In a futuristic world where AI has become so much apart of our lives they are practically family Eve finds herself fleeing her home after it's broadcasted that she is a deviant, and can stop machinas with just a thought.

With the help of her bestest, Lemon Fresh, her AI companion, Cricket, and the unlikely android that she just met she starts to uncover more about her past that has remained hidden from her in more ways than she realizes.

The Story
This fast-paced, action packed sci-fi YA leaves you on the edge of your seat as you learn more about Eve and the world she lives in. Who is this girl that has so many people on her tail and can bring down a robot through her anger? This book is ridden with so many twists that you will get whiplash from it. And if you're new to Kristoff, be prepared to have your heart ripped out of your chest and stomped on.

The thing about this book is that it dapples in the morality of creating life with the AI and what it means to be one of them. The world that we are given has pets that are AI, friends that we rely on and keep us safe, and of course AI that look so much and act so much like humans.

Trigger warnings: violence, suicide

The World Building
All the geekiness that we love about Jay Kristoff in the Illuminae Files has broken out and is in another book. Kristoff does this fantastic job bringing out this world that he imagines through familiar descriptions while morphing them with slang that just fits. Often times I am not really impressed by a dystopian novel that make up their own slang and curse words, but somehow it just blends in nicely here. Instead of bestie, we get bestest, instead of an F bomb, we get fug. It stands to reason that in the future our terminology would have morphed at least a little bit if our technology has made so much advancement.

The Characters
While the story itself is incredibly entertaining, it's the characters that really drive this book. Of course, Eve is such a strong willed and an enigma that we are unraveling. But it was her friends that really had me going. Lemon Fresh is  the bestest that anyone would want. Street smart, quippy, and loyal to a fault. I don't know what Kristoff is planning for the next book, but if she's not in it or the main character, she will be sorely missed.

Can I just say that I absolutely adored Cricket? I love that even as an tiny AI he brought out so much flavor to the story. He's snarky and loves Eve so much. I'm not sure if it's because of her name, or the way he was able to express his feelings so well, but every time he spoke I imagined his voice almost like WALL-E's, and I just found him incredibly endearing.

I’m at a loss for words on how to describe LIFEL1K3. It is a little like The Wizard of Oz meets Pinocchio and runs away to iRobot, just to make it all the more different. Now Pinocchio is one of my least favorite stories but you add in Eve who battles huge megabot things in a gladiator pit, her bestest, a freckled up chick named Lemon Fresh, a little bot, Cricket, who tells her when something is a bad idea and a cyborg dog that could blow up any minute and really, why wouldn’t I love this story.

“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, Ana. And they will become fists.”


Jay Kristoff became an auto-buy for me over the last year. The best thing is his imagination. I never know what new cool/horrible/fascinating thing he is going to come up with next. Plus the guy doesn’t do Mary Sue or Gary Stew. All of his characters are on the complex side of the spectrum and they do good things and bad things. Not one of them is the golden hero and every single character is going to make a mistake or two along the way and might not make it out of the story alive because of it.

“Lawbreaker,” Lemon smirked. “Always had a thing for the badboys.”
“Put it back in your pants, Miss Fresh,” Cricket growled.
“What good will it do me in there?”


Eve is easy to like immediately. She is a girl who has lost her entire family and so she’s gathered around her people and bots to make a new one. She is also fighting in the Wardome to buy meds for her grandpa…how can you not like a girl like that.

But when a Lifel1k3 boy bot literally falls out of the sky, Eve’s life won’t be the same because he thinks she is Ana, the girl he’s been searching for over the last two years, and if he can find her, that means the others like him are coming too.

Lifel1k3 has a great dystopian world with fun language changes and a feel all its own. I’ve never been to this world before. The character interactions and dialogue of the main group are fantastic and I adore that Eve and Lemon Fresh are there for each other through thick and thin….stronger together. I appreciated all the little details thrown into the story which added to all of the crazy world-building and how I could picture this world and all the wonderful and ugly in it.

“Will you shut up?” Ezekiel bellowed.
“Right after you pucker up and kiss my shiny metal man parts!”
“You got no man parts, Crick!” Ana yelled. “Shiny or otherwise!”


Action – check

Cool Sidekicks – check

Mysterious past – check, check

Adorable Romance – check checkity check

Danger around every corner – um…Yeah

Crazy Plot Twist - OMG I can’t even.

Once this got rolling, it was action packed and threw me for a loop. I never saw the end to this coming. I thought I had the big secret all figured out, but I wasn’t even close and my hat’s off to Mr. Kristoff for taking some chances and not going the easy route on this.

I will definitely be first in line to pick up the sequel to LifeL1k3.

