Mila 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)

Mar 24, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi-or-futuristic, dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, harpercollins, 2013-publication, march, 2013-favorites, read-2013, action-packed

3.5 stars

GIRL ANDROID.

That should probably be the extent of my review, because you can pretty much tell by your reaction to those two words whether or not this book is for you. If they get you nearly crazed with excitement (guilty! I'm raising my hand), you should probably just cancel your dinner plans for next week when the book is released.

If you read the freebie short entitled Origins: The Fire, you already know that a devastating fire has changed Mila's life. As she's trying to adjust to he...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Paperpanda (Miguel Cruz) marked it as to-buy

Shelves: 2013-release, love-the-cover, want-so-badly

UPDATE (July 2 2012): OMG THE COVER IS OUT AND IT LOOKS BETTER!

Even the cover looks fantastic!
Isn't it amazing!?!?!

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Dec 14, 2012 Debra Driza added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: holy-crap-i-wrote-this

So, there's really no scenario I can envision where I'd feel comfortable rating my own book (and even if I were comfortable, that rating would probably change on a daily--no, hourly--basis, so it'd be pointless anyway).

Instead, I shall share my MILA 2.0 playlist--and and hope it doesn't terrify everyone away with its complete randomness:

1) Chemical Brothers--Block Rockin' Beats
2) Florence and the Machine--Drumming Song
3) White Zombie--More Human Than Human
4) U2--Even Better Than the Real Thing
5)...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favorites, 2013-reads, arc, brb-biting-my-nails, caught-in-a-bad-romance, didn-t-see-that-coming, exceeded-my-expectations, gimme-the-next-book, hand-me-some-tissues, highly-anticipating-2013, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, read-reviewed

There is so much fun to be had reading Debra Driza's thoroughly interesting and original debut, MILA 2.0. Brimmed to the top with incredibly fun action scenes, likable characters, believable conflicts, and awesome technological abilities, MILA 2.0 is not a novel to be missed by anyone looking for their next great sci-fi read--and especially those looking for an awesome android novel, which there, unfortunately, seems to be a massive shortage of.

For some readers, MILA 2.0 may be a bit slow to st...more There is so much fun to be had reading Debra Driza's thoroughly interesting and original debut, MILA 2.0. Brimmed to the top with incredibly fun action scenes, likable characters, believable conflicts, and awesome technological abilities, MILA 2.0 is not a novel to be missed by anyone looking for their next great sci-fi read--and especially those looking for an awesome android novel, which there, unfortunately, seems to be a massive shortage of.

For some readers, MILA 2.0 may be a bit slow to start, but for me, I was fully engrossed in the story from the first chapter to the last. For me, the exposition aspect of the novel leading up to the android aspects were absolutely fascinating--and while some readers may have been frustrated by the presence of the cliché mean girl in the beginning, I appreciated that character's presence because she had a major impact on the progression of the plot, and wasn't thrown into the novel just for the sake of conflict. And once the androids aspects do kick in, MILA 2.0 is an absolutely engaging, fun, and unputdownable read.

Mila is an exceptionally interesting and believable character--more believable than many characters in young adult, and she's an android--and she handled each of her struggles and conflicts in a manner I would expect most to if they were placed in her situation. While she did frustrate me quite a few times, most considerably whenever she thought of Hunter, a boy she knew for days and is now aggravatingly and inexplicably attached to, during incredibly inappropriate moments, most notably while she's running for her life, she had understandable reasons for being so attached to Hunter, it was just frustrating to read about his lopsided grin and blue eyes over and over and over again. The relationship between Mila and her mother is one I eventually grew to really enjoy, which at first was the very last thing I expected. In the beginning of the novel, Mila's mother is characterized as a cold and standoffish mother, but as the novel progressed she, and her relationship with Mila, were met with a great amount of development.

Recommended to anyone looking for a fun sci-fi read dealing with androids in an original and fascinating way, MILA 2.0 ended up being a book that exceeded each and every one of my initial expectations. With great writing, great characters, great action scenes and practically great everything, I thoroughly look forward to reading the second book in this entertaining trilogy, as well as any other novels Driza may write. (less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those looking for action on a rainy day

Recommended to Steph by: Myself

Shelves: 2013-release, young-adult, thriller, harpercollins, pretty-covers, sci-fi, 2012-reads, could-have-been-better, e-arc, ebook, edelweiss, i-totally-saw-that-coming, it-wasn-t-all-that-but-enjoyable, original-and-creative, what-kind-of-ending-was-that, disappointment

I had a very difficult time rating this book. One one hand, I did relatively enjoy it. But on the other hand, it had a few issues that stuck out like an angry throne for the entire duration of the novel. So what does that exactly equate to? A big ol' pot of "meh" for the most part, but not to the extent that I wouldn't recommend the book.

When I first heard about MILA 2.0, I was ridiculously excited to get my hands on it. The blurb sounded right up my alley and I expected a lot of action, fight s...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, science-fiction, romance, thriller

2.5 stars

“One minute I was a normal girl, the next... a monster.”

Debra Driza’s MILA 2.0 incorporates the idea of androids and military intelligence, in an attempt to blend science-fiction with a touch of thrill. While it is not to the standard of the Bourne Identity–style creation promised by the book description (and could do with much improvement, in fact), it is a reasonably decent debut novel.

Much of the plot unravels as expected. Our teenage heroine discovers she is not who – or rather, wh...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Ashley (Nose Graze) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: requested, arc, e-arc, physical-arc

MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza - When we made you, we crossed a line

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

MILA 2.0 was everything I hoped it would be: intense, action-packed, and filled with awesome technology. But it was also more than that: it had a TOTALLY SWOONY romance—but it didn't dominate the story, and it had one of the most alive characters I've ever read about! I have to quote another reviewer here because I can't say it better myself:

Driza has successfully trolled the entire YA writing community by creating an android narrator more human than most rea

...more

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

MILA 2.0 was everything I hoped it would be: intense, action-packed, and filled with awesome technology. But it was also more than that: it had a TOTALLY SWOONY romance—but it didn't dominate the story, and it had one of the most alive characters I've ever read about! I have to quote another reviewer here because I can't say it better myself:

Driza has successfully trolled the entire YA writing community by creating an android narrator more human than most real teens in young adult fiction.
—Sarah Harian

This is true on so many levels. Mila is ALIVE. She reacts exactly the way I would imagine a real person would. Her emotions and actions jumped off the page, and I could so clearly envision them in my head! I could relate to her on so many levels, despite the fact we actually have very little in common! I actually cared what she was thinking about and what was happening to her. She also had her hilariously sarcastic moments that had me chuckling and frantically highlighting. Who knew an android could be so funny?? I want to be friends with her!!

Debra Driza also did a fantastic job detailing Mila's 'machine' side. Often times when I read about robots or cyborgs or whatever, I have a hard time imagining how they actually work.. But Debra Driza carefully crafted and explained it so that it makes perfect sense! It's super easy to imagine, and she makes it seem so realistic. And I think the incredible characterization in MILA 2.0 is one of the reasons that the book would be GREAT on film.

When I read MILA 2.0 I couldn't help but imagine it on film because it has been picked up for a TV show, and because it's compared to The Bourne Identity. You know when books are marketed as being compared to The Hunger Games or Harry Potter or A Song of Ice and Fire, and then they're just nothing like that? Well I promise you that MILA 2.0 is pure Bourne Identity and it's FREAKING AWESOME! This book totally embodies The Bourne Identity but without being too similar that it's unoriginal or just a copy. It has the same overall story of a military 'weapon' not wanting to be used as such, and that 'weapon' harbouring too many emotions to be the robotic military servant that it's supposed to be. MILA 2.0 also has the same incredible level of intensity and action.

MILA 2.0 is riddled with corruption, murder, brutality, a struggle with humanity, and intense car chases to boot. Everything was drawn out so clearly that I could literally picture it being up on the big screen! But at the same time, I guess I should warn you.. there are some tough scenes in MILA 2.0 . They didn't bother me at all (and they DEFINITELY added to the intensity of the story), but just be aware that some scenes are pretty nasty and brutal, and there's definitely an underlying vicious/psychotic element..

