is a real gem and I need to binge this series. It's just too freaking good to not read!

Now, before I get ahead of myself, readers must remember that this is a YA novel and not an "adult" novel like the Temperance Brennan series. There are fun story lines focusing around being a teenager, and people need to remember that this book was made for a younger audience. I love books like this, because I can get into the fun of a younger book. But, some readers won't be expecting a "YA" novel - you should be!

Off to the races!!!

Tory Brennan is our lead (a distant, grand-niece of Temperance, if I am remembering correctly) and she's just as smart as Tempe! She's also sassy, barrels of fun, and gets in probably too much trouble in this book. She's not a girly girl, she likes hanging with her guy friends and she likes being smart. Seriously, I relate way to much to this girl! Her gaggle of friends get into trouble on an island nearby, rescuing dogs, talking to monkeys and trying to solve murders. Typical teenage stuff, obviously.

I love that this group is smart and for the greater good. I also felt a twinge of "save the environment" themes going on. Mixing in all the fun and goofy scenarios the teens get into... I have to say I like this book. I also really love the terminology that's used in the book. It's not "dumb-ed" down and these kids know what they are talking about. Do they know too much? Maybe. Or they are just really smart kids.

What did I not like?
Mean girl subplots always annoy me because they are so common. I get this is a very typical trend, but I'd love it to see Tory have a girl friend who isn't a total snob. Shockingly, there are some not snobby girls out in the real world! But, there has to be drama in this book so I totally get it. I remember in high school there were snobby girls all over the place too.

I also think that the introduction of fantasy was great, but it needed a little... more. There are more books in this series, so I'm assuming that the fantasy side will be explored more there. At least, I hope so! The little bits of fantasy just wasn't enough for me! I want to know the ins and outs of it!

Overall, this book is lots of fun and super smart! I really enjoyed reading it and I couldn't put it down! Books like these are why I love reading - I can whisk myself away into another world and just enjoy myself.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA with a fantasy twist, loves the Temperance Brennan series but wants a bit more "fun", people who loved Bones (this SCREAMS the fun of Bones!) or if you just want a smart YA novel with fancy terminology (to teach yourself something new).

Five out of five stars! ( )

A light and enjoyable young adult mystery story. ( )

Just can't finish it, got through the first few chapters and .... Reichs YA = BLAH. This is because in the little bit I did read she hit my biggest pet peeve 3 times, the streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech tie-in. If she didn't do that I might have pushed my way through it but 3 strikes your out.

*Note to self don't read anymore books by Kathy Reichs no matter how indecisive you are being* ( )

Fast paced, easy to read. Liked the characters although Tory is very annoying. ( )