“YOUR MIND IS NOT YOUR OWN.
YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR OWN.
YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN.”

Y’all, I am shook. LIFEL1K3 was everything I needed in a YA Sci Fi book: nonstop action, excellent world building, romance, twist after twist after twist, likeable characters, and overall pure enjoyment. Never once was I bored. I cannot recommend this book enough!

LIFEL1K3 takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States. We follow Eve, a girl who pilots robot gladiators (think: battle bots on steroids.) After a robot battle goes wrong, Eve, her friend Lemon Fresh, and her tiny robot Cricket stumble upon a humanoid-looking robot named Ezekiel. Known as lifelikes, these robots look, talk, and feel (both physically and emotionally) just like a real human. But they’re strong and fast. And what Eve doesn’t know is that these robots hold a dark secret. Oh, and the trio decides to take this lifelike back home with them.

Eve, Lemon Fresh, and Cricket live with Eve’s grandpa, Silas. Silas is a mechanical genius, so he immediately freaks out when he sees the lifelike. In fact, things take a major, action-packed turn; the lifelike represents something much greater to humanity, Eve discovers she might have a special power, and now some very horrible people are coming after her.

Seriously, the action is non-stop.

Now, please allow me to share my favorite quote with you:

“God’s potatoes!” Grandpa roared, banging again. “I’ll not stand for it! This is my roof, young lady! Open this door right now before I get the rocket launcher!”

I mean, how amazing is Grandpa Silas? I loved him so much after this. He definitely gave me some Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty) vibes, which I am all about.

So, as per usual with most of my blog posts, I will now discuss the things I liked and disliked!

The Good:

• The cast. Did I mentioned that I found all the characters likeable? Not once did I want to punch a main character, which says a lot. Lemon Fresh had the best one-liners and she is quite possibly by favorite character in all of YA. Ezekiel is kind and sweet, Cricket is loyal and fierce, and Eve is such a strong and determined main character. I even loved Preacher, the mysterious man constantly hot on their tails.
• The world building. From the get-go we are thrown into the WarDome, the arena where the gladiator bots fight to the death. Not only did the post-apocalyptic USA feel so real and believable, I was also totally immersed in the scientific world of creating these robots. In addition, I got some major Disney movie vibes (one you’ll quickly pick up), which is always a bonus. I love all the breadcrumbs Kristoff leaves for us in this book.
• The pacing gets an A+! If you’re into fast-paced, action-packed stories, then this book is definitely for you! No slow burns here, folks.
• Aside from the scientific plot lines, the other major themes are slavery and oppression among the different types of robots vs. humans. There are also several biblical references you can’t miss.

“Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.”

The Bad:

• There were some phrases that made me uncomfortable. Ezekiel is often referred to as “Stumpy” and “Braintrauma” after he gets hurt. It became redundant and just felt awkward while reading. Also there is a brief scene where Lemon gets curious and wants to take a peek under a lifelike’s pants to see if, you know, a robot looks like a human. While I totally get the thought process behind it (I mean, I’m sure we’ve all wanted to see what a Ken doll looks like, but in this scenario a lifelike is basically a real person), I did not find it okay, and it was awkward to read.

“When the ash rose up to choke me, it was thoughts of you that helped me breathe. When the night seemed never ending, it was dreams of you that helped me sleep.”

LIFEL1KE was such a pleasure to read, and I cannot stop gushing about it. Not only was it a fun ride, but there were so many things to cherish such as strong friendships, loyalty, and compassion. I can’t wait for you all to pick up this book. LIFEL1KE drops on May 29, 2018 in the US. Thank you so much to Random House Children’s Books/Knopf for sending me a digital copy for review!

All quotes were taken from an ARC provided by the publisher and is subject to change upon publication.

It was such an amazing story and much more different than I expected. I really enjoyed the journey the characters went through, and their development. Something I noticed right at the end of the book was that it was slightly inspired in Anastasia (mostly because of the names of Ana's family), and that was very surprising!

Though the romance was a bit too insta love-y and rushed for my ideal liking, I still enjoyed the interactions between Eve and Ezekiel. They were both very strong characters, with a well done development.

I also very much enjoyed getting to know that world, because in the first few chapters it made me quite interested in it. I couldn't help but compare it to the "I, Robot" movie. There were some elements of this novel that were pretty similar to the movie, and that made it very action packed and easy to read.

One of the main issues I had was with the use of the slang language throughout the story. at first it was a bit confusing to me and I didn't get it, and though it added something unique and different to the story, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't the biggest fan of it or the humor.

