MILA 2.0

MILA 2.0 #1

by Debra Driza

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret 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. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Thriller

470 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 2013

About the author

I'm the author of the MILA 2.0 series and the owner of the messiest purse on the planet, aka: the black hole of doom. I think bow ties are cool and when I grow up, I want to be Veronica Mars.

I rarely check my account at Goodreads, so if you need to get in touch with me, try twitter or Debra at debradriza.com.

Reviews

[Debra Driza]

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) Foo Fighters--Pretender (I may or may not have snagged that one from Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT playlist)
6) Sponge--Plowed
7) Deftones--Change
8) Beastie Boys--Sabotage
9) Tori Amos w/ BT--Blue Skies
10) Talk Talk--Life's What You Make it


ETA: I just stumbled upon this and had to post it. Even though it has absolutely nothing to do with my book--well, maybe that one scene?--yeah, no. But...but...but....DANCING ROBOT!

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 her life in a new home, she's also suffering from memory loss--not a great way to start off at a new school. It's not too long before Mila realizes that she's not like other girls, however, and the threat of having her secret exposed means she has to go on the run.

Mila 2.0 is one of those books that pumps you full of adrenaline because it's just so. much. fun. After a somewhat uneven first half, there are amazing action sequences in the second half of the book that had me on the edge of my seat to see what happened next. This book has been described as a Bourne-style thriller, and while I'm of the opinion that nothing should be compared to those films because that's just asking for trouble, I can see why that description was used. Between Mila's trying to figure out her past and the fantastic chase and fight scenes in the latter half, there's some truth to those claims.

There are, however, some things I think could have been finessed to make the book better. Aside from a couple of touching moments with Mila's mom, I didn't feel too much of an emotional connection to Mila herself. There is also a woeful overemphasis on romance in the beginning, too many references to Hunter throughout the story that don't pay off, and an annoying, annoying, annoying friend named Kaylee. Overall, better character development, more complexity and less predictability in the story, and a little more strategic thought would have added more depth and emotional stake to Mila's story.

But Mila's story is pretty darned fun, and I think that the things that could have been improved are outshone by the things that are spectacularly well done. This book is pure entertainment, and best enjoyed the way you'd absorb an action film--with popcorn and a big grin. Besides, come on! Remember the first two words I said up there? GIRL ANDROID. She got me right there.

A solidly entertaining debut. Recommended for: fans of action-oriented books such as Divergent or Blood Red Road.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

Win an advance copy of MILA 2.0 on the blog!

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 scenes, technology, government conspiracies, etc. And this did happen, which is why I believe it will make a great TV show. BUT, and here's the kicker, it was the awkward romance - that's not really much of a romance - that bothered me the most, along with Mila's internal monologuing that mirrored Tris from Insurgent. *headdesk* Spoiler: That's not a good thing.

I do want to point out that writing style and plot were serviceable and enjoyable. Mila is introduced as a 16-year-old girl who has no clue she is an android. Instead she believes she is just moving to a new town with her mother after the loss of her father. After an accident that reveals Mila's truth, she and her mother find themselves on the run from bad guys. Unfortunately, they were later captured and Mila must come to terms with her android self in order for her and her mom to have any chance of survival. Doesn't that sound awesome? The chase scenes and fight sequences are where Driza truly shines in MILA 2.0. She took her time and gave a fair amount of anticipation and thrill for the reader. However, a novel can't rely on that alone. So even though I enjoyed this book overall, I have some big complaints.

The Characters:

I felt like the characterization could have really used some work. The only character that I slightly cared about was Mila and that's pushing it due to her borderline Mary-Sueness. This is not because they were bad characters, it's just that I didn't feel a connection to them. There isn't a lot of time spent with any one character besides the evil General Holland (and obviously, he wasn't exactly huggable) and another scientist named Lucas (BTW, what are gold-tipped eyelashes??). They all seemed very conveniently placed in the story to help Mila in some way, but in actuality, we know nothing about any of them. Mila's mom was a scientist. Hunter is a new boy at school. Lucas is a scientist that goes to MIT. General Holland is evil. Kaylee is a mean girl. They were nothing more than pawns on a chessboard. I mean, where is the depth? Why should I care about any of them just because Mila thinks about them? Furthermore, the relationships were very flimsy to me. There was no development between Mila and her mom. Or Mila and Hunter. Or Mila and Kaylee. They were just sort of thrown together and the reader is supposed to accept things for the way they are.

The Love Interest:

Okay, so this is weird for me because I think this is the first time where I actually would have liked there to have been more romance. Not because I wanted romance in the story, but because of the way Hunter's character was introduced and later left completely left out. The beginning is set up so that you believe there is going to be a heavy romantic storyline included between the new guy at school, Hunter, and Mila. Her best friend, Kaylee, also likes this Hunter guy and they end up fighting over him. Now this makes me angry for two reasons: 1. The introduction of the love interest turns a female character into a complete bitch and female stereotype. 2. Mila turns into a complete pushover and never really attempts to repair the relationship until it's too late. All that happens in maybe a week or so. The whole thing felt like such a setup.

So by the time Mila goes on the run, she has had a total of three encounters with Hunter (who we know nothing about), including an almost kiss. Yet, she thinks about this guy constantly throughout the entire novel. She thinks about his eyes, his hair, his "lopsided grin." I mean, the loyalty of their "relationship" made no logical sense to me. But I tried to give the novel the benefit of the doubt. I *think* Driza was trying to symbolize Hunter as a metaphor for a certain freedom Mila desired, to be a human with human feelings that didn't just mimic real emotions. The problem is that is his role seemed really random.

