Friday 29 June 2012

False Memory by Dan Krokos ARC Review + Interview

Source: Hachette Book Group Canada

Author: Dan Krokos

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Thriller

Format: Floppy Cover

Subformat: Young Adult

Release Date: August 14th, 2012

Description: 



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.

Chaos' Review:

   Now that we're back on track, lets start with the cover as per tradition. I LOVE it! Simply gorgeous, and its B L U E, which is my favourite colour! Plus its all dark and mysterious and doesn't give away the story at. all. Lets just say that it's my way of saying PERFECT! Props to the designers! 
    Time to dive in on the explanation of what I thought of the story! It jumps right in on Miranda waking up with no memory whatsoever. She's freaked, panicky, and lost. Then it also turns out that she has this wicked power in which she can INDUCE fear into people surrounding her. I gotta say, this was probably the first chapter and I was gawking at how interesting the story already was! I HAD TO KEEP READING! Peter pops on in, and DANG! I liked this dude already. Then things are just going insane, and as in the description it says "Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon..." well, Miranda can kick some butt! I always love protagonists that can fend for themselves PLUS protect the ones around them. ITS JUST SO COOL! *fangirls* Sorry, I am a total nerd for crazy things like this. 
  Anyways! back on topic,  Noah is hilarious, so he turns serious situations into something much lighter, no doubt, he's that guy that can piss you off with all the snarky comments he makes non stop. He's still funny though. 
  Man, this book was not predictable at all. So many twists and turns. Just whoa. This is one of those books that you just can't describe. Calamity asked me to put the story into words without spoiling it, and all I could say was "Go read it. like, now". 
  One negative I would say that countered the extreme enjoyment of this story is probably because of how the main character wasn't as interesting as the characters around her, it seemed like her personality was clearly being out-shined, but I still really enjoyed it overall. 
  This was totally a unique and thrilling read filled with action, romance, and mystery! Lets just say this book was
 -Awesome- and leave it at that without revealing anything else. 





About the Author





After pumping gas for nine years to put himself through college, Dan Krokos, now twenty-six, dropped out to write full-time. He enjoys watching TV, playing MMORPGs, and drinking coffee. Currently, he’s hard at work on the next book in Miranda’s journey. Follow his antics on twitter (@DanKrokos)






Interview


What inspired you to write False Memory?

I’d been writing a lot of the same stuff for a while. Really gritty adult crime novels. I was
getting rejections that said my stuff was too masculine, or that it wouldn’t appeal to female
readers. I started to get worried that I could only do one thing. Around that time I read
Twilight and The Hunger Games, and yes, I loved them both. They were fun.

I started reading more and more YA, and decided to challenge myself by switching gears
entirely. I grew as a writer because of it.

Once I decided to go this route, I just applied all the things I loved about books growing up.
Action, adventure, and yes, romance.

Did you base any of your characters identities/personalities on people you’ve met or
passed by?

All writers take their experiences with people and distill them into fiction, but I never
go “Okay this character is going to be just like so and so.” I think characters have to be more
interesting than real people. Let’s face it—a lot of us are pretty boring.

What is one of the wackiest things you’ve ever done?

I really can’t say without incriminating myself : )

What is one of your favourite things to do while not writing?

Watch movies. They are my favorite thing. Or certain TV series.

Anything you can reveal about the sequel?!?

Maybe after the first book is out! I can say that it is a bit scarier than the first one.

What’s it like to write from the POV of a girl? Is it difficult?

Extremely. I doubt I’ll do it again. It’s definitely a lot easier now that I know Miranda, but in
the beginning it was really frustrating. I couldn’t really base any of the character on myself,
which always makes things easier…but maybe that’s a good thing?

I was lucky enough to get a lot of female advice on Miranda’s voice though, something I’m
very grateful for.

Favourite snack while writing? Or just in general?

I’m not much of a snacker. Does ice cream count as a snack? I definitely don’t snack while

writing. I’m a little OCD about keeping my keyboard clean, so I wash my hands every time
before I sit down to write. Yeah. I really only keep coffee and water nearby.

Any words of advice to aspiring writers?

I’d say don’t give up, but if you’re really a writer, you’re not going to anyway. So I guess I
would say to get off the social media stuff, for now. You can come back. But for now, focus
100% on writing and reading. Every spare moment, you can be learning. Right now I waste
so much time on the internet (as you’ll see in the question below), and I’m trying to do a
slow rollback. It’s so easy to distract yourself when a scene gets tough, so avoid that now
before the habit becomes ingrained.

Do you have any pre-writing things you do to get into your -zone-?

Yes, but really I’m just procrastinating. I look at stuff on the internet, sometimes hours
before starting, just to put it off. I like to have a cup of coffee first to get in the zone.

What would you do if one day you woke up and had the superpower you have forever
been dreaming of having?

I would give up the writing gig and become a full time superhero. Seriously.



Find False Memory at a bookstore near you on August 14th, 2012! Or Pre-Order online!





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