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MILA 2.0

(MILA 2.0 #1)

Debra Driza (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 11,626 ratings · 1,370 reviews

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 to ...more

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Hardcover, 470 pages

Published March 12th 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

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· 11,626 ratings · 1,370 reviews

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Start your review of MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)

Dec 31, 2011 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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Dec 17, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it

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

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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May 10, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Those looking for action on a rainy day

Recommended to Steph by: Myself

Shelves: 2013-release, young-adult, it-wasn-t-all-that-but-enjoyable, thriller, harpercollins, sci-fi, disappointment, ebook, edelweiss, i-totally-saw-that-coming

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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Jun 30, 2012 Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-fiction, sci-fi, 2013-reads, donated, all-surface-no-substance, bring-on-the-cliche-parade, dramamongering, dystopia-or-postapocalyptic, great-potential-awful-execution, high-expectations-and-low-reward

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.

photo tumblr_mme5er7IPD1qdpocto4_250_zps62b9c4ed.gif

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

photo tumblr_inline_mifi14UiU81qz4rgp_zps47dbfbac.gif

And the Mom was so secretive and annoying and withdrawn, so I felt like:

photo when-your-friend-asks-how-to-get-out-of-the-friend-zone_zps163bbee3.gif

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

photo tumblr_inline_mh9fsdugB91qz4rgp_zps7a1ba2d7.gif

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.

photo when-youre-talking-to-someone-with-an-accent-and-you-accidentally-reply-with-their-accent_zpsd1b0f4a5.gif

So much random, unne ...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Mig marked it as to-buy-maybe · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-release, hb-for-the-sake-of-my-collection

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

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

...more

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May 26, 2019 Claude's Bookzone rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, young-adult-book, survival, action, adventure, great-premise-well-executed, kick-arse-female, sci-fi-robots-cyborgs-a-i, instalove, body-horror

UPDATE: 30/01/2021 - Review added

CW: (view spoiler)

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 ...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it liked it

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

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–n 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.

...more

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Oct 27, 2012 B rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, hand-me-some-tissues, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, read-reviewed, 2013-reads, brb-biting-my-nails, exceeded-my-expectations, i-totally-saw-that-coming, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, gimme-the-next-book

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 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. ...more

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Jul 30, 2018 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018, young-adult, audiobooks, sci-fi

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, (view spoiler). ...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Parajunkee rated it did not like it

Shelves: reviewed

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 w ...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Sarah rated it did not like it

Shelves: for-review-read, read-in-2013, edelweiss, books-i-own-kindle, did-not-finish, 2013-debut-author

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 t 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!

(view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 14, 2011 shady boots rated it liked it

Shelves: boooooring, meh-it-was-okay, covergasm, 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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Dec 31, 2018 Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018, scribd, ya-room-throwback-bingo-challenge-1

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 count ...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-arc, arc, signed, first-edition, requested, 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 mos

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!

...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Rachael Allen rated it it was amazing

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 h ...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Jerilyn rated it it was ok

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

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Mar 14, 2013 Aimen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cover-lust, favourites, books-i-own

"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 ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Katy rated it liked it

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 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. ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-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 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! ...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Jenni Arndt rated it really liked it

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 th 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. ...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Brandi Kosiner rated it really liked it

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

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. ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Crystal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013

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 doe ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Heidi rated it liked it

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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Oct 18, 2012 Rebekah rated it liked it

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 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.*** ...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Matilda marked it as to-read

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

...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Cee rated it did not like it

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, unfinished, romance

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. Bo 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. ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 AH rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, arc-edelweiss, first-in-series, science-fiction, canadian-content, babr-reviews, catty-girls, zzread-jan-2013, robots

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 ...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Katie_la_geek rated it liked it

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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Jan 05, 2021 Míraa♛ rated it really liked it

I don't have a review? Let's fix that
This whole series is so underrated and great. My soul is crying.

Is this book perfect? Not at all.
Is it entertaining? Totally.
Exciting? Hekk yess.
Emotional and has relatable characters? Absolutely.

I don't usually write what's in a book but here we go.
So Mila finds out after an accident that she's an android. -Now this is one thing everyone knows about me. If there are androids, robots, cyborgs, any kind of human-made intelligence in it... That was made f ...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Loved it! I've been reading books by Sarah Dessen books nonstop and needed a break. I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy of this book.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once she found out that she had a mechanical arm I was hooked. The author does a great job of making a sympathetic, young girl, android character (which I'm sure is not an easy task lol).

There is ton of interesting, internal character strife and the supporting characters are all well thought out and described well. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0 #1) by Debra Driza - GBR - Starting June 1st 2021	3	144	May 22, 2021 06:08PM
Nook books: November 10, 2017	1	1	Nov 10, 2017 06:28PM
The Outsmilers: June's cyborg/clone read: Mila 2.0 (2014)	11	24	Jun 23, 2014 05:41PM
Books Like MILA 2.0	1	35	Sep 29, 2013 07:48PM
Let's Talk Hunter!	12	90	Jul 12, 2013 03:31AM
♥!The Young Adult...: Mila 2.0	7	67	May 31, 2013 01:48PM

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About Debra Driza

Debra Driza

824 followers

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. ...more

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Quotes from MILA 2.0

“The room was a small square of hopelessness.
A flash of red. And then:
Dimensions: 10 ft. by 9 ft.
I swallowed a horrific giggle. Perfect. And now I knew the exact measurements of hopelessness.” — 32 likes

“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.” — 11 likes

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