False Memory by 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.”

You guys all know I’m a sci-fi fanatic. TONS of sci-fi releases have happened in the past month, and the flow shows no sign of stopping.  It makes me absolutely GIDDY. I met Dan at BEA12 and had the honor of receiving his first ever signed book. Ridiculous, right? The second I read the synopsis for False Memory, I knew it would be one of the genuine ones. (As in, it’s an honest Sci-fi, not just a romance that happens to have an alien in it.) Dan does a fantastic job of writing in the female perspective! It follows our natural train of thought (completely different from most boys...) Not to mention…this was like an action flick on PAPER. Though it has high action, it also wages psychological warefare. You ask yourself questions like: “Did someone betray them? Who? One of their own team members?” My mind worked a million miles an hour to figure it out!  Even though this book had a moderate amount of cussing, I absolutely recommend this book.  Kudos to you Dan, in the dark alleyways authors have to travel, you found  THE flashlight. I can’t wait for False Sight.

The Challenge (Steel Trapp #1) by Ridley Pearson

In this riveting thriller, 14-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a 2-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, DC. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory--just one look and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he instead becomes embroiled in an ingenious, international plot of kidnapping and bribery that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents (first seen in Pearson's adult thriller, "Cut and Run") track Steel and his new-found science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention--and with the help of Cairo--Steel and Kaileigh lead readers on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late.

This is a fantastic book (came really close to my top 5) It is full of cool (yeah, I know, ‘cool’ is not a very good adjective) twists and turns. You discover some secret identities. You even learn something totally unexpected about......nothing *hint hint, wink wink * (that was one of my favorite parts!) This is a very action packed book. In fact, it is kind of like a cross between James Bond and the Hardy Boys.

The Second one was even better than the first! Although, it has a very different layout.

(7/2010)