ESCAPE FROM MEMORY

A thrill ride ensues when an all-American teen discovers her mysterious origins. Goofing around with hypnosis at a slumber party, Kira unearths buried memories of violent escape that don’t fit in her Ohio childhood. For reassurance, she turns to her mother—who, now that she thinks of it, seems oddly foreign—and is brusquely rebuffed. Further investigations are interrupted when Kira’s mother vanishes, and Kira is carried off by a mysterious stranger who claims to be rescuing Kira’s kidnapped mom. Somehow, the answer to Kira’s buried memories lies with this stranger and a mysterious land called Crythe, where memory is more important than happiness. The true identities of both Kira and her mother are concealed by layers of lost memory that hide secrets for which many have died. Greed, family love, and remnants of Cold War politics combine into a startling and intricate thriller. Some odd plot inconsistencies, but an exciting adventure, climaxing in a tense armed standoff. Well worth it. (Science fiction. 12-16)