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Jay Kristoff’s LifeL1k3 truly captivated me from the first page. It’s an action-packed science fiction adventure that follows Eve, a scrappy street smart young woman who lives with her grandfather and who is doing the best she can to survive from one day to the next. The America we know has been decimated by war and natural disasters and Eve, like most others in her world, now live as scavengers. When we first meet Eve, she is fighting in a robot gladiator duel, trying to earn money. Unfortunately, her opponent is bigger and stronger and ultimately Eve’s robot is destroyed. When her own life is unexpectedly put in danger by her opponent, she unleashes a power that she never realized she had and destroys the other robot just by thinking about it and screaming. She has no idea how she did it, but what she does know is that it means she is now in a world of trouble. “Deviants” like Eve have been labeled unacceptable by a puritanical Brotherhood that has somehow put itself in charge in an otherwise lawless environment. There is now a bounty on Eve’s head, which has her looking over her shoulder for trouble at every turn.

The trouble Eve finds comes in the shape of an android boy named Ezekiel that Eve finds in the wreckage of a downed plane. Somehow Ezekiel knows Eve, and the more Eve learns about how Ezekiel knows her, the more she realizes her entire life has been a lie. Eve desperately needs answers so she, Ezekiel, and her friends set off on a dangerous journey to discover the truth. Will the price for the truth be too high though?

There’s so much to love about LifeL1k3 that I hardly know where to begin, so I think I’ll just start with the fantastic characters Kristoff has created in this book.

First, there’s Eve. There are many sides to Eve and I just love the complexity with which Kristoff has written her. On the one hand, she’s this super sassy badass robot fighter, yet on the other hand, she’s also an underdog with a bounty on her head. I always like to cheer for the underdog anyway so Eve captured my attention and my support from those opening moments, especially as soon as we learn that she’s not just robot fighting to win a little extra cash. No, she’s desperately trying to win money to purchase cancer meds for her ailing grandfather. That devotion to her family really sealed the deal for me when it came to Eve, especially once it was coupled with the fact that she then learns that her whole life has basically been a lie and she doesn’t know who she can trust anymore. That kind of deception can really do a number on a person so even when Eve occasionally lashes out at those around her, I still felt for her because I can only imagine how I would react in her shoes.

As much as I liked Eve, however, Kristoff has created a cast of secondary characters in LifeL1k3 that truly stole my heart. Lemon Fresh was my absolute favorite character. She’s a hilarious pink-haired bundle of sass but she’s also the most loyal friend Eve could ever ask for. Then there’s Cricket, who is a small robot with a major attitude when it comes to his stature: “Don’t call me little!” He is programmed to protect Eve at all costs and like Lemon, is one of Eve’s most loyal companions. And finally, there’s the most loyal of them all, Kaiser, who is the most precious cyborg Rottweiler ever. He’s totally mechanical but has the brain of an actual dog, and he’s just too adorable for words. He even loves to have his metal tummy rubbed just like a real dog. I just adored these characters so much and loved how completely devoted to Eve they all were. They’re a little family or like the four musketeers.

Ezekiel is another incredibly well developed character, especially considering he’s an android (or Lifelike). He comes across as so real that I had to keep reminding myself he’s a robot. He’s also the one who turns Eve’s whole world upside down, and I enjoyed all of the complicated dynamics of his relationship with Eve.

In addition to a cast of incredible characters, I was also a huge fan of Kristoff’s worldbuilding in LifeL1k3. The story is set in the future, in a post-war, post-apocalyptic version of America. It’s a desert wasteland, filled with ruins and radiation, and overall it has a very Mad Max vibe to it, which I loved.

As if all of that wasn’t fabulous enough, what actually appealed to me the most was all of the big themes that were encompassed in this book. It’s not just an action-packed sci-fi read that provided me with a major adrenaline rush. It’s also a thought-provoking story that tackles major topics like the idea of man playing God and the inevitable consequences of doing so, as well as the idea that we are not necessarily defined by our past, that we still have free will to choose who we want to be. I love a book that gives me plenty of food for thought, and this book really does just that.

The only real issue I had with LifeL1k3 was that it took a little getting used to the different slang words the characters used. That’s usually the case for me with science fiction though so I expected it going in and it didn’t really impact my enjoyment of the overall story.

I was also a little confused at first when we started getting chapters from Lemon’s point of view since the bulk of the story came to us from Eve. I ultimately didn’t mind though because I loved Lemon even more once I had a chance to get inside of her head and see things from her perspective. Her voice was a welcome addition to the storytelling. I also hope that it means Lemon will play an even bigger role as the series continues.

LifeL1k3 is an action-packed science fiction adventure that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. There’s deception, drama, and plot twists galore, and it’s also filled with memorable characters that you’re sure to fall in love with. With LifeL1k3, Jay Kristoff has crafted a wonderful book that has a little something for everyone. I really can’t wait to continue the series and see what happens next!

