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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
A new series from an author that's quickly making it into my favourites list, this seemed like a great entry point into sci-fi for young adults. A lot of robots, a post-apocalyptic world, some compelling characters and all of that young adult romance that I'm rather over myself, but there always seems to be at least one lovey dovey couple.
I'm not a huge fan of the language that's gone all futuristic here, there's a lot of new (but not quite) terminology that's easy enough to catch on with, but did seem a bit over the top.
There was also a bit of drag in the plot (and in my willingness to read) near the middle there, but it was well worth hanging around till the end, where all the plot twists and craziness suddenly culminated into a mad ending that I think leads really well into a potential opening for book 2. Promise to get to reading that eventually.
I'm not a huge fan of the language that's gone all futuristic here, there's a lot of new (but not quite) terminology that's easy enough to catch on with, but did seem a bit over the top.
There was also a bit of drag in the plot (and in my willingness to read) near the middle there, but it was well worth hanging around till the end, where all the plot twists and craziness suddenly culminated into a mad ending that I think leads really well into a potential opening for book 2. Promise to get to reading that eventually.
For some reason I liked this much better as an audiobook. I don't often read YA but the story here was definitely worth it!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Adult reviewer of YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Romance)
IN SHORT: Read this one if you like YA Sci-Fi with teens and robots/androids in dangerous situations -- and surrounded by secrets. And there's some humor as well.
Maybe skip it if you are irked by insta-crush romantic subplots (not as intensive as in [b:Twilight|41865|Twilight (Twilight, #1)|Stephenie Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361039443s/41865.jpg|3212258]) or lack of communication as a plot device.
ADULT VERDICT: 2.75 stars overall, rounded to 3 because I'm not a Young Adult. But it has some 4-star moments.
YA VERDICT: 3 to 4 stars. Perhaps best enjoyed by the 17-and-under YA readership, or those who like Plots with Bots.
Sometimes feels like too many other YA novels (insta-love, swooning, etc.), but there is action and Artificial Intelligences and some twists. Overall it was a good concept with varied characters and originality, though not especially deep (from my adult viewpoint). The execution was mostly good or better, if maybe a bit uneven.
The romance angle -- and it's not a traditional one -- may either please you or make you roll your eyes (I thought it needed either more realism or less focus). But I'm not a YA, and this book isn't totally consumed by the romance sub-plot, so feel free to ignore me.
SOME DETAILS (no BIG Spoilers):
======================================
Best character: Lemon (best friend of protagonist Eve)
YAYS:
++ Some mild humor (no LOLs)
++ Robots/androids of various kinds
++ Some twists -- most are predictable, but one or two may surprise you
NAYS:
-- Ends on a plot twist (cue Book 2)
-- Unncecessary/stupid lack of communcation (secrets for no logical reason).
-- Artificial plot extensions, via important conversations repeatedly delayed or interrupted.
-- Insta-love/swooning. The protagonist is obsessed with someone's "bow-shaped lips", curls, dimples, skin, touch, eyes, etc."... when they should have been focusing on staying alive for the next 5 minutes.
NEUTRALS:
~~ Realism: I'd say low, but no lower than typical for YA Sci-Fi (or romance masquerading as such).
~~ A little heavy on future slang words
~~ Ye ol' but mostly handled okay
But hey -- most YA readers will like it more than I did, and I didn't hate it. Most anything half-decent with Plots with Bots gets at least 2 stars from me. I could even see Lifel1k3 being made into a movie version.
======================================
PARENTS & PRUDES: Pretty safe as these things go. Sci-fi violence/deaths. Harm to humans and non-humans. Made-up curse words. 2 instances of off-page insinuated.
*sort of. can't say more without spoilers.
Also consider: [b:Girl Parts|7422080|Girl Parts|John M. Cusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438048839s/7422080.jpg|9377373] by John M. Cusick
or other Plots With Bots: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/39901180-starman?shelf=plots-with-bots
IN SHORT: Read this one if you like YA Sci-Fi with teens and robots/androids in dangerous situations -- and surrounded by secrets. And there's some humor as well.
