Book review: MILA 2.0
By: Debra Driza
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Genre: YA science fiction
480 pages
Buy it at Amazon, IndieBound, or Barnes & Noble
Source: kindly provided by publisher
.jpg)
Disclaimer: I LOVED this book. The only reason that graphic up there doesn't show a full 5 birdies is that I purposely strung it out because I wanted to be able to sit in the story longer. This is a hefty YA at 480 pages, true. MILA 2.0 is such a fun, engaging story, though, that I had to work to pace myself; I really wanted to sit and chew through the pages until I reached the end. Since our 5 graphic says "couldn't put it down", I opted for 4.5.
MILA is an acronym, though at the beginning of the book, the character is just Mila, the new girl in town whose dad died recently and whose mom is seriously overprotective. She's a sweet girl who's trying to find her spot in her circle of friends while struggling to gain her freedom, just like any other teen. The problem is, she's not a teen at all.
Mila's journey here in volume 1 of the series is pretty dramatic and action-packed. There are several locations, fight scenes, and characters who may or may not be potential allies. She learns that her humanity is not necessarily a deficiency- nor is her android side. She grows to the point of being capable of independence, but not necessarily wanting it.
My favorite novel of all time is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This novel shares many of the same questions about what exactly comprises our humanity, yet is in the much-more-accessible format of modern YA sci fi. Mila, like Shelley's monster, feels human, yet has inhuman abilities. She feels isolated, even when she meets another like her, because she is so acutely human-like. Instead of being horrifically ugly, she is perfectly beautiful- lacking the small imperfections that mark our individuality. And of course, the whole ethics of creating life issue is wide open for exploration. Oh, to be back in the classroom- this would be SUCH a fun comparison study!
I've read that this may be a tv series in the fall- and if it is, it's going to be top on my DVR list. I can see it in my head, and it's going to be fantastic!
Disclaimer: I LOVED this book. The only reason that graphic up there doesn't show a full 5 birdies is that I purposely strung it out because I wanted to be able to sit in the story longer. This is a hefty YA at 480 pages, true. MILA 2.0 is such a fun, engaging story, though, that I had to work to pace myself; I really wanted to sit and chew through the pages until I reached the end. Since our 5 graphic says "couldn't put it down", I opted for 4.5.
MILA is an acronym, though at the beginning of the book, the character is just Mila, the new girl in town whose dad died recently and whose mom is seriously overprotective. She's a sweet girl who's trying to find her spot in her circle of friends while struggling to gain her freedom, just like any other teen. The problem is, she's not a teen at all.
Mila's journey here in volume 1 of the series is pretty dramatic and action-packed. There are several locations, fight scenes, and characters who may or may not be potential allies. She learns that her humanity is not necessarily a deficiency- nor is her android side. She grows to the point of being capable of independence, but not necessarily wanting it.
My favorite novel of all time is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This novel shares many of the same questions about what exactly comprises our humanity, yet is in the much-more-accessible format of modern YA sci fi. Mila, like Shelley's monster, feels human, yet has inhuman abilities. She feels isolated, even when she meets another like her, because she is so acutely human-like. Instead of being horrifically ugly, she is perfectly beautiful- lacking the small imperfections that mark our individuality. And of course, the whole ethics of creating life issue is wide open for exploration. Oh, to be back in the classroom- this would be SUCH a fun comparison study!
I've read that this may be a tv series in the fall- and if it is, it's going to be top on my DVR list. I can see it in my head, and it's going to be fantastic!
Don't miss out on this one! I'm betting it will appear on several "best of 2013" lists.
Summary from Goodreads:
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.
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.
Thanks for the awesome review! I'm very intrigued by this one and its idea and its GORGEOUS cover! :) I will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteSierra @ Yearning to Read
Hi Sierra- thanks for stopping by :)
Delete