[**Review to be added to Amazon upon publication**]

LIFEL1K3 was a solid book, but it was also one of my biggest disappointments this year.

Everything about this book screams 'Jay Kristoff,' which is part of what made me so excited to read it. I expected a fascinating world, strong and unforgettable characters, a compelling plot, and a book that I would find impossible to put down. Instead, I got an overly predictable story, characters that I lost interest in, and a book that I found myself increasingly bored with.

Before getting into the details, I want to say that LIFEL1K3 is very much trademark Jay Kristoff and I could hear his voice throughout the entire story. The problem was that I felt like I'd read this book a hundred times before in many other books. It seemed like this book was more about the dialogue, the world, and the characters, with less emphasis placed on the plot itself, and this is where I had issues.

The world-building is fantastic and this is one area in which Kristoff shines. He not only builds an in-depth world with different locations and elements, but he also invents his own slang and manner of speaking that really brings it to life. I did have some issues with the slang in parts because I didn't always know what they were talking about, but idea and execution of it did help with the world-building. The only issue I had was that occasionally I felt confused and as if things weren't fully explained, but this wasn't something that lingered too long and was only minor. The Mad Max inspirations in his world-building really shine through in this world, though, so if you're a fan of that franchise you might want to pick up this book.

The characters in this book were really hit or miss for me. The main protagonist, Eve, irritated me more than I expected. I felt very little connection to her and that her reactions to various revelations and events were somewhat off. On a somewhat minor but still irritating note, she also made endless references to how 'she'd looked death in the face before and wasn't afraid to do it again' so. many. times. that I truly did not care anymore. I did, however, love Eve's cyborg dog Kaiser--Kristoff did great work on that. Lemon Fresh, her best friend, was one of the characters that I did really love. She seemed to have the most well-rounded and interesting personality of the bunch. She did feel slightly one-note at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed I felt she more well-developed and I loved her personality. I also really loved Lemon and Eve's friendship and really enjoyed seeing their love for another shine throughout this book. Ezekiel, a character we meet fairly early in the story, was one of the least interesting characters for me. There was nothing interesting or endearing about him, and I wished that there had been more to him. The last character I want to mention is Preacher, only to say that I still don't understand what his purpose was and all he seemed to be to me was a huge pain in the ass for no reason.

As mentioned, it was the plot that I really struggled with. The twists and turns were interesting, but also easily guess-able; it's a well thought-out story, but it just wasn't new enough. I feel like if you don't read a lot of books then you might enjoy this book a lot more than I did, but since I read a lot all the tie I just feel like I've read and seen this all before.

The writing, however, was great. Kristoff is wonderful at creating engaging and witty dialogue that lets you easily imagine the story in your head and feel like you are there with the characters. The descriptions of the world were strong and I appreciated Kristoff's accessible prose. The biggest complaint I have about his writing was that there was way too much action for my taste. I felt like the characters were constantly on the run or involved in some sort of action drama and I just got so tired of it and found myself desperately wanting to skim over large chunks of this book.

Despite my rather ambivalent review, I do still recommend you check this one out if you are a Kristoff fan or if you think the synopsis sounds good. There are so many other readers that have fallen head over heels for this book, so there's a good chance that you might still like it. People are even calling this some of Jay's best work, which I personally find a bit insulting to Nevernight, but that's just my personal opinion. Overall, I've given LIFEL1K3 three stars. I liked parts of it, but I just didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to and I look forward to reading more reviews from other readers to see what their thoughts were.

Well, this was super wild and fun!

Basically, right away I was having a great time reading this. I loved how immersive the world is. I was super confused, but enjoyed my confusion as I tried to figure out just what normal meant in this strange setting. I loved reading the odd, stylistic way the characters spoke.

I kind of felt like toward the end it got more normal, if that makes sense. I predicted some of the plot twists and the way the relationships developed. I was just expecting this to go from off the wall weird to even stranger, but it became more plotty and logical than I prepared myself for. Maybe I just got used to the slang, but I think it appeared less as the story progressed and suddenly all the characters were just modern day people.

This is definitely something I'm going to have to reread and process again sometime in the future. I feel like a lot of it went in one ear and out the other (or in one eyeball and out the other?)

Really, though, this is a great, entertaining read, as I've come to expect from Jay Kristoff and I'm excited to read future books in this world.

Comparable titles:
The Midnight Dance
Artemis
Zero Repeat Forever

***I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"It's like Romeo and Juliet meets Mad Max meets X-Men with a little bit of Blade Runner cheering from the sidelines."

