Friday, March 30, 2012

Fast Paced Action Will Seize You

Seizure: A Virals Novel
When we think of "accidentally walked into an experiment and was infected" we think of Peter Parker and crazy Spidey Senses, right? Well what if they were just kids who wanted to save some animals who ended up becoming part animal themselves? When Tory and her friends were infected in Kathy Reichs first novel in the series, Virals, they gained wolf senses. Now they have super hearing, sight, smell, taste, and sometimes even telepathy. But that doesn't keep them out of trouble in Seizure.

Tory and the other three in the "pack" get to live in island paradise of the Carolinas because their parents all work at the laboratory on one of the islands. Thanks to the bad press surrounding the animal testing a crazy scientist was conducting that the wolf pack unearthed (and subsequently gained their wolf-ish-ness), the lab is closing and the island is being sold. The three boys are ready to give up, but Tory won't let the pack get broken up, especially if selling the island endangers the wolves and monkeys and other animals on the island. She has a plan to save the island but no one, not even the rest of the pack, can really imagine it working out.

The plan involves Anne Bonney, the famous female pirate who was supposed to have buried her treasure in Charleston. Tory is convinced they, especially with their super super senses, can find the treasure and have enough money to buy the island and keep them all together. Whether it be stealing a treasured map from a local museum, swindling a pawn broker, escaping thugs, discovering centuries-old pirate booby traps, breaking out their crazy former classmate from the loony bin, or deciphering clues left by shifty pirates, the pack can't seem to give up with Tory at the helm. She just knows the treasure is still out there and nothing will stop her from saving the island... not even endangering the lives of the entire pack!

This was a really fun story with a lot of action to keep you hooked. I am not sure how we went from science experiments to pirates in this series, but I didn't mind! It was something like Pirates of the Caribbean meets National Treasure, complete with deadly booby traps and tricky clues. But Tory is a fun, headstrong character who won't give up when she sets her mind to something. The boys in the pack don't really know what they get themselves into until it is too late, and they make hilarious supporting characters.

The story is long but fast-paced and clean enough for any middle school through high school student. Anyone who is a fan of the Bones series would most likely enjoy this series (and Temperance Brennan even makes a couple of brief appearances). They are kind of goofy at times, but there is nothing wrong with that! I couldn't put the book down! The action was a lot of fun and kept you wondering what was around the next corner. And trust me... you won't see anything coming!

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