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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
A bit of a disappointing conclusion after the build-up of the first two books. Third books are hard; there's just so much to wrap up that it can feel like checking boxes instead of telling a story. I also kind of emotionally checked out of this one because it fell hard into the (for some reason common) problem in which the reader is supposed to forget that a character is a mass murderer. And weirdly enough, pretty much ever major character ends up as a mass murderer by the end of the story. Everyone is so morally grey by the third book that it's kind of hard to root for anyone, but this was especially true of Eve, whom I frankly despised. Her act of redemption was so tiny compared to the mayhem she caused along the way that it certainly didn't have enough sway to make me cheer when she got a "happy" ending. In general, I was a little weirded out by the Darwin worship (which I thought would die in book 2 with the Major) and the good guys' emphasis on "only the strong survive." Strength far outweighed morality as a goal, which is probably why everyone went on murder sprees, and it leaves no room for protecting those weaker than you because it's the right thing to do. Societally speaking, they're not going to make it. Also, having read The Origin of Species, I just don't buy that teenagers would find it such a page-turner that they'd stay up all night reading it. That thing was deadly dull whenever Darwin wasn't talking about his pigeons.
Three stars because Cricket is still mostly lovely, things do get wrapped up quite tidily which feeds my need for order, and I have a soft spot for Lemon, the sidekick who became more compelling than the protagonist.
Three stars because Cricket is still mostly lovely, things do get wrapped up quite tidily which feeds my need for order, and I have a soft spot for Lemon, the sidekick who became more compelling than the protagonist.
A sassy dystopian sci-fi exploring the age-old question of what would happen when the machines rise up. Jay weaves an us vs them tale through unique perspectives, pushes the boundaries of friendship and ultimately writes a coming-of-age story that is equal parts fun, energetic and gut wrenching.
It was a fine conclusion but Eve was so wishy washy in this. I kind of zoned out at the end.
*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.
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.
Check out the original review and more on NovelKnight!
This book was provided by the publisher (via NetGalley). This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Highlights:
— Lemon. Fresh.
— High stakes
— Cool action scenes
— Consequences didn't match the stakes...
TRUEL1F3 was a good finale. It was solidly on par with the rest of the series. This isn't a series that ever truly wowed me, but it was fun to read from start to finish. Now that the final book is almost here, new readers will have a blast binging the whole series. It's fun, fast, so very action-packed, and full of lovable characters. It never hit that five star mark for me, but I really liked it and felt like TRUEL1F3 was a really good ending.
The characters have always been the strong point of this series for me and that didn't change in this book. Lemon Fresh is still the best, she always will be, and to be honest, I'd totally read more books about her. Eve was more fun to read in this one. I actually liked her better in this book than in the prior two. And all the other supporting characters were fun and unique. This series is held up by its characters, all the way to the very end.
With TRUEL1F3, I felt like this world finally came into its own. It finally felt less like Mad Max/Bladerunner/Fallout/whatever else was thrown in there, and more like Kristoff finally found that perfect balance of originality and inspiration. It actually makes me a little sad that this is the last book now, because I was more drawn into the world than before and would love to read more. That said, it was a solid ending for the series.
Now, yes, it was a solid ending. But the ending is what really kept me from giving this five stars. And this really comes down to personal taste, but the stakes were pretty high and in my opinion the consequences just didn't match up. Not going to go into it too much so that I don't spoil for anyone, but it just missed the mark for me. I'm coming to realize this is a staple in Kristoff's finales, which is fine for a lot of readers but it's just not what I want. It's also common in YA in general, so I can't really see this being an issue for most people looking to read this book. Just a matter of personal preference and honestly it's about what I was expecting.
So yeah, TRUEL1F3 was a fun ending to a fun series. Lemon Fresh deserves a million more books. I think fans of the series are going to be really happy with this one, and for me it was the strongest in the series. It's a very on brand book for Kristoff. I'm happy with the ending even if it isn't quite what I wanted, and I could see myself revisiting this series again one day.