As I mentioned before, there is a totally swoony romance. Some could say that the romance is a little too intense and moves a little too quickly, but I think it makes a lot of sense in context. The romantic side does seem to heavily dominate the introduction to the book, but soon it becomes clear that this romantic crush is Mila's first real emotional experience. I think it makes sense that it would hit her pretty hard. And after the introduction, the romance disappears for most of the remainder of the book. That did disappoint me a little, actually (because it was awesome and I missed it!), but again—it made sense. And it worked! And as a result, the romance didn't dominate the book overall; I think a lot of people will find that very refreshing.

This book was all kinds of awesome. It was up, down, and all over the freaking place. The constant intensity and action will definitely keep you on your toes! The best part of this book was easily Mila's struggle between her machine side and her humanity. It's really quite amazing to read about, and I love watching Mila's progression as the story takes place! MILA 2.0 had so much depth in every aspect of the story. The relationships had meaning, the characters had development, and the plot had many layers. You will love some characters like there is no tomorrow, and you will hate others with so much uncontrollable rage that you'll want to murder them with a hair-dryer plug. But you will love to hate them.

I have to admit, I think I would have liked more of an epic twist at the end.. just because I like crazy insane twists. Don't get me wrong, the ending was TOTALLY packed with action and there were some heart-wrenching moments in there.. but there wasn't a huge reveal or some crazy twist that I didn't see coming. It was all kind of... expected. Really good and intense—but expected.

But other than that, I think MILA 2.0 left off in a great place: there was closure, but still enough unanswered questions to have me pining for book #2!

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Mar 19, 2013 JennyJen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointing, expected-so-much-more, kickass, lackluster-series-start, meh, no-soup-for-you, not-what-i-expected, potential-went-down-shitter, read-2013, reviewed, sci-fi, she-is-not-just-a-pretty-face, somebody-slap-that-protagonist-pls, young-adult, yummy-cover, too-bad-so-sad, womp-womp

If I’d learned one thing in all of this, it was that fighting the reality of my capabilities did me no good. It was better to just accept them. They made things easier.

Uh, duh. It took you 99% of the book to figure that out? That’s unfortunate.

Another book with an awesome premise and poor execution. This isn’t to say that this was bad, because it wasn’t. Neither, though, was this great. And it could have been great. It should have been great, because it had all the makings of greatness. The thi...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2012, cover-lust, debut-author, failed-to-impress, edelweiss, harper-teen, open-ending, sci-fi, ya, reviewed-in-2012

I've spent a long time trying to come up with the best/gentlest way to put this, but in the end, I feel that a direct approach might be best. So here it is: despite a fabulous premise, numerous action scenes and androids (androids, for heaven’s sake!), Mila 2.0 is unfortunately quite boring. After seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, I truly expected to read it in one sitting, but alas, I had to bribe myself to even finish it.

”Right. I’m the computer.” Not only that, but somewhere on–no,...more I've spent a long time trying to come up with the best/gentlest way to put this, but in the end, I feel that a direct approach might be best. So here it is: despite a fabulous premise, numerous action scenes and androids (androids, for heaven’s sake!), Mila 2.0 is unfortunately quite boring. After seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, I truly expected to read it in one sitting, but alas, I had to bribe myself to even finish it.

”Right. I’m the computer.” Not only that, but somewhere on–no, in. In!–my body, I had a slot for that card. An electrical portal.
How was that even possible? How could you have a part for a memory card in your body and not know about it?

After a fire that killed her beloved father, Mila moved to a new town with her mother. She’s struggling with her memory loss, the grief over losing her dad and her desire to make new friends in school. Then, while fighting with her new best friend over a boy (!), Mila gets injured, but her injury doesn’t bleed. Instead, her arm is full of wires and having it open doesn’t hurt in the least.
Her mother is not surprised by this, only worried that someone else might have seen it. Attracting unwanted attention is the last thing they need while running from the government, Mila’s creators. But even though Mila, once activated, turns into a killing machine, not even that is enough to help her escape from the people chasing her.

Humanlike in some spots, but with parts that no human possessed. Parts layered underneath the surface that spoke of things that weren’t alive; my ugliness, all spelled out and irrefutable.

I understand that this is a series and that there must be some loose ends, but far too many things were left unsaid. Mila 2.0 just ended at a pretty random place (this seems to be a new trend) and none of the characters or their motivations were any clearer than at the beginning. For example, an MIT student was assigned to perform tests on Mila in the compound and it was hinted that he wasn’t there of his own free will – the commander had something on his brother and was using that to blackmail Lucas into working with him. But nothing about that situation made sense to me. First and foremost, I don’t even know what the situation was exactly – it was never properly explained. Second, why would the leader of a secret government facility with endless resources at his disposal even need a teenage boy to work for him? And third, if he had something that big on Lucas, why would Lucas risk everything to help Mila, an android he barely even knew? And then there was the small matter of Mila’s “mother” – she was the key character in this story and yet I still don’t know a single thing about her.

Romance was mostly absent from the book, which I appreciated, but there WAS a romantic interest present at the beginning and the very end. Mila met Hunter before she learned her true nature and left him behind when she was forced to run from her enemies. The instalove that happened between them was tragically unfounded and unconvincing. I honestly don’t see why Hunter needed to be present in this book at all and the romance was a serious detriment to my enjoyment of the story. Not that there was much enjoyment to begin with.

Nevertheless, I’ve read some pretty horrible books lately, and Mila 2.0 wasn’t quite so bad. I see some potential in this series and I’m willing to give it another chance, which means that the second book will either make it or break it for me. I will wait to give my final verdict.

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Mar 14, 2013 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, books-like-crack, edelweiss, for-review, minnesota, sci-fi, young-adult

I finished Mila 2.0 last night, and though the ending could have worked better for me, I thought this was a fantastic debut from Debra Driza. I hated to put this book down, which was unfortunate as I have had little reading time this last week. But finish it I did, and what a page turner it was. Mila 2.0 is filled with suspense, excitement, and some pretty intense action sequences.

The book opens with a girl on a horse. She has a vision. Her mom yells at her for riding too fast, and you think, h...more I finished Mila 2.0 last night, and though the ending could have worked better for me, I thought this was a fantastic debut from Debra Driza. I hated to put this book down, which was unfortunate as I have had little reading time this last week. But finish it I did, and what a page turner it was. Mila 2.0 is filled with suspense, excitement, and some pretty intense action sequences.

The book opens with a girl on a horse. She has a vision. Her mom yells at her for riding too fast, and you think, huh. This is not what I expected. But it's not all that normal for long. The book picks up after a couple of chapters, and from that point on, there is no slowing down. That's why it's so hard to walk away from the story. If you are the type of reader who loves to stop and go with a book, you almost can't do that with this one. So make sure you carve out a chunk of reading time, because you will need it.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this novel was the author's writing style. It's well-balanced, and a good mix of plot, characters, and description. Though I think the characters could have had a little more depth--I'll get to that in a minute--I do believe that the well-balanced type of writing is the kind that resonates with me the most. I love being able to picture things in my mind but I don't want so much sensory language that it bogs the story down. The book is well-plotted and the pacing is incredibly strong.

But flaws. This book has some. Unfortunately, though I loved Mila as a characters, after some thinking, I have realized I just couldn't connect with her as much as I originally thought I was. I realized this when I got to the end and something major happened and I totally should have been crying (because I am an emotional basket case) but I wasn't. I knew then that something was missing. If a book is supposed to make me cry--that scene was brutal--and it doesn't, I have to deduct. It's a small thing as the rest of the book was SOOO much fun to read, but the characters could have used a little work. Some of them are in and out of the novel so quickly, you don't get much of a chance to know them. That is unfortunate.

