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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Title: Mila 2.0
Author: Debra Driza
Format Acquired: Hardcover
Publication Date: March 12 2013
Publishing House: Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN: 9780062090362
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie.

She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past - that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run - from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.

Evading her enemies won't help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she was to leave behind. However, what she's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and just might save her life.

A compulsively readable sci-fi thriller, Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza's bold debut and the first book in an action-filled, Bourne Identity-style trilogy.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I was surprised at how Mila 2.0 turned out and despite the instances of love-at-first-sight and Mila's swooning I thought it was a pretty okay read. I mean trying to hide an android in plain sight and in a normal high school setting? I have got to see this.

Mila and her mother moved to a small town after the fire that ravaged her last home took away her father. There she's been told to lay low and refrain from taking any unnecessary risks. Mila was doing well for a time until an accident caused by her jealous and selfish friend exposed her for what she really is. She confronts her mother about it and finds out that she's really an android programmed with human emotions. Afterwards, things change quickly as Mila and her mother are once again uprooted from their life and forced to run as the people who created her are on their trail.

Mila is undeniably human despite the fact that she's an android, she's definitely got the personality of a teenage girl. Imagine living all your life thinking that you were very much human all to find out that you're actually not and that you have tubes in your arms and a card reader on your wrist. Yeah, I think I'd be as freaked out as she was. 

For the most part, Mila 2.0 is entertaining. The action scenes were well-crafted and intense, I liked that I got to see part of Mila's abilities. But I wasn't exactly sold on Hunter. I mean sure he's cute and all but there wasn't exactly anything to write home about and I couldn't wrap around my mind around Mila's infatuation with the boy - something that continued even when she was on the run. I can't exactly blame her though, she needs something to tether her to her humanity and I guess clinging to the vestiges of her old life, meaning Hunter, was a way for her to cope.

The first half of the book was a bit choppy but the second half was much, much better. Mila 2.0 reads like an action movie and while very much exciting and enjoyable, it was at times predictable and lacked a certain depth. I had hoped for better characterizations and maybe not so much spotlight on the whole romance aspect of the book. 

A hopeful start to a rather intriguing new series, Mila 2.0 brings to the table a good deal of action, an adequate amount of sci-fi and well androids. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. 


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4 comments:

  1. Why do authors have to shoot themselves in the foot by making their characters fall in love within the first chapter or two. It can completely cripple a book. If it's that important for two characters to be together that early in the book, then have them start out together. Geez. Sorry, rant. Mila 2.0 has been on my TBR list ever since the cover reveal, but I've read such mixed things about it that I'm afraid to read it.

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    1. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In Mila 2.0 I managed to ignore that and instead focused on the action scenes in the book. Interesting enough and worth a try if you've got time to spare. Thank you for stopping by!

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  2. Oh, I didn't know this is a series. I hope it comes out in paperback soon because I want to read it because of your review! It kind of sounds like The Rules by Stacey Kade but based on your review, I think this has more action since The Rules was more of a contemporary romance than a sci-fi. Great review AS ALWAYS! :>

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    1. Thank you Dianne! And Instead of an alien hybrid, they're harboring an android. :) Hope you get to read this soon!

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