Jay Kristoff is one of those cool authors who can cross genres with ease. Most authors tend to blossom within a certain genre or element that carries through all their writing but Kristoff can go from total sci-fi geek to high fantasy panache in a heartbeat. LIFEL1K3 was an enticing mash-up of Kristoff's flowing prose and a gritty futuristic world teeming with battle bots, cyborgs, androids and more.

An entire atmosphere is created in LIFEL1K3 from the world-building to the characters to the diction to the action. I can absolutely see this becoming some sort of cool launching pad for a movie or TV show. It has a Mad Max vibe with an elegant Kristoff twist. I'm not sure if this book is for people who generally shy away from sci-fi but it's entertaining and I wouldn't rule it out.

Battle bots, conspiracies, romance, and snarky robotic sidekicks. What more could you want?
-pooled ink Reviews

3.5 stars for this one. A lot of cinder vibes at the beginning and interesting characters and story had me hopeful but my enthusiasm for the story faded as I went along and the ending didn't feel satisfying. more behind the spoiler thingie.

<spoiler>
Books this author co-wrote sometimes had a terrible thing happen but then it all ended up okay. But when we found out Ana/Eve's true identity, there was no reversal of her fortune. At least for now.

I also had a tough time at the beginning remembering who was human, who wasn't and what type of robot they were. There was a big scene where Ana/Eve was in a "bot fight" which seemed to serve only as a way to explain all the different types of robots. I really liked the idea of her in the fight and it only sort of did at the end.

I couldn't keep track of who was who at the beginning which is a common problem for me. I almost went back once I had an idea of who everyone was, and re-read but I didn't, yet.

There was a little bit of a ew factor in the backstory romance between Ana/Eve and Zeke. I might not be mature enough to accept a romance between a human and a bot, at least one that went... all the way....there. I was thinking more about the mechanics...hehe... of how things would work and who would build parts that ahem worked like that for a robot, and why, than being caught up in their story.

Also...Lemon Fresh. I couldn't get over it. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I hated that name. I get the reasoning, cute idea, but yeah. Also as far as she went, I really liked her reveal, but the more I thought about it, what kind of friend would do that? It made me doubt their entire friendship and then the ending seemed less heart-wrenching. Who cares if they are parted if their relationship was so shallow. Hm.

</spoiler>

I received an advanced e-galley via Netgalley from the publisher that did not skew my rating in anyway.

After reading LIFEL1K3, Jay Kristoff is hands down my favorite author. He manages to add so much depth to all of his characters and Evie, Lemon Fresh, Ezekiel, Cricket and everyone else in this book took that one step further. I loved the interactions and relationships in this book the most out of everything. (Especially Lemon Fresh.)

On top of how great the characters were, the book NEVER seemed to slow down, and when it did it was maybe a chapter. This book was a freaking whirlwind and I loved it so much. I will be re-reading this before book two comes out!

I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone already!

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff is the first book in the new Lifelike series, a bit of a young adult science fiction fantasy set in a dystopian environment. The blurb compares this to a bit of Romeo and Juliet mixed with Terminator. The author himself mentions Bladerunner and Mad Max. What you really have here is one heck of a creative mash up that certainly held it’s own and distinguished a personality all for itself.

The story revolves mainly around seventeen year old Eve who lives in a world filled with so many horrors and does what she needs to survive. We join Eve in the middle of a battle in the Wardome that is a fight to the death with the mech she built herself as she fights to earn money in her way of surviving.

After the battle things begin to build for Eve and she finds her grandfather in danger and her memories are slowly coming back that she had forgotten. Eve and her best friend Lemon Fresh along with a whole cast of other creative characters then begin their dangerous journey that the story takes them on.

From the opening pages there’s action piled on top of more action and the story will take you to places you’d never expect. Robots and romance, battles and blood, action and adventure…what more do we need? This is all just the opening pages really and one must read the story to understand the journey in Lifelike. The characters are well fleshed out, the world building quite intriguing and for those afraid of the romantic side it was definitely in the shadow of everything else the book held. Overall a fun beginning to this new series for sure.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is my first book by *JUST* Jay Kristoff. I loved the Illuminae Files but that was a duo. I really enjoyed this book but I had some issues. 

