Slated by Teri Terry

Author:  Teri Terry
Title: Slated
Publication: January 24, 2013
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Publisher

Kyla’s memory has been erased,her personality wiped blank,her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Kyla is Slated. She's been given a new identity and family. She understands this is her second chance to redeem herself from her supposed violent past. Yet, she has nightmares that hint at a different life and she wonders who she really was. Why was she Slated? Why are seemingly innocent people going missing? Why is she different? One thing she is certain of, something amiss and she is determined to find out what. 

Kyla seems to be more than what she appears, she's afraid but her anger hints at a deeper strength. She struggles with her hidden past that refuses to stay just a memory as flashes from her other life take form in her dreams. However, she doesn't know what it all means.  She knows that she had to do something awful to have her memory erased because only bad teens get slated or so she thinks. She tries hard to do what she's told for fear of being returned but her curiosity gets the best of her and she discovers a horrible truth, maybe she wasn't a terrorist and the whole Slated organization is a farce. She meets handsome guy, Ben, who wants to help her but as they get closer to discovering a clue, he decides to do take matters into his own hands that just may cause him his life. Kyla must piece together the fragments of her mind in order to save those lost. 

Kyla is an intriguing character, she's not weak. She shows her strength in subtle ways but at the same time she re-learning how to be human. She is more advanced than she should be for a Slated. It's interesting, how they manage the Slated by putting these Levos on their arms to maintain their levels, so if they get angry it well shock them or make them blackout but for Kyla anger makes her levels go up and that's puzzling to her. I like the mystery of her and the possibility of someone fierce. Her friend, Ben, on the other hand seems a little naive. He has this innocence and vulnerability about him, so it was no surprise when he jumped on the conspiracy theory that the making of the Slated may be untrue. Overall, I liked the characters and the story. The plot moves along smoothly with the pace of the writing. This would be a good read for dystopian lovers.