One other complaint. There is a lot of action in this book. And I loved it. But...in a few of the scenes I had a hard time picturing what was going on and the descriptions of locations and character movements didn't seem clear to me. Like in the obstacle course scene toward the end? The way some of the buildings and places were described left me confused and unable to picture where they were located. Again, not a very big deal, but something I had to mention because it did detract from my enjoyment a little bit.

Ultimately though, clocking in at 480 pages, this book was one wicked ride that did not even feel close to that length. And I wanted more. So much more. I have to applaud the author for her ability to weave a story that kept me excited and flipping those pages until the end. I may not have been surprised by the ending, and there's not really a twist, but I enjoyed the entire book and cannot wait for the next. (less)

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Mar 11, 2013 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I kind of have mixed feelings about this book because it felt like I was reading two different stories. While a good chunk of this book was just filled with the "Bourne Identity-styled" action, I really felt like a lot was missing to make this book great.

First of all, what a weird beginning! I read until Chapter 5, and I had to stop and reread the summary just to make sure I was reading the book I thought I was reading. Apparently, it was. And then, of course, I had my theories on what had happe...more I kind of have mixed feelings about this book because it felt like I was reading two different stories. While a good chunk of this book was just filled with the "Bourne Identity-styled" action, I really felt like a lot was missing to make this book great.

First of all, what a weird beginning! I read until Chapter 5, and I had to stop and reread the summary just to make sure I was reading the book I thought I was reading. Apparently, it was. And then, of course, I had my theories on what had happened and was left wondering if I really wanted to read the rest of the book. Honestly, the charade took way too long, and it was too cliche as it bogged readers down with high school drama that really didn't even matter in the grand scheme of things. By the way, if you have not read the 10-paged prequel, read it first. I made the mistake of reading it after I read this book. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Then, about a third of the way through, I had my WTF moment, which caused me to be very angry. Mila was exactly right. What a cruel, sick thing to do! I really wanted to give up on the book at that point, but that's when the action started. I admit, they were some pretty intense scenes that had me flipping through the pages.

Still, I was left with SO many unanswered questions at the end. MAJOR SPOILERS, do not click if you have not read the book. (view spoiler)

I know there is more to come, but at least the first several questions should have been answered in this book.

And I know it's still early in the series and we'll see more of him, but I wish we got more out of Hunter. He has potential to be a really swoon-worthy character, but everything that I get from him right now is just surface-deep with the cliche, love-at-first-sight, eyes meet, tunnel vision, support without question type of romance. Maybe MILA is not capable of feeling much more, but isn't the whole point to show that she can be human?

And MILA herself? I just don't know how I feel about her. While I can see what she's going through, and I can sympathize with her every step of the way, she doesn't show as much character development as I had expected her to. I guess I read way too many books with similar concepts, and I just expected more of an emotional attachment to her. I'm sure she'll have more character development over the next few books, but hers just wasn't as dramatic as other in other books, I suppose.

Anyway, I just wish that the beginning didn't throw me off and took so long before the real story started, and I'm a bit disappointed that I'm left unsatisfied when I finished the book, though I understand there's more to come. Still, there's more than enough in this book for me to want to read the sequel.(less)

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Apr 25, 2013 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

The characters: I really felt for Mila, and I connected with her because her emotions were so real and vivid. Driza wrote her with passion and where what she is feeling and thinking really jumped off the page. I think that her struggle when she found out that she was an Android was so compelling, and very realistic. I can't imagine finding out something like that when my whole time I thought that I was a human. She feels, thinks, and has friends, sure there are some hazy memories, but everything...more

The characters: I really felt for Mila, and I connected with her because her emotions were so real and vivid. Driza wrote her with passion and where what she is feeling and thinking really jumped off the page. I think that her struggle when she found out that she was an Android was so compelling, and very realistic. I can't imagine finding out something like that when my whole time I thought that I was a human. She feels, thinks, and has friends, sure there are some hazy memories, but everything seems so real.
It draws up an interesting question for me of what makes defines real. I never failed to connect with her, and she was always fighting for the person that she loves, so what really makes her different from me? What's inside? Metal vs not? It is just weird if you really think about it.
I liked Lucas, he was well written and though I can't say a lot about him without being a spoiler. But how he questioned things and then became loyal to what he believes in really inspired me.
As for her friend, Kaylee... Well, I can't believe the changes in her. I really don't understand how she was so friendly and including, and then NOT. I hope that there is some explanation in the next book.
I loved Mila's relationship with her mom, and how it changed several times with the circumstances. I think it reflects a real mother/daughter relationship because they aren't usually always good or bad, but fluctuating. But I think that how they learned to talk to one another and really learned that they could trust each other was beautiful. I couldn't believe what happened to them, and I wish there were things that couldn't be fixed, that I want desperately to be fixed.

The romance: I just wasn't feeling it. Friendship yes, the possibility that more could be there, sure... But hopefully the next book will pick a guy and really develop that, because I think I will have a hard time if they are both developed and fleshed out and then one of them won't be with her.

The cover: I like the colors, and the parts of her face. It catches my eye, and I think that it is a good fit for the story.

The pacing: It kept me wanting to keep flipping pages, there was always something going on, lots of action, and lots of feelings, as well as character growth and development. I didn't know HOW they were going to fix things at every turn.

The world/setting: I felt like it was authentic--the high school experience as well as when she ends up in the lab.

The ending: Oh my goodness, it was definitely a twist! I can't believe what happened! I am very eager to read the next one.

Bottom Line: Great start to a series that I can't wait to keep reading. (less)

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Dec 21, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, netgalley-or-edelweiss, boooooring, cheese, meh-it-was-okay, insta-love, surprised-i-didnt-hate

This review is also available over at my blog.

_______________________

After reading a lot of awesome books these past few weeks, this was kind of a step down, because I personally don't feel as if this book had much that was special about it.

So we're introduced to Mila, just a normal quiet girl crushing on the new hot boy in school. Until she finds out that she's not human at all, but an android, and all her childhood memories were simply programmed into her mind, and her Mom isn't even her mothe...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three stars: A book with a good premise but a little underwhelming in execution.

Mila closes her eyes desperately attempting to recall the scene of the fire that ultimately killed her father a month before. No matter how hard she tries, she cannot remember what happened that fiery night. A month later, she scrunches down into her father's worn flannel shirt, the last remnant of her former life that she desperately clings to in her new surroundings. Mila has started a new life in a small rural tow...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Elemillia Ucselub rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, and foremost, I want to mention I am hosting a GIVEAWAY of an ARC copy of MILA 2.0 , it will end in about twelve hours, so get your chance to win. An 'experiment in artificial intelligence?' Tell me that's not a book you're curious about reading. I definitely was. I have always been intrigued by this type of storyline. What drew me even more is that she DISCOVERS what she was never meant to know in the first place. As a result, 'she knows too much so she must be terminated,' and in the pr...more

First, and foremost, I want to mention I am hosting a GIVEAWAY of an ARC copy of MILA 2.0 , it will end in about twelve hours, so get your chance to win. An 'experiment in artificial intelligence?' Tell me that's not a book you're curious about reading. I definitely was. I have always been intrigued by this type of storyline. What drew me even more is that she DISCOVERS what she was never meant to know in the first place. As a result, 'she knows too much so she must be terminated,' and in the process 'becoming beyond anyone's imagination.' Now that's a premise we can relate to on more than one level, metaphorically.

The boldness of this premise is undeniable. 'No one suspects what she's made of,' or the 'only thing she can't escape is who she is and what she's becoming,' are two sentences I kept coming back to. The book really stays true to these two topics. Combine the human emotional components of these two themes with technology and you can really get a sense of what this book is about. One of my favorite quotes is this one:

"I did feel alive like I hadn't in weeks. Like the whole world had burst into high definition. My feelings were all building together into one big explosion concoctino. Who knew which emotion would burst free at any given time?"

What if you were someone who didn't really know exactly where you came from? Would you have the same reaction as Mila did when she found out she had been manufactured in a specific way?