Let me just get my issues with it out of the way... First, I figured out all the twists way in advance. It was really predictable and I was so sad that I couldn't be surprised. Maybe, I'm just too good of a detective. haha. I was surprised at the very end with one of the decisions of our main character. I am SO excited for the next book to see how it goes. I also had a hard time connecting to some of the characters. I just don't know, I couldn't really connect emotionally. By the time I got to the end of the book, it started to click a little more. 

I loved the relationship between Eve and Lemon! They were true friendship and it was one of the best things about this book. I liked how Lemon added some humor because this book can get intense and a little bit dark. I don't know how many times I had to read the flashbacks but gosh, they hurt. I think the prologue was the saddest thing I have ever read. 

Kristoff does a fabulous job with the world building and the characters in this book. There's more machine than human and you just love them anyways. For example, the dog Kaiser. I don't want to divulge too much more because there's a TON of spoilers that can easily slip. 

So, if you enjoy sci-fi or a great book that's a bit different, this is a great book to pick up! I enjoyed it a lot and I cannot wait to for the next one! I really can't wait to see where Kristoff takes these characters! I'm not a big sci-fi reader but I might be a fan now! 

I received a free e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Random House Children's for letting me read this book!

Very interesting premise, but I thought it fell short on the plot and the characters were undeveloped. The characters were in a way kind of two dimensional and the dialogue was wooden in some areas of the story.

LifeL1K3 really put me through the ringer!  It was a highly emotional read.  I was up and down, loving and hating these characters in equal measure.  Frankly I didn't expect to enjoy LifeL1K3 as much as I did.  Sci-Fi can be hard for me, because I've never been a scientific person.  I wasn't sure I was really connecting to the heroine and her problems.  I just found at some point my breath was coming faster and I was fidgeting in my seat, so full of anxiety for these people. 

There are so many twists and turns!  I promise you will still be sideswiped by stuff you never saw coming!  It'll shock you all the way up to the end, and what a freaking ending!  I'm seriously dying inside, because how in the hell am I going to wait for a sequel that doesn't even have a name yet!

I fell into the story Jay Kristoff was telling unconsciously, but I will be consciously waiting however long it takes to fall into whatever he writes next.

**Full review posted on 5/16

Metal or meat. Blood or current. Everyone deserves a choice.

I am huge fan of Kristoff's Lotus War Trilogy and was excited to see a new series from his atypical mind. The beginning of the book was a little confusing and somewhat overwhelming, but I was thrilled to see how everything unfolded. I've always been apprehensive about humanlike robots, and Kristoff takes it to an entirely new level. I appreciated this isn't human/good guys versus the evil robots. Neither side is completely one or the other.

In addition to the fascinating world, the relationships make this story even more interesting. I think my favorites characters were Lemon and Cricket. These two nonhumans characters contain so much depth and heart. Kristoff is a master at developing these types of nontraditional characters. I liked Eve but she sometimes angered me. She can be immature and some of her actions are hypocritical. I am anxious to see how her character continues to evolve in the future. I adored Zeke and his humanity, even though he isn't. Sadly, I felt little if any, warm and fuzzies with the romance. I am curious to see what happens down the road in that aspect. I love a plot twist, and there is endless potential for the future.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment. It appears book two might even be better than this one. If you are sci-fi/robot taking over the world fan, this is one I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for my advanced review copy.

Wow! This book was fast paced, with compelling characters and a smashing plot line. I loved the interplay between the bots and people. I loved the moral and ethical issues these relationships posed. Eve is a strong, engaging MC. Her relationships with her personal bot, her grandfather, and her best friend Lemon are complex and interesting. And the twists in this story! I can't wait to read the next in the series. I want to know what happens and how it happens because I know that Jay Kristoff has a way with words that will sweep me away!

Having only read the Illuminae files trilogy, this was my first Jay Kristoff solo read (and I believe it's his first YA solo project). I wasn't sure what to expect, but he's a fantastic and imaginative writer.

