5 stars



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



That book was brilliful!

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


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



Long review ahead #sorrynotsorry !

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



There are some deep topics here!

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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





Now let’s talk about some of the characters!

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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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





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

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

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





Last but not least, I got all the FEELS !

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

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

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



#sponsored #partner @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jay Kristoff proves to be once again one of the best writers of our time. I couldn't put this down, and I can't wait for others to read it as well!

Truelife wraps up the Lifelike trilogy by Jay Kristoff with heart stopping moments, lots of betrayal, war, and so much more.
I have loved this series since book 1 when I wanted to fight Jay Kristoff for all the emotions he put me through in just that very first book (I’ve been told I’ll feel it ten times worse when I finally read his Nevernight series, I’m not prepared).
Lemon, Eve, Ezekiel, and Cricket all meet and clash again as their visions for the future battle it out for the ultimate ending. BioMaas and Daedalus now have a third party sneaking into the battle as the Lifelikes, led by Gabriel, jump into the fray. Battles on all fronts, loyalties tested and divided. I knew what I was getting into but it didn’t make it any easier to watch Eve’s continuing spiral, Lemon’s hope and love for what the world could still be, and Ezekiel’s enduring love for Ana. This was honestly one of those books I could not stop reading because I was afraid if I did I wouldn’t pick it back up again because of the anxiety of what was going to happen to these characters I’ve loved ate at me.
***
A fast paced, full tilt run towards the ending, it was a good way to finish the last book in the trilogy. I’m at peace. Mostly.
4.5 stars ⭐️
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

SO, we start off right where DEV1AT3 ended…the bomb. Of course, our wonderful cast of characters are able to stop the bomb (unknown to Lemon), and save the horrible people of New Bethlehem. Like I get their lives were in danger too, but screw those people.

Meanwhile, the Preacher (seriously how is homie still alive??) has Eve, Ana, and Gabriel. Lemonfresh is with the Hive, and the Yousay is on the verge of war.

Okay so lets talk about my loves and where they are mentally and physically right now.

Eve: We see a lot more of Eve this time around, and honestly I feel for the girl so much. She finally has time to think for a moment, and continues to struggle with her identity and what her future holds. I’m still a little weary of her at the beginning, but I love how morally grey of a character she is and how she grows throughout the series.

Zeke: My baby lifelike boy annoyed me a little bit this time around. He’s so torn between his love of Ana, his feelings for Eve, and wanting to save Lemon. He’s so trusting and willing to throw his pot in with anyone who says hello. FIGURE YOUR SHIT OUT EZEKIEL.

Lemonfresh: MY GIRL. I love Lem. Lemon has finally found her badass side and has decided that no, she’s not the girl waiting for her to prince to come, and she’s not the quirky sidekick, she’s the MOTHERFUCKING HEROINE. I love how Lemon grows even more awesome, and the struggles and hardships she goes through in this book are absolutely heartbreaking.

Cricket: MY FAVORITE ROBOT. I love Cricket. End of story.

Grimm and Diesel: Man, after the betrayal in the last book, I’m still iffy on these two. But they’re on the side of the good guys so they’re alright. But the way Grimm talks drove me CRAZY. Like why does he have to say “That’s Robin Hood” or “gone mum and dad”? Just say its good and they’ve gone mad! The time wasted explaining what he’s trying to say was just exhausting.

Abraham: adorable, talent, child. Also Abe is exactly what Cricket needed during this time.

Now in the midst of this crazy cats personal issues and relationships, there is also TONS of war brewing.

War between:

BioMaas and Daedulus – fighting for control of the country, these two companies are fully coming to a head in a big way and will stop at nothing to come out on top. Also, fuck BioMaas for what they do to Lemon.

Humans vs Machine – war is on the horizon also for humans versus the robots that serve them, as some robot’s learn more about how to get around the three rules, the war between human and non transitions to oppressors vs slaves.

Human vs Deviate – technically different than human vs machine, its more of “Gabriel vs Everyone/thing else. But boys on a mission and won’t stop until he gets what he came for.

Will all the different fights going on, this book is INTENSE.

Also I cried. I cried sooo many times. There’s moments where I cried tears of relief, of anger, of sadness, I cried when things went right, and when they went horribly, horribly wrong.

