You Think You Know...

""'You lost your memory 

but you had time to go bra shopping?'""

--Dan Krokos, False Memory

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Publisher: Disney Hyperion, 327 pages

Release Date: August 14th, 2012

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So in order to pay my crack-like addiction known as buying books and reading I work full-time as a Registered Nurse (totally kidding, I love my job...even on the days where I get blood in my hair and face...that actually happened this week FYI...Day in the life of a nurse fun fact :)). K, anyways, so because I work as a nurse I have this crazy work schedule where I work 7 days in a row and then have 7 days off. Clearly, the 7 days I work I am pretty much dead to the world because I work 10 hours days but still try and find some time to read in between the hospital and fighting not to pass out unconscious the minute I get home. I started reading False Memory on Sunday, the day before my 7 day stretch began and let me tell you this...huge mistake. I have to get up at 5:20 am for 7 days in a row and because of this book I was staying up until 11:30 pm for 3 nights in a row in order to read. That's the kind of book this is. It will grab your attention immediately, keep you thinking, scratching your head, and continually make you turn the pages to see what happens next. 

False Memory opens with a girl named Miranda North...yep, that's about it. She knows her name and that she is a girl and that she is currently standing in a mall. From there, we are harpooned into Miranda's quest to find her past, her present and her future. She discovers she is one part of a four person uber-skilled fighting team that have the ability to mentally instill fear into those around them. They are called the Roses...that right there is pretty badass. These people can take out a crowd both mentally and physically yet they are known by the same name as a delicate flower. 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' Well I don't know if you could call these kids sweet...actually if you did they might very well kick the shit out of you. Ah, I just love the contradiction of delicate being used to describe something so deadly. So clever!

This book never slows down. Every time I wanted to stop reading after a certain chapter, something happens and I would want to keep going...thus staying up until 1130, oh well, totally worth it. The plot is constantly twisting and turning and throwing you for a loop. I had to read several sections a few times in order to fully wrap my head around every small detail...but I'm a huge nerd that needs to understand and connect absolutely everything so keep that in mind. I looooved the scientific element behind it. Gene therapy, brain manipulation, memory removal, it is beyond geek-tastic amazing. 

While this book has fantastic action scenes and a lot of momentum it is not an empty shell of guns and sword fighting. The characters have depth. They are complex. And even more than that they really care and love each other. It is so very sweet...ok, I lied maybe and you can describe them as sweet...I hope they don't read this and kick my ass...anyways, Miranda is so cool. Nothing eloquent or verbally clever about my description she is a kickass chick. She can fight, she is smart, and she stands her ground. Love this. I also really enjoyed how she didn't dwell on things that happened in the past that she couldn't really remember. I particularly liked the whole Noah interaction. She knew he was her boyfriend prior to her memory loss but she didn't let that cloud her judgement of the current situation. She let herself make her own choices and decisions based on her current life experiences so far. I don't know why but I just really liked this about her. Almost like she didn't rest on her laurels. And Peter! LOVED Peter! I imagined him as one of those guys who is so kind, so thoughtful, and so great but gets overlooked because he is so nice. He seems to always put others before himself and in doing that he lets others step in and make a move for things (or people *wink wink*) he wants. He deserves happiness and to get things he wants too and I was rooting for him the whole time. 

Not only are there lots of fight scenes and tons of action there were several parts of the plot that absolutely wrenched my heart. It was so well written and I felt such empathy for the characters that as twisted as the situation might have been it was also strangely beautiful in a way. The idea of making decisions that affect the greater good and sacrifice for those you love is a theme I fall in love with over and over again. The relationships that Miranda develops with one boy in particular I loved!

The ending is fantastic...slightly head scratching but in a totally amazing way! I love books that make you think and connect plot points and this is definitely one of those books. I cannot WAIT to see what happens in the next book! Is it next August, yet?!?! Argh! :)