I was super happy with this conclusion to the Virals series. All of these books are fun, quick reads and I have enjoyed each ride.

I think this was a fitting end to the series I loved as a child. The Trinity were an interesting bunch and they definitely provided some mystery. I don't think I'll read any of the other books in the seies. I know there are novellas that are also apart of the series.

I didn't like the love triangle between Chance, Tori, and Ben. Mostly, it just highlighted how much better Chance was because he acted so much more mature than Ben. I've always preferred Ben as Tori's main love interest in the previous books, but I really didn't like him in this book. He was so childish and whiny and bossy. He always tried to tell Tori what to do, which made him seem insecure. Him fighting Chance near the end wasn't it, and the throwing jabs at Chance in life and death situations was irritating. I kept having to remind myself that I actually liked Ben and that he was my first choice love interest for Tori. But it was hard. I took off a star just because of him.

Surprisingly, Ella was my favorite character. I think I enjoyed how complex and nuanced she was. And I love that Tori has a female friend. I felt sorry for Chance the entire story. He had no friends and Tori's pack didn't seem to trust him.

It's not how I would have ended it. So little resolution!

I'm so sad to see this series end! I have enjoyed every adventure and science lesson along the way. The friendship and pack bond between the whole group is is the perfect blend of camaraderie. I was worried about how this one would be wrapped up, but I was very pleasantly surprised. And that epilogue!!! Please tell me the author might come back to the series at some point! Tory Brennan and the Virals will remain some of my favorite characters and I foresee many re-readings of their adventures in the future.

Just saying the entire series as a whole is ten times better than Maximum Ride. Especially the ending.

4.5 stars
While this was a great book and I loved the plot and characters, I don't know how much of a satisfying end this was to the series. It wrapped up all the things from prior books; but I felt like with the final events of the novel, Kathy and Brennan Reichs could easily write another series about these characters. There is some part of me that wishes they would because I didn't find the first two books in this series to develop any real overarching series plot. They felt like two stories that occurred in these characters' lives and could have been shortened into one book. For me, the series picked up with the third one, Code, and started to become more interesting as I read Exposure then Terminal. I felt like a great place to launch into an epic action/ mystery series was set up in the final pages of Terminal and it is slightly disappointing that the series is over right when it felt like it started to pick up steam.
However, this book was a great novel and I enjoyed the story thoroughly.

Three stars for nostalgia, but I have some major qualms about this book and they could possibly be applied to the whole series.

Let's start with the simplest, smallest, tiny annoyance that is probably only a preference to me. Tory says (and thinks) the word: Blargh. I'm not even kidding. This word makes me think she's puffing out her cheeks with air and explosively pronouncing the "b", and you can add in crossed eyes as well. I'm 200% sure you don't want a heroine to look like they're throwing up (without the vomit) to the reader, and it's not like it only happens once or twice. It's actually more often than I thought. More around five times at least. It's absolutely the worst word you can use to describe frustration. That's another thing, Blargh is not equal to frustration. It's more of a sound you make when you don't want to eat something that looks and smells like it'll taste horrible. Think of the sound a Boomer makes in Left 4 Dead and you're nearly spot on to how this actually sounds.

Second, love triangle. Or should I say square? This is ridiculous and stupid, and honestly I'm done talking about this with books. Every book that has a love triangle immediately loses a star from now on. Love itself isn't the problem. The problem is the triangle. Move on and think of something different. Good Lord Almighty.

Third, THIS IS A SPOILER, the book is titled Terminal because the disease is found out to be terminal in the book by Chance who tells the Virals. He's working on a cure though, so all's good they'll just take that when he finishes. When we get to the scene where they are about to take it. They back out. WHAT THE HELL? So they chose to die over going back to normal? What the Actual Hell? What the hell?! Seriously, I get that they're teens, but they write them saying they're super smart and they make them pull this shit? Eventually, they do take the cure, but writing them stupid enough to turn it down once seems like bad writing. Like maybe they forgot they had written that they'd freaking DIE if they didn't give up being Viral.

Fourth, these grudges are held way too long. Oh, I don't like Ben because he's betrayed us. HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. He didn't know what he was getting into. He was mislead and used, LIKE ELLA. Christ. You get that Ella should get a pass but screw Ben. That is, until, you actually do screw Ben. No, he gets to be hated while Ella is forgiven immediately. She doesn't even recognize, Tory that is, this hypocrisy! So much for being smart, eh? They write Ben like like a dumb jock that's only good for his strength as well, but they make Tory pick Ben over Chance. The scientist that has brains that match hers. I kinda get that though. Chance is a bit too old to be hanging with teens in high school still. How many Seniors do you see hanging with Freshman or Sophomores? Now try to apply that same thought process to someone who's graduated, and apparently sophisticated, still hanging with high school kids. Not happening, right? Ben's grudge against Chance is more understandable, but only from his perspective, as he's written in THIS book. Not in the sense of how the book the written, meaning: If you look at it from an author 's POV it's bordering on the WTH side of the scale again. He's a teen, but supposedly he's smart enough to hang with Tory, Hiram, and Shelton. He should be smart enough to hold a grudge against Chance and not totally screw up cooperating with him due to personal issues.

You know, I had this at three stars while writing this. It's getting a two now, but it still has one star over what I'd give it if not for nostalgia. I started this series in high school, and I wanted to finish it. Jesus, though, authors need to think a little about teenagers they portray in books. Honestly, I was considered smart during my education and these decisions are nowhere near what I would make or consider even a quarter of the time. Teenager doesn't equal stupid or irrational constantly. In certain situations, yes, teens are horribly stupid. Not all the time, not all decisions, and definitely not if they're supposed to be smart.

One more thing. I don't remember where it was or what it was, but there was a clue that they were trying to figure out and it was glaring obvious. It was so easy to understand and put together. Again, if they're smart, they'd be able to figure this out quickly as well.

Eh, one more, there was a sign they read that said something like D.O.D. Special something or other... and Tory didn't know who they were. Everyone and their grandma knows D.O.D. means Department of Defense.

What a journey. It's not exceptionally cringe-y, but lord is it a fail.

Oh Odin, just read the epilogue. Kill me now before we get a real cringe book. They left it open for more.

You know, no, I'll be confident. They'll probably write her better as she ages...

Or not.

Please.