Maybe skip it if you are irked by insta-crush romantic subplots (not as intensive as in [b:Twilight|41865|Twilight (Twilight, #1)|Stephenie Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361039443s/41865.jpg|3212258]) or lack of communication as a plot device.
ADULT VERDICT: 2.75 stars overall, rounded to 3 because I'm not a Young Adult. But it has some 4-star moments.
YA VERDICT: 3 to 4 stars. Perhaps best enjoyed by the 17-and-under YA readership, or those who like Plots with Bots.
Sometimes feels like too many other YA novels (insta-love, swooning, etc.), but there is action and Artificial Intelligences and some twists. Overall it was a good concept with varied characters and originality, though not especially deep (from my adult viewpoint). The execution was mostly good or better, if maybe a bit uneven.
The romance angle -- and it's not a traditional one -- may either please you or make you roll your eyes (I thought it needed either more realism or less focus). But I'm not a YA, and this book isn't totally consumed by the romance sub-plot, so feel free to ignore me.
SOME DETAILS (no BIG Spoilers):
======================================
Spoiler
Best character: Lemon (best friend of protagonist Eve)
YAYS:
++ Some mild humor (no LOLs)
++ Robots/androids of various kinds
++ Some twists -- most are predictable, but one or two may surprise you
NAYS:
-- Ends on a plot twist (cue Book 2)
-- Unncecessary/stupid lack of communcation (secrets for no logical reason).
-- Artificial plot extensions, via important conversations repeatedly delayed or interrupted.
-- Insta-love/swooning. The protagonist is obsessed with someone's "bow-shaped lips", curls, dimples, skin, touch, eyes, etc."... when they should have been focusing on staying alive for the next 5 minutes.
NEUTRALS:
~~ Realism: I'd say low, but no lower than typical for YA Sci-Fi (or romance masquerading as such).
~~ A little heavy on future slang words
~~ Ye ol'
Spoiler
amnesia as plot device (sort of),But hey -- most YA readers will like it more than I did, and I didn't hate it. Most anything half-decent with Plots with Bots gets at least 2 stars from me. I could even see Lifel1k3 being made into a movie version.
======================================
PARENTS & PRUDES: Pretty safe as these things go. Sci-fi violence/deaths. Harm to humans and non-humans. Made-up curse words. 2 instances of off-page insinuated
Spoiler
sex between underage girl [ages 15-ish 17] and a non-human*.*sort of. can't say more without spoilers.
Also consider: [b:Girl Parts|7422080|Girl Parts|John M. Cusick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438048839s/7422080.jpg|9377373] by John M. Cusick
or other Plots With Bots: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/39901180-starman?shelf=plots-with-bots
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let's start with a tbh. Tbh I didn't really like Eve. I loved Lemon though. The characters felt pretty flat. The worldbuilding was interesting but the plot was quite predictable. It also felt a little rushed in my opinion. Not the best of Jay's books but a light and enjoyable read. I'm the only one who hated how dismissive was Eve/Ana with Ezekiel? Like girl let him explain himself.💀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
I am a huge fan of Jay Kristoff's writing through the co-written series: the Illuminae Files, but I had never read a book that he had written by himself - until now. Lifelike is a young adult science fiction story that immediately gave me Anastasia vibes. If you're not familiar with that story, you might not recognize the signs immediately but by about halfway through the book the author spells it out pretty plainly for you that this is a fun, space opera retelling of Anastasia.
The characters in this book were so unique and even the supporting characters felt developed, perhaps more so than our two 'leads'. This post-apocalyptic world feels familiar, but has the unique touches and details that Kristoff brings to his books that makes them immersive. Eve was born in a world where meat comes from cans and spending too much time outside without protective gear would be guaranteed to give you cancer. While I enjoyed her character, I felt that her plot was predictable as I picked up on the fact that it was an Anastasia retelling almost immediately so there wasn't a lot that came as a surprise to me. That being said, I still enjoyed the story even though it was predictable.