It was a very fast paced story, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had no problem focusing on the plot or getting into the story at the beginning. It had a lot of action scenes, and they were pretty well done and kept me at the edge of my sear while reading them. The plot twists weren't as surprising as I thought they would be, and though one of the revelations was done very well and actually shocked me because I wasn't expecting it, most of them were quite predictable to me.

Nonetheless, I'm still very excited about the sequel, because even though Lifel1k3 ended up being much more different than I thought, it was still a pretty solid read and I had such a great time reading it.

There are parts of this book that I flat out adored, but then parts that really fell kind of flat for me. So, we shall break them down, as you do.

What I Liked:

The characters, basically all of them really. They're quite well done and fleshed out. I might have even liked the side characters more than the main characters, but it still worked really well. The relationships that Eve had were fabulous too. Loved the loyalty that her friends and well, robots, but they were friends too, had for her. And it was obvious that the love was reciprocated.

Romanov history for the win! I was kind of giddy excited when I realized what it was. I know there are other references (Cait @ Paper Fury described them more in depth) but... this was the only one I know-know, okay? Plus, the U.S. cover doesn't tell us about any of them, so I went in surprised, happily so, because the Romanov story is pretty compelling, right? Yes, and even though I kind of knew how that part would end up (actually we all learn really early on so it's not spoilery even), it was still really emotionally charged.

Snark and banter and delightfulness. This probably ties into the character piece, but the dialogue was just perfect for me. I enjoyed it so much- maybe that is why the battles bugged me, I just wanted everyone to chat for several hundred pages!

What I Didn't:

Pacing was hit or miss. I actually had a really hard time getting into the book. And then for awhile, I was pretty invested! But then, I felt more lulls, and it went on like this for most of the book for me.

So. Many. Battles. This may be more of a personal qualm, but I just get bored with too many battle scenes. Like okay, I get it, things are rough out there. My eyes just start to glaze over after awhile.

Quite predictable. Now, I will say that there was one pretty big twist I didn't see coming, and that was fun! But most of it... yeah, I kind of predicted. So when you add that in with me getting kind of bored of the fighting... well, it's a recipe for mild apathy.

Will I Read the Next Book? Possibly. I liked the characters and the ending a lot, so yeah.

Bottom Line: While sometimes slow and predictable, the characters and writing were ultimately enough to keep me reading.

If you've ever wondered what a wild mash-up of ANASTASIA and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD would look like in novel form, look no further than LIFEL1K3. It's not difficult to get sucked into this dystopian world and immediately fall in with its characters, but despite the captivating premise, I found myself a little bored as the story unfolded, The romance felt bland and the twists a bit played out. However, the ending provokes interesting questions as to where the rest of the series will go and the world-building is enthralling enough to want to stick around. While LIFEL1K3 is far from Kristoff's best, it's still a fast-paced, fairly entertaining ride full of his trademark humor and action that permeate throughout his work.

Anyone who’s been following my blog for a while probably already knows this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so it’s no surprise that I loved every second of it, but just saying “I knew it!” wouldn’t make a very good review, so strap yourselves in and let me tell you why I loved LIFEL1K3 so much—and why you need a copy or three of it in your life.

“Look outside that door, and you will see a world built on metal backs. Held together by metal hands. And one day, those hands will close. And they will become fists.”

First, the world-building in this book is exquisite. There is so much history to what has brought the world to the point it’s at, whether it’s the tidbits about the world wars, the natural disasters that led to California’s splitting from the rest of the country, or the havoc that mega-corporations have wreaked upon the world. There are a healthy variety of robots to choose from, too; you’ve got your lifelikes, your logika, your little bots like Cricket, your blitzhunds like Kaiser—list goes on. I loved the fact that we got to learn so much about the array of mecha floating around, as it furthered the sense of immersion to the point where it began to feel like these wastelands could’ve just been a crystal ball into our own futures.

Rule Number Three in the Scrap: Carry the biggest stick.

Not only is everything wonderfully fleshed out, but the aesthetic of this book was flawless. I’m a total sucker for these sorts of futuristic desert wasteland vibes. LIFEL1K3 feels like someone created the perfect blend of Mad Max: Fury Road, Borderlands, and the Fallout franchise, resulting in a wondrous balance of desolation, ingenuity, and badassery. I don’t remember the last time I wanted a book to be adapted into a film this badly, just to watch everyone run around being grungy and cynical and delightfully violent.