With a tagline like that, there was no way I wasn't going to pick up Lifel1k3, even though the leetspeak title made me wince. But the problem with comparing yourself to an iconic work is that you implicitly set up a comparison alongside the conversation you're trying to have with it. And when there are multiple works to which you compare yourself--rather than letting the audience do the comparing--you will inevitably fall short of expectations. Lifel1k3 is good, but there was just no way it could measure up to the books! comics! plays! movies! it was channeling. It's much more than Mad Max and X-Men and Blade Runner. It's also Asimov's I, Robot and China Mieville's The Scar and Pacific Rim and The Force Awakens and Anastasia. It's even Paradise Lost, which is itself fanfic of the Bible. (Don't tell my English profs I said that.)

Most of those works are iconic. This book is not. It's a pastiche. A good one, granted, but it cobbles together a bunch of ideas we've already seen, and calling attention to them only makes the seams show. Ironically, the book got a lot better when I realized this, because I stopped comparing it to each of the elements it was drawing upon, and instead started thinking of it like a Tarantino movie. It's a deliberate, densely referential book that's nevertheless doing its own thing. Mostly.

The beginning is a slightly predictable mashup of some genre themes. There's a big robot battle, and some gang trouble, and some religious fanatics. The slang is a bit jarring at first, but it makes sense and by the second chapter I had started to like it. Jay Kristoff has a good ear, and a good sense for relationships too.

The middle chunk of the book is where it gets really good, veering away from what we know and into what Kristoff knows, which is fight scenes interspersed with some genuine human drama. He stops trying to write and gets down to telling a story, in other words. And it's a story I like. Eve and her bestest (friend), Lemony Fresh, are on the run from some killer lifelikes, robots who mimic humans in appearance but are far deadlier. As Eve tries to figure out what they want and stay alive long enough to thwart them, Lemon debates letting go of a secret she's carried for a long time. Lemony is definitely my favorite, a sly tough with a heart of gold.

The action is awesome and the plot developments are awesome, and they just keep getting better. Giant bioengineered krakens, wastelands of broken glass, mecha suits, secret identities and romantic entanglements...Lifel1k3 becomes a pulse-pounding thriller. Right up until the ending, when it all comes screeching to a head-scratching stop.

It's not that the ending was upsetting. Actually, one of the upsetting parts was incredibly well done, tragic and full of irony, and I loved it even though it wrenched my heart. The rest, though, was a tiresome attempt to end on a dark, gritty note. It was rushed and not entirely in keeping with the characters' personalities. It also raised the most philosophical questions thus far in the book, but ended before the characters could explore any of them. Maybe there will be a sequel to flesh out the sudden changes--Kristoff is prone to trilogies--but this felt like a proper (if disappointing) ending.

Generally speaking, the issues revolve around Asimov's "Three Laws," which Kristoff uses, verbatim, as the laws that govern robots in Lifel1k3 as well. But Kristoff also rightly offers a critique of those laws. They only work insofar as robots have no sentience, and humans have no empathy for them. When either of those two things happen, the laws become chains, and machines become slaves. Lifel1k3 partially explores this, and offers some interesting variations. The lifelikes are too emotional rather than emotionless, the standard assumption about robots, and struggle to process thoughts and feelings the way that humans do. It's a compelling conundrum, and it resonates with current political issues surrounding the second-class status of anyone deemed Other. Unfortunately, the action and references overpower the message.

The ultimate deciding factor for a novel that has me on the fence is whether I'd pick up a sequel. For Lifel1k3 I absolutely would. The world is interesting, the characters developed some real depth, and I would like to see Kristoff redeem the ideas he didn't quite pull off. The philosophical ramifications took a hard left turn, but he could definitely build a sequel around them. I hope he does.

This book is just…this book is amazing. I quite literally have to force myself to not fill this will flailing gifs and incoherent keysmashes of joy to explain the amazingness that is this book. I love Jay Kristoff’s writing and this book has only solidified him as my favorite author.

Lifel1k3 has been compared to Mad Max, Romeo & Juliet, XMEN, and various other fandoms throughout media but this story has a whole life (heh) of it’s own, lemme tell ya. From the setting to the world building to the characters to the vernacular spoken, this book is wholly original and absolutely fizzy to the utmost fizziness.

I went into this story not really knowing a whole lot other than it was a new book by Jay, it had robots, and it was set in a post-apocalyptic world. Considering I’d read most of his Lotus Wars series, Nevernight, and the Illuminae chronicles, I was excited to see what Jay would do with a sci-fi infused post-apocalyptic setting and he did not disappoint.

The Mad Max comparisons are on point because the Yousay is a totally broken wasteland of a world filled with desolation, despair, radiation, and cities that are ruled by corporations rather than government. It’s dirty, it’s filthy, it’s wholly unhygienic, and it is glorious. We go from the remnants of a literal trash heap floating in an ‘ocean’ that is nothing but sludge, plastic, and detriment of the old world to a desert town littered with ships, containers, and a hodgepodge of anything that can be scrapped together to make a building only to end up at the post-apocalyptic version of Babel that was once a shiny beacon of hope only to be brought down to nothing. The world in this book is choice and I loved it almost as much as I loved the characters.