The story features some great world building, quite a bit of unique slang, lots of action, several surprises and twists, and a cast of really likeable main characters. It also explores what it means to be human and the role of "playing God" when corporations/individuals create lifelike robots and what the repercussions might be. There's also some great friendships, family relationships, and a little bit of romance.

I have so many feels right now from finishing this book I don't even know where to begin!

First off, Jay Kristoff. Holy hell can the man write! I love his writing style! Its beautiful in places, intense in others. I laugh out loud at his character's dialogue and his characterizations and plot points always move me to tears! I was already a huge fan of his from reading he and Amie Kaufman's series The Illuminae Files, but I will definitely have to read more of his books!

Ok fangirling out of the way now, you came to hear about this book which is set to be released in just a few short weeks.

I will start with not-so-good things only because there aren't too many of them! At first the language and terminology is a little strange and almost difficult to follow. Jay does include a glossary at the beginning to define commonly used words throughout the book to describe the various kinds of machines and robots. It does help some but took some time to get used to. His characters also use made up words like "fizzy" meaning "cool" or "good" but in a way, I rather liked these terms because it just helps to add to the scenery and time period that this is in the future and the world is definitely a different place. That said, once you got used to the different terminology, the plot really moves!

It is definitely a faced paced, action packed story (which I love!) There is not one part of this book that is dull, boring, or lacking nor does it have any "filler" type or unncessary chapters. Every word is relevant to the story and serves the purpose of pushing the plot along.

In true Jay Kristoff form, this story is not without its twists and turns. Every character had a secret and every scene had a new mystery to solve. At first I was worried there were TOO many mysteries and elements but they all came together beautifully at the end and left me BLOWN AWAY!

The charcaters are fantastic! I especially loved the character of Lemon Fresh. She was so funny and caused me to laugh out loud on multiple occasions! Also the evolution of the characters was a beautiful thing to behold. Especially the character of Eve. She had a whirlwind of character evolution and is the character I am most excited to learn more about in the next book!

In short, this book is pretty flipping fantastic! Other than the few terminology issues in the beginning, I don't have anything negative to say!

I highly recommend you run to the bookstore on May 29th and pick this book up! I promise you will not be disappointed!

4 stars

This is like Cinder on steroids. Seriously.

It's got cyborgs but it's also got robots and different level of sentient, engineered beings and it's like Cinder, but way more gritty and intense and science-y. In comparison to LIFEL1K3, Cinder looks like a fantasy novel.

I was vacillating between 3.5 and 4 stars for this, but ultimately I feel like this gets the full four stars.

There were things that I loved, and things that I was pretty apathetic to, but there wasn't really anything that I disliked per se, just that I wished some things could have been done better.

But let's start with the good, yes?

First off, how awesome is it that YA is finally getting super hard-core sci-fi?

Seriously, I feel like YA sci-fi leans more towards the romantic and the more "gentle" sci-fi. In my opinion, this is because the audience is mostly female and that whoever the people who decide what books get published are somewhat influenced by the (wrong) idea that women don't like super hard-core sci-fi.

Because I like hard-core sci-fi. And a ton of other people do too. But it's something that's a lot more common in adult sci-fi and movies, not YA books.

So having this be like a hard-core sci-fi novel was really really cool. There's all sorts of gritty, stereotypically masculine things in this novel (robots and cybernetic implants and all sorts of epic). If I had to summarize this aesthetic in one photo, it wouldn't be that beehive hexagon pattern, it'd be gritty sheet metal. Like this:



The whole novel screams gritty sheet metal (maybe even the one with the hash pattern on it) and I LOVE IT. This aesthetic is soooo cool and just because the audience is mostly female, doesn't mean we can't appreciate or love sheet metal aesthetics.

So yeah, that's positive thing #1.

This does come with some detrimental aspects to it. I feel like historically, it's been really hard for any hard-core sci-fi author to really reach that emotionally pulling aspect as well as the grittiness. And similarly, the more emotionally based sci-fi writers don't really reach that amount of gritty awesomeness that I'm looking for.

The closest I've seen to a good balance between these is Emily Suvada's This Mortal Coil. This book is sooo good, yo. Y'all should definitely read it.

