Virals

Author: Kathy Reichs

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure

Series: Virals (book #1)

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

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.

Positive Elements

Science and technology lessons are woven throughout this fast-paced adventure story. Most notably, the reader learns how sonicators work to remove layers of grunge from an object, how forensics are used to identify a human skeleton, how a person's fingerprint is obtained and then interpreted, and a bit about neuroanatomy. The four friends (referred to as the Virals) are very loyal and protective toward each other. They demonstrate courage and determination as they strive to solve an old murder mystery.

Spiritual Content

Hiram (Hi) is part of a Jewish family, but he does not like accompanying his parents to synagogue. Tory's dad (Kit) took her to church once; she recognized within 10 seconds he had never been there before and they never went back. Tory muses, "I hear the Big Guy's pretty understanding. I hope so." A couple of times, Tory thanks "various deities" when she isn't caught after breaking the law. Another time, she whispers a quiet prayer of thanks, but to whom she is not sure. In a time of distress, Tory thinks "Dear God in heaven!" After recovering from the parvovirus infection, Hiram utters a genuine "Thank God."

Sexual Content

Early in the story, we learn that Tory was conceived when her parents "hooked up" at age 16. She was kept secret from her dad until her mother's untimely death, at which time she was placed into his care.

Tory came home earlier than expected one evening and found Kit and his girlfriend entangled (fully dressed) on the couch. They quickly separate when they see her.

While searching classmate Chase's mansion for clues, the Virals discover that his girlfriend Hannah sleeps overnight at his house when she shows up wearing lingerie.

Violent Content

The Virals are shot at on several occasions. Hi and Shelton use two broom handles to knock a gun out of the hand of a pursuer, and then proceed to knock him out with a blow to the back of his head. The scientist responsible for creating the mutated parvovirus was shot and killed. Hannah shoots at the Virals and accidentally shoots Chase in the commotion (he lives). Tory incapacitates Hannah by whacking her twice in the head with a human bone. When captured at gunpoint, Tory kicks her assailant in the crotch and hits him twice in the head with a rolling pin.

Drug/Alcohol Content

It is mentioned once that Tory is addicted to the caffeine in Diet Coke. Tory's deceased grandparents smoked, but this is a negative memory for her.

Crude/Profane Language

Expletives are disturbingly frequent in this story. There are at least 26 uses of the word "hell"; 16 uses of "damn"; 11 uses of "bastard"' 5 uses of "bitch(es)"; 8 uses of "God" (in vain); and 3 uses of "Jesus" (in vain). The word a** is used 5 times, but it is also used as "kicka**" twice, "jacka**", "Head A**", and "Dr. Dumba**." "S**t" is used twice by itself, but also shows up as "s**tless", "apes**t", "bulls**t" twice, and "Holy s**t." The word "Holy" is also put in front of "hell" and "crap." "Frick" (as in "What the...") is used 3 times and "pissed" is used once.

Kit's girlfriend is described as having "jacked-up boobs."

Other Negatives

Tory doesn't call Kit a "jerk" to his face, but she thinks it. She also sarcastically thinks of stabbing Kit's girlfriend and receiving a medal for it. All of the Virals withhold information from their parents, including their serious illness after becoming infected with the virus.

In their quest to do something good by solving an old murder case, the Virals break laws and disregard adult authority figures. The Virals break into a research laboratory, a library, a lighthouse, and a mansion. When confronted in one-on-one interviews about the lab break-in, the Virals concoct an elaborate alibi and gloat afterward about how successfully they lied about their whereabouts.

Conclusion

The author does a good job making science "cool," and while there is some satisfaction at the end of the story that the Virals are able to use their smarts and their special abilities to solve the mystery, the way they reach their end point leaves a lot to be desired. The excessive, unnecessary use of profanity coupled with the law-breaking, disrespectful tactics makes this a book I cannot comfortably recommend to my children.

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: (Unnamed) book #1

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he is not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade - a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Positive Elements

The boys have done the best they can to create a working society minus adult supervision. There are gardeners, cooks, cleaners, explorers, etc. who answer to the leadership of two primary boys. Teamwork is essential, and the boys work together to solve problems. Difficult decisions are made by a council consisting of the named leaders from each working area of the Glade. Thomas believes that somehow he is partly responsible for the boys' predicament and risks his life on several occasions in order to help them figure out a way to escape. Thomas tells a younger boy that he should never feel bad about crying.

