False Memory by Dan Krokos Book Review

Title: False Memory
Author: Dan Krokos
Published: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: False Memory #1
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3 stars
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“That's what people do when they're in love. They make crazy decisions. They do what they think is best, and sometimes it turns out to be a mistake.” 
― Dan Krokos, False Memory

Synopsis
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. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
False Memory started off at a fast pace from the very beginning. This book would make a great movie because it's action-packed and suspenseful. There's tons of fighting and the characters are constantly on the run. Not to mention motorcycles and memory loss and guns. Even swords and electrically charged staffs are used! The characters are full of spunk, and they love weapons and kicking ass! Kind of reminded me of Bourne Identity. 

The premise was unique and I have to give it to Krokos for thinking outside of the box. The concept of having the mental power to spread waves of fear and panic was just so unusual and kind of scary to even consider. The opening scene shows how terrifying this power can be and was a strong scene to start on. I love stories where characters become lethal weapons or have certain abilities. This concept of living weapons called Roses, who constantly lose their memory and need memory shots, was wildly imaginative. I kept reading because I was excited to find out more about them. 

While I found the story entertaining and there wasn't a slow moment, I wasn't really invested in the characters for some reason. At first, I found Miranda's loss of memory and her search to recover her memories fascinating. I sympathized with her troubles and her need to find out her identity. But then her need to make a decision between Peter or Noah became more important than finding out who she was. It seemed like Miranda just automatically trusted these people even though she shouldn't remember them at all. Yes, they were all close, but she should've forgotten about that. I guess I wanted her acting more like an amnesiac and spending more time trying to get to know these people, such as having more in-depth conversations. Instead, her first priority becomes picking between Noah and Peter even though they should be complete strangers. Even as some of her memories returned, I don't think the feelings would have been attached. I wanted Miranda spending less time thinking about the guys and more time recollecting everything. 

I also wasn't a fan of the whole she likes him but he likes this other girl and so on scenario. I've mentioned this before with other books, but I find this often distracts from the main plot. In this case, I felt the whole love quadrangle was unnecessary and was just used as a means to move the plot forward. I would have been fine with one guy and one girl interested in each other because the plot should just be action-driven. I wanted to just learn more about the Roses and the background, but the love complications took away some of my interest. 

If you love books full of action and made to entertain, with suspense and strong characters trained to fight hardcore, this is a book you must read. The romance and characterization was so-so, but I still enjoyed reading it and will probably read the next one thanks to the dark twists at the end (no spoilers). Plus, I would really like to learn more about the Roses. 

Happy reading,

Courtney