Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) http://www.yabookscentral.com/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x285s/80/fd/45/_mila-2-0-debra-driza-1348859517.jpg Featured

I haven't heard anything bad about Mila 2.0, so I was a little disappointed when I found myself trudging along through the first half. However, it did pick up in the second half and I ended up enjoying the book overall.

Let's get my dislikes out of the way first.

Since Mila doesn't know she's an android in the beginning the story is just following her daily life which I found to be pretty dull. That's not to mention that all her friends are kind of witchy and annoying.
And then there's Hunter. I imagine he's going to be pretty important as the story goes on, but his and Mila's relationship just felt super weird to me. First off, he's only in about ¼ of the book and yet Mila thinks about him all the time. And am I the only one who thinks it's a little weird that Hunter invites himself over to Mila's house late at night? I mean, I know he was intending to check on her, but they hadn't even spoken all too much before the crash. I honestly spent the whole book waiting for him to pop up and *surprise* betray Mila or be working for the bad guy or something because it felt like his character would make more sense then.

Okay, I know this sounds a little terrible, but I got really sick of Mila's whining. Yes, I know she just discovered she's an android and all that, but I can only handle so much. She does end up growing and accepting herself, so I appreciate that. I don't necessarily wish she accepted it faster, just that I didn't have to hear so much about it. I will give you that it'd be disturbing to stab someone with a hair dryer cord.

Okay, now onto the positive stuff.

I spent most of the second half with my stomach in knots (in a good way) wondering what was coming next. There was just enough action to keep my heart rate up while keeping my heart in the story with twists and emotional developments.

The second half is where we start to move away from “I just found out I'm an android and nothing else matters” to “maybe this isn't so bad, and it can help save the people I care about.” This felt engaging and had me more invested in the story than the first half did. There's a face to the bad guy now, but still plenty of mysteries with more of them popping up right and left.

When the story begins Mila feels pretty blah to me. She's depressed, doesn't have all too much personality, and doesn't really think about anything other than her dead father and the new guy at school. As the story progresses, especially after getting to the compound, she starts to have more complicated emotions and turns out to be a pretty caring person which helped me connect with her.

Holland's a pretty crappy guy. Which makes him a good villain. At this point there's honestly nothing at all to like about him. He doesn't have a sad backstory or any traits that humanize him in any way. He makes it all that much easier to care about Mila.

The Nutshell: Mila 2.0 wasn't a total hit for me since I was pretty bored during the first half, but the second half managed to pull me in enough to become invested in the story. The entire first half of the book is setup which gets a little old, however, when you get to the point where the setup turns into story it's hard not to get invested in all the action, mystery, and emotion. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.
Near Miss

Did I like it, love it, or think it was just okay? I loved it!!

The characters: I really felt for Mila, and I connected with her because her emotions were so real and vivid. Driza wrote her with passion and where what she is feeling and thinking really jumped off the page. I think that her struggle when she found out that she was an Android was so compelling, and very realistic. I can't imagine finding out something like that when my whole time I thought that I was a human. She feels, thinks, and has friends, sure there are some hazy memories, but everything seems so real.
It draws up an interesting question for me of what makes defines real. I never failed to connect with her, and she was always fighting for the person that she loves, so what really makes her different from me? What's inside? Metal vs not? It is just weird if you really think about it.
I liked Lucas, he was well written and though I can't say a lot about him without being a spoiler. But how he questioned things and then became loyal to what he believes in really inspired me.
As for her friend, Kaylee... Well, I can't believe the changes in her. I really don't understand how she was so friendly and including, and then NOT. I hope that there is some explanation in the next book.
I loved Mila's relationship with her mom, and how it changed several times with the circumstances. I think it reflects a real mother/daughter relationship because they aren't usually always good or bad, but fluctuating. But I think that how they learned to talk to one another and really learned that they could trust each other was beautiful. I couldn't believe what happened to them, and I wish there were things that couldn't be fixed, that I want desperately to be fixed.

The romance: I just wasn't feeling it. Friendship yes, the possibility that more could be there, sure... But hopefully the next book will pick a guy and really develop that, because I think I will have a hard time if they are both developed and fleshed out and then one of them won't be with her.

The cover: I like the colors, and the parts of her face. It catches my eye, and I think that it is a good fit for the story.

The pacing: It kept me wanting to keep flipping pages, there was always something going on, lots of action, and lots of feelings, as well as character growth and development. I didn't know HOW they were going to fix things at every turn.

The world/setting: I felt like it was authentic--the high school experience as well as when she ends up in the lab.

The ending: Oh my goodness, it was definitely a twist! I can't believe what happened! I am very eager to read the next one.

Bottom Line: Great start to a series that I can't wait to keep reading.