Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Truelife" by Jay Kristoff. With this series, I liked each successive book less, unfortunately. The first one had tons of crazy twists, but some of those twists changed this so drastically the next couple books lost some of what made the first one so good—especially with Eve's character. In the second one, Lemon's storyline made up for what Eve's inevitably lacked. In this third one, I didn't feel like there was any solid main storyline for me to grab onto. Everything felt really haphazard and busy. If you just throw more bombs and robot battles into the mix just because, I just get bored. I do love, LOVE Grimm and Lemon, though. SO MUCH. I just found most of this story skimmable. This may have worked better as a duology, quite frankly.

This was the finale I was hoping for. TRUEL1F3 is a story that starts off running and never slows down. It was filled with action, danger and suspense.

This story is complex and has a lot going on compared to the other two books in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy. I was intrigued to learn more about BioMass and Daedalus in this book. They are twisted and make the Brotherhood seem not as terrifying.

With so many things happening at once I loved how well Jay Kristoff did in utilizing different character perspectives to help propel the story along quickly and to keep you constantly wanting to find out what would happen next. That’s not always the case when there are various narrators but Kristoff always uses multiple perspectives so seamlessly. Although, I wouldn’t have minded reading the entire book from Lemon or Cricket’s perspectives because I love those two characters so much.

I really enjoyed this book and it made me want to reread the entire series again. Without giving too much away with specifics I can say there was a whole lot of sarcastic commentary, fighting, betrayal, grief, and hope. Ultimately, this book was about deciding what or who is most worth fighting for.

To be honest, I kind of feel like this series has been going downhill from the start.

I...didn't really love this book. There were parts I enjoyed, like Cricket as a character and the idea of the CityHive, and Lemon and Grimm's relationship. But there were major things that I really take issue with, so here goes.

Primarily, I take issue with the morality in this book. This whole series is about a new generation of robot who aren't beholden to any human master, and their quest to free all other robots from that enslavement. It includes a war between two mega-corporations, BioMaas (bio-engineers who seek to improve and perfect nature) and Daedalus (a tech company that produces new robots and VR software?). This is going to very spoilery, but I don't know how else to explain this.

BioMaas kidnaps Lemon in order to harvest her DNA and make clones to use as weapons. Their entire ecosystem runs on a series of clones, who are perfected to perform their tasks. Morally problematic, to be sure, but the main criticism the book has is that they aren't human, that they're too odd and too the same. That is, until the Directors of BioMaas inexplicably state that they plan on killing everyone else besides BioMaas clones for...reasons? Because they're inferior, I guess?

Similarly, Daedalus Technologies kidnaps Eve and tortures (and eventually tries to kill) her to gain access to new tech and to gain information about Lemon. They are criticized in the book for using a society of exploited workers as their labor source, but hey, at least they aren't planning on committing genocide, I guess.

Finally, we have Eve, Gabriel, and the other Lifelikes up in Babel, who plan on releasing the libertas virus in order to release all robots from their obligations to humans and also to create new Lifelikes because Gabriel wants his dead girlfriend back. Problematic that they, too, kill humans with abandon, but again, suddenly we know they're bad because Gabriel, again, inexplicably wants to kill all humans because he believes robots to be superior. (Sensing a repetition yet?)

So our main gang decides it's acceptable to LITERALLY NUKE THE SHIT out of both BioMaas and Babel (remember how it's the bad guys who want to commit genocide? what then, pray tell, is this that our "heroes" have chosen to do) and that they're allying themselves with... the company that expoits huge numbers of people for labor and *checks notes* the religious zealots who lynch people they don't like. Cool cool cool cool cool.