As I'm reading, I kept thinking that maybe he had a bigger role. Because why would Mila keep bringing him up over and over? I thought it was a bit of poorly used foreshadowing at first. But that wasn't the case here and it just ended up annoying me every time Mila mentioned him. Mila would be in the midst of an action scene and she'd randomly think of Hunter. I felt like I was being pushed to care about a character with no basis.

Based on the ending there does seem to be more romance in the second book, but again I don't feel one way or another about Hunter and I'm not sure why he likes Mila or would risk anything for her.

The Ending: 

Predictable. It was about as subtle as a grenade in a bowl of oatmeal. But it does feel like Mila has had a bit of character growth, so I think I may enjoy book two more. And then there is the blurb:

...and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

There was no cliffhanger. None. I'm not sure why it's advertised as having one. That's not a bad thing, but I was expecting it and the book kinda just ended very anticlimactic.  Maybe it's left out of the ARC?

All in all, even though I complained through most of this review about things that probably wouldn't bother the average reader, I do think MILA 2.0 will be a popular novel. The storyline is good and I do still plan on continuing the series because it feels like it has potential. I was tempted to rate this book 2.5 stars based on just my feelings of "meh" and disappointment, but that feels too low for it since it's not a bad book. So instead, I'll say it's an okay read for when you need a bit of action on a rainy day, but not an absolute must read.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. Thank you!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I was excited to read this. And I could tell from the first chapter, it was going to be a tough one for me.



And then totally cliche meangirling over a New Boy, which made me go like this:



And the Mom was so secretive and annoying and withdrawn, so I felt like:




And then Mila is on the run with her mom and I wanted her to smarten up.



And is calling a boy you've known for three days, while on the run from shady intel crops and the US Military a Good Idea? No.



So much random, unnecessary crap happened (a ridiculous romance, infodumping via iPod, flat characters) and...



And, by the end, this book was Dunder Mifflin and I was Stanley.

[Mig]

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

Even the cover looks fantastic!

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 3 out of 5]

UPDATE: 30/01/2021 - Review added

CW: Mother is killed (OP), gun violence, fight scenes, kidnapping

3.5 Stars

Well. I have things to say.

Okay, the first 20% is among the most annoying reading experiences I have had in the last few years. It wasn't just 'mean girls'. It was like a caricature of 'mean girls'. All exaggerated and out of proportion to reality. As an adult reading YA fiction I recognise that there will be aspects that I don't relate to anymore, and sitting quietly while 'cool mean girl' talk is happening around me is one of those things. I also have huge issues with instalove and this is one of the quickest examples I have ever seen. However, in my job I have to focus on what might make this an engaging read for teenagers, so I look past that and think of who might relate well to these characters, enjoy the plot, appreciate the writing, and connect with the themes in the novel. I call it "Pollyannering". That is, looking for things I imagine Readers will be "glad" about in the book.

Okay, onto the good stuff. It's not a new premise, but I really enjoyed Debra's take on the 'android struggles to work out who/what they are' storyline. I won't give away any spoilers but I really liked Mila's origin story and could understand the decisions her mother made. The intensity picked up quite significantly as they were on the run, and Mila working out her capabilities during these action sequences was done really well. There was one fight scene that was particularly interesting, Mila 2.0 versus Mila 3.0! Hence, I could look past the angst ridden and over the top yearning that happened at the beginning and, full disclosure, throughout the entire series. On to book 2's review!

UPDATE: 25/01/2021 -Rereading before I read book two and three

3.5 Stars

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Simona Stoica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recenzia completă: http://palarisme.ro/chef/carti/recenz...

„Am o problemă cu romanele YA. Le devorez, le recomand, le recitesc şi îmi stresez (uneori) prietenii, însă, de cele mai multe ori, îmi displace personajul principal feminin. Fie că este prea plângăcioasă şi refuză să asculte de sfaturile celor din jur, fie că suspină după toţi băieţii şi bărbaţii care îi dau atenţie şi încearcă să o protejeze, am întâlnit puţine eroine puternice şi curajoase, care nu au nevoie de ajutor şi pot să supravieţuiască până la finalul romanului fără să fie implicate într-un triunghi amoros (în ultimele luni, am văzut că trecem la pătrate).

Mila este una dintre excepţiile de la „regulă” şi este motivul principal pentru care mi-a plăcut atât de mult acest volum (nu am scăpat, din păcate, de triunghi). Imaginea clasică pentru eleva nouă, care atrage mereu atenţia asupra ei, Mila este o fire retrasă şi o tânără cuminte, care ar vrea să treacă neobservată pe hol şi să îşi petreacă fiecare oră de libertate în natură, alături de caii pe care îi iubeşte atât de mult şi îi oferă un sentiment plăcut de linişte şi pace. Poartă cămaşa tatălui ei, pentru a-l simţi în continuare aproape de ea, retrăieşte cu lacrimi în ochi amintirile în care el era încă în viaţă şi alături de mama ei, care evită gesturile de afecţiune sau discuţiile cu fiica ei, având propria povară de purtat.”

[Trina (Between Chapters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I thought this was pretty good! Guess I have another series to binge now. :)

Representation: A prominent side character walks with a limp due to a club foot. I can't find ownvoices reviews of this rep.

Potential triggers: Car accident & injury, torture, death of parent.

