Lifelike is a crazy, Mad Max style story with androids, robots, and lots and lots of secrets. I’m still trying to figure out exactly where I stand with this book. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. It’s super fast paced and action packed and I liked it a lot. Lemon might be one of my favorite characters and I loved her friendships and relationships with the other main characters. And there are so many twists that did take me by surprise, though I’m not usually the person who guesses twists correctly anyway. But while I like the twists, the way some of the characters reacted to those twists made me like them less. I have a hard time enjoying a story if I can’t like the main character and there was just something about Eve that didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t expect to feel so conflicted about this book because of how much I was liking it for the first 75% or so but I think it’s just me and my personal preferences not quite clicking with the choices made near the end.

I have been a fan of Jay Kristoff since his Lotus War trilogy, so I was quite excited to see he had a new trilogy coming out. And this book is Klassic Kristoff - excellent characters, fast-paced, humor and heart, and an ending that will leave you asking, "WTF just happened?".

There is also a question echoing throughout the story. Who - or what - defines what a slave is? Can a slave be something created, or does it's very programming remove the aspect of slavery? And for slaves and free, how much do our choices define who we really are, and how much does nurture vs. nature play a part? These seem like heavy themes - and they are. However, it really wasn't until I finished reading the book (That damn ending again!) that I really stopped and allowed the impact to sort of sink in. Honestly, anyone could read this book and not get that out of it and just enjoy the robots, the battles, and the bit of romance. But for others - there are definitely thought-provoking aspects that I cannot wait to be explored further as the trilogy carries on.

Kristoff has done it again, creating the start of a trilogy that takes the classic story of nuclear devastation, and making it all his own. Be warned - he will gladly get you hooked, then take your heart and chew it up and spit it out...and you *will* come back for more.

As always, Kristoff writes a strong female character, this time Eve, a scrappy woman living in a post-artificial intelligence world. She and her best friend, Lemon Fresh encounter a "life-like", Ezekial, who somehow knows Eve from the past. This story is full of action, as well a thoughtful consideration of what it means to be human.

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

Gentle friends, I loved this. This was an absolute treat to read! Jay Kristoff’s writing and storytelling is so unique, but if you love it then you will love it with the sum of your being. This book was one of the best things I’ve ever read, and I instantly knew it would make my top books of 2018.

I recommend this with my whole heart for fans of Borderlands, Mad Max, and even Fallout, because that is this books aesthetic. Yet, this book also is very reminiscent of one of my favorite Disney Animation movies, but to say which would be such a big spoiler, so I will refrain, but it was so amazing! I was constantly reminded of all these stories constantly, and I loved each and every moment. LIFEL1K3 is such a different book, that I can only compare it to these video games and movies, but I truly think it’s going to completely win over the YA world upon release.

The prologue to this book is one of the most heart-filled, heart-pounding, heart-breaking things I’ve ever read. I was instantly captivated and instantly immersed, and even though I was crying, a hand over my mouth, I could never stop reading. The start of every chapter tells more and more (in true Jay Kristoff style), and my heart continued to break and break, but I promise you; this story is so well crafted. I have no combination of words to even weave together to express how smart and seamlessly this is woven together.

“They used to call it Kalifornya, but now they called it Dregs.”

This story starts out in an alternate post-apocalyptic future of The United States. Robots in this world are the equivalent to slaves, and robots that look like humans (androids) are completely outlawed. Our main protagonist is battling in the WarDome, against robots, in a mech she has built herself from scavenging. She does these battles so that she can afford her grandfather’s medication, and in the opening of the book, she is in desperate need to win. So desperate that something happens to put an X on her back, and she and her friends are forced to flee, because the battles are broadcasted all over Dregs.

➽ Eve – A seventeen-year-old girl, who has been living with her grandpa in Tire Valley for two years now. Eve also only has one eye, and I loved that representation with my whole heart. Also, Eve soon realizes that the life she has always known, might not be the only life she has ever lived. So many secrets. So many twists. So many choices.

“Two lives, colliding like stars inside her mind. The life she knew—the life of Evie Carpenter. Domefighter. Top-tier botdoc. A skinny little scavvergirl eking out a living on the island of Dregs. And someone else. Another girl entirely.”

➽ Lemon – Eve’s best friend, who lives with her. Also, the funniest character I’ve read about in a really long time. I’m talking about full on, have to put the book down, giggles. Like, this book has the best banter I may have ever read, and all of the amazingness came from Lemon Fresh. One of my new all-time favorite characters. But I will say that Lemon does have a scene that bothered me, when she tried to take a peak at what was under a lifelike’s pants. It didn’t happen, but still, things like that are never cute, and her being a girl and him being a boy doesn’t make it okay. But besides this one thing, Lemon Fresh was truly the star of this book for me, and I want to be her when I grow up.

