MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza

Mila 2.0
Debra Driza

Rating: D+
Release Date: 03/12/13
Synopsis:
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.

My thoughts on the book:
I had extremely high hopes for Mila 2.0, but unfortunately those hopes were dashed. I really didn't enjoy anything about this novel. The characters were obnoxious and secretive, I didn't feel that the plot was fully developed, and the world-building was lacking. I didn't like being inside Mila's head, and I certainly didn't like her insta-love/obsession with Hunter. I just was not impressed with this book. It took every ounce of self-discipline I had in order to finish it. 

Mila is an obnoxious brat, and seeing the world through her eyes really got on my nerves. God forbid the girl do anything her mother tells her to do, or anything that isn't the dumbest possible thing a person could ever do. Seriously. She's supposed to be this superior android being, but she is dumber than a brick and an overly emotional brat. Oh, and she is incredibly selfish and whiny. She's definitely one of the worst female leads I've ever read. 

The secondary characters are not fleshed out at all. They're simply cookie-cutter images of the typical *insert character's cliched role here*. We had the typical mean girls, the typical male lead who we love dearly upon looking at, and the typical distant and unobservant parent... also the "bad guys" are cliche. Sure, the idea behind them is unique, but the execution of their behaviors is extremely generic. 

The plot doesn't seem to know where it's going anymore than Mila does half the time. Things just did not seem well thought-out. Furthermore, the sense of urgency that the author tried so very hard to instill just didn't take with me. I couldn't have cared less if Mila got captured, if any of the characters were hurt, or if Hunter dropped dead of the plague (unfortunately that wasn't an option in this book). The pacing is also off and the first half of the book dragged so badly that it was difficult to push through it. The writing itself isn't bad, and the concept is brilliant. However, the execution just ruined the novel, in my opinion. 

Overall, I was not impressed with Mila 2.0, and there is nothing in the book that reminds me of The Bourne films. That being said, I couldn't make it through I Am Number Four, so chances are, even though I managed to finish this book, it is quite a bit like that one. I know some people absolutely adore this novel. I'm just not one of them. I'd advise you to check this one out from the library first. From the reviews I've read, there's a chance you could love it... or you could just be indifferent to it like I am.