[Parajunkee · Rating 1 out of 5]

These random thoughts will lead to a review - I just have to get my feelings out...apologize.

Where can I begin to describe the hot-mess that was this book? I was going back and forth on reading it but I will admit I fell prey to the cover and what I thought was a really cool premise, I just didn't think a YA could pull this off...and I guess I was right in my mind anyway.

The book was boring at points and didn't make sense in others. Characters were stereotypical and sometimes ridiculous.

Mila was whiny and I didn't enjoy being in her head. She spent most of the time all upset over missing a guy that she had one date with and didn't even realized she like until he showed interest in her -- and then they were like OMG I <333 you sooo much!

Not to mention, the bitch of a friend forces her to sit in the back of the truck so she can put moves on a boy and Mila is just like "ok" and then doesn't freak out when said friend literally throws her from the truck by speeding around like a jerk. Then - they see her android arm and she gets by saying she has a prosthesis. SURE OKAY.

That was step 1 in the BS I was supposed to swallow.

Not to mention the whole exposition part of the novel. "Mom" is on the run with her android daughter. So she brings her to some back-water town and enrolls her into high school. All the while giving her the name MILA which is the Military acronym of the project. Couldn't change it to Ingrid or something, mom? Couldn't have decided to go to Germany first, mom? Made no sense. I do believe that if the CIA had lost a "top secret" military project, there would be no going to high school. I guess it makes about as much sense as enrolling your sparkly vampires into high-school so they can blend in better in town.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to point out that I don't write proper reviews for books I don't finish reading but since I made so many notes during the first 50% of this book (before I gave up) I thought I'd share them here.

I have to say that I'm in the minority when it comes to this book though, most of my GRs friends enjoyed the story and rated it quite highly. So don't just go on my review if you're trying to decide whether to read it or not - this one obviously just wasn't for me.

There were so many things about the story that didn't make sense and that ruined the book for me. I've hidden my notes saying exactly what bothered me behind a spoiler tag so don't continue further if you've not read the book and don't wish to have the first half spoiled for you.

Beware: Rant ahead!

- Mila's mother is a scientist who is capable of creating the most sophisticated android the military has and now she's in hiding working as a vet who specialises in horses - just how many degrees does this woman have?

- They're on the run from the military, MILA (which stands for Mobile Intel Lifelike Android) is a stolen robot and her "mother" is trying to protect her. Why then does her mother a) send her to school in the first place (especially when her implanted memories are of being home schooled) and b) not change her daughters name to anything other than Mila? Seriously, how hard would it be for the military to search school registers for 16 year old girls called Mila??

- Her best friend Kaylee literally tries to kill her. I know teenage girls can be bitches (I saw that first hand at school!) but would someone really be stupid enough to make you sit in the back of their truck & then drive at high speeds until you go flying out to what should be your death? All this because the boy Kaylee likes (Hunter) seems more interested in Mila than in her.

- On the subject of Hunter what is it with YA and instalove? I'm sick to death of it, they talk to each other about twice & go on one date before Mila makes the discovery that she is an android and has to run for her life. Now you'd think with the shock of that she would be more interested in finding out about her past but no she's too busy mooning over the fact that she had to leave Hunter behind & will never see him again. FFS!

- When they go on the run we discover that dear old "Mum" happens to have ready made passports for both of them in fake names. Since she happens to have these false identities to hand I ask again - why did she enrol Mila at school without changing her name first? Just to make it easier for the military to find them??

- Speaking of the military how did they track them down (apart from the obvious stupidity with her name!)? It's a little convenient that they turn up within days of Mila finding out the truth.

- What was the point of giving Mila false memories of a fire that supposedly killed her father when he never existed in the first place? Why traumatise her with something like that when you could just say he left them when she was a baby?

- When Mila's android abilities start kicking in a lot of them just don't make sense. She's able to project data into the air like some kind of projector. Where does the light come from? Surely if she has magical light up eyeballs it would be noticeable! There was no explanation for how it worked.

- I also had trouble believing that her program updates itself wirelessly from the military's technology but there is supposed to be no way for them to track her.

- When the bad guys track them to the hotel they are staying in rather than just storm the room in the middle of the night they decide to knock on the door and announce themselves. OK so they pretend to be hotel maintenance needing access to the hotel fuse box but how many hotels have their fuse boxes hiding in a guest's room rather than somewhere they have access to 24/7? What kind of maintenance guys knock on your door after 2am anyway? Seriously are these the most stupid bad guys in history or have I missed the point somewhere?

- I didn't understand how Mila was able to signal the security computers at the airport so that the scans show a normal person walking through them not an android. That just becomes even more ridiculous when she then sets off the alarms because she has a balled up gum wrapper in her pocket. Come on, since when does paper set of airport security?

- Why does the airport dog sense something about her and start barking? We've never had any evidence to show animals don't like her until that point - she's able to ride the horses her mum looks after without a problem and horses tend to be quite skittish.

- This then leads onto the most ridiculous and pointless chase scene in history - seriously I don't think I've ever read anything so stupid in my entire life (& I've read over 1000 books just in the last 3 years!). Airport security try to stop Mila and her mother yet they manage to run past all 9 guards who are at check in plus the security dog?! If airport security is really that rubbish I don't think I'm ever getting on a plane again! They make it into the duty free area and military expert android Mila decides that the best way to slow down security is by throwing ice cream on the floor "hoping the slickness would slow our pursuers". You really are too stupid to survive this book aren't you Mila!

