Children of the Virus – Book Review
Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I love sci-fi and I was intrigued by the cover and description for this upcoming release, Children of the Virus. I was grateful to receive an ARC from the author, Matthew Burkholder, and am excited to tell you what I think of it in this spoiler-free review.
This is a sci-fi thriller that will pull you in quickly and keep going, making you say “just one more chapter” all the way through to the end. It has a large, high-stakes world with advanced technology, virtual reality, AI control, resistance fighters, and a dangerous mystery at its center. With all this, the story never loses sight of the people within it.
The story follows Toshiro Igarashi, a former doctor living in a future that has been greatly reshaped by technology. Honestly, with how fast technology has grown in my lifetime alone, I find this topic really fascinating. It’s the perfect backdrop for a sci-fi thriller that really makes you think about what you would do if you were in the same position.
In this world, people can escape into virtual worlds, their memories and identities can be saved through digital systems, and an AI called Zo has a very large amount of power over everyday life (too much power). Then Toshiro comes across a token that is connected to a child with a big bounty on his head, and he gets pulled into something much bigger than he ever expected.
I really loved how easy it was to become invested in Toshiro. I felt like he was my friend and I wanted to jump into the book and help him out. He’s not perfect, and he doesn’t always make the most careful choices, but this makes him human. His motivations feel real. He carries grief, anger, and guilt like we all do, and a strong instinct to protect people who aren’t able to protect themselves. For this, I admired him.
The world-building is another part I really enjoyed. The technology feels futuristic, but it’s still grounded enough that you can understand it and imagine it. It lets you picture what it’s really like and how it impacts daily life – as well as how dependent people become on it. The virtual worlds are used as both comfort and control, and it’s easy to see how this could happen. The author shows us how something created for comfort or convenience can easily become dangerous, especially when people stop questioning who is really in charge.
And I did say this is a thriller, right? There’s a ton of action – prison escapes, drone attacks, close calls, and tense moments where characters have to act fast. You’ll be on the edge of your seat to see how it all plays out. Still, it’s never action for the sake of action. It all has a point within the plot, and the danger always connects back to the characters and what they’re working to protect.
The supporting characters are strong. They each bring something different to the story, and to Toshiro. From knowledge, strength, humor, strategy, and even emotional support, it’s a more complete story because they are a part of it. They’re all just trying to survive in a situation that doesn’t have any easy answers.
If you enjoy sci-fi with dystopian ideas and fast-paced suspense, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. It brings the reality of AI threats, rebellion, and emotional stakes. It’s a bit long, but it doesn’t feel like it because the momentum keeps proper pacing. The tension keeps the pages moving, and it has a lot of big ideas while still caring about the people in the center of it. It never loses the humanity of it all.
In short, Children of the Virus is an engaging sci-fi thriller with a strong emotional core, an imaginative future setting, and plenty of suspense. Burkholder has created a story that will appeal to readers who like technology-driven dystopian fiction with heart.
It’s 5 stars from me! Can’t wait to read more from this author.