Spiritual Content

The boys know they are being watched at all times by their "Creators" (with a capital C), but I never got the sense that the writer wants us to think the Creators are a pseudonym for God. Though he doesn't remember specifics, Thomas senses that the boys are part of a big experiment.

Sexual Content

When Theresa (the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade) is hoisted from the lift, the boys joke that the medical attendant shouldn't have "first shot" at her. Someone else yells, "I'm next!" The leader of the group warns that anyone touching the girl will spend the night with the Grievers (see Violent Content below) in the Maze. Theresa is able to communicate telepathically to Thomas and the two of them are baffled as to how this can be. At one point, Theresa suggests that perhaps the two of them were lovers before having their memories erased. Thomas is attracted to Theresa, but their relationship doesn't move beyond holding hands.

Violent Content

The biggest threat to the boys' safety comes in the form of creatures called "Grievers" (part animal, part machine). Their bodies resemble a slimy slug, six feet long and four feet thick, with several randomly placed mechanical arms wielding dangerous weapons on the ends. The creatures are more likely to be moving through the Maze at night, and the only protection the boys have against them is that the walls of the Glade close at sunset. If a boy is "stung" by a Griever, he must receive a serum or he will die. After receiving the serum, he goes through an excruciating process known as "The Changing," in which his veins turn green and bruises and red marks appear on his body. He thrashes around in a delirious state as some of his old memories come back to him. A couple of the boys' demeanors change significantly after recovering, and they turn against decisions made by the leaders. Things that Thomas did in their past life particularly bother them and one boy attacks him for it. A leader shoots this boy with an arrow to his cheek and we think he is dead. When it is discovered that this boy didn't die, he is banished to the Maze overnight (only the collar from around his neck is found in the morning).

Theresa arrives with the message that "everything is going to change", and things slowly start to do just that. Most significantly the walls of the Glade stop closing at night, eliminating the community's only protection from the Grievers. Grievers roll into the Glade and take (and presumably kill) one boy each evening before retreating to the Maze. Thomas deliberately gets "stung" in an attempt to bring back any memories that could help them solve the Maze and secure their freedom. During their escape, half of the boys are killed in a bloody battle with the Grievers before Thomas and Theresa find the way to shut them down. In a particularly disturbing scene, a younger boy (Chuck) is killed when he throws himself in front of a dagger meant for Thomas. Thomas had made it his mission to get Chuck safely home to his parents. After Chuck dies, Thomas violently attacks the boy who threw the dagger, rendering him unconscious before two friends pulled him away.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Anyone stung by a Griever receives a serum to counter the effects. The serum is one of many provisions sent regularly to the boys by the Creators.

Crude Language

Newcomers to the Glade are called "Greenies." "Shank" is a derogatory way to address someone (the context implies the so-called is a loser or idiot). The word "klunk" is the oft-used term for excrement.

Other Negatives

The Keeper of the Blood House (the place where animals are slaughtered for food) is a disturbing character who seems to like his job a little too much. He makes few appearances in the story, but at one point after butchering a hog, Thomas sees him sitting in a dark corner gnawing on raw pigs' feet.

One boy who went through "The Changing" decides he doesn't want to go back to his old life after seeing the memories revealed to him. As a result, he willingly sacrifices himself to the Grievers with the hope that his life is enough to turn them away while the others escape (he doesn't tell anyone his plan).

Conclusion

This book was a suspense-filled read, mainly because the story is written from Thomas' perspective. If he doesn't know something, the reader doesn't either. The importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty and bravery are strong throughout, but the heaviness of the boys' situation coupled with the desperate escape plan and the death of Chuck left me feeling hopeless at the end. [Spoiler Warning] The set-up for the sequel promises more of the same - the reader is led to believe that the kids are rescued from the Creators by a rogue group of adults, only to learn in the epilogue that the rescue is all a ruse to get them to their next trial. If an adult "rescuer" is telling the truth, the kids are part of an elaborate experiment to find those capable of helping discover a cure for a terrible sickness affecting the world (the "Flare"). I am quite certain I will not read the sequel if I learn the tone is similar to this one.