Eve, Cricket, Lemon Fresh, and Ezekiel are our main cast and they are absolutely wonderful. Each one has their own distinct personalities that shine throughout the book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will scream, and you will stare gobsmacked at the book as you travel with them throughout this story.

Cricket is by far my bestest little robot but don’t you dare tell him I called him little. He’s the sidekick to Eve’s main character but he was such a joy to read about. Every time he spoke on the page I was smiling and laughing at the bits of snarky sarcasm that he threw in.

Lemon Fresh is the humor of this book and quite possibly the most badass bestie any fictional girl could have. She had her very own arc in the book that didn’t involve Eve which I really enjoyed because most of the time the side characters are only there as fluff for the MC but that wasn’t the case with Lemon. She had her own history, her own arc, her own very distinct and very awesome personality, and I cannot wait to see more of her.

Ezekiel is our lifelike of the story and love interest. I really enjoyed his character but he isn’t the swoon worthy HEA that I was expecting him to be as I was reading. Sure, he said some pretty words and did some pretty heroic things but I wasn’t all LE SIGH about him as I have been about other HEA’s.

Eve is our MC who’s living a life filled with lies. I definitely got some Anastasia feels about her as the story progressed. She’s totally badass, sarcastic to a fault, a bit tempestuous, and sooooo much fun to read. She loves her Grandpa Silas to a fault, she’s super protective of her robotic puppy Kaiser, is super close with her bestie Lemon Fresh, and an absolute hilarious companion to Cricket’s mother henning. She’s a wonderful MC who went through an absolute roller coaster of a ride and I am chomping at the bit to read more of her considering how Jay completely ripped my heart out with the ending!

Kristoff is known for his twisted mind and twisty ends to books. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out he flips you on your butt, grabs the story, and twists it in such a masterfully done way that all you can do is stare at the words and wonder what the heck just happened. It’s heart breaking, it’s maddening, and it’s absolutely freaking wonderful. In the wise words of Ron Weasley…


I do have a few qualms with the story that kind of irked me a bit.

The addition of the Preacher just felt unnecessary. He’s a hired assasin sent by one of the corporations to capture Eve either alive or dead. He’s a one dimensional, Western inspired type of bounty hunter and while he did keep our cast on their toes for a good majority of the book, he just felt…blah. Yes, he spurred our cast to travel to Babel but I just didn’t really like him a lot. He’s very eye rolly.

Eve/Cricket kept calling Ezekiel Brain Trauma and Stumpy, respectively, in reference to some injuries that Ezekiel suffered in the book. To me, those ‘nicknames’ felt very degrading and insensitive and just a tad bit ableist to me. Jay could have left those out and the story would’ve been just fine. Also, when Eve and Lemon Fresh first find Ezekiel, who they assume is OOC, Lemon Fresh tries to take a peek into his shorts to look at his man bits and yeah, not cool. Robot or not, OOC or not, that left me with a really skeeved out feeling. Lemon’s quite obsessed with toggling at Ezekiel in the book and has no shame about objectifying him at all but actively trying to look in his pants when he’s the robotic version of passed out is not a good look.

Those few bothersome things aside, this book is amazing and I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I screamed (honest to godness, I did), and I was completely thrown for a loop at the end. The book isn’t even officially released and I already want the sequel.

This was an amazing story that was a very different take on the robot rebellion stories that have come before. I loved the undertones of Pinocchio and the Romanov family and the missing princess Anastasia. There is a lot of stuff happening in this story and I will probably have to read it many times to catch it all, but I don’t think I will ever find it boring.

Eve is a girl who at the start of the story is a strong and self assured young woman. But as events unfold and her past comes back to her, she really struggles with who she is and what exactly that means. She is complex, but also smart, and resourceful and can think quickly to get herself and her companions out of trouble. She is fierce and loyal and is never willing to leave anyone behind, even when she could die trying to save them.

Lemon Fresh, Eve’s bestie, is as refreshing as a summer breeze (Sorry, couldn’t resist). Seriously, I loved her name, loved her personality and would love to have her as a friend. She is sassy, strong and smart. She has the street smarts that has kept her alive to help them get out of their predicaments. She is also fiercely loyal and will do anything for Eve and her grandfather.

Ezekiel was an interesting take on an AI. He was created with the idea that most people would see him as human, and they do, on the surface anyways. He is totally devoted to Eve, and comes to like Lemon as well. He always goes along with Eve’s plan even when he knows it may not be the best choice. Even when he was being a bit sappy, I still really liked him.

Cricket is a logika, a machine with its own intellegence which allows it to act independently. Cricket is still controlled by the three laws of robots, but he can act without commands from Eve or any other human. Cricket is often the voice of reason, sometimes even Eve conscience, (hence the Pinocchio reference). He was a hoot also, being very sarcastic and getting upset when anyone called him little. I would just love to have him around as well, he would be protective and just all around fun.