This book does not disappoint in terms of plot twists, and almost every character goes through major growths, and some characters do outlandish, sometimes amazing, things that completely throw you off.

Overall, I loved this book. I loved how the characters continue to grow and change, I love how so many different ideas and possibilities come to a head, and at some points it’s hard to really see the lines of ‘good vs bad’. I had a few small problems with the end, I felt like some plot areas were resolved a little too quickly, some actions were forgiven with almost no explanation. But in the end, this is a great story about humanity, friendship and family, and survival.

I 100% recommend this series if you haven’t read it, and this was a really great ending to the story.

Dear Mister Kristoff,
Thank you for making me laugh. For making me cry. For making me FEEL. True cert, this is one hell of a series ender. Lots of twists. Many turns. A LOT of emotions surging through me as I read on what these character experience and go through. This is why you’re my favorite author. I find myself holding my breath, or trying not to laugh aloud too hard, or wiping at tears that streak down my face. Thank you for these characters, in particular. Eve and her turmoil, trying to figure out what she wants. Dearest Lemon, becoming more than a sidekick in someone else’s story. Ezekiel, and his lifelike siblings, with their grief and confusion... I don’t know what else to say without adding in major spoilers...

So. Once again - thank you.

(And even more thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in e-ARC format!)

This finale is everything I hoped it would be. The first book in this series sucked me into the world of Eve and Lemon, and I never wanted to leave. But if it had to end, this was a phenomenal way to go! The character development was incredible, and the world building continued to impress. The ending was one exciting turn after another, with an unexpected yet satisfying final scene. I’m so glad to have read this series.

Jay Kristoff is the king of making you think you know where the story is going and then turning you on your ass. This was a great finale to such a fun and action packing series! This book was full of twists and turns and everything I wanted!

Truelife is the finale to Jay Kristoff's sci-fi/dystopian Lifelike Trilogy and I've been waiting for Truelife since Deviate's whopping cliffhanger and I couldn't be happier with this book. Eve, Lemon, Criket and Zeke are all back and this book was non-stop action up until the very end. My heart was crushed exactly the right amount, while still leaving me hopeful after the last page. Jay Kristoff knocked it out of the park as usual.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

First things first, this was a really weird book to read this week. Tension in America went through the roof after the unjust murder of George Floyd by the police, causing people to take to the streets in protests and riots. And here I was, at home in bed, reading sentences like, "You built a world on metal backs. Held together by metal hands. And one day soon, those hands will close. And they'll become fists." I saw the revolution of the logika and lifelike through different eyes this time around. I was definitely more sympathetic to their plight than I was when reading Deviate. Like yes, you want to kill all humans, but the humans treated you badly, maybe they deserve it.

In Truelife, everyone is gearing up for a fight. The ending of Deviate was a massive cliffhanger with a bomb heading straight towards Ezekiel, Cricket, Abraham, Grimm, and Diesel. Eve, Gabriel, and the newfound Ana were taken prisoner by Daedalus Technologies and BioMaas took Lemon back to CityHive to figure out how to replicate her powers. Chapter One picks up right where Deviate left off. So, I guess it's not much of a spoiler to say that the people of New Bethlehem survive and our main characters much go off in search of their kidnapped friends. Some go to rescue Lemon. Some go to rescue Eve. And all are trying to figure out how the heck the fate of the world is left on their shoulders.

Tensions are rising. And all of the characters must band together to prevent world-wide destruction on multiple fronts. BioMaas wants to kill the citizens of Megapolis and replace them with their hivemind. The Lifelikes want to start a robot rebellion and eradicate humanity. Which means our heroes are left siding with the least worse option- Daedalus Technologies.

Truelife serves as a wonderful conclusion to the series, wrapping up each characters' story line and leaving the reader with some hope for their future. Yes, there is death and loss. It wouldn't be a Jay Kristoff book without it. But the reunions I've been longing for since the end of Lifelike do happen (though my heart got stabbed everytime).

4.5 stars. Deviate is my favorite book in the series, but this was very close behind. I am sad to leave this world behind, but satisfied with the ending.

