False Memory (False Memory #1) – Dan Krokos

    Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.
    Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.
    Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.
    Dan Krokos’ debut is a tour-de-force of non-stop action that will leave readers begging for the next book in this bold and powerful new series.  

I’ve had FALSE MEMORY sitting on my shelf for quite some time so when I got FALSE SIGHT, the second book in the series, at BEA, I decided it was about time I read it!

The first thing that stuck out to me was that FALSE MEMORY is being directly narrated by our MC Miranda and everything that she remembers (or tries to) after she wakes up abandoned in a strange place. Why is that something that would stick out to me? I was actually kind of a surprised to see a male author using a female voice to narrate the story. Well, I actually did know that before I started the book, but as I was reading it, I had a tendency to every once in a while slip back into the notion that it was a male author but I was reading a female voice and I just stepped outside the book and stepped back in. That being said, I never felt like Miranda’s voice wasn’t genuine. She was a very real character with a lot of complicated feelings and thoughts. (This also may have to be a discussion post later because somehow I haven’t felt the same way when it’s a female author with a male MC narrating in first person… Not sure what the deal is there.)

As far as the story goes? It was interesting! There were definitely some great twists to the plot, some of which I was slightly able to see coming and others where I said, “Wait! What just happened!?!” I really liked that the twists and the plot were slowly revealed to the reader. I think it was perfect to be in the mind of Miranda because as I was reading the book, I only found out things when she did. I shared her shock, her confusion, her triumphs, and her regrets. It’s always interesting to follow a main character who is so in the dark because the opportunity for surprises is endless!

The romance in FALSE MEMORY is complicated. Miranda has lost her memory, but her fellow comrades still have theirs so although she can’t quite remember, she does know she was dating Noah. Things get complicated when she really starts to form a bond with Peter. The question then becomes, if she can’t remember her relationship with Noah, should she still try to make it work? Does she stay with what she’s told she had or what she feels now? It’s actually a really tricky question and I was right there with Miranda, sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what she would choose and how hurt the other person might be. Love triangles can be tricky, but this was SO different that I almost didn’t even see it as a love triangle. It was simply a complicated mess that Miranda really just had to figure out on her own.

The science in the book was incredibly interesting. The reader doesn’t know much going into the book (just the way I like it!) and without revealing TOO much, there’s a LOT to think about regarding DNA, nature versus nurture, independence, and brain activity. The thought and also understanding behind these concepts was fascinating and Dan Krokos did a fantastic job integrating the science technically and molding that to the plot.

At times… It was a little “too sci-fi” for my tastes. I don’t really want to say how because they’re mostly spoilers and have to deal with those twists that I mentioned. I still loved those reveal moments because it was totally wild, but also kind of not where I wanted the story to go. To be perfectly fair, I fully know that getting deeper into sci-fi is not always my bag of chips. The overall book and plot were pretty great, complex, and kind of mind-blowing at times, but this may not be the sci-fi world I belong in. I still really enjoyed the book, but because of its sci-fi roots, it wasn’t a “knock out” book for me; however, I’m definitely still interested in reading FALSE SIGHT to see how things progress from here!

Miranda North // Character Obsessions: Her memories, Noah versus Peter.
Miranda was a great MC for me read! Things could have easily gotten confusing and chaotic reading a perspective from a main character who can’t really recall any memories, but Dan Krokos did a great job of having Miranda be a strong and focused character.
Peter // Character Obsessions: Miranda, leading the group, protecting his team.
Peter wasn’t a swoony romance for me, but I totally had a soft spot for him. It was one of those stories that just tugs at your heart strings — the guy who likes someone else’s girl (and I liked this guy better).
Noah // Character Obsessions: Miranda, digging deeper, following clues.
Noah is more of risk-taker than Peter, and I think that’s why I didn’t like him as much. He seemed more impulsive and that impulsivity didn’t always lead to good decisions. There’s also the fact that Miranda has such a disconnect to him that right off the bat, I was rooting for the other guy.

Kept Me Hooked On: More sci-fi. Sometimes science fiction is hit or miss for me. There were SO many interesting concepts in FALSE MEMORY that I was totally hooked in to what exactly was going on and the twists involved the sci-fi concepts was fantastic. At times, it was a bit much for my personal tastes (honestly nothing against the book — sometimes my brain just has a hard time wrapping itself around sci-fi), but I loved the ideas and they truly were fascinating.
Left Me Wanting More: Hmmm… Emotion. I think Miranda has to be sort of detached and logical about everything that’s happening to her because she can’t really afford to be emotional. She needs to figure out facts, weigh pros and cons, and figure out if it’s even possible to get her memories back. I guess when you have no memories, it’s also hard to be emotional because you don’t really know exactly what it is you’re missing. I’m just an emotional person and I love getting deep into the character’s feelings so I just wanted a touch more!

Addiction Rating
BORROW FROM A FRIEND

Got a friend who owns this one? This is a good one to borrow and treat well! If mine wasn’t signed, it may not be one I keep for my personal collection of favorites but it was definitely still enjoyable and really fun to read! Let a friend loan you their copy so they can be happy you read it.

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