- Mother and android proceed to make it through an empty gate, survive the fall from the gate down to the ground, steal a luggage truck and end up being chased around the airport by security. Mila starts throwing suitcases at the chasing cars smashing one of their windscreens so the car ends up being hit by a plane and then she thinks "Hopefully we'd managed to buy ourselves some time without really seriously injuring anyone". WTF??? Come on, you just risked the lives of half the airport security and every single innocent passenger on the plane and you're hopeful you didn't hurt anyone. Are you kidding me?

- So after that completely crazy, unrealistic and utterly pointless chase scene guess what happens? They get caught. Surprise f*cking surprise! What was the point of all that apart from to cause me eye strain from all the eye rolling I was doing?

- What makes it even worse is that I couldn't understand why they were even running. All they needed to do was let security search them for drugs and see that they didn't have anything dodgy with them and they'd have let them go. Instead they end up caught and in a whole shit load of extra trouble - running from security, stealing, criminal damage, endangering lives, entering restricted areas and actually driving across a runway in front of a plane that is trying to take off. I'm pretty sure there are other charges that could be held against them but I'm beyond caring at this point.

I just couldn't bring myself to read another page, the book had pushed me way beyond the realms of believability and right into I couldn't give a crap

[shady boots · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 mother at all but the person who took her from the people in the lab who created her. Now they're on the run, and Mila has to come to terms with her android self while still battling to be human.

The first half of this book was the worst. Mila was such a pathetic Mary Sue heroine. She constantly became a doormat to her so-called "friends", including Kaylee, who apparently is the first girl who befriended her when she first moved to Clearwater. But then this hot dude shows up and suddenly she's being all obsessive and nasty and Mila just takes it. If I were her, I would just slap that bitch's face off. It certainly wouldn't be hard to do, what with her superhuman strength and everything.

A huge problem to me is the romance. Or actually, for the first time, the lack thereof. Because, during the first half, the romance was SOOO overly emphasized and cheesy, and I was expecting a massive insta-love fest the whole book. But then during the second half Hunter's suddenly completely out of the picture, but Mila constantly keeps thinking about him and whining how she'll never see him again and blahblahblah. But I think he'll be playing a bigger part in the sequel.

Another thing I noticed was the high possibility of a love triangle. By the second to third half of the book, this guy shows up named Lucas. Although Mila doesn't have a blatant attraction to him, I just have the feeling that he might be a possible love interest too, because of the way she describes him all the time. We'll see in the sequel. If there is going to be a love triangle though, then I'd be a lot more reluctant to continue the series, cause it has a lot of cliches enough already. No need for more.

For some reason, I took so long to finish this book. I'd definitely say this book was action-packed, though. I'm not saying that the amount of action was lacking. It's just . . . I dunno. I guess it's probably the writing style. The way the book is written just doesn't stand out for me. Mila's voice is like any other Mary Sue YA heroine out there.

Some things I liked, I did like how Mila cared about her mom so much, who by the way was technically not her mom at all. But yeah, I did like that her mom was her number one priority. Another thing I liked was the concept overall, because I really do think that it's very creative and interesting. I just wish it was executed a little bit better.

And as for the ending, the blurb says that a "cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting for the sequel", and I'm just wondering who in the world wrote that, because there was no cliffhanger. I mean, I guess it kind of was a cliffhanger? But it's not something that would leave anyone "breathless" or whatever. The last two lines of the book really irritated me, though.

In a nutshell, this book had a very unique concept, and could have been a pretty badass action-packed book. Instead, it was action-packed but bogged down by the Mary Sue-ness of the protagonist and the unnecessary cheesiness and emphasis on the romance. I wouldn't recommend it to you, but I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to give it a try.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for sending me this galley.

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for The YA Room's Throwback Bingo Challenge!

Challenge Square: Dystopian

Actual Star Rating: 3.5 stars!

This was quite a roller-coaster ride, Mila 2.0 ticked all the boxes for fear, excitement and courage. The pacing however was quite slow and the characters at times hard to connect with. Mila lives with her Mum and is happy when a new boy starts at her High School. Secrets emerge when she learns of her true heritage: She isn't human, she's a android that belongs to the Army in her home country USA. She and her Mum set off on the run, until their pasts catch up with them. It's a fight to the death situation, where anything can go wrong. I would like to read the sequel at some stage, since I did enjoy the plot-line.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Rachael Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Things I Loved About MILA 2.0:

1. Mila is one of the most interesting, multi-layered characters I've read about in a very long time. She shows a tremendous range of emotions. Her reactions are very realistic. We already know she’s an android, and I really like how subtle the build up is. She comes into her abilities gradually, and there are these fabulous details hinting at what she really is. (example: “I cranked the old rotor window down, the one that stuck for Kaylee’s little brother and her mom but never gave me any problems at all.”) I think the thing I loved most though is how she identifies with being a human girl, but at the same time feels an intense longing to be “real”.

2. The plot is insane. INSANE. Driza is a master of pacing and tension and roller coasters and action scenes.

3. The twists. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say you’ll love them.

4. The voice. This is a big one for me because I read a lot of contemporary, and I sometimes find myself having trouble getting into speculative fiction because the voice isn’t there. This book combines sci-fi action thrills with an authentic teenage girl voice that will completely win you over and make you want to be Mila’s best friend (her inner monologue is hilarious!).

5. Every time Mila goes bad ass on someone. Teenage girls kicking butt. Love it. The action scenes are flawlessly choreographed.