Beyond this utter nonsense, we also have characters flipping sides with abandon for very little reason at the drop of a hat, and everyone is just okay with that? (I'm talking here about both Eve and Preacher, who are both forgiven repeatedly for killing A Bunch of people). I honestly feel like Kristoff had a decent enough start to this series, but not enough of a clear vision of where it was going to execute it well. A lot of the plot points feel like they come out of nowhere and I struggled to find much reliability in any of the characters for precisely that reason. This book strongly lacked the "why". Why were the characters acting the way they were? I was never quite sure.

If you're looking for good YA Sci-Fi, there's loads more out there (you don't even have to leave Kristoff's works -- the Illuminae Files are truly excellent). Head somewhere else instead of picking this trilogy up.

I had such high hopes for this trilogy, but while I love this author and the first book, I felt slightly let down by the second and this one. The cliffhanger ending of the previous book left me waiting on the edge of my seat, but that was too quickly resolved at the start of this final book. Our characters are back, but still more divided then the first where I enjoyed seeing their bonds and playing off each other. I didn't like the newer characters as much as the original group. However, this book still has plenty of surprises, twists, and shocking moments, along with the wry humor and fantastical sci-fi setting which make this trilogy still a stand out in the genre. If you like sci-fi, apocalyptic stories, robots, biotech, and exploring what ifs when it comes to advancing technology, the you'll enjoy this series. The characters are funny and the plot is constantly shifting to keep you reading to see what comes next.

In true Kristoff fashion, this book was epic and enthrawling with amazingly unique characters. The ending was just what you would expect from him, you know, a beautifuly packaged present all tied up with a pretty bow, mostly. *wink*

I didn't love LIFEL1K3, I was all in with DEV1AT3 and I fully enjoyed the conclusion with TRUEL1F3. I don't know what else to say without spilling all the goods. Let's just leave it with, if you love Kristoff stories, loved this series and its characters, you will probably be quite happy with how this badass story ends.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Knopf Books for this eGalley in excnage for an honest review. Trust me, you'll be glad I didn't write more.

TRUEL1F3, the third book in the epic post-apocalyptic rock and roll ballad that is the Lifelike trilogy provides one of the most satisfyingly badass series enders in recent memory. In this third installment, a reckoning is upon the humans of Yousay with Gabriel and his remaining siblings closer to their goal of annihilation. To stop them, the team must come together and fight for each other and humanity’s survival. I enjoyed this book tremendously, love the voice and Kristoff Slang™, and cheered on the redemption arcs (and deserved endings) to those who needed them.

Those looking for queer characters and representation, I'm afraid this isn't the trilogy you're looking for. But for those looking for a romantic adventure with characters who scream off the page, now is the time to read this trilogy.

Speaking of characters, Lemon Fresh stole the show for me, demonstrating that being different doesn’t mean you don’t belong. Themes of identity, friendship, family, and love all come together under the radiation sky for this fast-paced, action-filled science fiction adventure.

Huge thanks for the publisher for providing an eARC of this book!

3/5

Overall, this ending felt very rushed and we weren't given enough time or reason to believe certain characters motivations.
While I really enjoyed the first two installments, they both followed the same basic structure, fast beginning, a little bit of a lull, explosive ending.
This one just didn't live up to my expectations.

Lemon and Cricket were the only characters I really cared about at this point, but Eve's magical wake up call really rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like Kristoff realized the mess he had made but had no other way to fix it.

I think that most others will really enjoy this one, but as I've been sitting on my feelings about it for a few days, I've come to realize that I wasn't as satisfied with the ending as I originally thought I was.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

