Seizure by Kathy Reichs
Published: 11 October 2012 (Arrow)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 496
Amazon: Paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: Paperback|e-book
Book Depository: Paperback|Hardback
Source: Borrowed from library
Plot Summary:
A 300-year-old legend
Rumour has it that notorious pirate Anne Bonny hid her treasure somewhere in Charleston in 1720. No-one knows where, but Tory Brennan - great-niece of famous forensic anthropologist Dr Tempe Brennan - is certain that the Virals can work out Bonny's cryptic clues.
A deadly path
It isn't long before the Virals are on the right track. But they aren't the only ones searching for the treasure.Someone is following them, and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
Dead bodies litter the trail. Time is running out before the island will be sold.
Will the Virals' special powers be enough to save them?
My Review:
I read the first book in this series recently after getting it for Christmas, so I was delighted when I stumbled across the sequel in the library so soon after! Seizure picks up the story of the Virals - Tory, Ben, Hi and Shelton as they come to terms with their powers and try to learn more about them. After learning about a pirate named Anne Bonny, the group set about finding out more, including a missing treasure supply that would provide money they desperately need.
The book, like Virals, starts out with a prologue which drew me in straight away. The prologue introduces the pirate backstory which instantly intrigued me and I was delighted once that element weaved its way into the main, present day plot.
There was a lot of re-capping which I always find useful to remind me what happened before. It struck me that this book could probably be read on its own because of the amount of explanation of what happened in Virals. Because I like to have that reminder it didn't put me off, but I could maybe see it being annoying to others. But if you accidentally picked up this book not realising it was the second in a series then you'd be able to keep up.
As with the first book I really enjoyed the relationship between the main four characters. There were hints in this book that there might be something to come between Ben and Tory which I liked, but it very much took a back seat to the rest of the story. I was slightly disappointed it wasn't explored more in this book but hopefully it'll be something that's addressed again throughout the series. Tory's relationship with her dad becomes a lot more interesting in this book as there's the threat that they may have to move, unsettling Tory once more. I thought that was a really great avenue to explore.
The book is mainly told from Tory's perspective but every so often you get chapters from a few other characters - the slightly shadier ones! It really helped keep the suspense up and I liked the short glimpses at what was going on elsewhere. What really hooked me was the mystery and the constant twists and turns. I think it helped that the group had real motivation to get to the bottom of things and every time the answer slipped away you could feel their frustration. I really loved the adventure the group went on to discover more about Anne Bonny and her treasure. It was great seeing them use their new found powers as well.
The only flaw for me really is that sometimes things felt far too convenient - like a problem was overcome too easily or something was handed to them on a plate. I also had a few niggles about things the group did whilst trying to solve the mystery (like stealing something they could have just taken a photo of).
Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. I thought, after reading Virals, that there was a lot of potential for this series and I feel that has absolutely been realised. It's a great premise and I've really grown to like the writing and the characters. I'm excited to check out the next book!
Rating: 4*
What to read next: Code by Kathy Reichs, book 3 in the Virals series
Books like this: Subject Seven by James A. Moore