6. Mila’s relationship with her mom. There are so many interesting levels here. I also loved the fact that Mila and her mom do one of those on the run bathroom makeovers.

7. Lucas. I love him.

8. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Three is amazing. She’s the next version of Mila (this time programmed without those pesky emotions!), and she is creepy as hell and makes a great foil for Mila. I can’t wait to see what happens with her in the next book.

9. The tests they put Mila through. This was probably the most exciting part of the book. Extracting info about the mole. The obstacle course from hell. The Mila vs. Mila scene that was so cool I can’t even stand it.

10. The ending of chapter 27. So creative. (Actually, all of Driza’s chapter endings are pretty stellar.)


The obligatory crit: There was some stuff that I was hoping would go down with Mila’s mom that didn’t happen, but otherwise I adored this book.


Overall: I loved this book! Great ending and plenty of secrets left to uncover. I can’t wait for the next one!!

[Jerilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think if your family member is on the cover, you have to read the book.

[Aimen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No matter what. I wouldn't let anyone change me. I wouldn't let them strip away whatever tiny parts of me were human. Assuming I had any humanity to lose."



You know how sometimes all you want to do is read a book that has an amazing heroine? One that can kick-butt, like properly and not just act strong for one part then go back to la-la-land the next? One that doesn't get on your nerves throughout the entire book? One that just makes you want to yell "YOU ARE THE MOST EPIC FEMALE I'VE EVER READ ABOUT!" because she's that good? Well if a book has a female better than Mila, I haven't encountered it. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call a heroine. She was strong, confident, intelligent but at the same time, a girl. You don't get to read about heroines like that simply because authors don't put them in the spotlight. Mila 2.0 was a fabulous read! If you're looking for a thriller, action-packed, sweet as a box-of-kittens romance, laugh-aloud book, then this is it.

Mila


Our story starts off with a girl who moved to Clearwater with her mother after losing her father in a fire a month ago. The weird thing? She can barely remember the incident. Just bits and pieces and even those are a blur. What's even weirder is she can remember certain memories but not even the simplest things, like her favourite colour or food or book, etc. Something about her is...off. She can hear things acutely from a distance. She can do things for the first time so well, it's like she's been doing those things all her life. She finally realizes how different she is when she gets thrown off a pick-up truck and lands on her arm getting a cut. And then she sees...no blood. Instead, she sees wires. When she confronts her 'mom' about this she learns the truth. That she is not a human. That she is an android. It takes her by surprise and at the same time, makes so much sense. She has a hard time adapting and accepting herself and I really felt for her at most times. She tried to hold on to things she considered made her more human. For example school or friends or her crush. The new boy at Clearwater. Hunter Lowe.

Hunter


Hunter is also the new kid at Clearwater. Instantly this gives something Mila and himself to relate about. Once they do talk, they have much more in common and it isn't long before you see how much they care for one another. Hunter was there to witness Mila's accident. What I loved most was he didn't question it, he just wanted to help. Hunter was one of those boys that you instantly liked because he was sweet and caring and had this innocence to him. I really thought that he was good for Mila in every way and vice versa. When Mila was caught by the government, even then she used Hunter as her anchor and it helped a lot. The romance between them was absolutely adorable! Even though they didn't kiss I was okay with that because it really wasn't needed. The chemistry just made your heart swell.

"You made it," I whispered into his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of him. Suddenly, my earlier anxiety about fading humanity seemed sillier than ever.
He squeezed me tight. "You still owe me another date, remember?"
I choked back a laugh as we stood there in the middle of the cafe, me hugging him like my life depended on it. Maybe it did."

She was also a really hardcore heroine. I mean I know we've all read books about heroines who fight like mad but Mila, oh man she can hold up her own. The action scenes were so awesome to read about. She's superhuman, so when she's fighting a human just imagine how strong she'd be. Seriously, I am so tempted to get private combat lessons from her. I'm looking at the ratings and I can't understand why the rating is so low. I really can't. This is the kind of book you'd love firsthand. Well, at least I did. Hopefully, so will my fellow GReaders because I highly recommend this one! I'm really excited for book two! I just hope she doesn't develop a crush on Lucas Webb. Could really do without the love triangle. But other than that, psyched! Now go on and read this masterpiece of a book.

5 'There's nothing wrong with being an android' Stars

Enjoy!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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. I'm guessing Dr. Laurent was responsible for all of the memories, but how was she able to do that with the limited tools she had. And also, the reason that had me so angry in the first place, why those. What a sick, twisted thing to do to a child. What was the meaning in "Sarah?" Where does Dr. Laurent get some of these "we used to do it when you were little" memories?

What happened with MILA 1.0? The book briefly said she was defective, but it doesn't really go into details what happened to make her terminate her? Who is the mole? What is Lucas hiding? And I really like him, but he remained a mystery in this book. It seemed like he hasn't been with the program for long, but did he ever know MILA 1.0? Was his decision to do what he did a result of just comparing MILA 2.0 and 3.0? For the latter reason alone, I don't think it's enough. I know the reason the book gave for his involvement, but it's got to be much more than that in order for him to be in the situation he's in. And I really think he has potential to be a really great guy and a really great character.

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.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mila was an awesome character first but after the big twist she changed quite suddenly. Character development was missing, she just was suddenly completely different. Secondary characters should have been fleshed out a bit more.

This was really action-packed and I loved that! This was super thrilling and intriguing book to read. The beginning was slower but I loved even that. It was really realistic and relatable part of the book, smooth base for all that action.