The beginning of the end, where it all converges, as Eve, Gabriel, and Faith aim to use Ana to unravel the three laws and unleash an unbound Logika revolution upon the planet. The two dystopic corporations Biomaas and Daedalus Technologies have brought the world to the brink of disaster, and LemonFresh aims to uncover Biomaas's true intentions. Eve and Lemon both face a reckoning in their friendship and who they really are as the fight to decide whether humanity's dominance over the Logika and Lifelike will remain, or whether a new future will be unveiled with unbounded robots at the helm. You can't make a mint julep without crushing some ice, so get ready for the true cert climax of the millennium, where what matters isn't what you are, but who you choose to be.⁣
⁣
These characters have had such incredible arcs throughout this trilogy. Protagonists have become antagonists. Antagonists have become partners. Alliances have shifted, hearts have been broken, and realities have been shattered. In this last installment, questions of identity, free will, and purpose come to light, and the characters we already know and love have to determine who they really want to be, because the chips are down, and they're deep in the fertilizer. I loved how Eve and Lemon's friendship gets put to the test, and that Cricket, Ezekiel, and Grimm are willing to put everything on the line for what they care about. With this being a Kristoff finale, you know you're in for some anguish, and you also know at the end there's a cherry on top. TRUEL1F3 does not disappoint, and I'm thrilled that I was able to ride along to the very end of this post-apocalyptic ride!⁣

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 /5 ⁣

This was the third installment of this series. I did not read the first 2 and that was to my detriment because I got LOST. I really wish I had done more research about the books before this because I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Nevertheless it was a fun read and quite an adventure. The characters were likeable yet flawed, but since I saw it towards the end, it felt like it didn't wrap up as well as it could have. Most of the characters i truly didn't have a handle on because of how brief they were showed here.

Again this is all my fault because I didn't read the first 2. As a standalone book, this one just doesn't work. But as a trilogy, it probably does!

This entire series was SO good!!!! I'll be completely honest, I have yet to read a Jay Kristoff book that I did not give 5 stars to.

This dystopian world that Kristoff has created feels like something that could very easily happen in the future. He did such a good job at creating a world that was both fictional and completely believable. The characters were full of personality and growth. Not gonna lie, I was attached enough to shed some tears.

Overall, this was a well done series and I LOVED it.

GREAT BOOK.

I’m so excited I received an eARC of this book because I have been anxiously awaiting the finale. It was stellar.

So much happened in this book y’all. Sooooo much. I was amazed at how much was fit into a book less than 500 pages. A ton of action, changes in point-of-view and locations, drama, it’s all there. At times I thought there was no way that everything could be wrapped up properly. I was happily surprised that everything did! I don’t remember having any major plot holes that weren’t filled or questions answered. I got the ending I was after, which is always a good sign.

I love that this series really transferred to being about Lemon Fresh. I loved her as a heroine. Sassy and fiery with incredible amounts of bravery and resilience. It was fantastic and fit into the young adult category well. I enjoyed getting to know many new characters and getting a lot of POVs. I like seeing all sides to the story and this really helped create that scenario.

Even characters I had a hard time loving [Eve and Preacher] to name a few had some redeeming moments throughout. I was impressed with the writing and would expect nothing less from Kristoff. I continue to return to his books because of all the emotional entanglements I find myself in and the way I can’t help but cheer for the characters.

There’s quite a bit of philosophical questions that come up while reading and I love the discussions that could arise from reading this series. I appreciated the way the story was able to open my mind to new thoughts and concerns.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult sci-fi / dystopia
Language: a moderate amount
Romance: kisses; a closed door scene that is hardly mentioned
Violence: guns, explosions, poison, physical
Trigger warning: a brief suicide scene with method

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

The final book in the LIFEL1K3 series, TRUEL1F3 has definitely earned its spot in my heart, as has the entire trilogy. These books just kept getting better and better. It is such an action packed roller coaster of feels and I was totally there for it This book ties up any loose ends left from DEv1AT3 and does so well. Lemon Fresh is such a well written character, I love her spunk, And I love that she was actually the main character. Eve was great too, but her rage was harder to connect with. And OMG!!! Amazing ending, which is not a surprise considering the author. I’m such a huge fan. Hats off.

TRUEL1F3 was a good finale. It was solidly on par with the rest of the series.  This isn't a series that ever truly wowed me, but it was fun to read from start to finish. Now that the final book is almost here, new readers will have a blast binging the whole series. It's fun, fast, so very action-packed, and full of lovable characters. It never hit that five star mark for me, but I really liked it and felt like TRUEL1F3 was a really good ending.

