Code

January 1, 2013
In this third Virals thriller, the focus is on Tory Brennan (niece of Temperance Brennan, hero of Reichs' Bones books for adults) and her friends as they continue to explore their special wolf powers, acquired by accident but growing stronger every day. Tory would like nothing better than to spend time with her friends prowling the barrier islands of Charleston, S.C. It's too bad her dad's irritating, socially conscious girlfriend insists on having Tory make her debut at this year's cotillion, an event that holds no interest for this 14-year-old tomboy. Escaping to participate in a new game with her friends seems like a lark, as they uncover their first cache in what appears to be a treasure hunt. But things turn serious when each successive discovered cache turns more and more dangerous, putting not just Tory and her friends at risk, but their families as well. It's a race against time to find the self-proclaimed Gamemaster and put a stop to this deadly game before an oncoming hurricane strikes Charleston, wiping out his tracks forever and setting him free to play his fatal game again...and again. More than just a Bones Jr., more than just an exploration of heightened natural abilities, this series mixes thrills with timeless coming-of-age themes, teasing the intellect with well-drawn characters and keeping the pages turning with a well-tuned pace. Another successful adventure. (Science fiction/thriller. 10 & up)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 7-9-Months ago, 14-year-old Tory and her friends accidentally acquired supernatural abilities while attempting to solve a decades-old cold-case murder. Now, the group has discovered a geocache, left behind by someone they know only as the "Gamemaster." The Gamemaster leads the gang on a scavenger hunt peppered with puzzles, codes, and riddles. As the treasures they find become increasingly dangerous, Tory and her friends suspect that one geocache may be a ticking time bomb. The Virals must race against the clock to find it before it detonates and kills innocent people. While this sci-fi/mystery mash-up has some plot inconsistencies and implausible moments, it will appeal to fans of the first two books. The four Virals-Tory, Shelton, Ben, and Hi-are well defined in the course of the story. Though they are all intelligent and protective of one another, their actions are not always prudent or legally sound. The group's "save the world" mentality thrusts them into plenty of perilous situations, and simply letting law enforcement handle the Gamemaster is never a real consideration. Still, the friends admirably stick together and will stop at nothing to protect the innocent.-Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Tory (Virals; Seizure) and her science-whiz-kid "pack" try geocaching. They find coded--and increasingly frightening--messages leading them on a "game" across South Carolina's coastal islands to find the Gamemaster and stop the violence he threatens. Again, the kids' part-wolf superhuman abilities help (a bit) in solving the mystery; more believable dynamics among family and friends help ground the sci-fi elements.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)