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The Highlights:
— Lemon. Fresh.
— High stakes
— Cool action scenes
— Consequences didn't match the stakes...
TRUEL1F3 was a good finale. It was solidly on par with the rest of the series. This isn't a series that ever truly wowed me, but it was fun to read from start to finish. Now that the final book is almost here, new readers will have a blast binging the whole series. It's fun, fast, so very action-packed, and full of lovable characters. It never hit that five star mark for me, but I really liked it and felt like TRUEL1F3 was a really good ending.
The characters have always been the strong point of this series for me and that didn't change in this book. Lemon Fresh is still the best, she always will be, and to be honest, I'd totally read more books about her. Eve was more fun to read in this one. I actually liked her better in this book than in the prior two. And all the other supporting characters were fun and unique. This series is held up by its characters, all the way to the very end.
With TRUEL1F3, I felt like this world finally came into its own. It finally felt less like Mad Max/Bladerunner/Fallout/whatever else was thrown in there, and more like Kristoff finally found that perfect balance of originality and inspiration. It actually makes me a little sad that this is the last book now, because I was more drawn into the world than before and would love to read more. That said, it was a solid ending for the series.
Now, yes, it was a solid ending. But the ending is what really kept me from giving this five stars. And this really comes down to personal taste, but the stakes were pretty high and in my opinion the consequences just didn't match up. Not going to go into it too much so that I don't spoil for anyone, but it just missed the mark for me. I'm coming to realize this is a staple in Kristoff's finales, which is fine for a lot of readers but it's just not what I want. It's also common in YA in general, so I can't really see this being an issue for most people looking to read this book. Just a matter of personal preference and honestly it's about what I was expecting.
So yeah, TRUEL1F3 was a fun ending to a fun series. Lemon Fresh deserves a million more books. I think fans of the series are going to be really happy with this one, and for me it was the strongest in the series. It's a very on brand book for Kristoff. I'm happy with the ending even if it isn't quite what I wanted, and I could see myself revisiting this series again one day.
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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. · · 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.
"You never love anyone like you love your first."
* Spoiler Free*
Truel1f3 was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and I am completely heart broken at how bored and underwhelmed I was. I have never been a fan of dystopian scifi and Lifl1k3 and Devi1at3 had blown my socks off before. So I had hoped that Lifel1k3 would do the same. Unfortunately I feel like this one took the back burner in Kristoff's writing. I feel like every time I turn around he's got another book coming out. So maybe he ended up rushing this one?
True cert I remain a loyal fan! I love Lemonfresh and cricket to their core. They have such a great relationship. They are forever favorite characters and need all the bookish merch. Cricket tends to stay more true to character in this one whereas Lemonfresh becomes a little more soft in this one. I think it's a good thing as we get to see her more feminine side. She is still and forever will be a bad ass!
During the earlier books it was a lot easier to keep track of the multiple POV's. As with TrueL1f3, it becomes more chaotic to keep track of the characters throughout the major plot going on. It was rushed and I had to set it aside several times. For those that have read the first two books we all know that the first book was mostly from "Ana's," point of view, but as the stories go on it becomes more of a Lemonfresh point of view (Let's be real, she is the better character .*wink* ) While that is fantastic for me it leaves a certain someone cast out and in the middle of trying to figure themselves out. It was frustrating. And without going into details, I was very upset.
Overall if you're contemplating reading this trilogy I recommend the first two! The third book not so much. But the first two books really make it a treasure to own and read.
* Spoiler Free*
Truel1f3 was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and I am completely heart broken at how bored and underwhelmed I was. I have never been a fan of dystopian scifi and Lifl1k3 and Devi1at3 had blown my socks off before. So I had hoped that Lifel1k3 would do the same. Unfortunately I feel like this one took the back burner in Kristoff's writing. I feel like every time I turn around he's got another book coming out. So maybe he ended up rushing this one?