The last part was my least favorite part but overall this was a decent story. Really enjoyable and entertaining.

[Jenni Arndt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun reading this book was. I admit, when it came time to buckle down and read it I looked at the whopping 480 pages and was worried it would be a dragged out read. That’s pretty long for YA and oftentimes when I tackle a book like this it suffers from a lot of pacing issues that drive me crazy. That wasn’t the case with Mila 2.0 at all, in fact I had so much fun reading this that I ate it up in 3 small sittings and could have easily read more. A fast pace is set right at the beginning of the novel and it doesn’t let up hardly all the way through. This seriously felt like a Jason Statham movie, the action just keeps coming!

We meet Mila as she has just moved to a small farm town and is dealing with the loss of her father. It’s pretty clear right off the bat that she didn’t make the best of friends. Kaylee was driving me crazy in the beginning! I was so happy that their friendship didn’t last long and that the story moved quickly away from the high school politics presented. As Mila realizes she isn’t who she thinks she is her whole world changes and from then on it’s a high speed chase that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The people who built Mila want her back and will do anything to get her. As Mila’s “mom” lets her in on all the details of where she came from and how she came to be free I really started to care about the bond these two shared. I liked her mom, I liked her fierceness and her protectiveness of Mila. She was an incredibly smart woman who stood up for what she believed in no matter the cost. One bond that I didn’t really connect with was that between Mila and Hunter. They meet at school and go on one date and he became someone that Mila thought about often and dreaded leaving. I don’t think there was enough substance to make me fully buy into her need for him but I do hope that gets much more developed in the next book.

I’m actually having a really hard time writing this review because all I want to talk about is how much fun I had reading it. There are so many chase scenes and just being in Mila’s head as she learns who she is and how she functions was awesome. She is also pretty funny, oftentimes her inner dialogue and shock at the things she didn’t know she was capable of achieving were so well placed that I found myself chuckling a lot. On the flip side there is also some very serious moments in the novel and at those times the tension had me almost to the point of holding my breath (though I totally would have known that I was doing it, it wouldn’t have been a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Happy we cleared that up.) Some of what Mila has to endure and dish out is super intense.

Mila 2.0 had a bit of everything going for it; intensity, humour, a great “mother/daughter” relationship, and copious amounts of action. I definitely recommend getting started on this series and I think Driza is definitely a debut author to watch. I can’t wait to continue on with this series!

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

--

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

[Just a person · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you read certain books you just know they would make great movies? Well Mila 2.0 is one of them. I would pay way more than the average movie ticket to see this on the big screen. This book is high paced, action heavy, and so full of adrenaline. It was perfection!

Mila having just moved to a new town with her mom is just trying to move on from the death of her father. Things aren't great in her world but she makes the most of it by keeping quiet and staying out of trouble. Little does she know that trouble is just around the corner waiting. When Mila discovers there is more to herself than just being a girl all hale breaks loose. Fighting scenes start happening and I mean the kick bookies kind and well you will just have to read it to see, but this action packed book is one you won't want to miss.

I loved everything about this book. From the characters to the world everything was perfect. Mila was the perfect blend between kickass girl and humble. She never let herself turn into something she wasn't. I cannot believe the things she had to go through and I am very much looking forward to seeing who she evolves into in the sequel. I am also very interested to see more of Hunter. I have my suspicions about him and I am hoping with everything inside me that I am wrong, but I know there is more to this boy. He was a great addition to the story and I have a feeling we will see why he was brought into the picture more in the second.

I can't say it enough I really loved this book. It has me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I have read everything from vampires to zombies, but this is my first android book and all I can say is I want more so much more!

