Jay Kristoff has done it again! In LIFEL1K3, he brings us a fast-paced, action-packed, near-future post-apocalyptic adventure. The characters are amazing. They are realistic, witty, complex, and impossible not to fall in love with. Very strong characters. The world-building is outstanding! Kristoff really knows how to create a setting and flesh it out. This is truly a book to have it all with everything from humor and heart to tear-jerking moments, some romance, plenty of action and science fiction, and all the twists you could possible imagine that will blow your mind. This is a book that will make you think and have you at the edge of your seat - all at the same time! Prepare for the next best young adult novel. Be sure to check this one out asap!!

Jay writes some pretty interesting tales, usually with lots of high stakes on the line. I really liked this sci-fi tale he whipped up this time. I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this in my head. Can’t wait for more

"He gave us life, but he intended us to live it on our knees."

So well done! This book was thought provoking, tear-inducing, all out entertaining, full of humor and heart, with a plot twist to end all plot twists. Definitely worth every star. Im still trying to wrap my head around everything, as it pertains to our life as a society and what we ARE doing with advancements in technology. My heart is with Eve forever.

"In between the pages I'm not myself - and more myself than any other place on earth."

If you love Anastasia retellings, Heart of Iron anyone?? Then this is another book just for you.

"Tasting her fear and swallowing it whole"

Eve has rotten luck: she loses her match in the WarDome against a rogue bot, finds a LifeLike robot that seems to know her, has The Brotherhood (evil cult), a bounty hunter, and other LifeLike's breathing down her neck. All with seemingly ulterior methods.

"Tasted ashes. Ashes and lies."

The characters were my three favorite things: witty, snarky, and morally grey at the best of times.

They were friends and united (until something-something happens at the end, how dare you break my heart like that Mr. Kristoff *clutches SOUL because it wants to leave me now*). Lemon Fresh was refreshing ;) and for the first however many pages, I kept thinking that can't be her name?? Why is she going by Lemon Fresh or someone should really speak to her mother about this ... but then you find out the story behind it and it'll destroy your tiny heart, so beware. I loved Cricket, the loyal "don't call me little" misshapen robot. and Eve and Zeke. and especially sweet Kaiser, a robot dog with a unwavering heart.

"We use our secret weapon"
"Is this secret weapon inside? What's it look like?"
"About five foot two. Red hair. Freckles. Kind of cute."
"... This secret weapon of yours sounds disturbingly familiar, Dimples"

And I can't say anything else without revealing one of the lovely evil little plot twist coming your way. So read and enjoy! Mr. Kristoff has delivered another stunning series debut!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“‘It’s simple to love someone on the days that are easy.
But you find out what your love is made of on the days that are hard.”

“It’s Romeo & Juliette meets Mad Max meets X-Men, with a little bit of Blade Runner cheering from the sidelines”
–> That, my friends, is how this novel was pitched and I mean.. can you imagine anything living up to those bold expectations??

Because Jay Kristoff can.

LIFE L1K3 totally met my expectations and was so engaging, from start to finish.

This was my first novel by Jay Kristoff (will NOT be my last) and I have to say… I have been utterly impressed with the brilliance of his writing. He has such sneaky little ways of alluding to other works of literature and historical events. Pretty much any name that you read, of a character, location, etc.. has not been chosen without significant thought put into it. And as an educator–I always appreciate little tidbits like this in novels that can be used to spark conversations between people in regards to literature and history. The entire plot of LIFE L1K3 is a giant nod to an interesting piece of history– see if you can find those nuggets of reference!

It’s hard to describe the plot much differently than the synopsis above because there are just so many little twists and turns that would be considered spoilers. The pace of the plot does not slow down for the entire duration of the novel, and I absolutely loved that. Want to talk about action-packed?! You have battles between giant robots, shoot-outs, hand-to-hand combat, massive explosions, underwater escapades, a car chase through a ‘natural’ disaster…. I could go on and on. This was so very different from other SFF books I have read, in such a good way! All the comparisons you have seen people make with this book are all just perfect–X-Men, Mad Max, Fallout, Blade Runner, etc..