""Don't! I don't even understand how... how can any of this be true? Manufactured emotions?" A tight ache squeezed my throat - programmed? Real? How could I possibly know? - and I lowered my voice to a whisper. "If I'm not human, why does this hurt so much?"
"I used to explain it as a phantom limb syndrome.. only for emotions. You might not have the same parts as a regular human, but can still sense the feeling in those parts when you're in an emotional state - pressure, warmth, chill, visceral, all of it. Phantom sensations, if you will, copied from the feelings of a teenage human girl. Via an elaborate neuromatrix, we prewired your brain to believe you were formed just like a human body, so it would accept all those sensations as real."

This reminds me of the consequences of manipulations, metaphorically thinking. This book definitely brought a lot of ideas of manipulation to mind when I was reading about 'preprograming' someone. Maybe even social conditioning...something to think about when you read this book.

A book that kept coming to mind was Cinder. Cinder also dealt with a lot of human emotions versus electronic machinery. I'm not a big fan of programmed humans stories or android stories, but this one and Cinder were one of my favorites so far. Maybe at times there was a little bit too much emotion for me, but over all it's really easy to read, to follow, and the story develops pretty effortlessly.
Plus, you gotta love the cover, as I did.

I would say it's a young adult version of 'Bourne Identity style' and definitely a 'heart-pounding action with riveting exploration.'(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Carmen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss-review-tour

4.5

The following review is based on an eARC provided to me by the HarperCollins UK via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
It can also be found on my blog here.

Review:
I’m not usually a big fan of science fiction but after reading Debra Driza’s wonderful debut I will definitely have to rethink my stance toward the genre! Once this book got moving it had me on the edge of my seat and despite Mila’s not-quite-human nature, I never had problems connecting with her, so if this is something th...more 4.5

The following review is based on an eARC provided to me by the HarperCollins UK via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
It can also be found on my blog here.

Review:
I’m not usually a big fan of science fiction but after reading Debra Driza’s wonderful debut I will definitely have to rethink my stance toward the genre! Once this book got moving it had me on the edge of my seat and despite Mila’s not-quite-human nature, I never had problems connecting with her, so if this is something that usually keeps you from reading SF don’t let it deter you in this case!

From the description, I knew going in that Mila was actually an android. However, she is so incredibly human that I sort of forgot, or at least didn’t think this fact through properly and draw the consequences. Mila is trying to fit in at her new school, but she’s still reeling from her father’s death a few weeks ago. They were very close and she goes over their memories together over and over… apart from the one spot she doesn’t remember – the day their house burnt down and he died. What’s worse is that Mila cannot really share her grief with her mum because she has withdrawn from her since the fire and their subsequent move to the middle of nowhere, Minnesota, and Mila often wonders whether her mother even loves her anymore.

Things change when Hunter moves to their small town. Mila’s ‘best friend’ Kaylee (I never liked her, but then again one isn’t supposed to) has the hots for him… as does Mila, and pretty much everyone else. But Hunter is interested in quiet Mila. They connect and have a couple bonding conversations… until a car accident changes everything and Mila finds out about who and what she really is. And let me tell you, even though I theoretically ‘knew’, or thought I did, my mind was still scrambling to catch up with everything. Because it wasn’t how I thought it would be! Mila’s anguish at finding out that she isn’t human and that everything she believed was a lie was palpable to me as a reader. I ached with her all the way and I felt so incredibly sorry for her! After that revelation, things go out of control and Mila and her mum have to run. From then on, the book is one big adrenalin trip that goes so many places I hadn’t anticipated and managed to surprise me over and over! Maybe it’s partly because I’m unfamiliar with the genre but once we left ‘high school’ I found the novel to be completely unpredictable, right down to the ending.

It’s really hard to talk about this book without spoilers, so I will have to leave the plot alone for now. As I’ve said I thought Mila was a fully formed and deep character. She really struggled with the idea that she was supposed to be inhuman, not real, a machine, even as her enhanced ‘functions’ started to come in more and more handy. Her mum was equally complex and I hope to find out a bit more about her past in the sequels, which I will definitely read. Another character that I came to love is Lucas but I unfortunately can’t say more about him apart from the fact that I hope I haven’t seen the last of him.

As for Hunter… he’s part of the bit I wasn’t one hundred percent happy with in the book. I get it that Mila is attracted to him, and it makes sense with her past and all, but I just didn’t find him to have that much substance. He was sort of elusive. I mean what does Mila really know about him? I understand how she latched on to him because he was one of her few non-fake good memories, but I do wish his description was a bit more varied than her remembering his “lopsided smile” so many times. I wish they would have been given a bit more time before they were torn apart; it would have made the romantic angle of the novel more believable to me. I hope this, too, will be deepened in the sequel.

Apart from that I can find nothing to complain about. The plot was surprising and utterly engrossing. It was ultimately different from what I expected, but in the best possible way! There was plenty of action but the plot wasn’t rushed and unfolded naturally. The scientific elements were described in a way that made them shockingly believable. In our age of 3D printers and whatnot I could actually imagine something like this happening. Mila’s abilities were as amazing as they were frightening. The novel touches on some of the big questions – what makes us human? How far may scientific research go until it becomes hubris? I liked that these themes were not explored in a heavy-handed way. It made me think because even though the issues in themselves are not new, Mila’s perspective was.

Overall, I think that sci-fi fans and action junkies will take as much away from MILA 2.0 as those readers more focused on character and beautiful writing. This novel definitely deserves the hype it got even prior to publication! I am very curious to see Mila’s journey continue in the next installment of the series.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Suz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Mila 2.0 is an incredible rollercoaster ride of excitment and adventure! Debra Driza doesn't hesitate to bring the awesome. Fast paced and filled with electrifying twists and turns, Mila 2.0 will leave readers breathless and aching with anticipation of what's to come next. Possibly one of the year's best debut young adult sci-fi novels, you can't go wrong picking this one if you're a fan for sure. It is definitely a must have!

Completely unputdownable and filled with so much intrigue and myster...more Mila 2.0 is an incredible rollercoaster ride of excitment and adventure! Debra Driza doesn't hesitate to bring the awesome. Fast paced and filled with electrifying twists and turns, Mila 2.0 will leave readers breathless and aching with anticipation of what's to come next. Possibly one of the year's best debut young adult sci-fi novels, you can't go wrong picking this one if you're a fan for sure. It is definitely a must have!

Completely unputdownable and filled with so much intrigue and mystery, Driza brings the action to a culmination full force, that will knock your socks off literally. Mila is such a fantastically written and developed character, with definite unique appeal and likable qualities. It's incredibly easy to fall in love with her and to sympathize with what's going on in her life and to connect with her emotionally on many levels. She's fiercely strong and amazingly complex, and quite possibly more human than one would realize despite the fact that she really isn't at all. The way, in which Driza, approaches the fact that Mila is an android and writes it in such a compassionate and compelling way, adds extra flare and great dynamic to the book making it more enjoyable to read.

Humanity versus articial intelligence has always been an intriguing subject and Debra Driza explores it in her own wonderfully written, brilliantly unique, and intriguing debut young adult novel. Her writing style and attention to detail, are what carries so much powerful weight making the story she's telling much more believable and real. It's powerfully emotional and beautifully riveting. The emotion that's poured into these characters is simply off the charts and adds for so much development and intense heart pounding action and drama.

Wonderfully character driven and uniquely written in such an intensesly compassionate style, Mila 2.0 is a book that fans of sci-fi will absolutely fall in love with. It has everything that an amazing new debut novel should have, the right amount of intrigue and suspense, mystery and heart throbbing action, that will keep readers thumbing through the pages. The ending packs an incredible punch to the gut with an intense twist that you definitely won't see coming. It is truly worth reading!(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Bookishtrish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-done

Mila 2.0 is an exhilarating adventure, a hybrid of YA and Sci Fi. It starts off like a contemporary YA novel with a new girl in town trying to find her place. Mila is also dealing with the aftermath of a fire in which she lost her father and which has also left her with a faulty memory as many of her memories are missing. When she finds out who/what she really is, then the action really kicks off.

