Going Viral

I just finished Virals by Kathy Reichs, and my review is mixed. The main charcater is Toby Brennan, niece of Temperance Brennan (from the adult series by Kathy Reichs & the TV show Bones). Virals is a fast-paced book with a lot of action & science. I really enjoyed the setting and some of the characters, but there are a few things I didn't love....

Besides Tory, who I liked (who can not love a strong, smart heroine?), the main complaint I have is the use of so many sterotypical characters. Let's see. To name a few, we have the brainiac kids of the scientists, the snobby rich kids, the overweight, distrustful-of-kids cop, the inept security guards, you get the idea. But the worst for me? This is going to sound petty, but I hate the way Reichs depicts the librarian, Brain Limestone. First, there's her description of this character, "...small, rat-faced guy. Skinny, maybe thirty-five, he had black hair, oiled and razor parted. His brown sweater-vest covered a tan shirt hung with a yellow paisley tie. Brown corduroy pants completed perhaps the most boring ensemble ever conceived." Thanks a million, Kathy Reichs. In one paragraph, you manage to embody and reinforce the sterotype of a "typical" librarian. But wait, the description isn't even the worst part. Reichs also has "Librarian Limestone" annoyed that he has to stop reading his book to help patrons. Now, I'm not sure which library Reichs had such a bad experience in, but I invite her to come here, where patrons are the priority, and I never get to just sit here & read books!

There were times when the voice and tone of the book didn't seem very authentic to me, especially for many of the adult characters. I find this ironic because this is Reichs first YA novel, so you would think her struggle with creating an authentic voice would come from her teenage protaganists. While some of that struggle is evident, the actions and behaviors of the adult characters in response to the teen characters was so much more jarring and off-putting for me.

Now, I like to think of myself as a generous, forgiving person, so I'm willing to overlook some of my issues with this book and give the next one a chance (I'm positive a sequel is in the works as I type this). Maybe Reichs will develop a more authentic teen voice, and the parts of her book that were well done will outshine the parts that fell flat. In the meantime, I will be with content with Bones (hello David Boreanaz).    

Up next? I'm slightly embarrased to admit, but I'll be reading Hunted, the fifth book in the House of Night series.