The action wasn’t the only thing driving this storyline though. This novel was so heavy on strong characters that make you just fall in love with them. But be warned–I had heard before that ‘no character was safe’ with Jay Kristoff–and that is SO true. Brace yourself and don’t be surprised when you find your eyes leaking all the tears all over your ereader/book.

Evie— Eveis a strong, compassionate young woman who has went through some extremely difficult things in her life. You can typically find her accessorized with her high-voltage baseball bat named Excalibur and accompanied by her sidekicks– Lemon, Cricket, and Kaiser.

Lemon Fresh–yes, her name is Lemon Fresh!!–is the most fiercely loyal and badass best friend a girl could ever ask for. Their friendship was so beautiful and meant more to me emotionally than the romance that is presented in the novel. She has short, cherry red hair and freckles and provides the best comedic relief to the novel by way of her quirky humor and no-filter sass. Honestly, I wish we would get a novel about Lemon’s life because I am so attached to her personality.

Ezekiel— Evie and Lemon stumble across some wreckage in the scrap where Ezekiel (Zeke, as we come to often call him) is found lying injured among the rubble. Zeke is a lifelike.. a special type of andriod/bot that has perfectly-human features and… does not have to abide by the three laws that bind other robots (which can be a very dangerous thought!). Zeke is SO likable… I instantly loved him and he really added a lot of philosophical conversation to the novel.

Cricket— This little bot was created by Evie’s grandfather in order to be her companion who will keep her safe and out of trouble. Cricket is a tiny little guy (but do not say that to his face!) with a big heart and a lot of spunk.

Kaiser— I’m a sucker for a loyal pup… such a sucker! I immediately fell in love with Kaiser. He is a unique type of bot that uses organic matter and his type of bot–a blitzhund–is designed to protect their human(s) and come equipped with an explosive unit that is very much a self-destruct-type weapon.

Another thing that I loved that I cannot go without mentioning–the slang usage in this novel! Because this is, in many ways, a post-apocalyptic type novel, presenting a nation that is very different from our current, locations have new names, different names are used for things, and the colloquial slang is so fun! I laughed out loud at some of the things that Evie and Lemon said.

Whew! That ending though…. I really didn’t see that coming at all, although, in hindsight, I should have. LIFE L1K3 has one of those endings that leaves you thinking ‘ahh, well this changes everrryythinggg” and desperately needing the next installment. This will absolutely be a series that I continue with and I now need to go purchase everything Kristoff has ever published (that’s not a joke..).


“It wasn’t possible to live in a world like this without being scared, she knew that. And beign afraid was okay sometimes–fear was what stopped the Bad Thing eating you. But she realized it wasn’t being frightened that had cost her the things she loved. It was becoming paralyzed by it…

…It was okay to be afraid.”





Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Jay Kristoff for providing me with a DRC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lifelike is not my first Jay Kristoff book, so I knew I would like it, but I was surprised by how connected I felt to the characters. Evie is a badass (something I am UNfamiliar with) but very relatable. The story is non-stop action sprinkled with a little romance and incredible friendship. I was forced to stretch the way I view a lot of things. This was such an atypical response for me to have to a science fiction story. My heart was pounding from the adventure and bursting from the feels.

I will try to write a more comprehensive review later.

What's not to love about Lifel1k3?!? It is a fast paced, action packed futuristic adventure with plenty of Kristoff's characteristic snark, unique characters and stories. Think of this book as part Mad Max meets The Terminator meets Paradise Lost meets Bladerunner with a big dose of Romeo and Juliet!

I can't express just how much I enjoyed this read. Eve is a fascinating character as are Lemo, Ezekiel and the much beloved Cricket.

A big thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review :0)

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

3.5 stars. I had a hard time deciding what to rate this book. There were elements that I thought were really cool. This book is like post-apocalyptic cyberpunk. There were things about it that reminded me of Terminator, Mad Max, iRobot, and Blade Runner, with the Romanovs and a little Pinocchio thrown in there too. It is so many things all put together and for the most part it works, but the romance kind of ruined parts of it for me. Now I'm a person who generally likes romance in the books I read, but in this case the main romance was too instant - not to mention it also begins when the main character is only 15 years old. Then on top of that there is another romance in the book that becomes, in my opinion, a weak catalyst that finally sets off a rebellion.

