Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Seizure (Virals #2)
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Mystery
Pages: 464

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 . . .

I don't care what anyone says. I really enjoyed Virals. I thought it was a fun, engaging and really adventurous read. Plus, I'm a diehard Bones fan, and Tory is pretty much a lil' baby Bones. So, if you like Temperance Brennan, Tory Brennan is a character you must meet. I'm interested to see where their newfound abilities take them next, and Seizure sounds like it has the ability to surpass book one, which is totally a plus for me. Series should always get better! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

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.

Taken from GoodReads.

Virals follows the story of fourteen-year-old Tory Brennan living on Morris Island with her estranged father and her three best friends, Hi, Ben, and Shelton. Smart and curious, the three friends have plenty to discover around their hometown, and they decide to explore Loggerhead Island looking for the wolfdogs, a small pack of half-wolf, half-German-shephard dogs living in the monkey-infested island jungle, setting an unimaginable adventure in motion. By saving a puppy, Tory and her friends discover there's something sinister happening on Loggerhead Island, and they've just become a part of it.

Confession: I am the biggest Bones geek in the world. It could have to do with the fact that when kids dreaming of being in the circus when they were little, I just wanted to cut open dead people. I digress (TMI?) Anyway, when I heard that Kathy Reichs was coming out with a YA book, I did a little happy dance and waited impatiently with the rest of you. Virals was so much fun! The nerdlets (Tory and her gang) were so well-defined, and each had a very distinct and well-rounded personality that kept the plot moving along. Best of all though, Kathy Reichs created a story with a conversational narrator, a relatable voice, and a plot with enough intrigue to keep me on my toes the whole time.

That's not to say I didn't have a few qualms with Virals. First of all, I wanted to see more of Kit, Tory's father. I think he added an element to the start of the story that was missing a bit later on. I also think that the actual Virals element could have been introduced a bit earlier on. It didn't appear until about halfway through. And, if I might be petty for a wee moment, every time I saw Hiram's nickname, Hi, I got really confused why someone was saying Hi to me in the middle of the book. I will, however say that Virals is written really uniquely, peppered with sarcasm and fractions just like a tweenager would speak, and it was done in a way that wasn't at all obnoxious to me.

I give Virals a really strong 4 out of 5, and I really can't wait to see how the story continues! I want to see what happens next, and it was so much fun getting to know the characters in the book. I would recommend this to all YA fans, especially those who enjoy sci-fi, mystery, and just a hint of your very own, modern-day Nancy Drew.

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar - (For Review - Thank you, Prometheus Books) - Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory.

Vampire Academy - (Bought) - St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Virals - (Bought) - Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed.

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave me a link, and I'll be sure to check it out!