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| Katherin Tegen Books |
by Debra Driza
4 Scribbles
Mila knows the world doesn’t stop turning even if it seems
like it should. Every day at her new school
is a trial as she tries to fit in while at the same time mourning the recent
loss of her father who died in a tragic fire back in Pennsylvania. Mila’s new
friends don’t understand what she’s feeling; so when Hunter enrolls in her
school, Mila is glad to find someone with a listening, sympathetic ear—finally,
she feels like she may have a chance for a normal future. Yet when a freak car
accident reveals an artificial limb Mila didn’t know she had, Mila’s soon
discovers that her arm isn’t all that’s strange about her.
Mila’s story is action-packed adventure from the first page
to the tantalizing last. However, the action isn’t the only thing that makes
the story great. Driza weaves an intricate web of intrigue that still includes
solid characters and rich relationships. For instance, Mila’s character is
highly relatable. She struggles with the same issues many teen girls face—a
need to feel liked, a sense of insecurity, the sting of competitiveness, and
the pain of betrayal. She loves her mother, Nicole, and longs for the relationship
she knew they once had before her father’s death. In fact, when Mila and her
mother, Nicole have to run, the strong relationship that develops between them
is refreshing. She is a teen who loves her parents and values their support.
Too often novels pit teens against their parents and ignore healthy parent-teen
connections. In the style of novels such as The
Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, Driza creates a character who is
less that human yet somehow encapsulates the best of humanity. Unlike Fox,
however, Mila’s story focuses less on what constitutes a soul and more on what happens
when artificial intelligence combines with biological material and becomes
something…more. In fact, Mila’s character is the perfect balance of morality,
strength, courage and love. Despite her inhumanity, she is not the perfect
weapon she was created to be; she is somehow better than human. And she can still love, which is clearly
evidenced when she meets Hunter, and the strength of her very human emotions help
to create sparks between them. This novel is a thrilling tale of espionage that
will appeal to both male and female readers and rival the fast-paced spy-games
on the big screens—Jason Bourne step aside—Mila is here.