Then there were some inconsistencies in the book. The one that comes to mind first is during a pursuit through a glass storm (it's a sandstorm where the sand has melted into glass). One character is driving a large vehicle that is severely buffeted by the storm and his skin is being shredded by the glass. Then there are other characters that are on motorcycles that seem to be having no problem at all getting through the storm and they don't seem to have a mark on them. I could add more examples, but you get the point.

I do need to mention here that I loved the characters in this book. They were one of the best parts of the book. My favorite was definitely Lemon Fresh. She reminded me a lot of Kensi from Lost Girl in personality, and well, everything. My only complaint about the characters would be the antagonists. The main antagonist did not feel all that scary to me. He came off as a spoiled brat, and except in flashbacks, he doesn't appear until near the end of the book. I understand his motivation even though I feel like what drove him to finally act could have been something better, but I really couldn't get behind the complete personality change of a couple of the others who joined him. Then there was the bounty hunter who is sent after Eve. Trying to kill him was seriously like trying to kill a cockroach. He just wouldn't die. And he wasn't even really an important part of the story.

There were a few twists in the book but I don't think any of them are all that surprising. The only thing that surprised me was the choice Eve makes at the very end. With that rather surprising ending I feel like I need to read the next book in the series. Overall I liked the post-apocolyptic, sci-fi-ish aspects of this book, that, the characters, and the whole conscious A. I. aspect of it is what kept me reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for giving me a copy of this book.

Wow! I absolutely loved this YA post-apocalyptic science- fiction adventure. Jay Kristoff has gained a new fan. Looking forward to digging into more of his work. Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for generously providing me an advanced reader copy.

I have loved so many of Jay Kristoff's books. Every single one is a whole new ride. LifeL1k3 was no different. I absolutely loved this book. It grabbed me by the seat of my pants, and never let go. From the beginning, you are thrown into the story, and it slowly unravels before you. I really enjoyed the characters, and I loved the dynamics between the humans and the robots. There were times that I felt like it was predictable, but in the end I think it was intentional. I can't give anything else away for fear of spoilers, but I cannot wait for the next book!!

LIFEL1K3, by author Jay Kristoff, is the first installment in the authors Lifelike trilogy. LIFEL1K3 is set in a post-apocalyptic USA. 2 years ago, there was an uprising by a robotic segment of the populace called Lifelike created by a company known as Gnosis Labs. Our main protagonist is 17-year old Eve Carpenter who builds robotic gladiators so she can earn credits to help her sick Grandpa, who is her last remaining family member. As the story opens, she has a streak of winning 8 straight in what's called the Wardome against various robots of various makes and models.

Unfortunately, things go downhill pretty quickly when her gladiator, Miss Combobulations, is destroyed and almost winds up being killed herself; except that she manages to stop the looming robot with the power of her mind and a raging scream. With various factions, including the Brotherhood, the Preacher, and corporations like Daedalus after her, Eve, her bestie Lemon Fresh, Cricket, her robot voice of reasoning, Kaiser, a cyborg dog who is a fierce and protective of Eve, and Ezekiel, a Lifelike who she found in a scrap heap & who may have a history with Eve, end up on a Max Max like action packed adventure back to the place where Eve's story began.

Eve is an interesting character. She has only one eye. She wears a fauxhawk haircut, and is bloody brilliant when it comes to robotics. Along the way, Eve discovers that her memories may not be all that clear. Not everything is what she has thought it to be. There are pieces of the puzzle missing. It is a journey of discovery, of heartbreak, of family and of making her own choices regardless of how those choices might affect others. Lemon is a wonderful character as well. Quite possibly the best lines in the entire book come from her, including parts when they meet a kraken. I definitely look forward to her next phase in this series.

"This is a story that features Giant Mechanical War Machines. Sexah Androids. Mutant Powers. Doomed Romance. Warring Corporations. Cybernetic Bounty Hunters. Sassy Robot Sidekicks. Rebellions. Chases. Escapes. Betrayals. Lies Upon Lies. Splosions." The author claims the book was pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Bladerunner, while Fury Road plays a guitar solo in the background. Yep, pretty much a whole lot of badassery!

