Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Mila 2.0
by Debra Driza
A month ago, Mila and her mother moved to a small town in Minnesota to start over after a catastrophic fire killed Mila’s father. Or that’s what Mila thought, until her mother is forced to reveal the truth: Mila is an android, built to blend in with teenagers and other regular people. She’s programmed to experience emotions and act like a “real” person, but with extra strength and durability. Her “mother” is actually a scientist who stole Mila from her laboratory to prevent her destruction. But the man who helped make her wants her back, and he’ll stop at nothing to get Mila back. If that wasn’t bad enough, another group of rogue operatives is also looking for the missing robot so that they can use her advanced technology toward their own ends. If she wants to survive, Mila must say goodbye to her old life - which, it turns out, wasn’t that old anyway - and go on the run.
Writing this novel in first person perspective made it seem much more convincing. Mila’s confusion and fears are much more accessible to the reader this way, and it made it much easier to slip into her world. I found myself really liking Mila the more time I spent with her. Although the reader learns early on that she's a robot, Mila's constant struggle to reconcile this knowledge with the memories and the emotions that she feels every day makes her a fantastic, interesting young woman. She isn't one of those robots that can simply switch off anger or jealousy or fear - and if she still feels these things, she's pretty darn human, whether she's got bones or wires inside her. I was rooting for her throughout the book.
It is a pity is that Mila is the only character who has been fleshed out. Everyone else - friends from school, her creators, random people she meets - all fall neatly into flat character types. They aren't that interesting, especially when compared to Mila. But a strong heroine like Mila can carry this novel easily enough, and there’s certainly enough action and excitement to keep the plot rolling forward. It isn’t great literature, but it's a lot of fun to read.
3.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Mila 2.0, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
2011: Guest Post: Cecelia Holland, author of The King’s Witch
2010: Off to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival!
2009: Beautiful as Yesterday by Fan Wu
2008: The Treasure of Montsegur by Sophy Burnham
by Debra Driza
A month ago, Mila and her mother moved to a small town in Minnesota to start over after a catastrophic fire killed Mila’s father. Or that’s what Mila thought, until her mother is forced to reveal the truth: Mila is an android, built to blend in with teenagers and other regular people. She’s programmed to experience emotions and act like a “real” person, but with extra strength and durability. Her “mother” is actually a scientist who stole Mila from her laboratory to prevent her destruction. But the man who helped make her wants her back, and he’ll stop at nothing to get Mila back. If that wasn’t bad enough, another group of rogue operatives is also looking for the missing robot so that they can use her advanced technology toward their own ends. If she wants to survive, Mila must say goodbye to her old life - which, it turns out, wasn’t that old anyway - and go on the run.
Writing this novel in first person perspective made it seem much more convincing. Mila’s confusion and fears are much more accessible to the reader this way, and it made it much easier to slip into her world. I found myself really liking Mila the more time I spent with her. Although the reader learns early on that she's a robot, Mila's constant struggle to reconcile this knowledge with the memories and the emotions that she feels every day makes her a fantastic, interesting young woman. She isn't one of those robots that can simply switch off anger or jealousy or fear - and if she still feels these things, she's pretty darn human, whether she's got bones or wires inside her. I was rooting for her throughout the book.
It is a pity is that Mila is the only character who has been fleshed out. Everyone else - friends from school, her creators, random people she meets - all fall neatly into flat character types. They aren't that interesting, especially when compared to Mila. But a strong heroine like Mila can carry this novel easily enough, and there’s certainly enough action and excitement to keep the plot rolling forward. It isn’t great literature, but it's a lot of fun to read.
3.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Mila 2.0, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
2011: Guest Post: Cecelia Holland, author of The King’s Witch
2010: Off to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival!
2009: Beautiful as Yesterday by Fan Wu
2008: The Treasure of Montsegur by Sophy Burnham