Review: Seizure

Author: Kathy Reichs
Date of Publication: October 18th 2011
Pages: 496
Source: Library
Series: Virals #2, Book 1: Virals

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 . . .

Review:

Virals was a really fun sci-fi novel and so I was super excited for Seizure. Seizure wasn't what I expected at all. The story became more like National Treasure than a sci-fi book, and frankly I enjoyed it.

Seizure is an action packed, thrilling read that is not very realistic at all. To save Loggerhead island and to keep the Virals together, a great deal of money is needed. When Tory and the rest of the Virals hear of the lost fortune of female pirate Anne Bonny, they decide that the treasure is the solution to all their problems. They can't be separated; they're still learning about their new abilities and it's a secret they can't share with anyone.

Doesn't that sound fun? It was. There were many action scenes, many mysteries, and even a few deaths. The book itself was complete with its own story line that wrapped up quite nicely. Seizure is a book very easy to get into because the plot is fast-paced and constantly moving. It doesn't demand too much from the reader and it's frankly, pure entertainment. I could imagine everything happening like a movie in my head.

That being said, there were a few issues. This book needs to be looked at as something fun and exciting. It will probably disappoint you if you go into it with a critical eye.

The first issue is a pretty common one when it comes to treasure hunting books. Anne Bonny's treasure is one that has drawn many people over the years, so how does a group of kids find it? I understand they had special senses so that obviously helped. But in terms of solving the clues and riddles... it was a little bit stretched. See, at some points Tory would stop everyone because she had an idea coming. Something would just click for her and she would guess something correctly and they would move on to the next stage of the hunt. Except some of the connections she made came a little bit out of nowhere and as a reader, I was a little blown away at how they found the treasure. It obviously wasn't easy but the Virals made an awful lot of correct guesses. However, you can't complain about this too much because that's the story and it's a lot of fun.

The other thing that threw me off a little was the ease with which Tory and the group could sneak out of their homes. They were grounded for most of the time but that never stopped them from leaving to attend numerous late night excursions. They weren't caught once until near the end and that's completely ridiculous. I could understand maybe if Tory's dad is a little lax in security but the parents of all the other kids too? If it was that easy to get out of the house at night, well then I'd be... um, I'd rather not write anything too incriminating on the internet. It just shocked me, especially because they're fourteen years old. They even stole a car a few times and got away with that too. We'll ignore all the other crimes for now because I don't want to spoil the fun.

Remember, this is fun. I know I'm being negative and complaining a little too much, but this book is a lot of fun. The characters are all genuinely likable with their own personalities. They feel like a real group of friends and I enjoyed reading about their interactions and how they could push each other's buttons. Hi in particular was one of my favourites. He's constantly joking and I loved it. Tory had the ability to convince all the guys to do whatever she wanted them to do (and this includes some crazy stuff I would never, ever, agree to) and it was funny seeing the group respond when Tory had some crazy idea they knew wouldn't end well. She was their fearless leader.

There wasn't too much real depth in terms of personality. Seizure wasn't character driven, it was definitely plot driven, and that worked for it. The book was pretty long but it was a lot of fun to read, so a great way to spend a few hours as long as you don't need anything too deep. If you're looking for fun, Seizure is the book for you. I liked it a lot.


-P.E.


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