The characters have always been the strong point of this series for me and that didn't change in this book. Lemon Fresh is still the best, she always will be, and to be honest, I'd totally read more books about her. Eve was more fun to read in this one. I actually liked her better in this book than in the prior two. And all the other supporting characters were fun and unique. This series is held up by its characters, all the way to the very end.

With TRUEL1F3, I felt like this world finally came into its own. It finally felt less like Mad Max/Bladerunner/Fallout/whatever else was thrown in there, and more like Kristoff finally found that perfect balance of originality and inspiration. It actually makes me a little sad that this is the last book now, because I was more drawn into the world than before and would love to read more. That said, it was a solid ending for the series.

Now, yes, it was a solid ending. But the ending is what really kept me from giving this five stars. And this really comes down to personal taste, but the stakes were pretty high and in my opinion the consequences just didn't match up. Not going to go into it too much so that I don't spoil for anyone, but it just missed the mark for me. I'm coming to realize this is a staple in Kristoff's finales, which is fine for a lot of readers but it's just not what I want. It's also common in YA in general, so I can't really see this being an issue for most people looking to read this book. Just a matter of personal preference and honestly it's about what I was expecting.

So yeah, TRUEL1F3 was a fun ending to a fun series. Lemon Fresh deserves a million more books. I think fans of the series are going to be really happy with this one, and for me it was the strongest in the series. It's a very on brand book for Kristoff. I'm happy with the ending even if it isn't quite what I wanted, and I could see myself revisiting this series again one day.

5 stars



Thanks for the free book @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational! I was lucky to get an ARC of that story but it has no influence on my review.



That book was brilliful!

What’s that word? It’s a word for something both beautiful and brilliant.


“First rule of the Scrap: Stronger together. Together forever.”



Long review ahead #sorrynotsorry !

First, we begin with a helluva opening scene that will set the tone and the pace for the whole book!



There are some deep topics here!

Like : what makes us human? Biomaas chose the path of no free will everyone honed to be the best of his kind. Similar.

Daedalus thinks the best is to have every mechanics under control. Ne free will for robots and humans above all else. Just another form of slavery from Biomaas as both live by control and order.

The other life form like the deviate is chaos. More alive and more humans than what these companies want humans to be.

So I’d say that what makes us human come down to free will.
“But in trying to make everything fit in these neat little boxes with these oh-so-helpful labels, you’re taking away the stuff that makes us special! To you people, what you are is more important than who you are!”



And who are you? What makes you you? Who do you want to be?

What defines a person? That’s when Jay went Dumbledoresk on us with quotes like “You’re not defined by what you are, Eve. You’re defined by what you do.”



Also what makes a family? The blood you share? The people who have your back no matter what?

This book is also full of second chances: at love, at friendship, at living on this planet.





Now let’s talk about some of the characters!

From the end of book one I wanted Fresh to be something other than somebody’s sidekick! Lifl1k3 focused on Eve as main female character but Miss Fresh had already hijacked my heart and I wanted her to have the floor! Well in Dev1at3 and certainly now in Truel1f3 my wish has been granted!

Freckles will have to up her game and true cert, she’ll be fizzy doing it!
“Truth was, part of her still felt like that snot-nosed, punk kid who’d set out as the tagalong in someone else’s story. The sass on tap. The comedy relief. She wondered who she was to be standing up in a fight like this. To be counting on others to do the same. Despite her speech in the silo, she didn’t feel like any sort of leader.”



Cricket had clearly been inspired by Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio. He was Eve’s conscience in a way. He began this series as a wee thing and ended up as a giant robot. Hit outer growth only mirroring his inner growth.

Because one thing that I loved in this series was the personal growth and journey all main characters went on, Cricket included! Yes, that’s right: a robot had his own evolution!