“The thought of lighting things on fire does unhealthy things to him.”

On top of the setting itself, the characters are so lovable it’s downright ridiculous. If you’ve read any of Jay’s work before, you may be familiar already with his sense of humor, and it truly shines in this novel. I laughed out loud so many times, and my e-ARC is highlighted to hell and back just for the bits that made me snort. Eve, our main character, is a bit serious and angry, but her closest loved ones—Lemon Fresh, Grandpa, and Cricket—are all a riot and a half, and Kaiser (the blitzhund!) is absolutely adorable.

She didn’t want to die here. She hadn’t liked it much the first time.

I only have one complaint about LIFEL1K3, and while it was not enough to change the star rating, I do think it’s worth mentioning here: there is a running joke in which one of the lifelikes (robot-esque humanoids) is taunted for having lost an arm early in the book, with a couple of crude nicknames being interchanged throughout the dialogue. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me but did make me slightly uncomfortable, and I always try to give full disclosure in my reviews when it comes to this sort of thing—so, here’s your content warning for ableist remarks! Trigger warnings also apply for child violence/death (in flashbacks), gratuitous violence, and animal death.

“Stronger together.”
“Together forever.”

With that said, this book genuinely just has so much to offer. Underneath the raging violence, snarky quips, running from bounty hunters, fighting off terrifying pieces of machinery, and trying not to die from radiation poisoning (true cert’, can we get these guys some Rad-X?), there’s this really wonderful found family and a common theme that our past doesn’t have to define us. Almost every single starring character in this book is running from their past in some way or another, and I loved watching them each face down their own brand of demons.

This is not the end of me.
This is just one more enemy.

All in all, I could gush for days, but truly, this book is so fun, so suspenseful, so twisty, and so damn rock ‘n roll that you really can’t help but love it—and it’s so hard to put down. I’m already fiending for the next installment in the series, and can’t wait to see where Jay takes us next!

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Um, WHERE DO I EVEN START?! I don’t know why Jay’s ability to blow my freakin’ mind (and massacre my emotions) always surprises me. It’s been so long since we had a new world from him that I was worried it wouldn’t live up to how hyped up I had made it in my mind. IT DID, OF COURSE. I have loved the shit out of every single thing Jay has published!

This book is INTENSE from start to finish. Action-packed, heart-stopping, and full of adrenaline, it grips you by the balls and doesn’t let go! (Well, metaphorical balls. Since I don’t have any. Whatever, you get the point.) There was never a dull moment. I loved it from the first page to the very last (shocking) page!

The characters!!! I loved every single one of them! They each had their own special little personality and felt real! I loved the crap out of Lemon Fresh and Cricket! I loved how snarky they both were, especially the little robot. (“Don’t call me little!”) View Spoiler » And Kaiser!!! I want a Kaiser! Eve was such a badass MC, too! And the friendship between Eve and Lemon is absolutely bestie goals. They are one of my fave fictional friendships, I just loved them together so much!

ALL. THE. FEELS. Jay always knows just how to play with my heartstrings! I felt it all – shock, awe, desperation, humor, excitement, HEARTBREAK. PAIN. Oh my lord. It’s honestly really hard to talk about anything without spoiling it, but trust me when I say you are in for one WILD ride with this book! It’s pitched as “part Romeo and Juliet, part Terminator, and all adrenaline” it felt very much like “part I, Robot, part Blade Runner, part Mad Max, and all awesome.” And yes, plenty of adrenaline!! Holy crap! It had a hardcore I, Robot feel to it because of the androids and the three laws, the Glass scene reminded me of Fury Road, and the end reminded me of scenes in Blade Runner 2049. I can see the Terminator but it really felt nothing like Romeo and Juliet except for the fact that Jay is incapable of writing a happy ever after, heh. This is NOT a romance. So don’t go in expecting one.

This book earned my Hail to the King award! For full review please visit novelheartbeat.com

So I’m beginning to fear that I will never be a Jay Kristoff fan like the rest of the book world. *hides* It began with Illuminae (which, while I loved the way the story was told, the rest of it kind of felt meh to me) and I have yet to finish that series. Now, it continues with LIFEL1K3.

I cannot fully express to you how excited all three of us were for this book—and if you’ve been following us for a while now, you know how rare that is. Kyleigh was sold at “on an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation,” Lauren thought the concept sounded amazing, and me? I was there for the love story. After all, I was promised it was “part Romeo and Juliet.”

Reality? I’m still looking for the Romeo and Juliet.