This book will mess with your mind with various flashbacks of Eve's past. This book will mess with your mind when you come to the ending and the author smacks you upside head with a hammer to prove that he is one twisted bloke. This book is amazing, action packed, stunning, and one that includes a wonderfully written friendship between Eve and Lemon Fresh. "Stronger together, together forever." This is a book that is filled with twists, and surprises, and has been called an origin story, but not in the way you are thinking.

But, wait until you reach the ending. After reading the summary on a certain site, I now understand what the author's intention was and what readers can expect for the next two installments. Up until the ending, I was curious as to what would happen next. I felt as though I've been hit by a runaway train named Jay Kristoff, and things will only get more intense, more twisted, and more complex thanks to Jay's top notched world building and character development.

"Your body is not your own.Your mind is not your own.Your life is not your own."

For real, that was less Romeo & Juliet meets The Terminator, as the blurb says, than it was Westworld meets the Russian Revolution (with heavy Tank Girl influences.) It was crazy, in the best possible way. I was genuinely intrigued by Jay Kristoff's narrative choices throughout the book, and tho I didn't necessarily like the ending, assuming this is the first book in a series, I'm okay with the general idea of having it end on an "oh fuck, that was bad, what happens next?" note. I just wish that Mr Kristoff had given us a Star War before an Empire Strikes Back, to ease us into it.

Anyway, seventeen year-old Eve Carpenter is eking out a living as a mech-gladiator in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, earning credsticks to buy medicine for her ailing grandfather, Silas. Her best friend is Lemon Fresh, a fifteen year-old orphan Silas took in off the streets. Her other loyal companions are a robot named Cricket and a blitzhund -- mostly construct, inherently canine -- named Kaiser. When the girls and their robots go to loot a plane crash in order to earn more credsticks, they find far more than they bargained for in the form of a handsome android whose appearance stirs up memories that will upend Eve's entire life and identity.

This is a universe in which Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics apply... until the day they don't. Mr Kristoff riffs effortlessly off of all sorts of cultural references as he builds a gonzo adventure which eschews the simpering prissiness of a lot of popular YA novels that feature female heroines. Eve and Lemon are ride or die loyal to one another, sharing a bond and a sense of humor that anyone with a bestest can relate to. The hot android is definitely a love interest but he doesn't automatically become the center of Eve's universe, which is super refreshing. And I'm still chewing over that ending! I did not see the twist coming at all, and I'm totally freaked out by what happened after, to the point where I'm not even sure if I'm mad about it. All I know is that I'm definitely reading the sequel, and I'm kinda hoping Lemon is acknowledged as the real heroine of the piece, because she is a rolling badass and my favorite (and because I definitely identify with her more than with Eve. Her "tell me honestly" question to Zeke made me crack up far more than I should have.)

And the language choices! Sumptuous, true cert'. Future slang can sometimes feel forced, especially when it's teen slang, especially when it's oft repeated as is the way of slang and teens, but this was really well done. If I had more time in my life, I'd look up more of Mr Kristoff's work, because he is really good at this writing thing and I admire very much what he's done here. When's the sequel come out? I wants it. In the meantime, regardless of what I just said, I've bought a copy of The Illuminae Files THAT I WILL NEVER HAVE THE TIME TO READ OH WELL.

Lifelike is set in a frighteningly near-future post-apocalyptic world in which human-looking androids, "Lifel1k3s", have been outlawed and the US is in a terrifying state. In a crazy, but AMAZING combination of science fiction, romance, action, and mind-f*ckery, Lifel1k3 is not one to be missed.

with a truly terrific and yet somehow realistic cast of characters, Mr. Kristoff weaves a tale of what it truly means to be human, while also simultaneously making us want to puke (because blood and gore), and gasp (because...you know, plot twists?).

Lifelike is a start to a new series. And what a truly right out of the gate action-packed, yet moving, and relevant story it has been.

I received a free copy of this book from the NetGalley. I had the opportunity to review or not.