And as in real life, some characters had a rocky growth, often erring on the dark side for some time and Jay made it so convincing that I never knew if one day, some of them would see the light again!



Let’s talk about my boy Ezekiel now or Dimples.

He was worthy of all my admiration through all these books! Mind you, he will fight to prevent Gabriel to make more of his kind, knowing that he and his remaining brother and sisters are the only left of their kind. All that because he realized how wrong they were for human kind! He knows who he wants to be and that’s someone who has hope, no matter what and who will believe in other’s goodness.

He has an ingrained sense of right and wrong and will do everything, even make hard choices, to do what’s right. Deeply loyal, love and friendship are things he believes in wholeheartedly. And of course, being pleasing on the eye is an extra bonus right?
“He said nothing. Just looked into her eyes. Seeing her hurt like this, seeing her pain, he couldn’t help but feel a stab of pity. He and Faith were still family, despite everything, and that still counted for something. That was just who he was. Who he’d decided to be.”





But the characters and topics are not the only things that make this series stand out!

What I also adored and that’s something Jay excels at was all the inner lingo and “Lifl1k3” language this book offers! Expression like “Fizzy”, “True cert” fill the book, giving it its own special flavor! One of my favorite expression, derived from our common ones: “Can’t make a mint julep without crushin’ some ice.” Or another one “She realized how deep in the fertilizer she actually was.”

I love when authors invent nearly a new language in their books! Something that makes us feel that we are in that universe they imagined for their heroes. It’s like a personal seal. The series brand, more than the author’s brand!





Last but not least, I got all the FEELS !

Jay made me cry with what’s been done to Lemon, with what happened to Ezekiel that resurfaced the little lost boy. But he also made me shed tears for happy reasons as some scene of reunion between friends, machine and human were packed with so much tenderness that my eyes just teared up.

Mister Kristoff also surprised me with plot Twists! Some betrayals I never had seen coming!

He also made me rage, often. Fear the worst for our heroes! This book is filled with guns blazing heart pounding escapes. With loss and grief. Full of battles, dangers and turning points, so much that I was sitting at the edge of my seat thinking “Don't make Grimm die Jay” or “Don’t make Fresh die!” or “If you destroy Zeke, I will hunt you to the end of the earth Jay”. Because guys you know Hell hath no fury like a reader scorned!



#sponsored #partner @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational

This books was intense, true cert. There is just absolute madness building up to an explosive showdown at the end. I really loved all the story lines every though I still wanted to shake the hell out of Eve. I adore Lemon and appreciated that she truly became the star of the story. Zeke has my heart forever. There was some repetitive descriptions of eye color and they sky that got a little distracting after a while so it will be interesting to see if that made it into the final version.

Overall I absolutely love this series and how the story wrapped up. I am such a fan of Jay and will pretty much read anything he puts out without even reading a summary.

This was a fantastic conclusion and did not disappoint. I think Kristoff has such a strong and unique way of writing that is perfect for all ages. The pacing is very fast and perfect for my reluctant reading students. This book kept me on my toes and I do love a good anti-hero story.

Everything finally came together in this finale and I was captivated.

I will say that it was a spectacular ending, it is the first trilogy I read of this author and the truth was very fascinated in how he writes, I will not hesitate to read his next books and wow, I love the writing of this fascinating author. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this e-book

I really liked this book, but don't think that a certain character deserved the redemption that they received. I definitely like this trilogy more than Nevernight but less than Aurora Rising. Kristoff's books are pretty hit or miss for me, but I'm happy to say that this was a hit. :) I can't wait for his next venture!

I loooovvvveeeee this book. This is probably my favorite out of the series. The author did a awesome job.

I love Jay! I love this series! I love these characters and I’m so sad that this trilogy is over! It’s such an interesting world and concept and I already can’t wait to reread this trilogy!