"Virals

by Kathy Reichs
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Cristin Milioti
genre: YA murder mystery

I started to read this in eBook format, but didn't get far. Then I got the audiobook and kept renewing it. Finally, I was in "just get it done" mode. A lot of my middle schoolers (and a few adults) have raved about this series. I'm not sure if it's the story itself or the reader's voice, but I didn't love it. Considering how much I love the TV show Bones, I thought I would love stories by Reichs. This just didn't work well for me.

Tory (Victoria) Brennan is the fictional Temperance Brennan's niece. Mom died and Tori went to live with her father Kit (Christopher), who didn't even know that he had a child! Tori is 14, intelligent, and missing her mom. A science nerd, she befriends Hiram, Ben, and Shelton, who are also science geeks. Most of their parents work in animal research on nearby Loggerhead Island, where Professor Karsten is in charge. They live on Morris Island but go to school in Charleston.

The "young-ness" of the story was part of what bothered me, though it's very middle-school appropriate. Whitney and the cotillion were ridiculous. Just say no, Tory. The wolves, research, many break-ins, skeleton, clues, bad guys . . . there was enough action to keep the story moving. Just not sure I feel like reading book two.