Review: CODE

Code by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Book 3 of the Virals series
Read by Cristin Milioti
Genre: YA science fiction thriller
Format: hardback & audiobook

About Code:

The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach — if the Virals are up to the challenge.

But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box — a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there — a real one — and the clock is ticking.

Source: Info in the About Code was taken from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7744611-code on 11/03/2013.

Review:

I know I promised that I would not buy this book until it got cheap in the secondhand market... well, the library beat the secondhand market to it. I placed my request for this book at the library not so long ago. Then the library emailed me that the book is ready for pick up! I wasn't expecting it to be so soon since I was, what, tenth in the queue of requests, or something?? I wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad sign. Did people read this book that quickly? Or did not want the book after all and so I was bumped up the queue? But for some reason it went faster than anticipated. So there I was reading Code after all. Besides, after reading Deadly Decisions, Tory is not as stupid as Dr. Temperance Brennan. Heck, compared to Brennan, Tory barely registers on the richter scale of stupidity! However the stupid vibes is still annoying as hell! I was also not very impressed with the plot in this book. It depended on the characters acting stupid to create the story's dilemma so that the Virals can show off and save the world. Pretty weak plot. I hope they would improve on the plot and the stupid factor because this series has a beautiful and really soound world building!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3
Character development = 3
Story itself = 2.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 2
Pace = N/A (10 hrs and 48 mins of listening time)
Plot = 2.5
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Thank you to RCT Libaray for the lending me the hardback copy of this book.

FTC Disclosure:
The hardback copy was borrowed from the library. The audiobook edition was purchased with private funds. No money received for this review.

Review: SEIZURE

Seizure by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Book 2 of the Virals series
Read by Cristin Milioti
Genre: YA science fiction thriller
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Seizure:

Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack. But now the very place that brought them together - the Loggerhead Island Research Institute - is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it.

So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can't believe her luck - buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren't the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals' special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble . . .

Source: Info in the About Seizure was taken from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709640-seizure on 26/02/2013.

Review:

Like in Book 1, I like Cristin Milioti's narration. I like her style and she sounds real professional! However, Kathy Reichs' propensity for TSTL (too stupid to live) protagonist reared it's ugly head again in this book. Majorly annoying! So much so that I needed frequent breaks from the stupidity. Consequently it made this book feel like it's a whole lot longer than the ten or so hours it is suppose to be. And also because of that I am scrapping my plan about buying Code straight away. If ever, I think I will wait until it gets really cheap in the secondhand market or borrow it from the library. The stupid factor made the book not worth the money of buying it brand new. Then there is the non-realistic and inconsistent fight scenes. If Ben is suppose to be the strongest in their pack, why can't he tackle Chris Fletcher on his own? So Chris is stronger than a Viral on a flare? Non-realistic. Inconsistent. Brought the suspension of disbelief a notch down. It's not all bad though. The plot was convoluted enough to make this book exciting enough to hook a reader's interest and keep it. It was just the stupid factor which annoyed me to hell and back!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3
Character development = 3
Story itself = 2.5
Ending = 4
World building = 3.5
Cover art = 2
Pace = N/A (10 hrs and 48 mins of listening time)
Plot = 4
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Review: VIRALS

Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Book 1 of the Virals series
Read by Cristin Milioti
Genre: YA science fiction thriller
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Virals:

Fourteen-year-old Tory Brennan is as fascinated by bones and dead bodies as her famous aunt, acclaimed forensic anthropologist, Tempe Brennan. However living on a secluded island off Charleston in South Carolina there is not much opportunity to put her knowledge to the test. Until her and her ragbag group of technophile friends stumble across a shallow grave containing the remains of a girl who has been missing for over thirty years.

The question is, did whoever was responsible for the girl's death have anything to do with the sick puppy they rescued from a secret laboratory on the same island? With the cold-case murder suddenly hot, Tory realises that they are involved in something fatally dangerous. But events take a turn for the bizarre when they escape some would-be attackers by using physical powers more akin to a dog than a human... Could the puppy hold the key not only to the murder, but also the strange changes that are taking place in their bodies?

©2010 Brennan NextGen, LLC. (P)2013 Random House AudioGo

Source: Info in the About Virals was taken from http://www.audible.co.uk/pd?asin=B00AWSA7DU on 25/02/2013.

Review:

The reason I picked this book up was because I wanted to give Kathy Reichs another go after the disappointment with Deja Dead. And once again we see snarky and humorous remarks here that I liked about Deja Dead. In fact we see more of it here than there ever was in Deja Dead, so not a bad start. Not bad at all! I don't know whether that was Brendan Reichs' influence or Kathy Reichs just upped the humour. Or a combination of both. Either way, it brought this book's rating up a notch. By the way, speaking of Brendan Reichs, he is credited to be a co-author of this book and of this series by some sources but my paperback copy of this book does not mention him at all. Maybe later editions of this book bears his name and I must have bought an earlier edition or something. But it sure feels weird though that my book does not have his name in it. Whether or not it is Brendan's influence, this book has restored my faith in Kathy Reichs' work. Maybe Deja Dead was not her best and hopefully she improved as a writer as she wrote along, so I would read another of her work again.

Another thing good about this book is the narration. I like Cristin Milioti's voice. It sounds young and fits a YA book. The words are clear and the diction perfect. She also reads with her own brand of pizzazz which adds an enriching flavour to the listening experience! At the end of it, I enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace = N/A (9 hrs and 41 mins of listening time)
Plot = 4
Narrator = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries