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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Okay, okay. This is an edit. When I read this book? Perfect. No problems. But... I can’t force myself to pick up the next. I have no reason, no more important books to read, I even own the sequel! So, for no other reason than it will be a task to
Feel free to read my opinions right after finishing the book, just know it doesn’t stick with you for very long.
———— ——————————.
How is this series not this guys most famous? HOW.
I’m in love with everything about this book.
The characters are amazing, true cert. Ezekiel is mine btw. And Lemons and Eve’s friendship? I WANT THEM TO BE MY BESTEST. Stronger together,together forever. *empowered female sigh* Oh, if you hadn’t guessed I love all the speech dialects. And Yousay is just amazing.
This is gonna sound like a weird thing to love, but I love how purposeful this book is. Nothing happens by coincidence. Eve is only found because they see her on the screens, not fate. Little things like that, things that really show the effort put into this book. And, oh this book has a lot of effort put into it. The city built on ship carcasses? STUNNING.
Don’t even get me started on the character growth. It was fast, but totally fit the characters personalities. Poor Eve. Poor everyone.
And the best part of this book? Everything I’ve talked about happened during the continuous battle scene that was all 400 pages of this book. I’ve never read a book with so much action
This book would make an excellent movie. That is to say, I think the strengths are the fast paced plot and imagery- the world is very interesting and a great concept. The writing itself, not so much. There's only so much slang and cheesy banter I can take. The humor in this book is not my style of humor, so often I was rolling my eyes where others might laugh. Maybe part of it was the narration, but I just didn't connect with it. I didn't guess the ending, so points for that! Definitely another unpopular opinion.
The 3 Laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
(your body is not your own)
2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
(your mind is not your own)
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
(your life is not your own)
This preamble in LifeL1K3 sets up the major themes that run through this fantastic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, the 1st book in a planned trilogy by Jay Kristoff. The novel is set in the Yousay (aka USA), in the Dregs (aka Kalifornya, aka California) in the distant future, after the Corporations fought War 4.0. The Dregs is now an island, having broken away from the mainland Yousay after the Quake.
The Yousay is mostly a vast toxic wasteland, which has been carved into city-states by the warring corporations, who continue to fight for control of the remaining resources. The 3 major corporations are Gnosis Labs, Daedalus Technologies, and BioMass Incorporated. Gnosis Labs became defunct after a robot uprising killed off the founder & leader of the corporation, Nichlolas Monrova, and his entire family.
The robots that slaughtered the Monrova family and shut down Gnosis Labs were created by Nicholas Monrova, and are a special class of androids that were so close to being human that they were called Lifelikes. One of the Lifelikes, Gabriel, is infected with a virus that allows him to break the Three Laws of Robotics. This virus was placed into Gabriel's programming, ironically, by Nicholas Monrova, thus allowing Gabriel to lead the uprising and kill humans.
With Gnosis Labs gone, Daedalus & BioMass are the remaining corporations, and they continue to fight one another for complete control. In this world, robots are used extensively for nearly everything: security, fighting the wars, food production - pretty much in all aspects of life. There are automata (machines with no intelligence of their own, operating on pre-programmed lines), machina (machines that require a human operator to function), and logika (machines with their own onboard intelligence, capable of independent action).
After the uprising at Gnosis Labs, Daedalus & BioMass jointly agreed to outlaw Lifelikes from then on, and they destroyed all of the android series 100's (the Lifelike's series) that were found. Nobody has seen a Lifelike since. That is until a 17 year old girl, Eve, and her best friend, Lemon, find one in a scrapyard after the plane it was piloting is shot down. And that's when the story really gets going!
Eve lives with her grandfather in Tire Valley. She & her grandfather, Silas, fled a militia raid that took her home. The militia had shot Eve in the head. Silas saved her life, installing an optic implant where her missing eye was, and implanting a Memdrive to help replace memories that Eve forgot after the brain trauma. Silas has cancer and requires several medications. In order to get credsticks (currency) to pay for them, Eve fights her robot, Miss Combobulation, in the War Dome, battling other machines. She and Lemon also scavenge in the scrapyards for things they can sell, or re-purpose and use. It is in the scrapyard that they discover the Lifelike, named Ezekiel, that was shot down.
I won't say much more about the plot, so as to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the story takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as you follow Eve, Lemon, and Eve's logika, Cricket, and her blitzhund, Kaiser as they navigate the dangers that await them: 1) a bounty hunter called Preacher, who was hired by Daedalus Technologies to bring Eve in dead or alive, 2) the Brotherhood, a militia group that wants to exterminate all deviates and "abnorms" (of which Eve is deemed to be because she seems to have the power to dismantle machines just by waving her hands and screaming), 3) the Fridge Street Crew, a gang of scavengers that want revenge again Eve for taking the Lifelike, Ezekiel, and so much more.
Similar to Battlestar Gallactica, LifeL1K3 is an exploration of what is life, what does it mean to be "alive", what does it mean to be human, what is the difference between being human and being A.I., can we truly create robots who are just like us and would we want to, is being human a good thing, is being a robot a bad thing, can robots be self-conscious and self-aware, which is better free will or predetermination, and many more such questions on the nature of life, intelligence, and evolution. However, LifeL1K3 is also a story about lies and deception, and about perception, belief, and identity.
Underlying all of this is the core story of friendship: the friendship between Eve and Lemon.
"What's Rule Number One in the scrap?, she {Lemon} asked.
Eve smiled. 'Stronger together.'
Lemon nodded. 'Together forever.' "
Eve and Lemon have been through a lot together. Life is very challenging in the Dregs, with lots of danger - even before Eve manifests in the War Dome, which unleashes a whole lot more danger and risk into their lives. Eve and Lemon are strong, intelligent, and brave.
"It wasn't possible to live in a world like this without being scared, she {Eve} knew that. And being afraid was okay sometimes - fear was what stopped the Bad Thing eating you. But she realized it wasn't being frightened that had cost her the things she loved. It was becoming paralyzed by it... It was okay to be afraid. You just couldn't let that fear stop you." - LifeL1K3, page 337
The trials Eve and Lemon go through will test their friendship, and they learn and grow in unexpected ways. Kristoff has written these 2 characters beautifully, and as a reader, I became completely attached to both of them - and to the 2 robots, Cricket & Kaiser. The story brings up all the feels, and I found myself getting weepy frequently as events unfolded.
I do not give out 5 star reviews easily. Not because I am just being a jerk, or am trying to make a statement, or am hard to impress, or whatever. I don't give them out easily because I have been reading since I was old enough to pick up books to read, and I have read LOTS of books. Therefore, I have my own experience and opinions about what is a good book, what is a great book, and what is an amazing book. A great book has to be well-written. It has to draw me in, make me care about the characters, build a world with internal consistency that I can believe exists and buy into, and it has to make me want to keep reading it.
For a book to go from great to amazing, for me, it has to impact me on multiple levels: 1) make me think more deeply, or in a new way, about something, 2) it has to surprise me in a totally unexpected way, and/or 3) it has to make me want to go out and learn more about something I read in the book, ie the book references something, and I want to seek it out.
While reading LifeL1K3, I knew the book was definitely a 4 star, great book. I could NOT put it down, I loved the world and the characters, and it is most definitely well written. But, what bumped this great book into the realm of amazing was the ending. I did not see that coming!! At all!! While it took me until about page 370ish to figure out one big plot twist, even learning that does not prepare for the end - for where the story goes once the reveal is made. When I finished the last sentence in the book, all I could say was "WOW".
Thank goodness this is the first book in a planned trilogy, because I would be contacting Jay Kristoff every day to bug him about writing more because I need to know what happens from here. I already know what I hope will happen, but after seeing where this book went, I am not so sure the final sentences of book 3 will go that way. Even so, I need to know!!! And so will you, when you pick up this book.
To Buy LifeL1K3 From Independent Bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy, Click The Link Here:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
(your body is not your own)
2) A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
(your mind is not your own)
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
(your life is not your own)
This preamble in LifeL1K3 sets up the major themes that run through this fantastic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, the 1st book in a planned trilogy by Jay Kristoff. The novel is set in the Yousay (aka USA), in the Dregs (aka Kalifornya, aka California) in the distant future, after the Corporations fought War 4.0. The Dregs is now an island, having broken away from the mainland Yousay after the Quake.
The Yousay is mostly a vast toxic wasteland, which has been carved into city-states by the warring corporations, who continue to fight for control of the remaining resources. The 3 major corporations are Gnosis Labs, Daedalus Technologies, and BioMass Incorporated. Gnosis Labs became defunct after a robot uprising killed off the founder & leader of the corporation, Nichlolas Monrova, and his entire family.
The robots that slaughtered the Monrova family and shut down Gnosis Labs were created by Nicholas Monrova, and are a special class of androids that were so close to being human that they were called Lifelikes. One of the Lifelikes, Gabriel, is infected with a virus that allows him to break the Three Laws of Robotics. This virus was placed into Gabriel's programming, ironically, by Nicholas Monrova, thus allowing Gabriel to lead the uprising and kill humans.
With Gnosis Labs gone, Daedalus & BioMass are the remaining corporations, and they continue to fight one another for complete control. In this world, robots are used extensively for nearly everything: security, fighting the wars, food production - pretty much in all aspects of life. There are automata (machines with no intelligence of their own, operating on pre-programmed lines), machina (machines that require a human operator to function), and logika (machines with their own onboard intelligence, capable of independent action).
After the uprising at Gnosis Labs, Daedalus & BioMass jointly agreed to outlaw Lifelikes from then on, and they destroyed all of the android series 100's (the Lifelike's series) that were found. Nobody has seen a Lifelike since. That is until a 17 year old girl, Eve, and her best friend, Lemon, find one in a scrapyard after the plane it was piloting is shot down. And that's when the story really gets going!
Eve lives with her grandfather in Tire Valley. She & her grandfather, Silas, fled a militia raid that took her home. The militia had shot Eve in the head. Silas saved her life, installing an optic implant where her missing eye was, and implanting a Memdrive to help replace memories that Eve forgot after the brain trauma. Silas has cancer and requires several medications. In order to get credsticks (currency) to pay for them, Eve fights her robot, Miss Combobulation, in the War Dome, battling other machines. She and Lemon also scavenge in the scrapyards for things they can sell, or re-purpose and use. It is in the scrapyard that they discover the Lifelike, named Ezekiel, that was shot down.
I won't say much more about the plot, so as to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the story takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as you follow Eve, Lemon, and Eve's logika, Cricket, and her blitzhund, Kaiser as they navigate the dangers that await them: 1) a bounty hunter called Preacher, who was hired by Daedalus Technologies to bring Eve in dead or alive, 2) the Brotherhood, a militia group that wants to exterminate all deviates and "abnorms" (of which Eve is deemed to be because she seems to have the power to dismantle machines just by waving her hands and screaming), 3) the Fridge Street Crew, a gang of scavengers that want revenge again Eve for taking the Lifelike, Ezekiel, and so much more.
Similar to Battlestar Gallactica, LifeL1K3 is an exploration of what is life, what does it mean to be "alive", what does it mean to be human, what is the difference between being human and being A.I., can we truly create robots who are just like us and would we want to, is being human a good thing, is being a robot a bad thing, can robots be self-conscious and self-aware, which is better free will or predetermination, and many more such questions on the nature of life, intelligence, and evolution. However, LifeL1K3 is also a story about lies and deception, and about perception, belief, and identity.
Underlying all of this is the core story of friendship: the friendship between Eve and Lemon.
"What's Rule Number One in the scrap?, she {Lemon} asked.
Eve smiled. 'Stronger together.'
Lemon nodded. 'Together forever.' "
Eve and Lemon have been through a lot together. Life is very challenging in the Dregs, with lots of danger - even before Eve manifests in the War Dome, which unleashes a whole lot more danger and risk into their lives. Eve and Lemon are strong, intelligent, and brave.
"It wasn't possible to live in a world like this without being scared, she {Eve} knew that. And being afraid was okay sometimes - fear was what stopped the Bad Thing eating you. But she realized it wasn't being frightened that had cost her the things she loved. It was becoming paralyzed by it... It was okay to be afraid. You just couldn't let that fear stop you." - LifeL1K3, page 337
The trials Eve and Lemon go through will test their friendship, and they learn and grow in unexpected ways. Kristoff has written these 2 characters beautifully, and as a reader, I became completely attached to both of them - and to the 2 robots, Cricket & Kaiser. The story brings up all the feels, and I found myself getting weepy frequently as events unfolded.
I do not give out 5 star reviews easily. Not because I am just being a jerk, or am trying to make a statement, or am hard to impress, or whatever. I don't give them out easily because I have been reading since I was old enough to pick up books to read, and I have read LOTS of books. Therefore, I have my own experience and opinions about what is a good book, what is a great book, and what is an amazing book. A great book has to be well-written. It has to draw me in, make me care about the characters, build a world with internal consistency that I can believe exists and buy into, and it has to make me want to keep reading it.
For a book to go from great to amazing, for me, it has to impact me on multiple levels: 1) make me think more deeply, or in a new way, about something, 2) it has to surprise me in a totally unexpected way, and/or 3) it has to make me want to go out and learn more about something I read in the book, ie the book references something, and I want to seek it out.
While reading LifeL1K3, I knew the book was definitely a 4 star, great book. I could NOT put it down, I loved the world and the characters, and it is most definitely well written. But, what bumped this great book into the realm of amazing was the ending. I did not see that coming!! At all!! While it took me until about page 370ish to figure out one big plot twist, even learning that does not prepare for the end - for where the story goes once the reveal is made. When I finished the last sentence in the book, all I could say was "WOW".
Thank goodness this is the first book in a planned trilogy, because I would be contacting Jay Kristoff every day to bug him about writing more because I need to know what happens from here. I already know what I hope will happen, but after seeing where this book went, I am not so sure the final sentences of book 3 will go that way. Even so, I need to know!!! And so will you, when you pick up this book.
To Buy LifeL1K3 From Independent Bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy, Click The Link Here:
I enjoyed this book. A lot. I do have to say I didn’t love it as much as the other books I’ve read by Jay Kristoff, but it was amazing nonetheless. Also, it took me ages to read. I was reeling from a book hangover and it definitely affected my reading; I spent less and less time doing it. The problem was that it took me a long time to really get into the story. I knew it would be great, but I had a hard time focusing on the book at first. I liked this book, but I had one small problem with it: I never connected that much with the characters, so it slowed down my reading. Other than that the writing was great, as it usually is with Jay. The slang was a bit difficult at first, but you get used to it. Nothing as bad as the slang in A Clockwork Orange. The descriptions were good, and mostly easy to understand. Of course some things were a bit more difficult, with it being a science fiction book that relies heavily on technology. At firsts I thought the pacing was slow at first, but now I see that I was wrong. It jumped right into the action, and even though it slowed down when they were underwater it escalated quickly from there too. The story was incredible. I think the way Jay described it just nails it. It is a bit of Romeo and Juliet, with Blade Runner and Mad Max as a setting, and characters that come right off the pages of an X-Men comic. It sounds like an amalgamation of many things, right? Wrong, it was one of the more interesting and unique stories I’ve read this year. Honestly, it is worth reading just because of the story. I really did like this book. It was dark and kind of hopeful and it vaguely resembles the story of a certain Russian family that was killed in a revolt, many years ago. Also, the whole debate about whether artificial intelligence actually has a choice and makes decisions, and wants or was programmed to act like that is fascinating. Are they human then? Do they obey a code because it resonates with their beliefs or because it was programmed inside their matrixes?
