Review Detail

I wanted to read False Memory because Dan Krokos was going to be at the Austin Teen Book Festival and I wanted to be familiar with as many of the authors as possible (and also my sister had an ARC). What I was not expecting is that I would sit down and read this entire book without stopping!

Right off the bat, I was pulled into Miranda’s situation, wondering what the heck was happening right along with her. I loved it because she and I were learning about her together, and I think it did well to really suck me in. It also helped that she was apparently a very interesting person living an exceptional life.

Miranda quickly met up with her family and things started to get crazy. I seriously don’t want to give any spoilers beyond this point, because the synopsis is so perfectly intriguing as it is. The secondary characters were interesting, diverse, and despite Miranda’s lack of memory, each one of them grew on her (and subsequently on me) as time went on. I was impressed by Krokos’s ability to foster these relationships, explore a range of personal questions, and put Miranda to the test, all while keeping the story moving at a quick pace.

Sometimes when you read a book in one sitting, it’s over before you really had a chance to digest it fully. The thing that sticks with me from False Memory is how much it explores existential issues. Who do you trust when you don’t remember anything? Where do you go when you don’t know who you are? How do you know if your memories are real? How do you know what your own convictions are? What do you do when things aren’t how they seem? How hard will you fight to preserve your self? How well do you even know yourself? Is what you know about yourself even true?

I enjoyed reading False Memory, and I look forward to its sequel, False Sight. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting, quick read.