This story takes place far into the future, when there have been a couple of more world wars which included nuclear bombs. The landscape and the cities have been completely changed, and life here is like nothing you could possibly imagine. I loved the city made up of beached tankers and other large sea vessels. Also their trek through the ocean inside a bioengineered creature was just genius. The wasteland full of a glass storm was a fascinating take on what would happen after a nuclear war. I also liked that there are three levels to the robots, from simple machines with no intelligence to the logika. There is also some humans that have been augmented and animals that are part robot as well. This world is richly imagined and laid out in such a way as to not overwhelm you with some of the horror of it as well.

The action and plot is fast paced and keeps you turning pages. From the opening sequence with the robot gladiators to the surprise twist at the end, it is heart stopping action through out. Speaking of that ending, Eve’s motivation for what she does, is not what I would have expected from her. Although she has gone through a lot in the two to three days that encompass this part of the story, I’m not entirely convinced she would have done what she does. Perhaps when I reread it (and I will definitely do that before the next book), it will be easier to see because I know how it ends.

A masterpiece of science fiction that will make you ponder the questions of free will, and creation and how far science can take us if we let it.

LIFEL1K3 is a young adult book, ages 12 and up (but I think a lot of adults would like this book). It is also the first book in the Lifelike series. This book has some of the usual sci fi tropes: Robots with a modern twist (robots that are indistinguishable from humans), Super Powers (mutant super powers that come out of no where) and a post-apocalyptic world (war between corporations, radiation, garage heaps, desert wastelands). The book starts off running and there is no hand holding. It is fast-paced. There is a lot, and I mean a lot of action. Sassy characters, sassy robots, doomed romance, betrayals, and an ending I didn’t see coming. Usually I don’t like when a book has comparisons to other books but Jay Kristoff in own review of LIFEL1K3 says “My elevator pitch was “Romeo and Juliet meets Bladerunner, while Fury Road plays a guitar solo in the background.”” For once, a comparison that is pretty accurate. So if you like fun characters and a lot of action and a post-apocalyptic world, then read this book.

I have to be honest, I went into this book not really excited because I've read a couple sci-fi books every now and then, but it's not my FAVORITE genre. It is also very steampunk, which I've never really delved into. DESPITE ALL OF THIS, I knew I had to give it a try because Nevernight is one of my absolute favorite books and I couldn't be more grateful I picked this up because it was one crazy adventure!

Each great book has a reason why it's so loved, and for this novel, for me, it was the characters. Here's why:

Evie: What a spunky, brave, and loyal girl. She was really what got me to get rid of this hesitancy of entering this steampunk world.
Lemon Fresh: First of all, I mean, what a name! Lemon is hilarious, loyal, and fierce. She's definitely a stereotypical best friend in the sense that she's always there for you! However, she's uniquely amazing in every other way!
Ezekiel: I MEAN, what a guy (if I can even say that). Can't say too much, but he was sort of made to be perfect?!

I actually have to admit about 3/4th of the way through I felt a little disappointed: I loved the characters, but everything felt so stereotypical, but no worries the last quarter really picked everything up and I was completely surprised by all the twists!

Overall, I have to say that this book really surprised me, in a good way. Even if you're not sure you'll like it, try it out, you might just change your mind!

This book was so god damn fantastic. Imagine if Mad Max and Westworld collided!!! You’d have Lifel1ke. It was jam packed with action, twists, turns, and so much violence. It scratched all the major itches for me that I love in a Sci-fi —- and I’m excited to see where the series goes from here. Also, Mr. Kristoff - i'm going to need the plans for a Blizthund immediately.

five stars all the way up. absolutely LOVED this book to bits.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Eve has been a robot gladiator for a few years. Helping her Grandpa survive until one day she figures out she can destroy machines with the power of her mind. Now she is on the run with her band of misfits. Lemon, Ezekiel and Cricket.


However, she is having memories of another time and another girl with a different name, and she can't figure out what that means. As they try to stay one step ahead of the Preacher and figure out her past can she face the truth?


I know this is a bit brief on the summary. However, this is full of twist including a massive one at the end that I am still reeling from to be honest. So I am vague because those even the minor ones will take away from the story.


To be honest I wasn't sure I was going to like this, I was a few chapters in and considered setting it aside, but everyone was raving about it so I kept going. It is interesting premise. Lifel1k3 robots were built and then revolted and the world has been torn apart by war.


I am honestly not sure how I feel about Eve and you have to read the book in order to understand why I am saying that. I feel a bit heartbroken by the ending. I am actually not sure if I liked it at all. I did really enjoy the story once I got sucked into it. Another great story by Jay! I am sort of afraid to see where he will take it from here.

