Infected by Sophie Littlefield - OPTIONAL

Littlefield, Sophie. Infected, 242 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2015. $17.99. Language: PG-13 (23 swears,0 "f"); Mature Content: PG-13 (several references to off page sex); Violence: PG-13. 

As the story opens, Carina is sitting at her Uncle Walter’s funeral wishing she was anywhere else.  With her mom gone and now Walter, she feels completely alone; although she is grateful Sheila agreed to be her guardian.  Carina spots her boyfriend, Tanner, and manages to slip away with him for a few minutes.  She tells Tanner that she found a letter that Walter left her and she needs just a few moments of privacy to read the letter.  She has no idea how everything will change with that letter.  Her Uncle tells her that she is in danger, that he and her mom were working on a highly classified virus that gives a person super human abilities that would be deadly in the wrong hands, and that he was completely wrong about Sheila.  He doesn’t trust her at all.  Worried about their welfare, she and Tanner run.  Sheila spots them running and sends her bodyguards after them.  Walter also leaves her a recording that gives her more information on the virus.  After watching the recording, they realize their ability to outrun, out maneuver and outsmart the people after them wasn’t due to the adrenaline and fear of being caught but more likely due to the virus.  Somehow they have been infected.  How will they find the antidote and stay alive?  They have less than 36 hours before it is too late. 

This is a quick, fast-paced sci-fi story filled with action and I thought the cover was great.  There isn't a lot of time to develop the characters and I never really connected with them but we do learn enough about Carina to understand her motivation and everything wraps up nicely at the end. There is some fighting and killing but the violence is more about survival and never gets too bloody or gory and the characters do experience remorse at killing the people sent after them.  While there are only a few kisses and nothing explicit, I'm recommending this to High School only because of the number of times Carina reflects on the night that her and Tanner spent together before the story starts.  

HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer:  RB