Saph1re's Synopsis

Viral is a very modern day story with a great plot, is fast paced, sometimes tense, and often thought provoking.

Gone are the days when teenagers are encouraged to read Go Ask Alice to put them off making the same mistakes. Teenagers seem much wiser and clued up on sex and drugs these days. Now is the time for parents to be placing a copy of Viral in amongst their Christmas stocking fillers, in the hope they will realise what goes on the internet doesn’t just go away. It may not be fun if whatever has been posted is at their expense, and could have very serious consequences on themselves and those around them.

Reading this book made me realise quite how scary the impact one action can have on many lives, thanks to the power and influence of the internet. I often comment that I wouldn’t want to be a teenager these days, due to the whole mobile phone and internet obsession. Imagine being attached to a mobile phone all day instead of going out and doing things. Then there is the whole cyber bullying side of our improved technology. I shudder at the thought of what videos would have been posted online of me during my school days of being bullied.

The main characters are well developed and believable. Covering the love a mother has for her daughters, along with sibling rivalry, this can at times be rather an emotional read. I found my views of each character changing slightly as the story progressed too.

This book can be enjoyed by both adults and teenagers. I think it carries an important message for teenagers, and as an adult myself, I was glued to my Kindle screen absorbing every word of this story.

I would like to thank the publisher, Faber and Faber Ltd for allowing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.