What happens when the three laws of robotics change? Eve might know. Right now, she is busy driving a battle robot. Together with her best friend, Lemon Fresh, her little robot, Cricket, and her Grandpa, she lives in a scrap yard. Her grandpa is a genius when it comes to robotics and she has learned almost everything he knows.

Unfortunately, Eve loses the battle but shows an incredible talent trying to keep from dying in the process. She unleashes a powerful burst of electricity and destroys the battle robot that would have destroyed her. From that moment on her life becomes one danger after another as she tries to put together the pieces of her life. Memories, dreams, forgotten experiences invade her thoughts. Robots start popping up everywhere as she recovers from losing her robotic battle. One says he’s there to save her, some are there to kill her, and some human scavengers try to steal from her and kill her. Amidst all the turmoil Eve and her family try to save themselves by running. But they can’t escape the all-seeing eyes of AI.

I was not prepared to love LIFEL1K3. There were even moments near the beginning when I wasn't entirely sure that I was into it. But soon, I got sucked in and could not put this book down. It was everything I wanted it to be without having known what I was getting into.

LIFEL1K3 is the type of book that when you set it down, you start to feel anxious and don't understand why, until you realize you're just desperate to get back to reading. Where you want to savor every word but also read as quickly as possible to find out what happens to the characters. I fell in love with Eve and her crew, Lemon Fresh especially, Cricket the robot, and even Ezekiel. As somebody who read Asimov in her teens, I loved the incorporation of the Three Laws and the exploration of them.

The book opens with action, and it almost doesn't let up the entire time, but in the best way possible. There are quiet moments, and flashbacks, but even those moments are emotionally gripping in a way that physical action (fight or chase scenes) can't always be. LIFEL1K3 doesn't pull its punches, and I was constantly surprised. It didn't always feel like the most smoothly told story, between the flashbacks and point of view switches, but it worked very well for the general gritty vibe of the book.

Behind the straight up crazy action packed plot, there are questions such as, what does it mean to love, what is real, and how do you define family? It's the kind of writing that makes a book stick with you when you're done, because not only is it super fun and exciting to read, but it also makes you think.

I'm not going to reveal too many details about LIFEL1K3, because I want you to be able to be surprised by it as well. I'm just going to wholeheartedly recommend this amazing story full of homicidal robots, fascinating questions about humanity, and a girl who just wants to live her life, but instead gets so much more than she bargained for.

Oh, I loved this book. From the first page, I was so completely into this that I didn't want to do anything else but read. I actually stopped reading another book to read this one and this one blew me away so much that the other one? Let's just say it paled so much in comparison that I never was able to finish it (sorry, Shotgun Grandma).

I will say that the author completely infuriated me with one choice. YOU DID NOT HAVE TO GO THERE! However...he can make it up to me next book.

Oh, and as for the way it ends? Devious and delicious. I want the next book now. Even if he doesn't fix that HORRIBLE THING HE DID with that one character. I'll still read the next book. (But I know he's going to fix it.)

Outstanding fiction! I want more.

Two things up front: I think ‘LIFEL1K3’ is a great novel, essentially a sci-fi novel, and I think readers might either just love it or hate it. Not much in between. And I have to say just a few things about it right before/on release day, even though there have been so many reviews and I already know that this wild and crazy book by the behemoth (in more than one way) Jay Kristoff will be a success no matter what.



The success of the Illuminae Files (written with Amie Kaufmann), and the books ‘Nevernight‘ and ‘Godsgrave’, immediately meant that ‘LIFEL1K3’, once announced, was on everyone’s TBR lists and getting preordered right out the gate. But I think so many books (especially by big name YA authors) are getting pre-judged based on hype, so I really want to try and write about the book I read; ‘LIFEL1K3’ seems to be one of those books that will have people buying ahead, and I hope the right readers are there for it.



