Review ~ Mila 2.0 ~ Debra Drizer

Title: Maya 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Published:  March 12^th 2013

By: Katherine Tegen Books

First line: Beyond the eastern border of Greenwood Ranch orange poured across the skies, edging the clouds like flames.

Last line:  Maybe forever.

I actually finished this book a few weeks ago but decided to hold back on writing the review.  The reason for this?  I read this book on the back of two others that had been on my most anticipated of the year list and I felt that a review of this book would end up being a comparison process rather than a review in its own right.  Now a few weeks have passed, I’ve revisited Mila and I think it’s time!

Mila 2.0 is, not surprisingly about a girl called Mila who is starting over in a new town with her mother following the death of her father.  After a series of strange events it emerges that Mila is actually an android and that people have been looking for her and her mother since her mother absconded with her.  What happens next reads more like a thriller as Mila and her mother flee the underground government bodies who are responsible for Mila’s creation.

There was a lot of hype around this book and as it’s a sci-fi read I knew it was one I wanted to get my hands on, but whilst the other reviews have raved about Mila I didn’t seem to be able to engage  in the same way. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the idea behind the storyline.  The plot does continue through the entire story at quite a pace and there are some good action scenes in here.  There are also times where Mila really takes control of everything unfolding around her, particularly as the story progresses and so I did like the evolution of her character. What bothered me however was that I didn’t seem to be able to connect with the other characters.   Mila seemed to be majorly crushing on Hunter although the level of their involvement didn’t, in my mind, seem to warrant such a reaction. That said, he was a sweet character and I think had there been a bit more to their friendship it would have made for a more realistic read.  I would also have like to have read more about Mila’s mother earlier as I felt this would have added more depth to the plot. Kayleigh (her best friend) did nothing more than annoy me, although from her behaviour in the book I guess that was kind of the point.  I guess at the end of it all I felt as though Mila wasn’t particularly attached to anyone which was kind of sad.  I wasn’t surprised at the ending particularly but it does leave you with a sense that there could be a lot of potential for the second book and the potential friendships and relationships therein. 

Will I pick up the second book? I’ll certainly be looking out for it to find out where the plot goes.  Would I recommend the book? If you like sci-fi then this may be the one for you. 

Rating: 3/5.  There were certain aspects of this book that really showed potential and I hope that this continues into book two.  If that is the case then the sequel could be a really good read.  Unfortunately, Mila 2.0 just didn’t rock my world.