I got my copy of this book through Netgalley. I read the first two books in this series immediately before reading Truel1f3. And I am going to write an honest review - but this is the first time I'm saying the following: I HATE that I have to write an honest review about this book because to me, this was NOT a fitting conclusion to the tale started in books 1 and 2. And, just so we're clear here, spoilers abound for all three books. If you don't want anything ruined, don't read any further.
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Okay! Books 1 and 2 of this series got 4.5 stars apiece. They had everything! Romance! War! Espionage! Black hats! Good guys, bad guys, people who didn't know what the hell they were doing or who they sided with. And I liked that. That was fine. But the main character, Eve, wiffled back and forth so many times it made my head hurt. Seemingly random events would throw her back and forth like a f'king ping pong ball being ponged across a table. AND THAT'S FINE. But her sudden change at the veryveryvery end seemed way too cliche and just FAKE. I was so angry when this happened and when Kristoff dared to have her spout the line "don't touch my sister." WHAT?! ARE YOU FOR REAL?! This entire book you've been fighting against your "sister." How trite could this have possibly been?! It (obviously) just made me so angry. Like I could see if it happened at the 75% mark, 80% mark, even 90%. But at the NINETY-NINTH PERCENT MARK?? NO. JUST. FLAT. OUT. NO. Honestly, that was my main issue with the book. I suppose if it has to end that way he wrote the best last chapter possible. But I literally want to cry because a series that was absolute perfection ended up being trite and hokey. Three stars.

With it's gritty, Mad Max-like world and highly charismatic characters (Lemon Fresh is so brilliful!), this has become one of my favorite YA sci-fi series.  In this final book, I was excited, yet hesitant to read it because I was afraid of what Kristoff might do to some of my favorite characters.  In several scenes, I nearly halfway covered my eyes.

Since it's been about a year between books, I really appreciated the recap at the beginning of this novel.  It's kind of hard to review the final book of a series without spoilers, so this will be brief.  Emotions were all over the map with this one - heart-gushing moments followed by roller coaster plunges into wildly intense action for pages.  Epic battles, cruel blindsides, devious villains with world-ending plans - I wondered if my heart could take it.  The ending satisfied me, with the exception of the fate of one character.  My feelings for this character remained conflicted for most of the series, and I'm not sure they got what they deserved.  So I guess it makes sense that I'll probably remain undecided.

Still, I've thoroughly enjoyed this intense, complex series with fabulous characters.  It's one I'd highly recommend to sci-fi fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

TRUEL1F3 was an adrenalinic and emotional conclusion to this trilogy. I cried, screamed and had an heart attack many times. Kristoff is definitely good at making at keeping you glued at the pages!

I'll keep saying that the worldbuilding of this series is great and very original, I never read anything like that.
I also really liked how the thematics of freedom and family are addressed.

The thing I liked and disliked more, at the same time, was Eve. I think she's the most interesting character of the books, I just adored her journey, how she tries to find her identity and how she struggles with certain choices.
The problem is that since book 2 we didn't see much of her, I adore Lemon but I would have preferred more space for her best friend.
This leads to the ending, it felt a little bit rushed, in Eve's final decision but also in the final battles.
There was all this big construction but I had the impression everything was so fast.

I was not deluded at all, the book was addicting and I finished it in 2 days but without these tiny errors, the ending would have been a lot better!

I have been a full year yall to get the closure of this trilogy after in true jay like fashion he left us hanging with our mouths open, minds blown and begging for answers.

I loved getting to see everyone’s POV and thoughts behind the actions. It really made it so very difficult to hate them more because the best villains are ones you kind of feel bad for. And someone Jay made me feel bad for some of them, others I was just as willing to throw off a cliff xD Lemon’s growth continued even more in this book and she stole my heart y’all completely. It was such a wonderful balance of action, heartbreak, romance and more! I didn’t think Jay could add more twists to the story, but he true cert left some for this one! I will say there is a particular thing that happened that will could definitely be a trigger to some so if you are curious I will glady tell you, but other wise my lips are sealed.

Theres so many things I just want to talk about, but I don’t like spoiling the book so expect a big discussion once this baby in your hands! Don’t forget to preorder this baby to help support our wonderful authors!

Jay Kristoff followers will love this 3rd book in the Lifelike series! Great read, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.