[Geo Marcovici · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte care se devoreaza, nu se citește pur si simplu. Emoții si tristeți, adrenalina si lupta pentru supraviețuire!
O lectura care schimba perspective!!!
Recenzia mea completa o gasiti aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 town in Minnesota with her mother. She has made a few friends, and she is trying to be happy. A new boy, Hunter, enrolls at her school and her heart flutters at the prospect of having a boyfriend. Mila's dreams come crashing down after a frightening car accident, when she learns that she is not exactly human, and her fragile world explodes when danger comes stalking in. Can Mila once again escape from the people who created her?
What I Liked:
*I, like many other bloggers, excitedly clamored to get a copy of Mila 2.0 when I read the premise about a human girl who is really an android. Even though the book wasn't as riveting and exciting as I was hoping, it wasn't a flop, either. This ended up being a solid read that I enjoyed despite a few flaws. It is packed full of action that kept me entertained. Ms. Driza does an excellent job creating exciting chase scenes and frightening tests that Mila must undergo or die. Once the action hits, it is pretty much non stop until the end. If you like dramatic chase scenes and riveting survival scenarios, you will enjoy this one.
*Mila was a difficult character for me to connect with at first as she is a moody, brooding teenager, who allows herself to be pushed around by her so called friend Kaylee as she tries to acclimate to her new life after her father's death. Then it is revealed that she is really an android in hiding, but her dramatic behavior continues. I did not enjoy all her melodramatic tantrums. Then about a third of the way in, the book, thankfully, takes a big turn and Mila's attitude drastically improves once she realizes she is in a fight for her life. She becomes determined and strong, and I actually found myself rooting for her, and sympathetic toward her plight. Her android abilities start kicking in, and I really enjoyed all the sci fi, high tech stuff that she was able to do. By the end, she undergoes a complete metamorphosis, and I found that I really liked her.
*This book presents a complex question of what it means to be human. Mila is an android, but she is capable of thought and feeling and she has appropriate human emotions. She appears to be a normal teenage girl, who wants to have friends and experience her first kiss. Just because she is a machine, does that stamp out her ability to express and experience human emotions? What does it mean to be human? Time and time again, Mila wrestles with this very troublesome question. By the end of the book, even I didn't have a concrete answer. I liked that Ms. Driza makes you reconsider your notions of what constitutes being human. I am very interested to see how Mila will continue to grow and change as she learns to come to terms with being an android.
*After reading the description, I was fully expecting a dramatic cliffhanger, but, believe it or not, this book doesn't end with a jaw dropping cliffhanger. Instead there is a thrilling climax and then a somewhat satisfying conclusion as Mila escapes and beings to plot her next moves. It does leave a whole slew of unanswered questions, but it is not a cliffhanger. I was relieved that it didn't resort to a ridiculous cliffhanger.
*This is Ms. Driza's debut book, and though it wasn't mind blowing and amazing, it proved to be a solid and entertaining read. I can honestly say that her writing is pleasing and she shows real talent. I will certainly be watching to see what she does in the future.
And The Not So Much:
*I did not like the romance at all. It felt forced and out of place. Mila meets the new boy, Hunter, at school and they have a brief encounter. Basically, they have an awkward lunch where neither says much, but somehow they come to an understanding and then they are exchanging phone numbers and it progresses into what I consider insta love. Now I remember what it feels like to be a teenager and the romance is very much in line with how quickly a teenage romance develops, but it occurred much too quickly for my taste. Mila continually pines for Hunter throughout the book, even though their time together was brief, and Hunter is absent for the remainder of the book. The romance felt like it was an afterthought. Personally, I don't see how a romance is going to even be possible with a human and an android, it is a bit unrealistic. I was fully expecting Hunter to be left behind in the dust, but that isn't the case, and I thought Hunter's behavior at the end was ridiculous and unbelievable.
*Aside from Mila, none of the characters really felt developed to me. You have Mila's mother, who obviously is hiding some big secrets, but you you never learn what drives her. Hunter, is this mystery boy who shows up at school and all you know is that he is quiet and used to live in San Diego. Seriously, this boy has no depth what so ever. The villain is not particularly scary and you don't get a full picture of his motives, either. Lucas, a teenage MTI student appears to be sympathetic to Mila, but once again so little is known about him and what his true intentions are, and at the end I wondered if I will ever know more about him. The only other character that I liked was Three. Her android emotions and such were more in line with what I expect from an android.
*While the story has an interesting premise, it lacks detail. There are so many unanswered questions by the end of this book and I felt like I didn't really get anywhere. Mila was supposedly created for military purposes, but what did they intend to do with her? How did they make the androids and why were they so human? Mila was worried about the scientists using human parts to make the androids, but there was no indication that they used real humans. What was the deal with the emerald that Mila's mother wore all the time? Why was Lucas being blackmailed? Who was the mole? Now I understand that this is a planned trilogy and, of course, unresolved questions are expected, but I felt like I didn't discover any truths by the end of the story and that was definitely a disappointment.

Mila 2.0 ended up being a book that was a highly buzzed but didn't fully deliver. It has an entertaining story line with lots of adrenaline fueled chases and action scenes, but there is little else in the plot. It has a promising premise that ends up falling flat due to lack of development and resolution. This is not a bad read at all, but I felt it just didn't live up to the hype. Ms. Driza does show that she is indeed talented, and I would like to try another one of her books in the future.
Favorite Quotations:
"A place where, according to Kaylee, the sole listing under Yelp's Arts and Entertainment section was Mount 'em Taxidermy."
"One of the first things I'd learned in Clearwater: no one ever looks good with truck hair."
"But when I looked at my arms, my hands, my legs, I no longer saw the limbs of a normal teenager. All I pictured was a human-shaped container. A machine, built for holding sequences of raw data."
"There was more, so much more....but how did you tell someone he, and he alone, made you feel human?"
"I'd been so focused on the horror of being less than human that I hadn't stopped to appreciate the humanlike qualities I did possess."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted @
Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

What worked: Mila 2.0 is extremely original, I don't think I've read anything like it before. I know that there are quite a few novels being released this year based on artificial intelligence but Debra Driza takes it a step forward. What if you found out that everything you thought you knew about yourself was a lie? That instead of veins, you had wires snaking around your body? Mila has to come to terms with this and find her place in the world because really, she was never supposed to be a part of everyday life in the first place.

Mila is definitely a character who lets her emotions run away with her, very similar to the rest of us but in order to protect herself and the people she loves, Mila has a tough time trying to rein them in. It's only natural to want to punch a baddie in the face but Mila often shows a mature attitude and assesses the situation properly before making rash decisions.


I admire Debra Driza for not overdoing the cheesy "oh no the government is out to get me!" because that could have quite easily happened. Instead, Mila and her mother take a step back and say "You know what, enough is enough. Let's stop this before it all ends in tears."


What irked: It felt like Mila was constantly repeating herself and after a while, it really started to irritate me. I even found myself skimming through quite a lot of the angst. Dude, we know it's difficult to cope with but you need to use the hand you've been dealt and plough on.

I didn't really believe in the romance, Mila seemed to become quite obsessed with Hunter and she barely even knew him. A couple more scenes focused on the pair would have been nice to flesh out the connection between them.