My two favourite characters in this book were the supporting characters, Lemon Fresh and Cricket. Cricket is the sassiest, most royal little robot - but don't let him catch you calling him little. You'll have a brawl on your hands. Lemon was also incredibly loyal, quite confident about herself and brought levity to most situations. I felt that I got to know her as a character more than our love interest, Ezekiel. I loved Ezekiel, but when actually thinking about his characterization I understand that he could have been more developed than he was. That being said, I loved getting to dive into his motivations and familial relationships.
Kristoff did a fantastic job in setting up two very varied points of view that make the reader question what side they're on. Early on in the story, we learn that humans have been creating robots for years. Each is coded to follow the three laws, which are basically that they cannot harm and must protect humans, they must obey humans unless it would cause them harm, and must protect their own existence unless that would threaten a human.
In the realm of robots, there is a hierarchy of types and Lifelikes were at the top. They were created to be the next evolution of humanity, coded with the ability to learn and grow, stronger than a human and designed to be indistinguishable from their living counterparts. We are faced with the question of what makes something a living creature? What is a soul? The robots are subjugated and treated like slaves, but the humans think it's okay because they aren't actually alive. But Lifelikes can learn and love, so what separates them from humanity? You cannot firmly place yourself on the side of the robots or the humans in this eye-opening novel - whose message is just as important in today's world as it is in the context of this story.
Despite the predictability, I had such a fun time reading this book and cannot wait to see where Kristoff takes the story next. I would highly recommend this series to fans of science fiction or retellings, as it hits the right notes for both genres.
The characters in this book were so unique and even the supporting characters felt developed, perhaps more so than our two 'leads'. This post-apocalyptic world feels familiar, but has the unique touches and details that Kristoff brings to his books that makes them immersive. Eve was born in a world where meat comes from cans and spending too much time outside without protective gear would be guaranteed to give you cancer. While I enjoyed her character, I felt that her plot was predictable as I picked up on the fact that it was an Anastasia retelling almost immediately so there wasn't a lot that came as a surprise to me. That being said, I still enjoyed the story even though it was predictable.
My two favourite characters in this book were the supporting characters, Lemon Fresh and Cricket. Cricket is the sassiest, most royal little robot - but don't let him catch you calling him little. You'll have a brawl on your hands. Lemon was also incredibly loyal, quite confident about herself and brought levity to most situations. I felt that I got to know her as a character more than our love interest, Ezekiel. I loved Ezekiel, but when actually thinking about his characterization I understand that he could have been more developed than he was. That being said, I loved getting to dive into his motivations and familial relationships.
Kristoff did a fantastic job in setting up two very varied points of view that make the reader question what side they're on. Early on in the story, we learn that humans have been creating robots for years. Each is coded to follow the three laws, which are basically that they cannot harm and must protect humans, they must obey humans unless it would cause them harm, and must protect their own existence unless that would threaten a human.
In the realm of robots, there is a hierarchy of types and Lifelikes were at the top. They were created to be the next evolution of humanity, coded with the ability to learn and grow, stronger than a human and designed to be indistinguishable from their living counterparts. We are faced with the question of what makes something a living creature? What is a soul? The robots are subjugated and treated like slaves, but the humans think it's okay because they aren't actually alive. But Lifelikes can learn and love, so what separates them from humanity? You cannot firmly place yourself on the side of the robots or the humans in this eye-opening novel - whose message is just as important in today's world as it is in the context of this story.
Despite the predictability, I had such a fun time reading this book and cannot wait to see where Kristoff takes the story next. I would highly recommend this series to fans of science fiction or retellings, as it hits the right notes for both genres.
I’ve heard really middling things about this book, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Jay Kristoff manages to build detailed, interesting worlds populated by crass and mesmerizing ne’er-do-wells, and every single time I am totally here for it. (I won’t read that one series of his, though—the one we don’t talk about.) Something I didn’t realize when I picked it up is that it’s a sort of vague retelling of the legends of Anastasia Romanov, except set against a post-apocalyptic necro-capitalist American Southwest. It’s a little bit Cinder, a little bit Ready Player One, except way better written than either of those books. It’s dark and funny and interesting, though I wouldn’t say it’s doing anything particularly new or innovative. It’s just a fun story about hot androids and sarcastic engineers fighting for their lives! What’s not to like?