“I don’t care who’s after you. Where you’re from or where you’re going. It’s you, me, Crick and Kaiser. No matter what. Rule Number One in the Scrap, remember? Stronger together, together forever.”

➽ Cricket – AI that was made to protect Eve by her grandpa. And even though they are adorable, my only complaint is about this character. Cricket is with the girls when they find a lifelike, and when they find him, he is missing an arm since it was a really bad crash. Throughout the book Cricket calls Ezekiel “Stumpy” and “Braintrauma” and it just read really bad. It also kind of makes me not like Cricket as much as I’m sure many others will.

“If he wasn’t a real person, why does this hurt so badly?”

➽ Ezekiel – I loved Ezekiel, so much, instantly, right off the bat. He is the lifelike that Eve and Lemon find, when they are rushing home after the events that happened at the WarDome. lifelikes are outlawed everywhere, because they somehow broke the Three Laws that are hard-coded into every single robot.

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

And many of these lifelikes resided in a place called Babel. Growing up, you guys might have learned about the story of Tower of Babel as a lesson about why we speak so many different languages. Basically, after the Great Flood happened, a bunch of people came together and agreed to build a tower that would touch Heaven itself. God, realizing what they are attempting, scatters them all around the world and makes them all speak different languages, hence our world today. And the irony was not missed on how perfect of a title for a residence this is. And all the lifelike’s names are also super biblical.

The soul of this novel is about oppression, and the sick things we are willing to tell ourselves to justify it. How people will treat other living being differently, and unjustly, because they feel like they are higher on the social hierarchy. This book may be about humans vs robots, but I think it mirrors a lot of issues going on in today’s world, and I think a lot of people could take away many things from this book.

“Look outside that door, and you will see a world built on metal backs. Held together by metal hands.”

The heart of this novel is about love, and how we are always deserving of it, even if we are searching for it our entire lives. The romance in this was exceptionally done, and I was swooning so hard at so many different scenes. But this book doesn’t just focus on the romantic love between two people, but also the importance of love between friends. Eve and Lemon’s friendship is honestly goals. And this book is for sure a love letter to found families everywhere.

“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.”

And in true Jay Kristoff fashion, he ripped my heart out at the end of this book. I honestly am not sure how I’m going to be able to cope and deal with the wait for the next book. It will easily be one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, and I am so curious what direction the story is going to go. I also believe, with my whole heart, that the second book will be even better than LIFEL1K3. Even though this was a five star read, it was setting the stage for something that’s going to be such a damn masterpiece.

Overall, I loved this. I loved seeing Eve discover who she was, who she is, and who she wants to be. I loved the beautiful, lyrical writing. I loved the important themes and discussions that were expertly woven in. I loved laughing and crying and feeling everything in-between for the characters. I loved this world and traveling it alongside these characters. I even loved all the twists and turns. Also, to say that this has a cliffhanger ending is a damn understatement. But this was such a fun read, and I think there is so much that so many will love, too! I hope you all pick this one up come May 29th!

“Your past doesn’t make calls on your future. It doesn’t matter who you were. Only who you are.”

Content/Trigger Warnings: murder, gore, violence, death, loss of a loved one, bullying, robotic animal cruelty, talk of suicide, talk of cancer, terminal illness, child abandonment, physical abuse, torture, bombings, and war themes.

I've been sitting here for days trying to determine the best way to review this book; it was so incredible that I'm finding it hard to put into words just how much I loved Eve and her merry band of misfits' story. I'm terrified that I won't do it justice, that I'll keep writing and gushing and raving and STILL won't capture the special qualities this trilogy's debut has to offer. I also know that the majority of my following isn't into young adult science fiction, but this book was so much more than a nerd's wet dream. After much deliberation, I actually feel those readers looking to ease into the YA Sci-Fi genre, the ones who need a bridge to go from something more mainstream to a book with more pointed interest will take to this heartily. However, if you've enjoyed Kristoff's writing in the past, you will EAT. THIS. UP. Seriously, this might be my favorite book he's written to date.

Ok let's talk about the plot. The synopsis makes it sound like this novel is a mash up of so many things that it could go catawampus at any given moment, but trust me, it works. Oh, it works so well. Muahahahahahaha. I buddy read this over a period of four days with Melanie "Meltotheany" Parker, and this worked well because the book is divided into four (more or less) equal parts. We get a few different POV's along the course of the book, mainly from Eve and her bestest Lemon Fresh, but also in the gang are Eve's logika Cricket and her pup Kaiser, plus some other peeps introduced along the way. There are machinas and cyborgs and automatas as well, but don't worry, there are handy guides in the beginning to explain all the terminology that you need to know while reading. Some stuff happens, and our gang is on the run, hoping to not only save Eve's grandpa but also stay alive for 400+ pages. Because that's important, ya know? Aside from that, you honestly just need to read for yourself. I sincerely would feel like the worst friend ever if I spoiled one of the numerous plot twists for you.