Let’s start with the good: This book has an incredible opening. At the first sentence—“They kill my father first”—I was ready. This was the magical writing I had been waiting for. I dare you to read the Prologue and not get chills. Go on. I’ll wait.

And then I read the first chapter—and reread it three times. I don’t want to say it felt like an entirely different book…but it definitely wasn’t the same. I was thrown immediately into a world full of slang that didn’t mean a darn thing to me—and it’s never explained. Did I know what a “juve” or “juvette” is? Nope. I still don’t. The word “fug” is used frequently, but isn’t explained until many references later. Until that point, I had no idea it was a slur for a “logika”; you can use your imagination for what I thought it meant...

As for the characters, they felt…bland to me. I can’t say that I had an emotional connection to a single one. Plot twists happened and I shrugged. SHRUGGED. And as the hopeless romantic member of the blog, I will root for anything that even hints at a love interest and a relationship—until this book. I felt nothing. All I want is a character—just one—to root for. Is that too much to ask?

Finally, the plot itself. There was a lot going on in here. Eve’s grandfather is dying, she’s on the run, she can destroy machinery, she watched her family get murdered when she was a child, she gambled away their money, she found a lifelike—and this is within four chapters. The parts I found the most interesting were the (entirely too brief) flashbacks. Aside from that, plot points got lost within other plot points, and I found at least one part of the story that seemingly dug a hole into it’s own plot.

I wanted to like this story so much. I almost didn’t finish around sixty percent of the way through, but I stuck with it, hoping for a breathtaking ending. Instead, I’m very disappointed. Maybe it’s the story; maybe it’s the writing style. Maybe it’s a combination of both. Regardless, can someone let me know if I’ll enjoy Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight? Because it’s been sitting on my shelf and after striking out twice on this author’s works, I have concerns.

The world was quite vivid, which is something I usually have a problem with since my mind refused to focus on it. I saw the dust and grit and felt the heat and it was very atmospheric. The characters were cool (especially Lemon Fresh and Cricket) but I did have a huge issue with how... perfect Ezekiel was. There wasn't really any character development for him and I dreaded scene with him in them. I did guess the plot twist 80 pages in, but I was NOT guessing that end.Here’s the thing with me and Kristoff’s books: they always catch me in the end. SO I am extremely excited for book two.

Thank you Knopf Books For Young Readers for the free copy of this book, in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

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

WHOA! This book! It was my first Kristoff read. ( I know total #booknerdshame ). Once I saw that it was being billed as a Romeo and Juliet re-telling, I was sold! I totally got the R&J vibes, as well as a Terminator vibe. Very Very Cool! While I lost interest in some parts of the book, other parts just really had me in love with the story. Especially that ending!! I spent most of the book wondering if I liked it or not, but than once the ending came, I knew I loved it. And now I cannot wait for the next one!!

I loved this group of characters, they were so eclectic, they all just belonged to each other, they were quirky, bad ass, and so full of love for each other. They went to the deepest and darkest areas of their world, just to keep each other safe.

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.

Kristoff's world building is insane guys! My mind was blown with how well he can describe things, and how clearly he can paint a perfect picture, and give such an insane visual. I had no issue placing myself inside the pages of this book.

Also, I had ZERO clue how lyrical he is, I have so many quotes highlighted in this book. Such beautiful words, that just hit me to my core. Kudos to you Kristoff for making me a lover of your writing, and now it's time to dig into some more! And please hurry and write book #2

This book releases on May 29th, pre-order links are below.

But when the ash rose up to choke me, it was thoughts of you that helped me breathe. When the night seemed never ending, it was dreams of you that helped me sleep. You. And only you.

If you like action and battle scenes then you will love this book.

Unfortunately, I expected this book to be more about the different types of artificial intelligence and how they take over he humans. Instead it went like this: Battle scene, access damage, travel to next battle and repeat sequence.

The character development is just not there nor is the plot. I was not intrigued at all due to the repetition of the scene sequence listed above.

The world building of the artificial intelligence was also lacking. It felt more dream like than reality. The author seemed to make things up as the story went along. World building could have brought this book up a few stars.

I really enjoyed previous books from this author but this one was a miss for me.

Opening line:
"They kill my father first."

Do you want to go on a face-paced, futuristic roller-coaster ride? This might be your book.

Do you want a book about Pinocchio, Romanov family and royalty, angels and fallen angels, Mad Max, I Robot, the Creator, and the Tower of Babel?? All of it in the same book?? Then this Is your book.

I enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book as I followed Eve and Lemon Fresh in their adventures. Evie's voice was strong and her character flawed and I loved her but then I think we lost here somewhere in the Dregs. I was a little disappointed that the characters started sounding like each other. I was a little disappointed in the twists.

But I wasn't disappointed in the sweet quotes I marked in the book:

"Your past doesn't make calls on your future. It doesn't matter who you were. Only who you are."

"Lemon suddenly felt exhausted. From running. From fighting. From being afraid. exhausted by a world gone utterly insane She wanted to grab the planet by the collar. Slap it in the face and scream."

"Your scars tell who you are. Your skin is the page, and your scars are the ink, telling the story of your life. And your scars make you beautiful, Ana. Deviation or whatever you want to call it? That's just another expression of it. You call it freakish. I call it incredible."

"Of all the mistakes I made, I think you were my favorite," she whispered.

For the sensitive reader: there is bullying, fighting, shooting, killing, blood, kissing, over 25 swears. (I probably won't read the rest of this series).

THANK YOU to netgalley for the early read!!

To be quite honest I did not rate this book anywhere because I just could not get through it. This is my third Jay Kristoff book that I have had a hard time reading, and I am beginning to think it is his writing style just isn't for me. I would still recommend this one to my friends that love YA Sci-fi.

Jay Kristoff brings his no holds barred storytelling style to an action-packed, gritty new level with Lifel1k3 (see: Lifelike), a series starter that's Mad Max meets iRobot meets Anastasia!

Most of America is decimated after a massive nuclear war between futuristic high tech corporations. Evie Carpenter is just barely scraping by, using her mechanical skills and thrifty scrap work to create battle robots and fight them in massive arenas, earning just enough money to pay for her grandpa’s life-sustaining medicine. It's the least she can do, given that he saved her life when the rest of her family was killed in the war. But when a fight goes bad, Evie accidentally destroys a robot with her mind, revealing herself as a reviled “abnorm.” Now everyone is after her, including local gangs, an organization hellbent on “abnorm” eradication, and a bounty hunter with some heavy duty sponsorship.

Just when it seems things couldn’t get worse, Evie, her best friend Lemon, and their trusty mechanical sidekicks, Cricket and Kaiser, find themselves tangled up with Lifelikes: Powerful machina that look, act, and think like humans. Everyone thought the lifelikes were destroyed after they ignored the three laws of robotics and killed their creators long ago. But as one lifelike comes for her and her grandpa, another sets out to protect them, and Evie learns they’re definitely still around. On top of that, they seem to know her. Evie and her friends must team up with Ezekiel, the lifelike who seems hellbent on protecting her, to save her grandfather and stop the forces trying to destroy Evie, all while the secrets of her horrific past finally unravel.

Jay Kristoff has created a machine-infused, post-apocalyptic Wild West that’s sure to delight. There are lots of details to take in, with new takes on the known world, fluctuating power structures, and even a bit of its own slang. If you love worldbuilding, you’ll be a happy camper for sure, but I loved the characters more than anything. The dynamics in this group are so rich and heartfelt. Evie’s friendship with Lemon is a driving force and you can’t help but root for their streetsmart bravado and constant support of one another. And while there are certainly some evil machines in this world, they’re not all so bad. Cricket is a little logika (but don’t tell him that I called him little!) that really perks up the story with his anxious concern for the girls and his own brand of humor. Kaiser is mostly machine, but he has the brain of a real dog and he’s just the goodest doggo, adding some really touching moments to the story arc.

Then, of course, there’s Ezekiel! Let’s just say that Evie’s history with Ezekiel is “complicated,” particularly considering that she’s a human and he’s a machine that’s learned to feel like a human. Kristoff doesn’t shy away from the romance element-- There’s a compelling love story between these two characters, though it contains layers and doesn’t overwhelm the action of their wild adventure. The author also continues his history of quotable feels-slaying moments with gems like “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.”

The novel is broken up into five sections (the first of which is named after a Dresden Dolls song, making me super happy) and I must admit, one of the earlier sections was a struggle for me. It felt like a detour rather than part of the story progression. While it did do a little more worldbuilding that could be significant in book two and hinted at something to come, it tripped up the fast pace. For this novel, I don’t think the plant was worth the payoff, but maybe there are bigger implications to come. It kept me from rating five stars. Thankfully, once the characters move on to a new place, the story picks right back up again.