The thing that Kristoff does so very well is world-building, and from the time you open the book until long after you finish it, you are thrust into a post-apocalyptic Earth that barely resembles the one we live on today. Kalifornya is now called Dregs and is (surprise) an island after the big Quake, and has split from the the rest of the Grande Ol’ Yousay. There has been War 4.0 and the land is desolate, scrap piles of piles of metal and junk lay waste where gangs try and salvage what they can for weapon parts or for machina building. The environment has now become so blisteringly hot, that it’s dangerous to be out in sun without protective clothing let alone SPF (what’s that now?). Real food is the thing of the past, and now Neo-Meat (trade-marked, I might add), that comes in a can is what humans must subsist on: salty colon, anyone?



But this is all small fry when it comes to the entirety of the world that Jay has created; he has created a whole way of speaking for this book, new words (how does he come up with all this stuff?), and envisioned humans living in a future with not only robots, androids, but also a type of more human-droid called (naturally) LIFEL1K3s. They are so real in terms of how similar they are to humans, it’s frightening, but with advanced abilities to heal.



This is the crux of the story. The merry band of characters that Kristoff has centered the novel around: Eve, Cricket, Lemon Fresh, Kaiser (a mechanical dog, a blitzhund), meet Ezekiel, a LIFEL1K3, who tells Evie that she is actually Ana, and everything goes crazy from that point onwards. It starts with giant bot fights and that isn’t the craziest part of the book. There is so much action in this book that it’s hard to describe too much, but given that readers will be largely from a YA audience, and that they will be met with a major amount of science fiction, they may be surprised at how it does not slow down; once you are in, you must commit to a sci-fi novel. I really feel like it’s less YA, and intensely post-apocalyptic and science-fiction. There is definitely romance in this book, and a plot line where ‘Lil Evie’ is tryin to come to terms with her identity and her past, but while you can take a breather more easily with the Illuminae Files, thanks to the format, this is far more immersive. Kristoff has done a fantastic job at making the reader feel entirely swept up into this world; just like the characters who are stuck in their fates, the reader must stay entirely absorbed to grasp everything going on.



I’d say that ‘LIFEL1K3’ is a book like nothing I’ve read before and it leaves you feeling a little bit chewed up and breathless. And with a major cliffhanger. I will expect that some readers may feel like that wasn’t what they were expecting but if you go along for the ride you will have read some genius.

Lifelike is a dark and dirty, gritty and violent tale filled with bots, machines, radiation, and garbage. And those are the just the best parts. It’s also an interesting look into humanity and creation and how, at least in this case, the machines often have more humanity than some of the humans involved.

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland once known as Kalifornya, Eve, her best friend Lemon, and her grandpa are just trying to survive. Money is hard to come by as is food, clean water, and shelter from the blaring sun and the ever-present radiation that surrounds seemingly everything. Eve makes a living fighting machines and robots, making quite a name for herself as Riotgrrl. Previously undefeated, her last fight is the one that brings her streak to a close and threatens to out her as an abnorm — a person who’s acquired certain powers possibly as a side effect from the radiation. Abnorms aren’t something deemed desirable and not only does Eve have rival gangs and scavengers already on her tail on a daily basis, anyone who watches the fights in the WarDome will have seen what Eve has done. And that’s pretty much everyone because WarDome is a big deal ‘round those parts.

Kristoff absolutely blew me away with this first installment of his new trilogy and took me completely by surprise. The first 1/3 had me thinking it was a tame story of friendship and family and love, but things turned rather dark rather quickly. Yes, this is a story of friendship, but not without betrayal. Yes, this does have a fair bit of romance, but don’t expect flowers and sweet words. Instead, expect backstabbing and murder and violence, because that’s exactly what you’ll get.

My favorite aspect, aside from this dark and gritty wasteland setting, is the interesting look into humanity and how, more often than not, humans can lose the qualities that make them human by trying to create and control and gain power, and I liked how that mirrored parts of our own world, especially in today’s climate. For the most part the machines, especially Cricket, were more sympathetic to the human plight than the humans themselves, which is definitely ironic considering the machines were created by the humans. And as far as the Lifelikes go, I couldn’t help but feel for them, irrespective of the atrocities involved.