And when I say kicked off, I mean kicked off. The plot takes off with lightening speed and never slo...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Marieru rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, para-reseñar, sci-fi, first-reads

What is it about?
Mila 2.0 is an exciting new sci-fi series about a normal girl who discovers a life changing secret about herself. Mila is the ultimate artificial intelligence weapon, built in a secret science lab and programmed to do things beyond human capability. The problem is, she’s more human than expected and for that must be terminated, that is, if they can catch her.

My thoughts.
When I first pick up Mila 2.0 I was expecting a very different scenario from what I got, perhaps something set...more What is it about?
Mila 2.0 is an exciting new sci-fi series about a normal girl who discovers a life changing secret about herself. Mila is the ultimate artificial intelligence weapon, built in a secret science lab and programmed to do things beyond human capability. The problem is, she’s more human than expected and for that must be terminated, that is, if they can catch her.

My thoughts.
When I first pick up Mila 2.0 I was expecting a very different scenario from what I got, perhaps something set in the future. Instead, Mila is a teenager living in a small town in the present day United States. The settings and half of the book gave me a contemporary book feeling, except for the parts when she can insert a flash drive in her wrist (obviously!).

In the first half of the book, Mila is as normal as normal can get. She has lost her dad to a fire, her mom is overprotective and is the new girl at school, and none of these circumstances are making it any easier for her. She has to deal with all the school drama, with her so called best friend and with all the new emotions brought by the arrival of the gorgeous new boy. I didn’t enjoy this part so much, mainly because all the swoons and heart pounding that took place whenever Hunter (new boy) was around.

I truly enjoyed the latter interactions between Mila and her mother (At first, Mila was bitching and whining about everything) and the action scenes were also very entertaining. How Mila struggle to hold on to the traces of her humanity while using her android self to preserve her life and the life of her mother is very well written, I end up feeling torn between the two aspects of her personality. I really wanted her to become a full android so she can outrun those chasing them, but I also wanted a normal life for both of them (Mila and her mother).

Mila goes through a lot and I expect that to reflect in her choices, but sometimes she just got in my nerves by making some odd calls. By the end, I was still trying to reconcile the fact that she is pretty much in love with a boy that she only met for a week (Probably because it make her feel more human? Yes? I hope so).

I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, although it wasn’t a complete surprise. I was half expecting for Mila to take other choices, but she’s a teenager after all. I definitely will be reading book 2 in the series.

First Reads ARC.(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Deniz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, march13, arc, action, kick-ass, sci-fi, ya

I really wanted to like this one. Really. The concept is fun, it's well written, the action scenes are exciting and honestly just down my alley. But it left a lacking and discombobulated impression. As a movie it would be probably one of my favorites... if the romance would be cut out that it. Yep, I didn't particularly enjoy the romance in it. It wasn't bad per say.. I just don't know why it's there in the first place. It feels very cut off of the rest of the book and awkward. Looking at it on...more I really wanted to like this one. Really. The concept is fun, it's well written, the action scenes are exciting and honestly just down my alley. But it left a lacking and discombobulated impression. As a movie it would be probably one of my favorites... if the romance would be cut out that it. Yep, I didn't particularly enjoy the romance in it. It wasn't bad per say.. I just don't know why it's there in the first place. It feels very cut off of the rest of the book and awkward. Looking at it on it own, it probably wouldn't be that bad, but it just doesn't fuse to the rest.

The Story line is fast and fun. Definitely a great read for action fans. It's not anything new but it's well told and thought through.

I found that the character building was lacking at best. Maybe that's why the romance part didn't work for me.
Mila in the end is the only character that is interesting. An android who by accident discovers that she isn't human. Her thought pattern and her change are really well written.But that's as far as I think the character development went.
Hunter is cute and mysterious and a big question mark for me. I am not sure why he was given such prominence, and he never is much more than Mila's wishful dreams. Other than his looks and minor details about him - there is no character building at all. While their interaction is actually really sweet, as I said before, I am not sure if its is just a unnecessary surplus to the book. And added bit of extra interest, at least that's what it feel like. Saying all this I should maybe mention that I am totally on team Hunter- he is totally the dude! HOT and mysterious, quiet and interesting. Just dont know how he fits into this particular story.
Mila's girlfriends are simply awful. Shallow and self-centred, so cliche they bordered on cartoon-like.
The entire book is written from Mila's POV, so I guess one can expect more emphases on Mila's character. But the lack of character building in the support characters meant that Mila's relationships to others feel strained and put together and most of the time just awkward.
I find it particularly annoying, because there are moments when Driza actually writes beautiful moments between two characters which means, this could have been avoided!

The writing style is fast straight forward. And I loved the way Driza tackled the whole android side to this. I absolutely enjoyed the action scenes!

All in all a good book- sadly lacking in character building- I can recommend it for someone who is looking for a fun,action packed light read..
To be honest I would love this as a movie- I am quite sure it could be one of my favorite movies actually!

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Katrina Welsh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Find more reviews at I Have Lived a Thousand Lives

Androids. I repeat, androids. Awesome? Hells, yeah!

Mila 2.0 had one of the most exciting premises I've heard of for this year's release. Mila didn't know she is an android. Mila didn't know she had a GPS installed in her brain. She didn't know she could process thousands and thousands of information in her mind in the five minutes. Mila doesn't know her lungs, heart, her vital organs were just ridiculously good replicas of the real thing install...more Find more reviews at I Have Lived a Thousand Lives

Androids. I repeat, androids. Awesome? Hells, yeah!

Mila 2.0 had one of the most exciting premises I've heard of for this year's release. Mila didn't know she is an android. Mila didn't know she had a GPS installed in her brain. She didn't know she could process thousands and thousands of information in her mind in the five minutes. Mila doesn't know her lungs, heart, her vital organs were just ridiculously good replicas of the real thing installed in her instead. Mila didn't know that she has the ability to hurt someone faster than you can say 'Ouch'. Mila didn't know she was government property. But an accident reveals all the horrible ugly truths Mila didn't ever want to hear and now she is running for her life.

The plot of the Mila 2.0 is simple and straight-forward. It wasn't anything I hadn't encountered before but it was very enjoyable and easy to follow. Driza was superb with the action scenes, which played a big part in the novel and resulted with it having a pretty fast pace.

Fans of light science fiction will enjoy Mila 2.0. There is a lot on exploring what defines humanity. Mila tries to come to terms with her androidness throughout the novel. She struggled to accept herself, seeing her 'parts' as ugly and monstrous. I would have truly enjoyed this part of the novel, if it hadn't been for the fact that the thing that Mila saw her humanity in was a boy, Hunter. This is mostly the reason for Hunter's constant and huge presence in the book even though he is only really physically present in it for about five scenes. Mila pined for Hunter while on the run. He was the only thing in her mind. Hunter, this. Hunter, that. I don't believe she went five pages without mentioning his name. And fair enough, I suppose. She believed that Hunter would be her salvation from this mechanic hunk of body she was thrust upon.

"If only Hunter were here, with his lopsided bangs and lopsided smile and his flutter-inducing touch that said there was more to me than what they’d created in the lab."

Hunter makes Mila feel, makes her believe that she is not just a scientist's creation. All she thought of while on the run was how much she wanted to be with Hunter so that she could prove to herself that she is not a robot, because robots don't get these fluttery feels in the pit of their 'stomachs'. All this time, I kept thinking, "Mila, you are a strong beautiful android who don't need no man." She truly doesn't. She can kick anybody ass from here to Montreal using only her pinky finger. And I don't even see anything that special or remarkable with Hunter (same with Mila, to be honest) personality-wise. The novel lacked in the character development area, sadly. However, by the end of the novel, Mila did improve and hopefully the next one will showcase her kick-assness and independence more.