LIFEL1K3 is one of those truly original books that I just know will make an epic movie someday #FirstInLine LIFEL1K3 is a dystopian futuristic novel taking place in a new era of pollution, civil unrest, technological advances, and conflict. We are given a world of cyborgs, machinas, automatas, and logikas. Each of these artificial intelligent bots have a different range of power, intellect, and sovereignty in this new world—living among the human race. The main character, Eve, battles robots in challenges, but is supported by her friends Lemon and robot Cricket. The trio are attached at the hip—doing everything together and protecting each other in a world that is more unsafe than ever before. After a victorious battle, Eve and team stumble across the ruins of an android boy. Quick on her feet, Eve decides to rescue this android in hopes of salvaging his life. When she brings this android back home to her grandpa's house, all hell breaks loose. Eve has just opened the pandora's box of secrets, and they aren't ready for what's to come.

LIFEL1K3 is so rich in it's atmospheric content that it's nearly impossible for anyone not to feel immersed into the story. This world is truly remarkable to read about! As everybody who follows me knows, I am viciously strict on my reviews for science-fiction/fantasy novels— LIFEL1K3 is a strong story, with a childlike banter. I understand that this novel was written for young readers in mind, but after getting immersed in the setting and time period, I wanted more. I wish the story was darker, with a sharper, deeper dialogue. The story felt a little campy to me, and I had definitely rolled my eyes several times throughout the story. However, this does not take away from the fact that Jay Kristoff has created a world in which people will love to read about, watch about (I'm telling you, this movie deal is coming folks!), and learn more about. I'm definitely going to continue on with this dystopian futuristic world, and I hope you will come along for the ride with me.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

There were a few too many plots going on in this for me to keep up, or so I thought at first. I liked the protagonist, but she had a world of woes to start out, and then it got worse. But I did read it in one sitting, and was sad when it ended, so I have to say it was overall pretty great.

Normally I love anything by Jay Kristoff, as you can see from my past reviews where I’ve rated all his stuff highly, but there was just something about LIFEL1K3 that fell short for me. Perhaps it was the genre or the particular subject matter of artificial intelligence, but trying to stay focused on the story was a struggle every step of the way. I also couldn’t feel connected at all to the people in this book, which is a shame because Kristoff’s characters are usually one of his greatest strengths.

LIFEL1K3 tells the story of Eve, who lives in a post-apocalyptic future where the radiation is so high that even spending a little too much time in the sun can kill you. Two years ago, her parents were murdered, and she still bears the scars of that attack in the form of cybernetic implants to see and remember. Now she lives with her grandfather, who is dying. With her talent for tinkering and building machines, Eve has been earning whatever money she can to support them by piloting robots in the popular gladiatorial arenas.

But then one day, a fight goes horribly wrong, and, in her desperation, Eve suddenly manifests a power that allows her to destroy another robot with nothing but her mind. Seen as an abomination, Eve immediately finds herself the target of bounty hunters, gangs, and mercenaries alike, who would all like to see her eliminated. Together with her best friend Lemon Fresh, their robot guardian Cricket, and a robo-dog named Kaiser, Eve has no choice but to leave her life behind and go on the run, rescuing a lifelike android boy named Ezekiel along the way.

First let me just say, while this was not by any means a bad book, there were just so many things about it that personally rubbed me the wrong way. Mainly, all the characters got on my nerves. LIFEL1K3 is technically considered a Young Adult novel, and indeed, some of the darker and heavier themes in the story seem to support this categorization. However, both Eve and Lemon both come across as much younger than their supposed ages due to some of their immature behaviors, questionable actions, and overuse of annoying slang. Not even the robot characters were innocent of this childishness. Cricket was most irritating of all with his constant disparaging of Ezekiel, calling him all sorts of names. After a while, I found myself gritting my teeth through so much of this elementary schoolyard bullshit that my jaws actually started to ache.

The author is also known to play on popular tropes in his books, but he usually puts an interesting or unique spin on them. Just take a look at his Nevernight Chronicle series to see what I mean, with the first volume based around a “Magic School” for assassins while the second one is all about the “Gladiatorial Games” action. Both books were nonetheless fantastically fun, though unfortunately I cannot bring myself to say the same for LIFEL1K3. This time, Kristoff seemed inspired to write his own “Bladerunner” type book, but then failed to really bring anything new or different to the table. His attempt at shocking revelations and twists also kind of fizzled, with many of the plot developments coming across as forced or uninspired. Worst of all, the “big reveal” was something I saw coming a mile away. This to me was the biggest disappointment, because it just seemed so uncharacteristic for Kristoff, who up until now has always managed to surprise me.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I didn’t like this book and had to force myself to finish, but I’m sure I’ll be in the minority with my opinions and that’s okay. LIFEL1K3 will no doubt find its audience, but it simply didn’t offer enough enjoyment for me personally. It was a shock for me too, that the author who brought me such favorites like The Lotus War trilogy, the Nevernight books, and The Illuminae Files (co-written with Amie Kaufman) could have written something that fell so spectacularly flat for me, but I guess it happens sometimes. For now, I’ll just set my sights on Darkdawn, the conclusion to the Nevernight Chronicle trilogy, which is much closer to the caliber of work I’ve come to expect from Kristoff. I’ll still enthusiastically keep an eye on his future projects after that, but I probably won’t be continuing with the LIFEL1K3 series.