The characters were just as dynamic and brilliant as the world in Lifelike, and I absolutely adored the friendship between Eve and her bestest, Lemon. I’m a sucker for strong friendships in books and even more so when the friendships are between two strong females who support one another and never try to bring the other down, and that’s exactly what Eve and Lemon represented. But I have to say, one of my favorite characters was the Preacher. Not only is he a bad dude, but he reminded me so much of The Saint of Killers from the Preacher comics, who I also adore. Suffice it to say, I loved all the characters. The good, the bad, the synthetic, the machina, and the humans.

Bottom line — I loved the heck out of this book and can’t wait to see what the next installment brings Eve and her merry band of misfits. Highly recommended and I’ll be anxiously and impatiently waiting for the next book. All the fizzy stars.

*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley.

Who is truly human?

LifeLike feels like a mashup of Mad Max, Terminator, Total Recall, and various mythologies. It’s really written for the younger generations with its constant use of slang and incomplete sentences, using repetition and terseness to convey urgency. LifeLike reads almost like a stream of consciousness, especially when the POV is Eve. Although the POV switches, the book is mainly told from Eve’s POV… and yet at the same time, it’s LemonFresh who completely steals the show. I loved, loved, loved LemonFresh’s perspective and personality. In many ways, she made a better heroine than Eve.

While it was hard to get into the book, in part because the world-building is a bit hit-and-miss, once I delved in far enough, I didn’t want to put the book down. I wanted to see what came of Eve’s powers and how she would reconnect with Silas and the lifelikes.

This was almost a five-star book for me. After I got past the beginning, I was invested and I was totally willing to suspend my disbelief… Hey, I watch anime and Marvel movies, so I’m used to unbelievable action. However, certain events were just too disconnected without sufficient emotion, motivation, or characterization shown. There were just too many cons to make this a five-star for me. I’m hoping the rest of the series will make up for that. So I’m giving it four stars, wishing it had been five stars and holding out hope.

Pros: LemonFresh. Good energy, a plot that sucks you in just wanting to see what happens. Lots of original ideas – gotta love the kraken – we need those now! LemonFresh. A lot of fun action and suspense. Great to see kids allowed to try and fail without adults, while accepting help from adults at times, so that the adults are not protrayed as stereotypical stupid adults. LemonFresh. Good conversation openers about racism, redemption, and recycling. Yep, way cool recycling in LifeLike.

Cons: The heroine was unlikeable; I don’t know if that was by design or by accident. Inconsistencies, including reactions to radiation, glass storms, tremendous amounts of physical damage, etc. The ending coming totally out of the blue and not in a good way. Implied out-of-the-blue casual sex with insufficient motivation. Not enough background for characters or world-building.

Would I read the next book? Definitely. I hope so much was left out because so much more will be in the next books. And LemonFresh calls to me.

LIFEL1K3 is a heart-pounding non-stop-action sci-fi novel with multiple unexpected plot twists and suspense-filled situations. The setting is the future where cyborgs, robots and androids are commonplace, The main character Eve has had a share of her own body modifications. After a near fatal gun shot to the head, she has had a series of chips inserted into her skull that help her remember her childhood.

When I initially picked up the novel, I did not think I'd like it. I was afraid it would be too sci-fi for me. However, a few pages in, I was hooked. Eve and her sidekicks Lem, Kaiser and Cricket are likable, hilarious and just plain fun to watch. Thus, the novel has an engaging and interesting plot and a great cast of characters.

I also loved the nod to the legend of the miraculously saved Romanov princess Anastasia. If you are not familiar with the story, the last Russian emperor, his wife and five children were brutally murdered and dumped in an abandoned mine in Siberia by the bolsheviks in 1918. Over the years, there were countless rumors that the youngest girl Anastasia miraculously survived and lived under an alias in the West. The last name of the main character in Kristoff's book - Monrova - is an anagram of Romanov. Her name is Ana - short for Anastasia. The father's name is Nicholas and he keeps referring to her as "Princess". The names of the other siblings also closely match the Romanovs': Olga (Olivia in the novel), Tatyana (Tania), Mary (Marie) and the boy Alexey (Alex in the book). Ana's childhood was spent in what she refers to as a modern-day palace. She was sheltered from the outside world and basked in luxury until a tragedy occurred that led to the murder of her entire family.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. 5 out of 5 stars. I received an e-ARC from Netgalley.