Review of Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Katherin Tegen Books

Mila 2.0
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.

Review of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Razorbill

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)
by Richelle Mead
5 Scribbles

The female students at Amberwood Prep are in trouble. There’s a murderer in town, killing the youngest and prettiest of girls. Mrs. Terwilliger suspects it’s a witch intent on absorbing the girls’ youth, power and beauty, but because she has personal connections to the witch in question she must rely on Sydney’s help to find the killer. Can Sydney overcome her aversion to magic long enough to come to Terwilliger’s aid and put a stop to the killings?

As a die-hard Mead fan, I hesitate to review Mead’s work because it’s always so engaging and the plotting is so well done! Truthfully the main conflict above only scratches the surface of the massive amounts of action that occurs throughout. And the character development taking place in this book is superb. The conflict between Sydney and Adrian that began at the conclusion of The Golden Lily is set aside in the wake of the murders, and the two return to their established friendship to try and catch a killer. Or do they? The romantic tension between these two is palpable—will Sydney finally grow a backbone and realize that the doubts she has about the Alchemists and the intolerance she has been taught is not the whole truth? Will she realize that magic may have a place in the world, and that not all vampires are evil? And more importantly, will playboy Adrian finally abandon his partying ways and stick to his new-found chivalrous ways? While markedly different from the romance between Dimitri and Rose in the Vampire Academy series, this potential romance packs just as much heat—in fact, it’s probably a relationship that many of us find we can relate to more easily, because the protagonists are, for the most part, everyday people. Yes, they may be witches and vampires, but neither has any real super-skills or can fight like a ninja! The difference from our reality is that Sydney risks everything and everyone she has ever known and trusted to grow that backbone and “have” Adrian. For many of us, such loss would not be worth it. Additionally, a new little romance is blossoming—will Eddie and Angeline stay together or will Jill take the plunge and reveal herself to Eddie? And just when you thought it was all being worked out, a new character is added to the mix that will shake up Amberwood, and Sydney, in a way the reader never anticipated! I’ve already pre-ordered The Fiery Heart, set to be released November 19, 2013.

Review of A Million Suns: Across the Universe #2

Razorbill

A Million Suns: Across the Universe #2

by Beth Revis

5 Scribbles

The killer in book one has been captured, and Elder is beginning his leadership on board Godspeed in the aftermath of the discovery that Godspeed will never see the new planet. However, when Elder’s first command—discontinue the mind-control drug FIDIS and let the people function as free individuals—is executed, all hell breaks loose. Now Elder must try to manage the chaos and find out who is now killing people on Godspeed. And Amy? Amy discovers clues left for her by the killer in book one, clues that may help them land on their new home sooner than anticipated.  

Book two in the series focuses on two main conflicts. First, there is a new killer on the ship, and second, Godspeed is in turmoil. The plot examines life after a dictatorship and the problems that ensue. Elder struggles to keep ship functions running smoothly with a community of individuals unaccustomed to thought, let alone free speech, and Elder’s former friend Bardy does nothing to facilitate the transition. Flaws begin to surface on Godspeed, and the previously drawn utopian ship is revealed for the prison it was. With the ship falling apart, food production slowing, and a new murderer on the loose, Elder has little time to invest in his relationship with Amy, yet Revis skillfully allows Elder and Amy to grow as individuals while at the same time exploring their relationship with one another. Elder struggles with his feelings of inferiority as a leader, feelings that are well-earned. Truthfully, Elder is a very poor leader, and at times it’s difficult to empathize with him or even root for him, but it does allow the reader to wonder if they would do better in his situation. Amy, on the other hand, never loses faith in Elder, even when facing her own grief and a life she never imagined living aboard Godspeed. What I love about the developing relationship between these two is that it is slow to grow. Amy realizes that she doesn’t have to love Elder simply because he is the only guy around her age. All of this being said, it may sound like this book is a bit on the dull side. Not so! Revis, in the same riveting style of book one, manages to weave in two mysteries rather than one! And when both are solved, a tantalizing conclusion makes the reader (myself included) scour the library for book three. Truth be told, I’ve already read book three! I gobbled it immediately after I finished this one! This is one series I would totally love to see hit Hollywood. The special effects would be amazing, and the conflicts engaging enough to guarantee a following.