I am interested to see how this series will play out, especially with Mila's character development and the series' overall plot. I wonder if Driza can come up with some fantastical conspiracies that will steal my breath away. By the way, there's a love triangle in the making and I hate it. But, I hate all love triangles anyway...

Like I said, fans of light sci-fi will enjoy this. It's also a great read if you're looking for something a bit light, I suppose. Because it is quite light compared to the others in its genre.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Judith (Paper Riot) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-debut-author-2013, read-in-2013, reviewed

(As reviewed on my blog, Paper Riot.)

First thoughts
I liked it, but Hunter needs to go. IMMEDIATELY.

More thoughts
Mila 2.0: the book the entire book blogging world was looking forward to. I mean, a teenage girl who finds out she is actually a robot? GIMME. I really couldn't wait to get my hands on it, because I love sci-fi and on the run books. And I have to admit: I was not let down completely. Filled with fight scenes and government conspiracies, action and mystery, this book was a fun and thri...more (As reviewed on my blog, Paper Riot.)

First thoughts
I liked it, but Hunter needs to go. IMMEDIATELY.

More thoughts
Mila 2.0: the book the entire book blogging world was looking forward to. I mean, a teenage girl who finds out she is actually a robot? GIMME. I really couldn't wait to get my hands on it, because I love sci-fi and on the run books. And I have to admit: I was not let down completely. Filled with fight scenes and government conspiracies, action and mystery, this book was a fun and thrilling ride for the most part. But there were two sides to Mila 2.0: the side that I wanted to hug and the side that I wanted to stab. And where I really liked the action-packed story about a girl who is actually a robot, the romance kept me from truly loving this book.

Let's start with the good stuff: I liked Mila as a character. She made some poor decisions considering the romance, but I assume that finding out you are actually an android and that all your memories are fake sort of does that to a robot person. Mila went through a bit of an identity crisis in this story. But the way she came to terms with being an android was nicely developed and really well done. However, I wish we had spent a little more time getting to know Mila before all the action started. With only a month worth of memories, I understand that Mila didn't know herself that well either, but more time with her would have probably made me feel more connected to her.

I also liked the connection she had with her mother, since I love a good mother-daughter bond. Even though, you know, as Mila put it: "I was more genetically related to our toaster than I was to her". I did want more answers considering her mother's life, since I feel like the book lacked a little background information on both her and Mila's past. The lack of answers in combination with the brave but quite shocking ending seemed a bit off for me. But I hope the sequel will give me enough answers to all the questions I have. And thanks to the amount of action and plot twists, I was never annoyed or bored with this while reading. It wasn't until I sat down to write this review that I realized I needed a little more.

Like I said earlier: the romance was not my favorite. In fact, as you can tell from my reading updates, I didn't like it at all, nor do I understand why it was necessary for the story. I don't even know if you can call it romance, because Mila and Hunter had exactly three "real" conversations, after which Mila spent the rest of the book adoring him when he wasn't even around. Maybe this is what happens if you only have a month worth of memories? I'm not sure. I can just say that I very much disliked this part of the story and felt like it was completely out of place and unnecessary. Not every book needs it's romance. Plus I just don't trust someone who is barely there, but is still a prominent character in the story.

But overall, Mila 2.0 was just a lot of fun. I'm talking edge of the seat, page turning, no-idea-what-to-expect, exciting fun. And though I didn't get nearly enough answers for my taste, Mila 2.0 truly has a lot of potential to become an excellent series. I really, really enjoyed it and I have high expectations for the sequel.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, reviewcopies, cover-love, edelweiss, female-pov, galley, meh-characters, modern-day, part-of-a-series, science-fiction, was-excited-to-read-but-in-the-end, ya, robots

This was a book of two halves for me. I didn’t like the first half at all but the second half was amazing.

I had a lot of expectations going into this and to start with I was massively disappointed. The storyline was good, the writing was good but Mila wasn’t. At first I couldn’t stand her, she spent the first half of the book slamming doors, sneaking off when she had been told not to because it was too dangerous for everyone including herself, or thinking about a boy she had literally just met....more

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May 08, 2013 Jennifer | Nerdhuffing marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc, for-review, rt13

This review was originally posted at The Bawdy Book Blog.

24, Terminator and Pinocchio walk into a bar, meet a pretty young lady, then take her back to their hotel room for some hot, raucous book-making and out pops MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza.

MILA 2.0 is action-packed and thrilling, with a grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-throw-you-around plot that doesn’t give you up to another book. I don’t think those words even do it justice! Let’s just say this is one of those books that was made for my DVR, and I...more This review was originally posted at The Bawdy Book Blog.

24, Terminator and Pinocchio walk into a bar, meet a pretty young lady, then take her back to their hotel room for some hot, raucous book-making and out pops MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza.

MILA 2.0 is action-packed and thrilling, with a grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-throw-you-around plot that doesn’t give you up to another book. I don’t think those words even do it justice! Let’s just say this is one of those books that was made for my DVR, and I can’t wait to watch the show.

Mila thinks she is just an ordinary girl that was uprooted by her grieving mother from Philadelphia to Clearwater, Minnesota (donchuknow!), with no memory of the blazing fire that took her father’s life. All she knows is the lingering scent on his flannel shirt she refuses to stop wearing, that her mother continues to remain distant, and she isn’t allowed to do anything even remotely dangerous. Like take a horse for a nice afternoon trot. Oh yeah, and she has weird dreams sometimes, too.

Driza spends a lot of time building up MILA 2.0 with the personalities of the characters: Mila is a bit of a wallflower, grieving and just wanting to blend in to her new home. She’s made friends with the cooler kids, but some of them are less accepting of her, while others only like her because she’s someone new in a small town, I suspect (I shall call this the Bella Swan Syndrome! Don’t worry, the books are not even remotely alike, so you are safe, Twihaters). Her mother, Nicole, is distant but always the concerned parent, at least for the first half of the story, scolding Mila for going faster than a walk on the horse, or any number of other things that might get her daughter hurt. She often left me scratching my head, because I wanted to know WHY this was so important. Hunter is the prerequisite “New Boy” in Clearwater, moving into town right after Mila does. He seems to really like her, and he does seem genuine, but I am suspicious of him for a number of reasons (view spoiler).

I enjoyed the parent-child dynamic between Mila and Nicole. It was obvious that there was something “off” (like, I dunno, someone isn’t a real human, perhaps?) but it was also very apparent that Nicole cared very deeply for Mila, as if Mila were her own.

I did not like Kaylee, but I suppose she served her purpose. In fact, I didn’t like her in a good way, she was one of those Mean Girls from high school. Will we get to see more of her, since it’s pretty much her fault that Mila’s and Nicole’s cover gets blown? Oh the intrigue!

Lucas is someone I want to know more about. I get the feeling that Driza is creating a love-triangle somewhere along the way here, maybe in the second book, and I think it could really work with this story, and the dynamic between Hunter, Mila and Lucas. Lucas is also imperfect, physically, and I really enjoyed that he wasn’t a dreamy guy, there to save the day. He felt real.

“I just want to be a real boy!” Well, Pinnochio, Mila just wants to be a real girl. When Mila finds out she isn’t human, but a very sophisticated Android engineered in a secret lab by the government, she focuses solely on the fact that she isn’t a real person. She can’t believe she doesn’t have a heart, or veins, or organs, but still feels emotions like any real person would. Her skin feels like my skin, her eyes look like my eyes. In fact, my only quibble with this book is with her engineering. Nicole asks her if she is sure she wants to cut her hair, because it doesn’t actually grow. Say what?! You mean to tell me that she has fake skin that feels, smells and looks real, eyes that look real, fingernails, and everything else, but they couldn’t engineer hair to grow? Yeah right. Anyway, I digress. Maybe the only thing extraordinary about her (I mean, other than that she’s a sophisticated robot) is her exceptional beauty. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…. She realizes that she feels things and this is what matters. This is what makes us human. Perhaps she’s far more human than some of the human characters in the novel.

