FALSE MEMORY

Teens with mysterious abilities and the possibly sinister people who seek to control them are the ingredients for this end-of-summer thriller.

For 17-year-old Miranda North, waking up in Cleveland with the memory of nothing beyond her name and age is a bit disconcerting. But when she makes a crowded mall panic with nothing more than the power of her mind, she’s left wondering exactly what she is. Peter, immune to her psychic ability, offers his help, both in understanding who she is and what she can do. Back at a secret bunker, Miranda learns that there are others with special abilities, but an attack on the base forces Miranda to confront the Beta team, a city in chaos and the unknown people who created her. Miranda and her fellow Roses are a rather generic mash-up of common superheroes: not space aliens, but orphans with strange powers and questions about their origins. The action is non-stop, and Miranda is a refreshingly kick-ass heroine, with a focus on accomplishing her mission instead of snagging a man. Fans of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse series will find many elements quite familiar, but Krokos adds twists to make it his own.

Nothing new here, but readers more interested in plot than depth will find it an appealing segue from summer into school.