I liked the characters, even if I couldn’t empathize with them as I wanted. I didn’t much like Silas or Cricket. I never cared for Silas, even though I didn’t hate him. Cricket was there more for the comic relief and to provide amusement than anything else. He was pretty funny, I must admit. But sometimes he crossed the line into slightly annoying. I sort of liked Eve. She got on my nerves occasionally. I like her courage, and her sense of loyalty. I like that she is a strong character that fights for those she loves. What I didn’t like was much, even though I understood it, was her constant crisis in who she was. She was too fixated on defining herself through her past, and it brought all sort of trouble to her. The betrayal she felt at the lies of others was so intense. I had a hard time with that too. Of course, who could say if I would be any different. Then there’s Ezekiel, who I liked to some degree. I would like to see more of him, because we only saw the side of him that cared about Ana and nothing else. I think there has to be so much more to him. I actually loved the other lifelikes. Gabriel reminded me so much of the original Blade Runner and its antagonist. I like his motives, even though I know he brings things to the extremes. I liked Hope and Faith too. I want to see more of them in the next book, that’s for sure. Also, the idea of this ´virtually indestructible killers with human emotions that are too powerful is just brilliant. And frightening. Lastly, there’s the one and only Miss Lemon Fresh. I adored Lemon. She was quirky and strong and loving. Her personality won me over pretty quickly and that made her my favorite character in the book. I like her witty banter and how she can have real moments, full of emotion, too. I really want to see more of her and where she’s going in the story. If this book told me anything, is that what happened was nothing compared to what will come with the rest of the series.
4.5/5
I liked the characters, even if I couldn’t empathize with them as I wanted. I didn’t much like Silas or Cricket. I never cared for Silas, even though I didn’t hate him. Cricket was there more for the comic relief and to provide amusement than anything else. He was pretty funny, I must admit. But sometimes he crossed the line into slightly annoying. I sort of liked Eve. She got on my nerves occasionally. I like her courage, and her sense of loyalty. I like that she is a strong character that fights for those she loves. What I didn’t like was much, even though I understood it, was her constant crisis in who she was. She was too fixated on defining herself through her past, and it brought all sort of trouble to her. The betrayal she felt at the lies of others was so intense. I had a hard time with that too. Of course, who could say if I would be any different. Then there’s Ezekiel, who I liked to some degree. I would like to see more of him, because we only saw the side of him that cared about Ana and nothing else. I think there has to be so much more to him. I actually loved the other lifelikes. Gabriel reminded me so much of the original Blade Runner and its antagonist. I like his motives, even though I know he brings things to the extremes. I liked Hope and Faith too. I want to see more of them in the next book, that’s for sure. Also, the idea of this ´virtually indestructible killers with human emotions that are too powerful is just brilliant. And frightening. Lastly, there’s the one and only Miss Lemon Fresh. I adored Lemon. She was quirky and strong and loving. Her personality won me over pretty quickly and that made her my favorite character in the book. I like her witty banter and how she can have real moments, full of emotion, too. I really want to see more of her and where she’s going in the story. If this book told me anything, is that what happened was nothing compared to what will come with the rest of the series.
4.5/5
I believe I can be short with this one: Westworld vibes in a dystopian world, the coolest robots, plot twists and another awesome book by Jay Kristoff. I'm really curious to find out how this story develops further!
omg this was SO good and there were so many twists and jay kristoff is such a genius i literally cant even comprehend what just happened. and THE ENDING holy crap.
Ok. It’s a rare occasion for me to rate and review a book. But this is actually half good and half bad and I don’t exactly know why it’s a bit on the bad side for me. Something just didn’t click for me all the way down. Maybe it’s because what was good was also not that good. Is that even possible?
First thing that made a big impression on me was the fact that maybe this story was strongly inspired by the last Romanovs’ tragedy. What I mean? The book starts with the execution of a family - mother, father, four daughters and a son. Their name was Monrova. Romanov —> Monrova? Pretty big hint #1. They had a royalty status among the scientists of the future. Now it becomes pretty obvious. And if you haven’t guessed by now that it’s a story based on the Romanov tragedy, then we have a revolution (the androids are fighting for freedom and equality) and of course, the names, which are almost exactly like the original. We have Nicholas (Tsar Nikolai Romanov) and Alexis (Alexandra Nikolaevna) are the parents. Then the children are - Olivia (or Olga), Tania (or Tatiana), Marie (or Maria), Ana (or Anastasia) and Alex (or Tsarevich Alexei). Now don’t get me wrong. I love every detail of the history of the Romanov dynasty. Or not exactly “love”, but I’m really fascinated with it. But ok now, the Romanovs and androids, robots or however they are called? I’m not sure if it’s original or a bit too much. The jury still out.