And with LIFEL1K3, I feel like the emotional aspect of the novel wasn't really played on to the potential it could have been done. I think Kristoff definitely tried, but it felt like he didn't really succeed.

One of the main selling points of the novel is how it makes you question what humanity means and in some ways, I feel like Kristoff set this up, but it never really got anywhere in this book.

It's more like he introduced the topic that "oh yeah, engineered people or engineered sentient beings might be people," but after reading that ending, it felt like he hasn't really dived into all that moral greyness yet.

This part of the novel has a lot more potential and I wish we saw more of it in this book, but of course because of that ending, it sets up the next book very nicely. I really hope Kristoff works a lot on shaping this idea within the series because I think it's something that's a really good moral debate and something that deserves to be executed well.

But for now, in this book, it's not really talked about as much as it's introduced. Which I get, but I was still hoping for a little more.

This book is action-packed, quick-paced, and full of twists and turns. I think the whole plot was fantastic. It was interesting and Kristoff pulled off a lot of sneaky moves. Plus, I think that the there's still a lot more science-fiction goodness in store for us in future books.

The other thing I really liked was the friendships and all the friendship dynamics in this book. I love the connection Eve had with her cyborg dog Kaiser (ok, y'all know what's going to happen when there's a dog in a book. or a pet in general.) and her sentient robot buddy Cricket and her best friend Lemon Fresh. I felt like all the friendship dynamics were written well and that the issues that arise between friends were valid and interesting and always evolving.

The thing I wasn't too fond of between the characters was the romance. Ehh. Meh. [insert a bunch more apathetic words.] I just wasn't really into the romance and mostly ignored it. Because there were so many better things going on.

I kind of wish that there was no romance in this novel because not every YA book needs a romance. It felt forced and instalovey because it was based on something that had happened in the past. Because of this, I feel like we didn't really get that or chemistry between the characters that we should have gotten.

This book was so edgy that I couldn't help but give it 4 stars. It probably in reality deserves a 3.5, but I really appreciate Kristoff writing us some solid hard-core sci-fi, so it's a 4 in my book.

I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a hard-core sci-fi novel, but I feel like this definitely won't really click with a lot of traditional YA readers. If you're looking for fluff or cuteness, you won't find it here (except in Cricket who's adorable). This book isn't sunshine and daisies and unicorns, it's death, and destruction, and giant, hulking robots.

Thank you so much to Random House & Netgalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Jay Kristoff is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. His writing is so great and his characters are always interesting, even when I can’t stand them. These statements ring true for Lifel1k3. I expected to like this book, what with Kristoff as the author and the premise sounding so intriguing. But I was still pleasantly surprised with just how much I enjoyed this book. I finished it a few days ago, and I still can’t get it out of my head. Eve is such a dynamic character, and I loved following her along her journey. There were a few loose ends in the story, but I think a sequel is in the works, so that didn’t bother me too much. Plus, now I have a sequel to eagerly look forward to!

Technology bites humanity again.

Unique fast-paced world, cool characters (robot and human alike), and an ending I didn't see coming.

The plot was what gripped me and won me over. Think underdogs who set out to save someone they love and in turn, have to save the world. I had chapters I loved and a few I hated but to give any specifics on those would be to spoilery and we all need to be “fizzy”.

Be warned kiddos, I would have liked a little less language/vulgarity so if you’re a reader who can’t gloss over those types of things . . .

Despite a few personal preferences all my own, I totally give this five stars. Can’t wait to get my hard copy *grins*. Thank you #NetGalley #lifel1k3

Dead. I am dead.

This book absolutely killed me and if there is not a sequel ASAP, I may riot.

In a post-apocalyptic world, Eve lives with her grandfather and to pay for his meds, she takes up fighting robots at night. After a bit of trouble at a fight, Eve and her best friend Lemon are wanted by all the local gangs. On their way home, they find an lifelike android - Ezekiel. This is when the trouble TRULY begins. Lemon, Eve, Zeke will have to set out on a crazy journey in which secrets regarding Eve's past will come to light. Oh, and Eve has super powers.