To be perfectly honest, I think a lot of the problems I had with Mila 2.0 is because I stored all of the hype in my head and it just didn't match up to what I imagined.


Recommended to: Fans of Sci-Fi and I know for a fact that a lot of people have enjoyed this book a lot more than I did. Like I said, connecting to the story wasn't helped by my ludicrous expectations so please, give Mila 2.0 a try. ***3 Stars - This book was good but a couple of things annoyed me.***

[Matilda]

This book sounds amaaazing. But then there's that release date... I don't know what to do with myself right now.

[Cee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't take any more... This review is only based on the first 160 pages of the book. Maybe Mila 2.0 all of a sudden gets super awesome on page 161 - I have no idea. All I know is that I don't want to waste my precious reading time on this book.

For me it almost felt like Mila 2.0 tried to collect all the young-adult clichés. Unrealistic high-school behaviour? Check. So-called best friend that in reality a psychotic bitch that actually almost killed you but apparently NO ONE sees this? Check. Boy that barely talks because awkward silences and staring ahead is totally connecting with someone? Check. Falling in love (love - not lust) in the space of two days? Check. Fear more about leaving the boy you love (and know for the insanely long while of one week) behind than losing your life? Check.

I was really looking forward to reading Mila 2.0 because lately science-fiction YA has been really good for me. With books like Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer or What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang, my expectations for this girl android story were high. Sadly, Mila doesn't even come near the awesomeness of Cinder (who is technically a cyborg - she's still part human, whereas Mila is supposedly fully synthetic).

Mila. If Mila had been kind-of okay then I would probably have finished the book for her sake. Instead, she should come with a huge stamp on her head stating "too stupid to live" in big capital letters. Seriously. It has been a while since I've read a heroine that rubbed me the wrong way this much. She just doesn't make any sense, especially in the context of the story. Basically, Mila is an android robot programmed as secret weapon; she's insanely strong. They gave her human feelings so she could fit in.

Why in the hells below and heavens above would scientists program a secret weapon to behave like a petulant, unpredictable and overly emotional teenager?

Mila's feelings are all over the place. One moment she's overwhelmed by finding out that she's an android and she spends her time crying, the other moment she runs off to go to school because that's a great thing to do when the army is after you and you're supposed to keep a low profile. None of her emotions or actions seemed rational or even realistic at all. When her mom tells her about who and what she is, instead of hearing her mom out she gets the information bit by bit, either because her mom is telling her that she's not ready yet, or because she's telling her mom that she doesn't want to hear it yet. I feel like there is absolutely no other reason for this spreading of information, other than that the author was scared of info-dumping. I get that - but pulling out the story for a hundred pages to avoid giving the reader too much information at once is even worse.

Mila, her mom, Hunter the love interest, Kaylee the best friend... Not a single one of these characters have redeeming qualities. They're all obnoxious for their own reasons, and I don't feel like continuing to read their story at all.

At the point I stopped reading Mila was finally on the run with mom, so probably the story becomes more interesting at this point, or at least more action-packed.

Mila 2.0 was not the book for me. I know a lot of people did enjoy it though, so if I haven't turned you off and you don't mind Mila acting crazy sometimes, you might enjoy Mila 2.0.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing book by debut author Debra Driza!

What if everything in your reality was, in fact, a fabrication? Your life, your parents, your memories – what if they were all a lie? MILA 2.0 is the story of an incredible young woman. The book started off slowly for me, with MILA grieving the loss of her father in a house fire. (You can read this part as well as a preview of this book in Origins: The Fire, a very short prequel). MILA experiences the usual high school angst, punctuated by a crush on the “denim-eyed” Hunter and a bit of the catty girl stuff that happens. MILA looks and acts like a real girl. Or is she? Underlying all this normalcy, MILA is plagued by disturbing memories of a young girl being tortured in a lab.

Aside from the slow start, this book was incredibly difficult to put down. After the first part, the story moves at a frenetic pace and is jam-packed with edge of your seat action. MILA 2.0 is so much fun to read. It kind of reminded me of a cross between Alias (remember that show?) and Nikita. There are some fantastic chase scenes and some pretty fantastic gadgets and weapons. I did have to suspend belief at times, but that’s what reading is for, isn’t it? MILA 2.0 was a nice escape read.

I did have two small issues with this book. There was a lot of build up about Hunter and then he disappeared from most of the book. I’m hoping to see more of him in the next book. I also felt that the book ended a little abruptly. It did leave me wanting more…more…MORE!

For a fun, action-packed read, take a look at MILA 2.0

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews

[Katie_la_geek · Rating 3 out of 5]

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. Mila came across as stroppy and selfish and I very nearly put the book down and gave up on it. Thankfully I carried on because at the half way point this book burst into life.

The second half was full of amazing action; there were fights, car chases and daring escapes. It gave this book the boost it needed and from there it didn’t look back. Mila began to change as she adapted to and embraced her android self. She gained perspective, patience and stopped being so petulant. I felt that she was more human towards the end of the book then she was at the beginning and she went from being someone I hated to someone I quite liked and respected.

I would have liked some more information in some parts. I wanted to know more about Nicole, Lucas and the military organization behind the Mila project. I hope that more light will be shed on this in the upcoming books because I am very intrigued.

It is a shame that this book was so uneven. For me the first half was a two and the second a four, a three star rating feels a little low but I cannot dismiss the first half of the book.

Despite my issues with Mila 2.0 I would still recommend it. The second half is worth it and there is huge potential going ahead.