Also at some point I was reminded of this “I, Robot” film with Will Smith and all the good robot vs. the rebellious robots that want to destroy humanity. I basically felt like this book was a cocktail of “I, Robot” and the story of the last Russian imperial family. For some this kind of mix might be pure genius. For me it was like regurgitating yesterday’s lunch and today’s dinner and thinking they might look nice together.
Then again, there were some deep dilemmas that were well explored, two sides of a coin clashing together and provoking some serious thoughts on humans and humanity. Also, it he plus side of the book falls the good pacing, the lack of huge info dumps and the flowing writing that doesn’t wear the reader down.
All in all, a good book but not unforgettable.
First thing that made a big impression on me was the fact that maybe this story was strongly inspired by the last Romanovs’ tragedy. What I mean? The book starts with the execution of a family - mother, father, four daughters and a son. Their name was Monrova. Romanov —> Monrova? Pretty big hint #1. They had a royalty status among the scientists of the future. Now it becomes pretty obvious. And if you haven’t guessed by now that it’s a story based on the Romanov tragedy, then we have a revolution (the androids are fighting for freedom and equality) and of course, the names, which are almost exactly like the original. We have Nicholas (Tsar Nikolai Romanov) and Alexis (Alexandra Nikolaevna) are the parents. Then the children are - Olivia (or Olga), Tania (or Tatiana), Marie (or Maria), Ana (or Anastasia) and Alex (or Tsarevich Alexei). Now don’t get me wrong. I love every detail of the history of the Romanov dynasty. Or not exactly “love”, but I’m really fascinated with it. But ok now, the Romanovs and androids, robots or however they are called? I’m not sure if it’s original or a bit too much. The jury still out.
Also at some point I was reminded of this “I, Robot” film with Will Smith and all the good robot vs. the rebellious robots that want to destroy humanity. I basically felt like this book was a cocktail of “I, Robot” and the story of the last Russian imperial family. For some this kind of mix might be pure genius. For me it was like regurgitating yesterday’s lunch and today’s dinner and thinking they might look nice together.
Then again, there were some deep dilemmas that were well explored, two sides of a coin clashing together and provoking some serious thoughts on humans and humanity. Also, it he plus side of the book falls the good pacing, the lack of huge info dumps and the flowing writing that doesn’t wear the reader down.
All in all, a good book but not unforgettable.
“It was okay to be afraid. You just couldn’t let that fear stop you.”
LIFEL1K3 is told in third-person POV and follows Eve on a very dangerous, quest to save her grandpa, all the while struggling to remember her past. Occasionally the POV will switch to other characters temporarily, most notably Lemon, Eve’s “bestest.” Along with the Lifelike Ezekiel and Eve’s two robo-companions, the ragtag group makes their way across the now-ruined US. First the San Andreas destroyed the land, then a war followed by bombs. Large parts of the country are now irradiated and inhabitable by humans; everywhere else just as dangerous, though for different reasons. Though I’ve never played the game Fallout, I’ve watched my fiancé play for countless hours and that’s how this world feels to me. Big Fallout vibes.
Kristoff is a master worldbuilder, storyteller, character creator, and dialogue maker. I know, that’s very high praise coming from me, but it’s true. If you haven’t read a Kristoff novel yet, you’re missing out. The moment you start reading, you get sucked in to the world and it’s impossible to crawl out until you’ve finished the entire book. I was hesitant going into LIFEL1K3 because I didn’t think it sounded like my kind of story. I was unsure about the world, the characters, the plot as a whole. But as soon as I started, I couldn’t stop reading. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and it is so worth it. I immediately fell in love with the characters Eve and Lemon, Zeke, even the robots! I don’t know about you guys, but if I live to see a future where we’ve all got thinking and feeling robots in our lives, I’m going to be the kind of person who loves and cares for them. I felt so protective of Kaiser and Cricket, and I literally said very early on “if anything happens to these robots I am going to stop reading this series.” I won’t tell you if they are safe after book 1 of if they died and I broke my self-promise. You’ll just have to find out for yourselves. But I hope you, too, are the kind of person who would cry over a robot dog and/or a feisty little robot named Cricket.