I can’t talk about the twisty, unexpected loops Lifel1k3 threw me for because you deserve to experience them for yourself, but maaaaan do I want to! The ending in particular really wowed me and now I’m practically begging for the sequel already! Needless to say, the novel did its job well!

This book was so good. I tried to not have high expectations so I wouldn't be disappointed but this was amazing! I would read anything from Jay Kristoff. I recommend this to everyone I know.

This was fast and enthralling, and everything I wanted from it. I loved it. The world was terrifying and wonderful, the characters perfection. I could not have wanted more from this book.

I tried really hard for a long time to get into this book. I really enjoyed the concept at first. But I just could not get connected to the characters or world to save my life.. To the point where I was several chapters in and still forgetting who was who. I had a hard time picturing what was going on. And I felt the made up futuristic slang was WAY over the top. The only thing I did feel like I knew for sure almost from the start was the thing that was intended to be the “big twist”. It was painfully obvious, and waiting for the characters to get it was just painful. I’m also not a fan of the human/robot love stories that seem to be popping up more and more. Even though this one ends up being a moot point, we still had to endure some (too much) of the angst. Jay Kristoff can write phenomenally, and I’ve loved other things he’s done,, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Full of awesome future tech and kick-butt characters fighting their way out of one tight-corner after another, this book will keep your heart thumping fast and the pages turning! Each of the characters is grappling with their own secrets, ones that at times unite them to fight common enemies and later force them to question who they can trust. The slow reveal of the secrets makes the story a sci fi-adventure-mystery mash-up. Kristoff writes secondary characters who you'll want to befriend with voices that will keep you smiling.

Fun read! Highly recommended!

This review is up on Goodreads now and will post on thewingedpen.com tomorrow. I'll post to Amazon and B&N on pub day.

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff is the first book in the new Lifelike series. Set in a sci-fi world where robots and androids live and work alongside humans, the question has to be asked: how real is too real? Can a robot be too intelligent? 

I thought LIFEL1K3 was a lot of fun! This was my first Jay Kristoff book (but it won't be my last!) The writing was impeccable, the tumultuous world of robots easily imagined. I did find the first half of the book somewhat slow and hard to get into, but I think it's because I was struggling with the world's jargon and slang. Once I got used to all of the new words, I found myself getting sucked into Eve's world.

The story idea is really neat. I really liked the world Jay Kristoff created--where blitzhunds are cuddly and robots can deliver as much snark as a human. The concept of androids that mimic humans so completely is something our own society will most likely have to deal with at some point. I enjoyed Eve's story and her history with the androids. She has quite the interesting story, and the more it unfolded, the rockier it got.

The ending was good and sets itself up nicely for the next book. What happens next? I'm certainly intrigued and eager to find out!

The characters were engaging. Eve is a fascinating protagonist. She thinks she knows who she is as a person--but does she? From the quirky Lemon Fresh, to the devoted Ezekiel, I really appreciated the depth of breadth of characters in this book. 

If this book isn't on your TBR list yet, it certainly should be! If you have a love for science fiction novels, this would be a worthy addition to your shelf. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted on my blog on Tuesday, May 15, 2018: https://thriftybibliophile.com

I don't have enough adjectives to describe this book. It is EVERYTHING I want in a story. I am simply astounded at the brilliance of this author.

I almost feel guilty giving this book five stars because they are not nearly enough to give credit to this story.

The plot revolves around the prickly issues of AI. Set in a post apocalyptic world, three corporations race to become the supreme world leader. One of them focuses resources on bioengineered lifeforms. Another throws all its power into electronically engineered super robots. And the third, with a brilliant scientist at its head, creates the world's most advanced, most humanlike, most "lifelike", androids.

This is the story of humanity's hubris. It's the story of its greatest flaw passed on to its greatest creation. It's also the story of the small but persistent hope and empathy that we carry around inside of us.

There's ACTION. I had to capitalize it because - whooeee - can this author write action! There's family. There's friendship. There's love. And then...there are mind blowing reveals.


I am the luckiest person in the world to have the privilege to read an ARC of this blowout sci-fi adventure. A big thank you to the publisher via NetGalley. I will be buying my own personal hardback copy as soon as it hits the stores.

Truly a masterpiece ! Lifelike had me captured from the very beginning. Your mind is not your own, your body is not your own, your life is not your own...a true patronage to the entire book, you will go through every emotion and multiple shocks throughout this novel, but is the ending that leaves you crying and shocked ! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series, which I hope there is more because I’m dying to know what will happen to Ana.... or is it Evie ?!