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.

 

I have been dying for Mila 2.0 for months now. I love dystopia/sci fi types of books..not to mention that the cover of Mila 2.0 is so freakin cool! The book is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Mila. She lives in the middle of nowhere on a ranch with her mom. Her dad just died in a horrible fire, and she is now the new girl at school. But soon there is an accident that reveals that Mila is not exactly human.

Now Mila and her mom are on the run from the government, who actually created Mila. At the same time, Mila is having a really hard time coming to terms with the fact that she is an android, especially when she feels so human. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that force Mila to accept the fact that is she an android, but still having to embrace the humanity in her as well.

 

There are four parts to Mila 2.0. The first part starts off a little bit slowly. That’s where most of the foundation is laid. That’s where we learn about Mila’s fake life…and then we slowly start to learn that Mila is different. But it’s during the second, third and fourth parts that Mila 2.0 is a jaw dropper.

I had a really hard time putting this book down, because it was so action packed. During the last quarter of part 1 the action starts, and then it. never. stops. So many twists and turns and “woah” moments are thrown at you in this book. I swear it like put my blood pressure way higher than it needed to be. My heart pounded, my palms sweated, and I was just in complete and utter awe.

Those of you who are way into books that have hot and heavy romances will be a little disappointed with Mila 2.0. There were two potential love interests that were introduced, Hunter and Lucas, but there was really no real romance or love triangle going on in the book. Hunter is only in the book for a very brief period of time, and Lucas plays a bigger role during the last half of the book, but there was no real attraction between him and Mila. I’m expecting that the second book will be a lot more focused on the romance factor, but it just didn’t happen in this one.

What I loved about Mila 2.0 is that I never could guess anything that was going to happen. In most books, the action scene is toward the end and predictions are made way in advance, but Mila 2.0 has a million action scenes. So many things are happening in this book, and there are so many twists and turns, that I just never knew what to expect. There were even a couple things that I guessed in the beginning of the book that never even happened. I was always on my toes, and I loved it.

I did have a slight problem with the torture scenes that are introduced when Mila is brought to the government facility. Don’t worry…there’s no gore or nastiness that happens during this book, but I really didn’t know what to expect with those scenes. I really wanted to skim those pages, because I was so flippin nervous, but I forced myself to sit through them…even if my eyes were scrunched up a little bit.

I also had a problem with Mila’s obsession with Hunter, because he really wasn’t in the book for that long. I know that he played a small part in the first few chapters, but then he just wasn’t around for like over 300 pages. And Mila was just always going on about him, and I was like seriously? You met this guy for like 2 days. Big whoop. So I did have a slight problem with that. I also didn’t fall in love with Lucas. Hopefully that changes in the second book.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza. I’m obsessed over this book and this series, and I just want more. I’m actually pretty devastated that I read Mila 2.0 already, because now I probably have to wait like a year for the second one. My advice to readers who pick up this book is to just push throughthe first so many chapters when she doesn’t really know about herself yet. Once you get through that, things pick up pretty quickly and never stop. Go read this book. It’s out in stores already, so no excuses!

Pages: 480

Publication Date: March 12th, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “The room was a small square of hopelessness.
A flash of red. And then:
Dimensions: 10 ft. by 9 ft.
I swallowed a horrific giggle. Perfect. And now I knew the exact measurements of hopelessness.”

 

 

 

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Boundless picks up with Clara, Angela, and Christian leaving for and starting at Stanford. Each of our three characters are dealing with new visions, new threats, and a new atmosphere. Samjeeza’s still lingering around, but he’s no longer the biggest bad. Or even bad at all, for that matter. Now, our angels are facing another enemy, one much more threatening than Samjeeza. On top of all that, Angela’s hiding a huge secret and Clara’s trying to navigate her relationship with Christian.

The very first thing I loved about this book was the Stanford atmosphere. So many YA novels take place in high school, which is fine, but moving onto the world of college was a fun departure. I thought Hand depicted college life super accurately. I could relate to a lot of the forced socialization aspects, the orientations, navigating a huge sea of unfamiliar faces, and somehow forming friendships out of all that mayhem and confusion. I also liked that Clara stays in school and goes to class throughout the entire novel. This shows what a dedicated student she is and makes her a genuinely good role model for anyone reading. Plus, it’s just more realistic. If you’re paying for an education, you’re going to get that education, even if you are a Triplare. And the Stanford campus was just a fun change of scenery all around.

Second, I loved how hard it was for Clara to move on from Tucker. Yes, Christian is supposedly her soul mate and a really great guy, but she was still in love with Tucker. And when you’re in love with someone, no matter how hunky the new guy courting you is, you can’t just move on. Plus, Tucker’s just as amazing as he always was. This is one of the few love triangles in YA where I’ve been completely torn about which guy the girl should end up with. I love Tucker and Christian equally and they’re both really great guys. And they’d both be great for Clara. I won’t spoil her choice for you, but one of the characters really doesn’t get a satisfactory ending. Or any ending. Which really grated on my nerves, considering how much I care about these characters. That lack of ending left a bad taste in my mouth and catapulted the series finale from amazing to just enjoyable.

