Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1)
by Debra Driza
Published: March 12, 2013



Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

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.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

I enjoyed reading Mila 2.0. It is one of my most anticipated reads this year. Android = kick-ass is all I'm saying. And yes, it has a lot of that. I was really surprised with how the book started. It made me immediately anticipate more of what the author has to offer in the action-packed department. I wasn't expecting it to be so normal though but that's where it ends. After I was briefly introduced to the current state of Mila's life, that's where the chase starts.

I like Mila's character. Just imagine how hard it is to accept the fact that you are not human. That everything you thought about your life were all lies. Literally. She has all these wonderful memories of herself as a child, loved by her parents who deeply care about her, only to know that those were all made up and recorded in her brain. Ouch. But what should hurt most? The fact that the father you adored died in a fire or knowing that the fire and your dad isn't real? I loved how she dealt with it. Despite all that, she developed a much stronger bond with the woman who she knew as her 'mother' and is now her partner in crime. It's wonderful seeing her fight for whatever humanity she has acquired, unbelievable as that sounds. She made me smile in some parts, that's a sure sign of her being human seeing as how she's supposed to be an emotionless shell of a girl. I'm actually glad when she left her normal human life days before they were forced to flee. Does that make me bad? I don't think so. Since I really think that she's better off without her b*tchy 'friend' and Hunter who doesn't make that good of a romantic pair.

Speaking of which, I guess that's what made me down in this book. I wasn't that interested in the romance which thankfully doesn't play a really big part in the story. Truthfully, it would definitely be okay with me if there wasn't a love story. I'd live, although a good one would be amazing. The pacing, action scenes, the mystery, surprises and thrill are enough to hold my attention for this book. It's a page turner. There are a lot of things that would occupy your mind and keep flipping through every page just to know what will happen next. And even though it didn't get to me as much as I hoped it would, it was still a good read. One that I had fun spending time with.

Kind of bummed with the way it ended but that's a normal reaction from me. I won't consider it a cliffhanger but I'm still looking forward to an equally or more thrilling sequel.

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