The twists. Oh the twists. There are twists in the beginning, middle, and end. There are twists you'll expect and there are twists you'll never see coming. There are twists that make you leap for joy and twists that make you clutch your heart. Oh Jay, why do you do this to us? My heart is never safe while reading your books. There are twists that seem small and end up large, and there are twists that seem to be plot changers that end up red herrings. Also, there are just plain old bombshells that will twist right on through until the end of book three I imagine. Oh, did I mention that there are twists? Sorry, must have slipped my mind. THERE ARE TWISTS GALORE AND I LOVE IT! You can never let your guard down here folks, because you'll be merrily reading along on the treadmill and all of a sudden BOOM! There goes your heart and everyone in public will stare at how weirdly emotional you are with your fictional characters. Be prepared-you've been warned!

Beyond the twists, fast-paced plot, and just overall well done writing style, the characters are simply phenomenal. I felt emotionally attached to each one, and in a different way, almost as if I was a part of this group and fighting alongside them in this dystopian world. The sense of humor between the gang kept a levity that was necessary to maintain the well balanced narrative here, and it was just so brilliant. Uff. The friendship between Lem and Eve was refreshing, the romance was minor enough to not be obnoxious but also relevant to the storyline, and even the bots were downright delectable. Cricket is such a precious pumpkin and I will fight anyone who tries to hurt him. I have unsuccessfully tried to convince Mr. Humphrey to buy/make/adopt a logika for me in order to live my best life, but he is not having it. *Sigh*

Bottom line- you need this book in your life. Obviously after that devilish cliffhanger (Jay, you rascal you) I'm going to die until the next book comes out, but I guess in the meantime I'll just fangirl about this one. Ok, so there was a little closure in this book, but still, you're left with a desperate case of the grabby hands and the gimmie gimmie needy needies. I'm not sure how Mel and I will every find a buddy read to top this one, because it was just so incredibly good. This book will definitely make my highlights of the year, so you should read it too, then we can hold each other and sob over what just happened in this story. Highly, HIGHLY recommended to anyone who enjoys a perfect book.

I adore sci-fi and I adored the Illuminae trilogy. So, when I saw this on netgalley I couldn't wait to read it. There were a few moments that were predictable, and it was a bit confusing when Eve/Ava/Eve changed what she called herself so many time, but I still loved it. I am rarely surprised, but I have to admit, it took me, like, over 3/4 of the book or so before I realized it was like Android Anastasia, and I LOVED it. I didn't love the ending; like, yes, your friends lied to you, but how is the solution to that to give up all your morals and join up with the guy who's been trying to kill you the entire book?

LIFEL1K3 is an adventure filled novel that keeps the reader engaded from each fight scene to the next. It's filled to the brim with action, technology, and a Romeo/Juliet-like romance that you will love.

Jay Kristoff’s Lifel1k3 is a ground-shaking cross between MadMax and A.I.. From thousands upon thousands of mSv of radiation to deep-water cyber-kraken to biotech clone attack dogs, the post-apocalypse landscape of the book is wrought with all kinds of dastardly evils. Stuck in the middle are Eve and her sidekick Lemon, who spend their days building battle mechs, scavenging for tech, and running from the many gangs that roam the wasteland that has become the West Coast of the United States. After a particular hairy bout at the WarDome, Eve and Lemon find an advanced “lifelike” robot. The appearance of Ezekiel, the lifelike, sets off a series of events that starts to heal Eve’s scarred memory, and bring a new mission that will take her into the heart of her torn past.

Kristoff’s writing advances several important questions of our time: Where is our world headed in regards to artificial intelligence, nuclear capabilities, and business overreach? His use mythological and folklore allusions add a relevant and necessary bridge between the past and the future. The slang, future-speak was fun, and I found myself quickly catching on and adopting the language in my head. At times, Kristoff’s reliance on the flashback can deter from the central narrative and be repetitive, but Eve’s memories are important, so this device may be necessary for the character’s development.

Likel1k3 is an ernest re-coming-of-age story from a biting vision of the future. Kristoff’s book is full of screaming twists, quirks, and idiosyncrasies that tear into any reader’s assumptions. The overriding question in my mind after reading: If we give the tech we make our servants and/ or friends the capacity to feel, what will they do with it?