Another of Boundless‘s strengths, though, is that something was always happening. This book was even more plot- and conflict-driven than the last two, which impressed me. I couldn’t predict any of the plot and looking back, I can’t believe I missed certain hints, but at the same time, I’m glad I did. I liked being surprised. I was also much more concerned for the characters, unsure of if everyone would make it out okay. The characters undergo a lot in Boundless, and they can’t easily bounce back from these events.

My problems with the book revolved around Angela’s plot line, the whole idea of angels’ purposes, and the ending. I really didn’t like the direction Hand took with Angela. I hated Angela for most of this book, didn’t understand the reasoning behind most of her decisions, and confused by Hand’s incorporation of Angela’s scenes. Sometimes, Angela was used as an important character, while other times, she disappeared for whole chapters. Then, there was her purpose, intertwined with Clara’s purpose. Purposes are supposed to be these big, life-changing things. These are angels put on Earth with a purpose to do God’s bidding. Yet, Clara’s purpose supposedly revolves around Angela, while the entire series leads us to believe Purposes revolve around Clara, the almighty Triplare. This is a little hard for me to swallow. Shouldn’t Purposes be bigger than just people? And especially bigger than angels? None of this made sense to me and, unfortunately, the ending doesn’t tie up any of these, or other, loose ends. The ending also seems rushed and unrealistic for me, but I’m sure some people will just be happy with Clara’s choice of boy-toy. I just thought such an explosive series deserved a better ending. But I still enjoyed reading this book and I still love this series.

Pages: 438
Publication Date: January 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “I should have fought for you, Clara, even if I would have had to fight you to fight for you. I should have never let you go.“

Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.

Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl. Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away. While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind. With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.

When the Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart. But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why. Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.

Betrayal is the second book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends as they navigate through the challenges of existing in a secret world.

 

The first book in the Syrenka series, Promises, ended with Eviana’s parents being murdered and her having to step up and become the leader of her clan. Betrayal picks up right where it left off. This time, Eviana is being forced to learn how to control and develop her powers. New and old characters alike make appearances and ultimately help shape Eviana into the leader that she is meant to become.

The beginning of Betrayal was off the charts amazing. I’ve previously compared Amber Garr to a growing Richelle Mead, and the beginning of this book really showcased that. Eviana’s pain over her parents murders was obvious and heart-wrenching, and I just wanted to suffocate her with endless hugs.

Graham is a new character introduced in this story, and I’m dead serious when I say that I can never get enough of this man/fish person. He was hot, funny, sarcastic, gorgeous, somewhat stupid at times, and did I mention that he worked out?! I LOVED him. I’ve been having a serious issue falling in love with male characters lately. I had no such problem with Graham. I fell in love with him the moment he was introduced, and I am going to be SERIOUSLY disappointed if he’s not who Eviana ends up with at the end of the series.

There is definite character development in Betrayal. In the first book, Eviana and her friends came across as slightly immature (normal for the age they are,) but they really are forced to grow up in this book. I love books where you see the characters progress in each book. I feel that not only is that wonderful for the series, but it’s wonderful for the author as well. The more you read about characters, the more life experience they gain and the more mature (or sometimes immature) they will become. I loved that I was able to watch these characters develop into mature young men/women/fish people.

The ending of this book was SO. SHOCKING! I mean seriously…I did not see any of that happening! I cannot wait to see what happens next. I’m trying so hard not to give out spoilers, because I don’t want to ruin it for you guys, but oh my gosh. Loved it!

I do have a few complaints about this book. Let’s start with Eviana. I’ve never officially fallen head over heels in love with Eviana to begin with. I actually really liked her during the first half of the book, but I think that had to do a lot with Graham. Eviana showed a whole different side of herself whenever she was with Graham, and honestly, it was for the best. She lost some of her stiffness and became more teenager/girly/cutsy/relaxed. I really enjoyed that. But during the second half of the book, I couldn’t stand Eviana. My problem with Eviana is that she is way too stiff. She sometimes comes across as a really old woman who seriously needs to have a drink every now and then. She’s uptight, stiff, and just blah. I loved the moments when I could see her fun side come out, but that wasn’t very often.

Then there’s Brendan, who is my least favorite character in the series. I have noticed that in every book I read lately there is a good, clean, boy that the girl always falls for. I get why authors do this. I do! But let me tell you straight up…I usually always hate that character. So basically I’m always screwed, because my guy never wins. I haven’t finished the series yet, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that Eviana is probably going to end up with Brendan. And now, it’s not just that I’m a fan of Graham, but I find Brendan to be whiny, clingy, annoying…and flat out rude! I didn’t feel quite so intense about this until I met Graham. But Graham is AMAZING! No one should have the right to beat him!

My final complaint has something to do with the writing style itself. Now, let me emphasize that I adore Amber Garr, and I think that she is an amazing author. But I noticed in this book that sometimes she just tells the reader what’s happening. I don’t know if I can explain this right. I don’t want to be told about what type of expression a character has on their face or how they feel at that moment or even sometimes what they’re about to do. I DO want to see that in the writing, but I want to see it with colorful words and emotions….I want to be able to visualize it. When I’m just told that the character starts crying or something…I don’t see it the same way. I noticed that this went on the whole book, and it drove me bonkers.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Betrayal. I’m a big fan of Amber Garr’s working, and you can bet yourself that I will be reading the rest of her books. The Syrenka series is something that I would encourage everyone to read!

 

Pages: 255

Publication Date: February 20th, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

Rating: :