OMG what a wild ride this book was. J. Kristoff is fatly becoming on of my favorite author for never know what to expect and shock value.
This book was a non-stop read of action, twist and turns and surprises and some romance in some semi unexpected way that works awesomely good.
I loved the rich and colorful worldbuilding and characters we get.
Though I must say I was a bit confused in the beginning of the book with the new world and the new slang that came with it, but I got into it pretty fast and loved it.
The ending OMG …….. Yes we get a hell of a cliffhanger, that leaves us crying for more.
I’m not sure how much more to say without spoiling it, so I will leave it at this,
If you’re a fan of SiFi and J. Kristoff this book is a must read . You will not be disappointed.
I rate it a full 5★

It’s no secret that Jay Kristoff is one of my most favorite authors of all time, and just like everything else he writes, this book blew me away with its world building, creative and loveable characters, and its intricate, gut wrenching plot twists.

Eve is a great main character, fiery and stubborn and willing to do pretty much anything for the ones she loves. Together with a ragtag crew of misfits, she travels across a war torn wasteland, on the run from a formidable foe while in search of her kidnapped grandfather. Along the way she uncovers truths from her past and pieces together memories that had once been fragments of the day her family was murdered.

The world building in this novel is absolutely incredible. I was easily able to form images in my head of the characters and their surroundings and the different forms of mechanical beings. I also caught on to the language really quickly. That’s probably one of my favorite things about all of Jay’s novels. There’s a unique language and terminology that accompanies each of his fantasy worlds that is so fitting to that story and those surroundings, that it’s hard not to get sucked completely in.

The ending was absolutely one of the biggest gut punches to the feels I’ve ever experienced, and my heart is now in tattered ribbons on the floor. Jay is such a brilliant writer, balancing fast paced action adventure, a romance worthy of swooning everywhere, and characters that make you root for them, no matter how morally corrupt they turn out to be.

Lifel1k3 is an easy addition to my favorite reads of 2018 list, and I cannot wait to see where this story goes next. Knowing Jay, it can only get more painful, but in the best possible way.

*Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Jay Kristoff has the amazing ability to always create incredibly relatable and human characters. I think this is probably the main reason I am always left impressed and in awe after finishing one of his books. Everyone is interesting, has realistic flaws, and perhaps most enjoyable, lingers on that fine line between good and evil. It is easy to understand pretty much everyone's motivations for what they are doing (or have done). His characters are so real, it is difficult to not fall for them, to not cheer them on. There is one thing I have learned though, no one is EVER safe and things are never what they seem in a Jay Kristoff book. Knowing this did not prevent me from (stupidly) falling for the majority of the characters in Lifel1k3 though. Several moments in this book left me screaming internally "NOOOOO DON'T YOU DARE!!!" and "OMG HOLY CRAP...WTF!?!" which to me is a definite sign of an amazing story. While it ultimately is not my favorite book Kristoff has released, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and still think it deserves a five-star rating. It did give me a new character to add to my favorites list in Lemon Fresh though and I absolutely adored Cricket and Kaiser.

*A big thank you goes to Netgalley & Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book.

I’m pretty much down for anything Jay writes, so even though this wasn’t necessary something I would have read by another author, I was all in.

I liked Eve and her merry band of friends. Eve is stubborn and scrappy and I’m 1000000% here for an entire book of her BFF Lemon Fresh. And somehow I was empathizing with some robots...so there’s that.

Plot wise, there were definitely some parts that lagged. I struggled with the slang that was used and it took me a long time to settle into that aspect. But the parts that were good, JFC, they were amazing and captivating. I loved the double crossing and the reveals and the ending that left me gutted.

Overall, it was quite an interesting idea and certainly something that only Jay could have come up with. I’m ready for book 2 now.

**Huge thanks to AA Knopf BFYR for providing the arc free of charge**

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff is the first book in the wickedly cool science fiction fantasy series, Lifelike. This post-apocalyptic young adult tale is filled with danger, robotic gladiators, kick-ass characters, a touch of romance and a mystery that must be solved. I read along with an ARC as I listened to the narrations of Erin Spencer. Buckle up cadets because Kristoff delivers a fantastic tale before throwing us off a cliff. I need book two STAT!