Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0, #1)

by Debra Driza

[Joséphine]

For those who like their books action-packed, Mila 2.0 definitely is worth checking out. For those who prefer to relate to the characters in a story though, this book might not entirely satisfy. I like a cross between the two, so I was kinda sitting on the fence about how I felt after I was done reading. I liked the concept. What makes humans human? And what sets androids apart?

Mila was the result of highly classified experiments developing androids for the military that were as life-like as only possible. As a result, she could think and feel like any teenage girl would, except her emotions were not necessarily her own. They were an agglomeration of teenage girls' actions and responses to particular situations. Physical pain also did not affect Mila as much as the next girl.

Her discoveries set off an inner struggle in Mila who desperately wanted to cling on to everything that made her human and avoid anything that made her a monster. This struggle in itself made the whole book worth reading for me, at least on an intellectual level, because this was serious food for thought. Still, beyond that, I didn't develop much of an emotional attachment to Mila. Neither did the death of a significant character move me at all. The plot was extremely action-driven at the expense of nuances that make strong characters.

Mila was new to Clearwater and as any new girl would, Mila tried to make friends with some of the local girls her age. Then Hunter came along. Another new kid on the block. Mila was immediately partial to Hunter, as was Kaylee. The subsequent love triangle, so to speak, that ensued was anything but enthralling. It came across as an unnecessary filler just to find a way to introduce Hunter into the story who then for the most part didn't even matter in this book.

Perhaps Hunter will be crucial to the second book in the series. Who knows. Nonetheless, I didn't appreciate the way he was introduced. It made the beginning cumbersome to read and annoyed me more than anything else when he wasn't even integral to the plot. And then Kaylee too, the friend Mila had the most affinity with in Clearwater, basically fades away. So much for the long-drawn introduction. Anyhow, the crunch of the action was well-written enough for me to finish reading the book and find reasons to appreciate it though appreciation lay mainly in the concepts.

On the whole, Mila 2.0 is a story that I think would work better on the screen than it did on the page. There certainly is no lack of creativity in constructing Mila's world, so I do want to find out what happens next. Besides, top-secret experiments will always draw curiosity, naturally. I mean, we often want to know what we're not supposed to know. I probably will pick up the second book when it comes out, though I'll have my eyes peeled more for the TV show that ABC Studios will apparently be producing based on the book.

This review was first published on Word Revel.