The world in the book is AMAZING. I cannot say that enough. It's like mad max and borderlands had a love child and added more robots. Kristoff's creation of slang for the characters is so natural as well. He has a gift for giving characters and worlds unique ways of talking without making me feel like I need an appendix to understand what's happening.

READ THIS BOOK NOW.

2.5 out of 5. I'm so sad and disappointed. I love jay's other books that I've read but this one fell so short for me. The fake slang he created got on my nerves, I didn't really care about the characters, and I didn't care about the plot. I forced my way to the end and even though there was a twist, it wasn't enough for me to really like this book.

Let me just say up front: I super-duper double dislike dystopian/post-apocalyptic/techy books. They're absolutely not my jam. So when I say I read <i>Lifel1k3</i> in less than 24 hours, that should tell you a lot. Also, it didn't hurt that Jay Kristoff basically wrote a book about Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

Jay Kristoff has one of the most unique writing styles I've ever had the pleasure to read. It is quirky and dark and brilliant, and just wildly irreverent. I dig it. And while the subject/setting of this book isn't as interesting to me as some of his others, Kristoff made me appreciate this dust and oil and blood storyscape.

One of the things I <3 most about Jay Kristoff as an author is he's not afraid to write strong female characters, and give them all the power. And he's even less afraid of female relationships/friendships. <b>Eve</b> is a clever, wrench-wielding, combat-boot wearing fighter who doesn't back down to anyone. And her best friend, <b>Lemon</b> is absolutely her partner in crime. Along with her robot-conscience Cricket (yes, that's right, Cricket) and her cyborg dog Kaiser, Eve and her merry band of misfits are as fun as any group of characters I've ever encountered. And when their secrets start coming into play, it gets even better. (I'm going to add here, there's a boy, too, but he's plastic - both literally and figuratively - and completely inconsequential. The story would actually be better without him, just for the record.)

Also, <b>so. many. plot. twists.</b> I'm usually pretty good at seeing plot twists coming. I mean, I've read A LOT of books, and have seen a lot, but apparently there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio... I don't know why I'm even surprised anymore - systematically and meticulously constructing expectations, then smashing them into a million pieces for the sheer glee of it is kind of Kristoff's thing. Oh, yeah, and breaking my heart into teensy-weensy little shards and grinding them into powder under his boot heels.

There is a dual narrative here - one past and one present. The events of the past are horrible and terrible and very bad and will make you want to cry buckets and buckets; the events of the present are also horrible, but Eve's snappy, sassy, salty Scooby gang brings just enough levity to the events of the story to keep it from being soul-crushing.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes <i>Mad Max</i> - it definitely has that vibe. And as far as readalikes, here are some suggestions:
<i>Rust</i> by Royden Lepp - this graphic novel has an awesome robot with a jet pack who has to learn to negotiate life in a rural setting.
<i>This Savage Song</I> by Victoria Schwab - this is a book about a girl and a monster and survival in a dying world.

DNF at 67%.

I tried reeeaally hard with this book, because I hate having to DNF, but I just couldn't push through to the end. My DNF is mostly due to content--a LOT of crass jokes and remarks, mostly of the sexual nature, put me off from the very first chapter. It did start to taper off towards the middle, but then the weirdness started with the girl/robot relationship. (Minor spoilers to follow) It was just too weird for me. I get that the author was trying to make social commentary with the whole girl-and-robot-in-love situation, but I just couldn't get over the fact that the guy is a robot. NOT A HUMAN. Especially when things get a little steamy (at least one fade-to-black scene where sex is implied). It's just not okay with me.

I loved the robot/android concept of this book, and as usual with Jay Kristoff there were many many times I totally hated his guts for the twists and the characters he killed. It takes a bit to get that kind of emotional response from me, so well done Sir!

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.
Wow wow wow. Jay Kristoff does it again! This book was absolutely fabulous; filled to the brim with vibrant characters, edge-of-the-seat action, crazy villains, and one amazing story. There were so many twists and turns that I can safely call it an emotional rollercoaster. It hits you right in the feels and doesn’t let go. This book proves that Jay is an evil genius. Emphasis on the evil. *praise*