Author: Kathy Reichs
Series: Tory Brennan #2.5
Series: Tory Brennan #2.5
Date Started: September 23rd 2013
Date Completed: September 23rd 2013
Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Rating: Four stars
Review:
I really liked this novella. It was a nice quick read to remind me of Tory and her friends before the new book comes out early next year. I have to admit, the recapping of the previous adventures for people that hadn't read the actual series did get a bit boring after the first few pages, but when that died down I was able to really get into the story and enjoy the novella.
Shift takes place between Seizure and Code. Tory's great aunt Temperance Brennan (the famous anthropologist and protagonist of Reichs' bestselling series) is visiting her hometown after a break-in at the LIRI research facility where her father works. Determined to impress her idol, Tory and the rest of the Virals get on the job of solving the mystery before the adults.
Kathy Reichs writing, I know, is very good in her adult books. However, I think the transition into Young Adult fiction is a little too exaggerated. It's absolutely fine to read, and works perfectly well for its purpose - I just wish it was a little more sophisticated, since some of the language used is very technical (due to the author having forensic science experience herself).
Having said that, Reichs does know how to create suspense for not-particularly threatening situations, which is helpful in younger fiction, since it's harder for events to become truly serious whilst still being appropriate for the audience.
What I really liked about this novella was the fact we get told the story from all of the Virals' points-of-view at various points. I particularly like Ben's: I could definitely pull his personality away from the words.
The story was okay. It wasn't great, but it's hard to write a great story in such a short space of time - especially when you go into as much detail as Reichs; and have to spend a good twenty-or-so pages explaining previous events the characters have gone through.
What stopped this story from really going downhill was Tempe's inclusion. I loved seeing her function, since I have yet to read Reichs' main protagonists' adventures. I really like her attitude and charisma. She added that little incentive for the Virals to figure out the mystery as fast as they could.
I don't usually get along with typical modern-day characters because I find them kind of boring. I like fantasy and adventure and sci-fi. But I love all the characters here, despite the fact they're just normal people in the normal world. (Ignoring the fact that the protagonists here are Virals...)
Tory is a great protagonist. I love seeing a genuinely clever female lead be pretty much completely independent and without needs for looks or anything else other than her brain, and the occasional bit of support from her friends. You rarely get characters like that these days, so she's definitely a breath of fresh air. (I also love the way that the books kind of mock the mocking of liking science etc.)
Ben is great. I want to give him a hug half the time - not that he'd let me. He's like the typical male interest in Young Adult fiction, only he's insecure not about some deep, dark past or anything, but literally about normal things like liking a girl - and not in the pouting, annoying way either.
Hi is great. I've always really liked him. He's the kind of guy I'd really like to just be friends with - a complete idiot, but actually really lovely, and useful. He's probably the most sarcastic, and I think he's the one Tory's the closest to (friend-wise). Not sure why, but that's just the kind of feeling I get.
Shelton has never really stuck out that much for me, which is a shame. I got to know him more in this, since he narrated a couple of the chapters, and I really liked that. I just feel like he doesn't really stick out from the rest of them. (e.g. Hi's the computer-wizz, Tory's the pack leader, Ben's the muscle.) Having said that, I do still completely love Shelton.
Tempe was great. I'm really looking forward to reading the books that feature her as the main character now. It's also great because we've heard so much about her, and she's been included in little phone conversations before, but we've never actually met her in the Tory Brennan series. But she lived up to the expectations Tory gave the reader.
The pace was quite fast, since a whole mystery had to be solved in around 80 pages, so you weren't really given time to get bored. Despite the fact quite a lot of it was predictable, the little details and the fact we're thrown right in from the start lets the reader get into the story a lot easier.
I really liked Shift. It was less detailed than the series, but that's to be expected in a novella. But all the Tory Brennan books are really enjoyable, and quite informative most of the time. If you're not sure about the series, this could be a good taste, although I think the main books are better.
Image Source: http://kathyreichs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShiftUK1.jpg
I really liked this novella. It was a nice quick read to remind me of Tory and her friends before the new book comes out early next year. I have to admit, the recapping of the previous adventures for people that hadn't read the actual series did get a bit boring after the first few pages, but when that died down I was able to really get into the story and enjoy the novella.
Shift takes place between Seizure and Code. Tory's great aunt Temperance Brennan (the famous anthropologist and protagonist of Reichs' bestselling series) is visiting her hometown after a break-in at the LIRI research facility where her father works. Determined to impress her idol, Tory and the rest of the Virals get on the job of solving the mystery before the adults.
Kathy Reichs writing, I know, is very good in her adult books. However, I think the transition into Young Adult fiction is a little too exaggerated. It's absolutely fine to read, and works perfectly well for its purpose - I just wish it was a little more sophisticated, since some of the language used is very technical (due to the author having forensic science experience herself).
Having said that, Reichs does know how to create suspense for not-particularly threatening situations, which is helpful in younger fiction, since it's harder for events to become truly serious whilst still being appropriate for the audience.
What I really liked about this novella was the fact we get told the story from all of the Virals' points-of-view at various points. I particularly like Ben's: I could definitely pull his personality away from the words.
The story was okay. It wasn't great, but it's hard to write a great story in such a short space of time - especially when you go into as much detail as Reichs; and have to spend a good twenty-or-so pages explaining previous events the characters have gone through.
What stopped this story from really going downhill was Tempe's inclusion. I loved seeing her function, since I have yet to read Reichs' main protagonists' adventures. I really like her attitude and charisma. She added that little incentive for the Virals to figure out the mystery as fast as they could.
I don't usually get along with typical modern-day characters because I find them kind of boring. I like fantasy and adventure and sci-fi. But I love all the characters here, despite the fact they're just normal people in the normal world. (Ignoring the fact that the protagonists here are Virals...)
Tory is a great protagonist. I love seeing a genuinely clever female lead be pretty much completely independent and without needs for looks or anything else other than her brain, and the occasional bit of support from her friends. You rarely get characters like that these days, so she's definitely a breath of fresh air. (I also love the way that the books kind of mock the mocking of liking science etc.)
Ben is great. I want to give him a hug half the time - not that he'd let me. He's like the typical male interest in Young Adult fiction, only he's insecure not about some deep, dark past or anything, but literally about normal things like liking a girl - and not in the pouting, annoying way either.
Hi is great. I've always really liked him. He's the kind of guy I'd really like to just be friends with - a complete idiot, but actually really lovely, and useful. He's probably the most sarcastic, and I think he's the one Tory's the closest to (friend-wise). Not sure why, but that's just the kind of feeling I get.
Shelton has never really stuck out that much for me, which is a shame. I got to know him more in this, since he narrated a couple of the chapters, and I really liked that. I just feel like he doesn't really stick out from the rest of them. (e.g. Hi's the computer-wizz, Tory's the pack leader, Ben's the muscle.) Having said that, I do still completely love Shelton.
Tempe was great. I'm really looking forward to reading the books that feature her as the main character now. It's also great because we've heard so much about her, and she's been included in little phone conversations before, but we've never actually met her in the Tory Brennan series. But she lived up to the expectations Tory gave the reader.
The pace was quite fast, since a whole mystery had to be solved in around 80 pages, so you weren't really given time to get bored. Despite the fact quite a lot of it was predictable, the little details and the fact we're thrown right in from the start lets the reader get into the story a lot easier.
I really liked Shift. It was less detailed than the series, but that's to be expected in a novella. But all the Tory Brennan books are really enjoyable, and quite informative most of the time. If you're not sure about the series, this could be a good taste, although I think the main books are better.
Image Source: http://kathyreichs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShiftUK1.jpg
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