MILA 2.0: Renegade

Gr 7 Up—Mila is on the run from the government with Hunter, a boy she loves—a boy who doesn't know they're being chased and who also doesn't know Mila's biggest secret of all: she's an android. The protagonist has no doubt that the wicked General Holland is dangerous—he did order his men to shoot Mila's mother. But she can't quite bring herself to end the sense of normalcy she feels when she's with Hunter, even to prepare him for the danger they're likely to face. Before the teen's mom died, she warned Mila about the dangers of a secret organization called the Vita Obscura. She also gave her daughter a name: Richard Grady. The android and Hunter set out to find Grady and the answers he has about her. But what Grady knows about Mila isn't what she's looking for, and the Vita Obscura isn't what she expects. A little slower than MILA 2.0 (HarperCollins, 2013), this title still has enough action to keep readers engaged. Mila's love for Hunter and her conflicting desires to protect him and keep him ignorant of her true nature provide some depth to her character. A cliff-hanger ending will ensure that teens will be anxiously awaiting the next installment.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO