Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book at the RT Convention this past May, and at the same time I got to meet the author!  So I'll share that picture at the end of the review.  I really enjoyed this book.  I like how at the beginning, this perfect friendly girl that Mila had become friends with as soon as she moved there, turned out to not be such a perfectly nice girl, well, at least at being friendly no matter what.  To me, that is unfortunately more realistic sometimes.  I read one review that talked about how Mila and her love interest, Hunter, were unbelievable in how they were still so happy to be together after she'd disappeared.  Now someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't sound like she was actually gone that long.  It seemed that the tests at the end took only days, and she and her mom were away only for a short time before that it seemed.  I also felt that the way Hunter behaved was not the instant love that so irritates me at other times.  I felt like it was pretty realistic, other than maybe how quickly he understood when what Mila had under her arm was discovered.
So of course the main character is Mila.  And she has just moved to this small town after her father died in a fire, that she was also injured in, or else just has suffered some kind of post traumatic stress from seeing her father die.  She is not happy with her mother who seems to want to keep her sheltered and not let her go out and be a normal teenager.  But she loves that her mother is a vet and lives on a ranch to help take care of their horses, and that she can ride the horses when she wants.  She's been befriended by Kaylee, and her friend Ella, and is barely accepted by their friend Parker, who is very snooty, and tells Mila that it won't be long before Kaylee moves on to someone else and stops talking to her.  And when there is a cute new guy that shows up, Hunter, she seems to get very interested in him, and quite jealous of any attention he might pay to Mila.  Mila does think he is cute, but doesn't want to upset Kaylee.  But Kaylee is jealous over the smallest things, like if Hunter picks up a pen and hands it to Mila, Kaylee thinks Mila is flirting with him.  She gets really irritated with Mila, and they kind of make up, until a day that they're out driving and Hunter is walking along the road.  When they stop to pick him up with Kaylee's truck, instead of just having Mila scoot into the middle, Kaylee makes her sit in the back of the truck so that Hunter can sit in the cab with her.  Kaylee gets to driving really crazy, and when she swerves quickly, Kaylee goes flying out of the back of the truck.  She is fine, but her arm has been hurt.  And when they look at where she's been hurt, there is no blood, only metal and circuits and a clear fluid.  Hunter quickly gives her something to wrap it up with so that they can take her home.  But you can tell Kaylee is freaked out by her arm, and ticked off at how Hunter is being so nice to Mila.  When Mila gets home, her mother breaks down and finally tells her what is going on.  Or actually has her listen to a recording telling her what she is.  And I say what, because she is a machine that has been given human feelings and characteristics, created by the military.  But her mom explains that she knew she was more than that, that Mila was actually changing and becoming more human, and that is why she took her from the lab.  But now they must leave because there are going to be people coming to get them.  They take off, but of course do get caught.  And they're taken back to the lab where Mila must complete tests to prove that she deserves to be given another chance and not just taken apart and used for spare parts, and she also must cooperate in order to save her mother.
I really enjoyed the book, and the characters were pretty realistic in my opinion.  I look forward to seeing where this might go next.  I will also say that I downloaded the free "prequel" which was like 5 pages?  Maybe longer.  But it really wasn't enough for me to rate it or anything.  It's just Mila's memories of the fire that her father died in.
Okay, now below I'll share the picture of me with the author, Debra Driza, as well as the picture of the autograph I got when I met her.

The Collector (Dante #1) by Victoria Scott

I got to meet the author of this book and get a copy at the RT Convention this past May.  I'd been following the author, Victoria Scott, for awhile, I believe on Twitter?  On her blog and such for sure.  So I had to get this when I saw her.  Now, it sounded like a really interesting story, and I was excited to read it.  But, and this is the only bad thing about it, when I got started reading, I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first.  I just didn't think I'd like this cocky, arrogant soul collector named Dante.  But, as I had lots of time to read this on this past Saturday, enough so that I read the whole thing in one day, you can guess that eventually, and actually, pretty quickly, I was hooked.  I liked the way this Dante was pretty honest about what he was doing, and it wasn't like a "love at first sight" even though she was really dorky he could tell she was really cool and perfect for him.  That happens so often in books that it gets old really quick.  In fact I recently had to give up on a book that started like that.  This book was true and honest to what the characters would be like in my opinion.  And how totally dorky Charlie Cooper is?  Just perfect.  I actually felt a real connection with her, as I know I was that dorky in high school.  So, here is a summary of the story:
Dante Walker is a soul collector, one of only 6.  Basically he goes around putting seals on people's souls and once they get so many, he can collect the soul and they have no choice but to go to hell.  But people who have souls that aren't quite so full of the seals that come from sinning get a choice when they get there, and can often be chosen to go to heaven.  Dante has been given 10 days to collect the soul of a teen girl named Charlie Cooper.  This is something new, and Dante can't quite figure out why in the world his boss, guess who that is, would want this girl so bad.  While he's there working on her, he notices that some of these people are getting these pink sparkly seals on their souls, seals he's never seen before.  And not only that, he has this strange feeling that another Collector is stalking him.  And word from his best friend is that if he doesn't complete this job, the one that will also get Dante a promotion, one that will keep him from ever having to go back into hell, that there will be literally "hell" to pay.  The circle that Dante described as being made of ice.  Now Dante was a cool kid when he was alive, and so of course he can see how this Charlie is treated like she is by the other kids at her school.  But for some reason, he begins to feel protective of her.  He justifies it by telling himself that she is his to corrupt, not these other people's punching bag.  He at first thinks the pink sparkly seals must somehow be coming from Charlie, but soon learns that there are more mysteries in this world that his boss never let him in on.  And he had thought he was the right hand man.  As his 10 days draw to a close, Dante finds it harder and harder to want to complete this assignment, especially as he learns more about what the reasoning is behind it, and also gets to know Charlie and her friends and family more.
As I said, I read this in one day.  Yes, I did end up with lots of time to read on Saturday, but normally I might be interrupted by playing on the computer, watching tv, etc.  Not with this book though, any time I had, I read.  Anything on tv was background stuff.  I highly recommend this book if you haven't read it, and I can't wait to read on in the series!
And because you know I have to share, below I've got my picture with the author, as well as her autograph in my book.

The Lost Sun (The United States of Asgard #1) by Tessa Gratton

First, let me say that I got this ARC for free at the RT Convention Teen Day party at the beginning of May.  And second, let me say that if you are looking for an original teen book, I think this fits the bill.  Now, this book is quite a change from the other books I've read by this author, Blood Magic, and The Blood Keeper. While those were pretty much about magic, as you'd guess from their titles, this book is about viking mythology.  With the new Viking show on the History channel, that I hear is pretty good, this is the right time to bring out a book like this.
The main character is Soren Bearskin, and he was born to be a berserker like his father.  His father is famous for when he berserked in a crowded mall.  Soren doesn't know what set him off, and never will, because his father immediately ran into the guns of the police that were there when it happened and died.  So Soren tries to do what he can to keep the beserking from ever actually taking hold in himself.  Exercises, meditation, etc.  Even though he is now marked with a tattoo on his face so that everyone knows who he may become, he still wants to fight it.  A new girl comes to his boarding school, her name is Astrid Glyn and she is able to see the future, thanks to her gift from the goddess Freya.  And for some reason, she immediately connects with Soren.  Tragedy strikes their country when Baldur the beautiful, one of their gods, does not resurrect from his ashes as he is supposed to do every year.  But Astrid has a feeling, actually a dream that night, that made her believe he is alive somewhere.  And when the scientists find the evidence that those ashes were not Baldur's, a search begins.  And so Astrid takes Soren with her, to help ground her as she seeks the lost god.
I loved the take on this country that is basically America, but I'm guessing it is a bit of history retold, with the Vikings settling here and being more of the majority of people.  The names and sayings that are changed to fit the theme.  For example, the days of the week named after their gods, Tyrsday, Thorsday, Freyasday.  Instead of English, it is called Anglish.  And the names of places, South Lakota, Kansa, the White Hall instead of the White House.  Some of these were so clever I chuckled to myself as I read them.  There was even Christianity snuck in to the story/society in what was a very believable way in my opinion.  But along with the basic changes, there were still magical things.  The berserking, and future telling, and the fact that the gods were kind of real people, as well as that there are trolls in this world, those things kept it a magical new type of place to be, and kept the story interesting.
The only thing I kind of didn't like, is something I will agree with others on Goodreads about.  The cover.  I'm not a fan.  I'd rather see it more like the author's other cover for The Blood Keeper.  Maybe some kind of viking symbol or something.  But hey, the cover isn't horrible, just not what I'd pick first.  And even though I saw the author at the RT Convention, and got my book signed, I don't have a picture from then.  So I'll just share the picture of the autograph.

