Active Memory by Dan Wells

Active Memory (Mirador, #3)

by Dan Wells

From Dan Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling Partials Sequence, comes the third installment in a thrilling sci-fi noir series set in 2050 Los Angeles.

Even in a world where technology connects everyone’s minds, it would seem that some secrets can still remain hidden.

For all the mysteries teen hacker Marisa Carneseca has solved, one has always eluded her: When she was two years old, she was in a car accident in which she lost her arm and a mob boss’s wife, Zenaida de Maldonado, lost her life. No one can tell her what she was doing in that car, or how it led to the feud between the Carnesecas and the Maldonados.

The secrets from the past rise violently to the surface when Zenaida's freshly severed hand shows up at the scene of a gangland shooting. If Zenaida is—or was—still alive, it means there’s even more about Marisa’s past that she doesn’t know.

And when everyone from Los Angeles gangs to the world’s largest genetic engineering firms becomes involved in the case, it’s clear there’s more happening under the surface than anyone cares to admit.

The truth is out there, and Marisa will have to thread together lost friends, corporate assassins, a gang lord’s digital brain, and what might be a literal ghost from the past in order to find it.

Reviewed by bookishzelda on

Share
Each of the books in the Mirador series have their own standalone story. It’s been a long time since I’ve read the Bluescreen but Ones and Zeroes was about taking down a major corporation. Now in Active Memory we are hearing more about chop shops. I really like this about the books because there is still the main story arc of, why Marisa’s hand is the way it is and the secrets surrounding the car crash. As well as the Cherry Dogs and their rise in the Overworld and tournaments. It keeps the books fresh. In a way you could jump into the series later and still enjoy it.

So besides the whole, where do body parts come from. We finally get insight on Marisa’s hand and it’s not what expected. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting though which is kind of the great thing about it. As the web finally untangles I felt satisfied with the outcome. I really liked the story.

I love the Cherry Dogs. The bonds that the girls have and that we explored since the first book is fantastic. It’s a crew of gamer girls who also hack and save the world (sort of) on the side. What could be better than that. I love the way that each girl has her own personality and specialities that help them in the Overworld but also in real life. I love how close knit they are and how they support each other. I did however miss the presence of Fang and Jaya in Active Memory. They are always there because the girls are always connected to one another but I loved how involved everyone was in Ones and Zeroes. I really do love these girls.

Active Memory has a lot of action. More action than gaming this time, which is fine. My favorite part of the stories is the girls working together so it doesn’t really bother me how. It was fast paced read and I didn’t feel any lag time. Always great. I would love to see this as a movie or tv series. You could have some pretty good special effects. Now I’m thinking tv series for sure, now I want it as a tv series…..

Marisa dabbles in romance but it’s never been an important part of the books and it’s very almost bond like. Ha ha. Which is great for a female lead. I love how she’s like hmm I might be interested but I’m too busy doing five hundred other things to worry about it.

So this is the third book. Is it the final book? I’m not sure, it doesn’t have to be. The ending, while wrapping up most things still leaves room for more in the series. Again especially because this series has its own standalone storyline for each book. I really love the way these books are written and I would love to see more of The Cherry Dogs. Maybe venture out of Mirador and off to where the other girls live.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 20 February, 2018: Finished reading
  • 20 February, 2018: Reviewed