Driza did a fabulous job narrating the internal voices and commands that drive Mila throughout the story. Often Mila sees threats and has to use her Android functions, and I think this could have been hard to do in a first-person novel, but MILA 2.0 reads effortlessly.

This is a science-fiction novel, but a lot of the action is saved for the latter half of the novel. MILA 2.0 is filled with fight scenes, sophisticated government ops, and even a car-chase through D.C. (my stomping grounds, ya’ll!). The build-up from “Am I a human or a robot?” to “I am going to kick the ass of every person in this room because I feel things” is OMGEPIC and I can’t wait for the next book.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Sarah Harian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lbs, read-in-2012, young-adult

Driza has successfully trolled the entire YA writing community by creating an android narrator more human than most real teens in young adult fiction.

I'm always wary about beginning hyped thriller-type YA novels, because I usually don't enjoy them. Whether the narrator has to pummel her way through hoards of demons, survive obstacles in her dystopian universe, or save her Mars colony from an alien invasion, rarely do I give half a rat's ass what's happening on the page because there is SO much m...more Driza has successfully trolled the entire YA writing community by creating an android narrator more human than most real teens in young adult fiction.

I'm always wary about beginning hyped thriller-type YA novels, because I usually don't enjoy them. Whether the narrator has to pummel her way through hoards of demons, survive obstacles in her dystopian universe, or save her Mars colony from an alien invasion, rarely do I give half a rat's ass what's happening on the page because there is SO much movement and action and explosions and hot abs and sexy love-interest eyes, and the narrator is usually spending all of her time kicking ass, running, or swooning. Too much of that shit does the opposite of what it's meant to do. It makes a book FREAKING BORING.

I'm not saying that Mila 2.0 doesn't have any of that in it. In fact, it has a lot of swooning, ass kicking, and running from bad guys. But the difference is that I cared, because I cared about Mila. At the beginning of the novel, Mila's just moved to a new rural community after the death of her father in hopes of starting a new life with her mom. She's suffering from partial amnesia due to her loss, and we find out quickly that it isn't the death of her dad that's blocking her memories. After she rips open her skin in an accident, she discovers that not only is she inhuman, but also has never been any age other than sixteen.

Mila suffers from the Pinocchio complex--although she isn't real, her passion and emotion drive her motivations. Her human understanding of the world colliding with the truth about her body and mind is achingly relatable. Mila is naive and driven by love without being another Bella or Juliette, and strong and brave without being another Katniss or Tris. Her emotions flaw her without handicapping her, and her characteristics and voice alone were what drove me through the first 200 swooning and running-filled pages. HOWEVER, I was irrevocably sucked in once I reached part three. The stakes are amped when Mila must REALLY fight to survive, and Lucas is introduced. (don't get me started on Lucas. To put it bluntly, I'm obsessed with him.)

This book will most definitely appeal to the Hunger Games and Divergent-loving audience, and also any reader craving a softer-than-your-average-male-dominated-scifi thriller.(less)

21 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Great Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-ages-12-14

When Mila cuts herself and what appears are wires, not blood, her scientist mom admits that she is a cyberg experiment and they are on the run from the CIA because she exhibited human emotions. But where can Mila be safe? Reviewer 10

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-2013

I’m having a really hard time rating this book. Because of all the hype surrounding this debut novel by Debra Driza, and it potentially being made into a tv series, I was excitedly counting down the days to its release. Did it live up to what the blurb promised? No. Do I feel let down? Yes. So for that, I want to give it a three-star rating; but because the action scenes were mindblowingly awesome (think Mission Impossible), I’m settling on a well-deserved four-star rating.

“How was that even po...more I’m having a really hard time rating this book. Because of all the hype surrounding this debut novel by Debra Driza, and it potentially being made into a tv series, I was excitedly counting down the days to its release. Did it live up to what the blurb promised? No. Do I feel let down? Yes. So for that, I want to give it a three-star rating; but because the action scenes were mindblowingly awesome (think Mission Impossible), I’m settling on a well-deserved four-star rating.

“How was that even possible? How could you have a port for a memory card in your body and not know about it?”

The first issue I had is that Mila 2.0 is being compared to the Bourne Identity books. Apart from the fantastic, adrenaline-inducing action scenes and Mila and her mom going on the run, this book doesn’t come anywhere close to the complexity and finesse of the Bourne books. They’re completely in a league of their own and the author still has a long way to go before the Mila 2.0 series can measure up to the magnificence of the Bourne trilogy. Secondly, whose decision was it to compare it to Pittacus Lore’s I Am Number Four? Come on people, has that person even read I Am Number Four? I read the book and watched the movie and it rocked! But the main character in I Am Number Four did not whine his way through the story. He accepted his circumstances and dealt with it.

“As for “Mom”—well, according to the voice, I was more genetically related to our toaster than I was to her.”

Unlike Mila who is either whining throughout most of the story about the technologically advanced android she is or not being human enough, or – and this is what REALLY peeved me – whining about how much she misses Hunter. Hunter - who she only knew for a few days and with whom she shared an almost-kiss. Honestly, if the second book is going to be about her and Hunter and his smile and his eyes and *gagging* how wonderful he is, then I’m afraid book one will be the end of the series for me. If the author somehow kills off Hunter in the second book, no tears will be shed on my part. Mila can then become the strong female lead she has the potential to be instead of turning into a lovesick, boy-crazy teenager this book is making her out to be. I actually liked android Mila better than emotional, over-think-everything-with-internal-monologue human Mila.

With that said, let’s move on to what I loved about this book and why I’m settling on a four-star rating. Let’s see. The blurb had me at “secret computer science lab”, and besides anything relating to scientific advancement I’m also a total sucker when it comes to fast-moving action, and Mila 2.0 has truckloads of that – in the second half of the book. If you can make it through the first emo half of the story, the rest of it will blow your mind. Car chases, explosions, fight scenes, military experiments, advanced technology, gadgets…this is where the author shines! I especially enjoyed the three tests Mila had to pass to save her and her mother. That is what kept me riveted until the end. They seriously put her capabilities as an android with emotions to the test.

I couldn’t see what the connection was between her and Hunter though. He seemed really nice and all that, but I simply couldn’t understand why, in the midst of an action scene while she’s running for her life, she would think of him or his eyes or – annoyingly – any of his other physical features she felt attracted to. If his character served as a metaphor for something, it was completely lost on me. I actually liked Kaylee, believe it or not. She had more personality than Hunter. Yes, she’s the stereotypical mean girl but her character assists in advancing the plot. It doesn’t mean she didn’t irritate me when she was being mean or childish, but I didn’t really have any issues with her character either. Lucas…hmmmm. I liked him a lot more than I did Hunter. It was easier to see why Mila would connect with him than why she’s pining after Hunter. I didn’t care for Mila’s mom one way or the other, but I was happy to see their relationship strengthen and how they worked as a team while they were running for their lives. I would’ve liked to know more about Mila’s mother’s scientific background, and also why the necklace had such significance to her, but maybe the author left that storyline open for one of the next books, I hope.

The ending, in my opinion, wasn’t predictable, but it was anticlimactic and it ended abruptly. I can’t say that I’m “breathlessly awaiting the sequel” (which I think is a little presumptuous to add to a blurb), but if book two is loaded with action and has less angst and emotional drama, I’d sure like to read it. Overall, this was a good read and there were a lot of things I enjoyed about it. I won’t highly recommend Mila 2.0, but it’s a worthwhile read and definitely not a waste of time.
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May 15, 2013 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary:
After the death of her father in a fire, Mila and her mother move away from the city to a small town. Even though Mila does not remember much of what happened to her father or what happened before that, she grieves the loss and clings to the one shirt she has left. At the same time, she is in a new school and making new friends. Her best friend, Kaylee, is showing Mila off when a new guy shows up. Hunter is good looking and Kaylee is smitten. Hunter does not share that crush and instead...more Summary:
After the death of her father in a fire, Mila and her mother move away from the city to a small town. Even though Mila does not remember much of what happened to her father or what happened before that, she grieves the loss and clings to the one shirt she has left. At the same time, she is in a new school and making new friends. Her best friend, Kaylee, is showing Mila off when a new guy shows up. Hunter is good looking and Kaylee is smitten. Hunter does not share that crush and instead focuses on Mila. This little feud between the girls leads to a car crash in which Mila is injured; however, things just don't look right. Mila's blood is white instead of red, and her bone is metal instead of bone. They rush to Mila's house where Mila's mother explains that Mila is an android not a human girl. The android was developed by the military, with her mother being one of the scientists who created her. When Mila's mother started to notice so many human qualities in her, she was afraid what the military would do, so she ran off with her. In an odd twist of timing, this is also when the bad military guys catch up with Mila and her mother. They have to go on the run while also unlocking Mila's android superpowers.