Ashen Winter (Ashfall #2) by Mike Mullin

I finally got around to reading this!  Not that I didn't want to, just the size of it I think kept me from picking it up when I had sooooooo many other books to read.  Not that I don't still have a ton, I just decided with our late March snow last weekend that a book like this was the right way to go.  Once I picked it up, it was a quick read, well as quick as I could get through an over 500 page book while teaching every day this week! Not to mention it seemed I had something to do every night this week and I didn't have a lot of nights that I was just sitting around reading.  Until last night, when I finished the last 100-150 pages.  Once I started it I really just wanted to sit and read and find out what happened next, and then after that, and then next, and how would it all end?  And it was another good book.
Okay, so if you read the first book, Ashfall, you know that there was a supervolcano explosion, in Yellowstone National Park.  From that explosion there were major changes.  It threw dust and ashes up into the air, and basically created winter.  It got colder as the sun was blocked out, plants began to die as they had no sunlight and the ash just cover them.  Our main character in this book is again Alex.  He and his new girlfriend Darla, although after all they've been through she is more than just a "girlfriend", found their way at the end of the first book to his uncle's house, where his parents and younger sister were supposed to be.  Only once they got there, they found his parents were gone, they had left to try to find him.  For awhile they stayed and worked on the farm.  The farm did okay because they were able to grow kale, which was good because kale had a lot of vitamin C, which many people need in this time of ashen winter.  In fact the seeds are so valuable, they can use them as money for things that need.  Help from a doctor, information, etc.
The farm gets attacked, and Alex recognizes one of the guns as one that was owned by his father.  So he and Darla follow after these men, called flensers, to find out where they got the gun.  Flensers, a disgusting new group of people, many different groups actually, that eat people.  They are cannibals.  They find out that the gun was traded to this group from a FEMA camp.  Well Alex and Darla remember what it was like to be in one of those camps.  Alex insists on going to find his parents.  He takes many packets of kale seeds.  They also remembered from crossing the river before that there had been a whole barge of wheat grains.  So they, Alex anyway, decides to try to go by there first to get some of the wheat so that they can plant that as well as the kale.  Unfortunately when they reach the barge it is now swarming with the military.  Alex insists that they try to get some wheat from the guard shack.  But the heist goes wrong, and Darla gets shot when they're on a bridge, and she falls off the bridge onto the top of a truck.  And now, Alex must find Darla too.
So he is now looking for not only his parents, but Darla too.  And when or if he finds his parents, will they want to help him find Darla?  Along the way he meets a girl named Alyssa and her autistic brother Ben, and rescues them from one of the Flenser groups.  But will they be able to fit in and  help Alex as well?

Such a good book.  You're on pins and needles all the way.  It's a great apocalyptic survival story, reminded me in some places of The Walking Dead in how much you got involved with the characters.  The author does such a great job with Alex's Tae Kwan Do skills.  And his portrayal of Ben, the autistic character is right on from my experience of the few autistic students I've had in the past.  You can see the way they do have their quirks, and you even smile at points where you can feel Alex's exasperation, but also Alex's learning patience with Ben, and even coming to be able to be a part of Ben's life.  I do love how Ben calls Alyssa his "sister unit".  A great read.  Lots of action, great characters, and even some sadness and heartbreak.  But now, I have to wait until 2014 to read the third book.  *Sad Face*  On a kind of interesting note, the first book in the series was the first e-galley I ever read from Netgalley.  I got an ARC of this one at BEA 2012.
Oh yeah, and I have to include my picture with the author from BEA last summer.  He is such a neat guy!  And you can tell how much he appreciates teachers from just talking to him, and mentioning that I was a teacher got him talking to me for quite a while!