The story is extremely fast-paced and will keep you guessing until the end. Kristoff knows how to write twists and turns. Sometimes I can call it a little before the reveal, but mostly I’m just sucker punched with shock. The final big reveal, and the few pages that followed until the end of the book, had me SHOOK. And mad. Very mad. I am so fired up and ready to start book 2. This book had me feeling so many feels, and I’m about to go take a relaxing bath to de-stress and calm my nerves. If a book can make you feel all these things, you know it’s a good book. And you know a good writer is behind it all.
I hope this review doesn’t come across as “I’m just a huge fangirl and I’ll say whatever I can to make you read this book.” I mean, I AM a huge fangirl, and I DO want you to read this book, but I’m also being totally honest. I may be blinded by my love for Kristoff’s works, but that’s okay with me. I love that I can sit down and get lost these worlds for a day. I’m excited to continue on with the series. I’m confident I’ll love the next two books. I just hope Kristoff gives me a happy ending. Please? I deserve it. If you’ve read this book and were also enraged by the ending, let me know! I’d love to vent/cry/scream with someone!
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LIFEL1K3 is told in third-person POV and follows Eve on a very dangerous, quest to save her grandpa, all the while struggling to remember her past. Occasionally the POV will switch to other characters temporarily, most notably Lemon, Eve’s “bestest.” Along with the Lifelike Ezekiel and Eve’s two robo-companions, the ragtag group makes their way across the now-ruined US. First the San Andreas destroyed the land, then a war followed by bombs. Large parts of the country are now irradiated and inhabitable by humans; everywhere else just as dangerous, though for different reasons. Though I’ve never played the game Fallout, I’ve watched my fiancé play for countless hours and that’s how this world feels to me. Big Fallout vibes.
Kristoff is a master worldbuilder, storyteller, character creator, and dialogue maker. I know, that’s very high praise coming from me, but it’s true. If you haven’t read a Kristoff novel yet, you’re missing out. The moment you start reading, you get sucked in to the world and it’s impossible to crawl out until you’ve finished the entire book. I was hesitant going into LIFEL1K3 because I didn’t think it sounded like my kind of story. I was unsure about the world, the characters, the plot as a whole. But as soon as I started, I couldn’t stop reading. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and it is so worth it. I immediately fell in love with the characters Eve and Lemon, Zeke, even the robots! I don’t know about you guys, but if I live to see a future where we’ve all got thinking and feeling robots in our lives, I’m going to be the kind of person who loves and cares for them. I felt so protective of Kaiser and Cricket, and I literally said very early on “if anything happens to these robots I am going to stop reading this series.” I won’t tell you if they are safe after book 1 of if they died and I broke my self-promise. You’ll just have to find out for yourselves. But I hope you, too, are the kind of person who would cry over a robot dog and/or a feisty little robot named Cricket.
The story is extremely fast-paced and will keep you guessing until the end. Kristoff knows how to write twists and turns. Sometimes I can call it a little before the reveal, but mostly I’m just sucker punched with shock. The final big reveal, and the few pages that followed until the end of the book, had me SHOOK. And mad. Very mad. I am so fired up and ready to start book 2. This book had me feeling so many feels, and I’m about to go take a relaxing bath to de-stress and calm my nerves. If a book can make you feel all these things, you know it’s a good book. And you know a good writer is behind it all.
I hope this review doesn’t come across as “I’m just a huge fangirl and I’ll say whatever I can to make you read this book.” I mean, I AM a huge fangirl, and I DO want you to read this book, but I’m also being totally honest. I may be blinded by my love for Kristoff’s works, but that’s okay with me. I love that I can sit down and get lost these worlds for a day. I’m excited to continue on with the series. I’m confident I’ll love the next two books. I just hope Kristoff gives me a happy ending. Please? I deserve it. If you’ve read this book and were also enraged by the ending, let me know! I’d love to vent/cry/scream with someone!
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