Debra Driza

3.5 Stars

Well the intrigue definitely ramps up in this book!

This book felt a bit more drawn out as Mila tries to get answers about her past and find people who might help her. I found it frustrating that Hunter was still kept in the dark and I didn't care for the romance. Honestly, her mum got killed, people are hunting her down to turn her into a military style weapon or terminate her! The only thing I'd want from Hunter is that he was more useful i.e smarter and trained in fighting, not canoodling! Things take a dramatic turn when they are eventually captured by one of the groups hunting them. Some pretty dramatic and intense scenes that, in my opinion, saved the book and gave the story a bit more grit. On to book 3's review!… (mais)

Well EXPLETIVE!

I am honestly proud of Debra for that dramatic and fitting conclusion.

3.5 Stars.

Overall, I enjoyed this series despite my dislike of yearny romances and overally angsty characters. LETHAL TEEN ANDROID BEING HUNTED BY NEFARIOUS GROUPS SO SHE CAN BE USED AS A DEADLY WEAPON. That's the good stuff right there. Not teens making moon eyes at each other. It's a question of what makes sense for the story development and finding the right balance and way to express this. The romance in this story made sense. I won't say why because of spoilers. However, it was too instalove and too 'they complete me' and too 'I can't breathe when they are near but can't live without them' for my tastes. That being said, I think this is a good series to have in a YA library.

3.5 Stars… (mais)

UPDATE: 30/01/2021 - Review added

CW: Mother is killed (OP), gun violence, fight scenes, kidnapping

3.5 Stars

Well. I have things to say.

Okay, the first 20% is among the most annoying reading experiences I have had in the last few years. It wasn't just 'mean girls'. It was like a caricature of 'mean girls'. All exaggerated and out of proportion to reality. As an adult reading YA fiction I recognise that there will be aspects that I don't relate to anymore, and sitting quietly while 'cool mean girl' talk is happening around me is one of those things. I also have huge issues with instalove and this is one of the quickest examples I have ever seen. However, in my job I have to focus on what might make this an engaging read for teenagers, so I look past that and think of who might relate well to these characters, enjoy the plot, appreciate the writing, and connect with the themes in the novel. I call it "Pollyannering". That is, looking for things I imagine Readers will be "glad" about in the book.

Okay, onto the good stuff. It's not a new premise, but I really enjoyed Debra's take on the 'android struggles to work out who/what they are' storyline. I won't give away any spoilers but I really liked Mila's origin story and could understand the decisions her mother made. The intensity picked up quite significantly as they were on the run, and Mila working out her capabilities during these action sequences was done really well. There was one fight scene that was particularly interesting, Mila 2.0 versus Mila 3.0! Hence, I could look past the angst ridden and over the top yearning that happened at the beginning and, full disclosure, throughout the entire series. On to book 2's review!

UPDATE: 25/01/2021 -Rereading before I read book two and three

3.5 Stars… (mais)

3.5*
this book had an interesting concept and it's been awhile since I've read any science fiction. While it was an interesting read it's still lacked some of the depth and maturity that I've seen in other young adult novels. Mila is a young girl or so she thinks and finds out within the first couple chapters of the book that everything is not as it seems. after a freak accident that sends her flying out of the bed of a truck with minor injuries she has to go on the run with her "mom" to escape the bad guys that are following them and Mila finds out she is actually a form of artificial intelligence created by the government. Craziness ensues. This is a fast-paced book that you don't necessarily want to put down but like I mentioned earlier I found a lack of depth of all the characters including Mila. because of this I had to give it a bit lower of a rating and I don't feel invested enough in the story to continue on reading this trilogy.… (mais)