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. (From Goodreads)
I finished this book a few days ago...and I'm still not quite sure what happened to me. The pace was breakneck, the concept was insane, and every five seconds I felt like the ground was pulled out from underneath me. Generally, I like to be able to establish myself within a story, and to connect with and feel like I completely understand a character. I didn't really get any of these securities with this book, but in this case - I kinda liked it. There were a lot of crazy things going on, but it was impossible to tear myself away. I needed to know what was going on, and the more Miranda started to learn about who she was the more dimensions this book held.
I have to start with the romance aspect, because, honestly, that's the only area where I felt grounded. I know who I wanted Miranda to pick. Where I didn't know who she could trust, I did know which boy was right for her. This is what kept me tethered to this story and this world. Which, the more that I think about, is so amazing. Generally, love is the great mystery, the thing that could potentially leave you confused and hurt - but without apparent effort, Dan Krokos made it the one safe and stable thing in a world where not even your own thoughts are to be trusted. Genius.
Moving on from the most girly thing I could pick out of a book that contains next to nothing that could be classified as girly - I want to talk about Miranda. Now, when we meet Miranda all she knows is her name. The opening scene in this book, by the way, was one of the best first chapters ever. There's so much confusion and chaos, yet it somehow you can read it with perfect clarity. Again, genius. But back to Miranda - I don't know how she has time, with all the missions and people trying to capture her and all, but every time she remembers something or someone tells her about who she used to be, I just completely gave myself to her and her story. She isn't a trustworthy narrator - but, when she's remembering something she's completely vulnerable - and those were my windows into the world.
Other than those moments - the love and the memories - I was floundering through the story. I kept trying to grasp who was who, who remembered what, who was thinking what, why they needed to complete certain missions at certain times - and I came out with no solid footing. This is where I'm still kind of just trying to figure out what happened to me. Because I remember reacting to the action while I was reading, but for the life of me I can't remember what my thoughts were or what actually was going on. And again, maybe that's part of relating to these characters who can lose their memory so easily.
This is a book I kind of want to read again and then talk out. But I can't say much more here without heading into spoiler territory so I'm gonna chill. Even with my uncertainty, I do know that this is a great book. It's different - with totally bad-ass characters, some crazy government stuff, some science fiction, and a whole lot of action. If you're looking for something that doesn't slow down, doesn't ever get soft or quiet, and will just move through your life like a tornado and move on - then this is the book you're looking for.