My thoughts:
Honestly, this is a non stop rush. I don't usually like books where the majority of it is running. The last half of the book is a lot of running, fighting, running, finding something out, fighting, running, etc. That can get monotonous, like it does in The Da Vinci Code; however, Driza does an excellent job of balancing the running with enough substance inbetween. Instead of feeling like a nail being hit into my skull, I feel like I'm a part of the action. This makes the novel a lot of fun, just like an action movie.

What made this novel better than an action movie is the character development. Even in the best action movies, the characters are replaceable. Replace Bruce Willis with Matt Damon or Vin Diesel or whomever and the characters have virtually the same characters and history. They can be mixed and matched to our desire. Mila on the other hand holds her own and makes you see her humanity. The build-up before you find out that Mila is an android is the part that Driza excelled at. Even though it is slower than the rest of the novel, it is filled with all of the characteristics we love in YA lit. Mila shows a range of emotions, struggles with her best friend and the little crush she feels for the new guy, hurts for her mother and father, etc. She's so real that she could be one of my student's best friends. I'd have a Kaylee in my class loudly talking about everything that her and Mila did together. It's almost a shock (not really because you know the premise) when Mila finds out she is an android. Then, the emotions don't end. It's not like she all of a sudden becomes a badarse action star. She's still an emotional teenager; she just has this added thing to fret over. I mean, what would you do if you woke up one day and found out you were made out of metal? It reminds me of the ending in the remake of the Stepford wives when all the wives come back pissed off. As a teenager, Mila gets the pissed off along with everything else. (less)

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May 12, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mila lives with mother in a boring, tiny Minnesota town. She's used to bigger cities and larger populations, but due to her father's death, her mom felt they needed a change of scenery. Mila has gaps in her memory and doesn't remember when her father died or even if she was there when it happened. Needless to say, she is overwhelmed with dealing with her emotions, adapting to her new surroundings, dealing with her overbearing mother, and coping with the death of her father. A car accident that l...more Mila lives with mother in a boring, tiny Minnesota town. She's used to bigger cities and larger populations, but due to her father's death, her mom felt they needed a change of scenery. Mila has gaps in her memory and doesn't remember when her father died or even if she was there when it happened. Needless to say, she is overwhelmed with dealing with her emotions, adapting to her new surroundings, dealing with her overbearing mother, and coping with the death of her father. A car accident that leaves Mila injured uncovers a shocking secret that her mother tried to keep from her: she's actually an android. Now, she and her mother have to run because the government and another mysterious organization are after them. While running from people who want to kidnap her, Mila has to come to grips with her newly discovered state of being and the relationship with her mother that was essentially built on lies.

There have been a few teen series with artificial intelligence as the focus and they seem to be quite similar to each other. I had a set of expectations going into Mila 2.0 because of this, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it didn't follow the typical formula I had become familiar with. The first part of the story establishes Mila as normal teenage girl in a very emotional situation. She keeps to herself and is very shy, but has her own circle of friends. Her social life is thrown into turmoil when Hunter, a mysterious and hot boy, comes to live in the small town. Her friends turn on her when Hunter shows her more interest and this leads to the car accident and revelation of her true nature. I hated her best friend Kaylee, who dropped Mila over a random boy she doesn't even know, but the portrayal is disturbingly accurate. Although I'm usually not a fan of cliche romances, I didn't mind this one. The actual romance is paper thin and based on instalove, but the reason it is there is necessary. It gives Mila something that is only hers, not manufactured by her mother or the people who made her, and it cements her humanity. It's a small portion of the book, but gives her an anchor and something to fight for when she feels despair.

The next portion of the book follows Mila and her mother on the run. Mila finds out what she is and has to process that information. She could have just allowed her anger and despair to consume her, but she pushes through. Not only does she have to rethink her entire self image, but she also has to figure out how to use all her android programming as uncomfortable as that makes her in order to survive. Their journey also makes her differentiate how much of her memories and personality are programmed and how much are hers. The rest of the story is emotional, exciting, heartstopping, and addicting. I love the third act the most because it gives insight into one of the groups out to get her and shows how her humanity and emotions make her a unique hybrid that has the best of both worlds.

Mila 2.0 is a wonderful debut novel. It isn't perfect, but the writing flows well and kept me reading for hours on end. I can't wait for the next book in the series and I would recommend this installment to fans of science fiction and artificial intelligence stories.(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 3 of 5 stars

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The first thing I want to stress in this review is that I really did enjoy Mila 2.0 but this is still mostly going to be negative. Mila 2.0 is like junk-food for the brain - all action and not a lot of thought.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the writing. It was very, very bland. I felt like there was too much description and not a lot of substance. The book was almost 500 pages, but could have easily been edited down to 400. Maybe even less. From the very beginning I found myself ski...more The first thing I want to stress in this review is that I really did enjoy Mila 2.0 but this is still mostly going to be negative. Mila 2.0 is like junk-food for the brain - all action and not a lot of thought.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the writing. It was very, very bland. I felt like there was too much description and not a lot of substance. The book was almost 500 pages, but could have easily been edited down to 400. Maybe even less. From the very beginning I found myself skimming over large chunks of text, only reading the first sentences of the paragraphs, and jumping ahead to dialog. While the action was always kicked up, I was usually bored and that is 100% due to the writing. Because of the dull writing the anticipation and anxiety that is usually found in a thriller was lost.

The blurb of Mila 2.0 did a huge injustice to the book. The story would have been one thousand times more interesting if the reader didn't already know that Mila was created in a lab. It made it incredibly frustrating to read since it takes a good while to get to the discovery of Mila's android origin. And because the rest of the novel was basically Mila and her mother on the run, it lost that magic that could have made it more edge-of-your-seat exciting.

I really liked the characterization of Mila. I thought she really handled the revelation that she was a robot really believably. She was upset and freaked out and scared and fascinated. She questioned what it means to be human - which is my all-time favorite theme when reading. But even if I liked her, and found her to be realistic, I just could not form any attachment to her. I felt very detached and distant from all the characters, honestly. I felt no love for her mother - no contempt either, I was just very indifferent.

The side characters left much to be desired. Mila's friends at school were the typical mean girls and dropped her like a bad habit as soon as the new boy arrived. And of course the new boy, Hunter, is broody and mysterious and oh-so-different from the boys of their small town. I hated the obsession that Mila formed over Hunter, even though they hadn't even kissed. She was on the run, literally running for her life from the government and who knows what else, and the only thing she can think of is to call Hunter to cancel their date. Really? Is that the most important thing you could be doing right now?

Overall, the overwhelming feeling I having coming out of Mila 2.0 is a fat, resounding meh. I will be checking out the sequel, if I can remember this one that far into the future. But honestly, I found that a decent concept was ruined by exceptionally boring writing and a lackluster execution.(less)

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Let's Talk Hunter!	7	44	May 21, 2013 03:25am
Crazy for Young A...: MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0 #1) by Debra Drizer → Start Date: May 14th, 2013	60	22	May 20, 2013 01:58pm
JPL YA Reading Ch...: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (	1	3	May 19, 2013 11:22am
♥!The Young Adult...: * Mila 2.0	6	38	May 18, 2013 05:00pm

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