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Mr. Kristoff for the advanced copy to review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

When I heard that Jay has a new book - I just had to read it - I mean how can I not? His Nevernight series is LIFE.

LifeL1k3 is book about friendship, family, love and the future of our planet. Set in a bleak distant future in California, it tells a complex story of the relationship of man to machine. When I first started reading it, I though: Oh man this is X-Men and Pacific Rim smashed together. However, the story merged into something completely new and surprised me, in a good way.

I absolutely loved the friendship in this book. Lemon and Eve are incredible friends and they really come through for each other. It’s refreshing to see no female on female hate in YA and I for one really applaud Jay. Also, can I have Lemon as my best friend? I am serious. Lemon is funny, cocky, adventurous, fiercely loyal and overall amazing!

Another great thing about LifeL1k3 is that it clearly demonstrates Jay’s ability to adapt his writing style to a particular book. His writing changes depending on the situation, the environment, mood and characters. It’s a mark of an incredible writer.

I will say this - the book was a bit predictable for me, especially the big plot twists. The romance in here is muted in a typical YA fashion but I get that and it didn’t bother me as much.

Overall LifeL1k3 is a great ride and I honestly will recommended to all of my friends and I cannot wait for book 2!

I'm at the point in my reading life where I take 5 stars pretty seriously and Jay Kristoff seems to get that spectacular 5 star rating from me EVERY TIME!

This is like Mad Maxx meets Westworld meets Anastasia meets Terminator. JUST All THE THINGS. It follows a young girl named Eve who lives in a society that is falling apart and machines have risen to the top where they are uncontrollable. They bow to no one. They're the top of the food chain basically. Luckily for Eve, she ends up taking down a machine by screaming and the plot thickens from there!

Jay Kristoffs writing keeps getting better and better. The character in this were so driven and complex. I loved Kaiser who is Eve's cyborg dog and Lemon Fresh who is her best friend. Everyone is flawed yet mold perfectly in this wasteland of an environment and hectic plotline. It's action packed and has left me wanting more after turning the final page.

Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to say about this book aside from I freaking loved everything about it and everyone should put it on their TBR now!!
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Seriously, Lifelike was a whirlwind of emotions for me! I laughed, I raged and I cried, sometimes all three within a span of a few pages!! You just can’t help but to fall in love with these characters and feel everything that they feel. My heart absolutely broke at some of the things that they had been through and had to go through.
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One of my favorite things about this book was the friendships. I loved the relationship between Eve, Lemon and Cricket! And there’s nothing that I can say to express my love for Kaiser! They were all the epitome of badassery and you could just feel the bond between them!
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Let’s take a minute to talk about the freaking twists! Holy shit! I am seriously SHOOK and some of the things that happened. I can’t say much more because of spoilers but damn I didn’t see those twists coming.
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Lifelike is filled will action, badass characters and touching friendships. Trust me, you want to read this book.

I was unfortunately not a fan of this. It didn't hold my attention in anyway. I do think fans of Bladerunner will enjoy this as I definitely was getting those vibes off of it and Bladerunner is one of my most hated movies.

I, Robot and Westworld meets Anastasia in the first novel of a new series where society has crumbled and the machines have risen to take their perceived rightful place at the top creating a new world order where they bow to no one.

“Life Like” tells the story of Eve, a young girl living with her ailing grandfather trying to survive after the revolt and the loss of her family the only way she can, but when she managed to take out a machine with nothing but a scream her life turns upside down as enemies both old and new hunt her down bringing up old wounds and long buried secrets that could change her life forever.

I have to start by saying it took me until the 40% mark before I allowed myself to stop denying this was a play on Anastasia, the nods to the actual story are all there or represented in some way but I’m a huge fan of the animated film that I thought I was bias but even her name is an anagram for Romanov (yes I wrote it out to be sure because I’m that big of a nerd). I enjoyed seeing this sort of sci fi take on the original where we get a bit of the history and a bit of the Hollywood intermixed to bring this story to life.

There were some rough parts mostly in the middle that felt like they went a little longer than necessary and even when the tiny hints of foreshadowing that were featured there are brought to the forefront it still kinda seems like it would have been fine overall just to leave it out entirely. Also I’m terrible and maybe it was on purpose but I enjoyed the scenes with Lemon Fresh and Ezekiel way more than I did with him and Eve they just had better chemistry and banter that made me smile or laugh as I read it and given everything that happened and the cliffhanger at the end maybe I’m not totally off base with that observation.

With the hopeful ideas of Pinocchio warped by that of Paradise Lost this book orchestrates the cost of creation, and what happens when those meant to serve rise up to face their makers.

**thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**