True cert I remain a loyal fan! I love Lemonfresh and cricket to their core. They have such a great relationship. They are forever favorite characters and need all the bookish merch. Cricket tends to stay more true to character in this one whereas Lemonfresh becomes a little more soft in this one. I think it's a good thing as we get to see her more feminine side. She is still and forever will be a bad ass!
During the earlier books it was a lot easier to keep track of the multiple POV's. As with TrueL1f3, it becomes more chaotic to keep track of the characters throughout the major plot going on. It was rushed and I had to set it aside several times. For those that have read the first two books we all know that the first book was mostly from "Ana's," point of view, but as the stories go on it becomes more of a Lemonfresh point of view (Let's be real, she is the better character .*wink* ) While that is fantastic for me it leaves a certain someone cast out and in the middle of trying to figure themselves out. It was frustrating. And without going into details, I was very upset.
Overall if you're contemplating reading this trilogy I recommend the first two! The third book not so much. But the first two books really make it a treasure to own and read.
I am so biased when it comes to Jay Kristoff's work. I just want to start this review off by admitting that I really don't care about plot holes or the book being too slow/too fast or character arcs -- I genuinely just read the books for pure enjoyment. Maybe that negates a review, but I'm going to write one anyway.
TRUEL1F3 is the finale to Kristoff's LIFEL1K3 series, so if you haven't read the first two books, get off this review and get reading! It picks up immediately after the events of DEV1AT3 -- some of the gang is back together, while others have been abducted for not-so-pleasant torture. But then they all split up, and everything is in chaos, and they have to risk their lives to save the world. So, yeah, typical Kristoff finale. Though it took me a while to read, it wasn't because the book was slow or uninteresting -- I was just in a video game mood rather than a reading mood. The book is actually fairly fast paced and remains interesting throughout because there are so many separate storylines going on. Though I do love when the gang is together instead of apart...
There were some really good moments in this finale -- the hero shit, the double-crosses, and even the character deaths. (C'mon, you know someone is going to die! It's Jay Kristoff!) I even teared up a bit towards the end. And speaking of the end... I've seen some people call it a cop-out. I was a bit disappointed. I didn't think it was a bad ending -- in fact, I was fairy happy with it. But Evie's character arc... I don't know. A bit unbelievable, I guess. I like that Kristoff made it seem like Evie was the main character in book 1, but she never really felt like the main character in books 2 and 3. In my mine, Lemon is the main character. And I love Lemon's arc and overall story. I wanted to like Eve so badly, but I really couldn't stand her. And the way her story ends just seemed very convenient and uncharacteristic.
Other than that, no complaints. I'm sure there are aspects other people will dislike, but like I said in the beginning: pure enjoyment on my end. Love the story, love the characters (for the most part), love the world. It's not my favorite Kristoff series, but I went into it thinking I would absolutely hate it, so coming out of it with so much enjoyment and love for the story makes me happy. Hopefully if you're reading this review, you've read the entire series. But if by some chance you're trying to decide whether or not to start it, I do recommend it, even though it's not his best. It is a great sci-fi dystopian full of robots and wastelands and death, so if you're into that, check it out.
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TRUEL1F3 is the finale to Kristoff's LIFEL1K3 series, so if you haven't read the first two books, get off this review and get reading! It picks up immediately after the events of DEV1AT3 -- some of the gang is back together, while others have been abducted for not-so-pleasant torture. But then they all split up, and everything is in chaos, and they have to risk their lives to save the world. So, yeah, typical Kristoff finale. Though it took me a while to read, it wasn't because the book was slow or uninteresting -- I was just in a video game mood rather than a reading mood. The book is actually fairly fast paced and remains interesting throughout because there are so many separate storylines going on. Though I do love when the gang is together instead of apart...
There were some really good moments in this finale -- the hero shit, the double-crosses, and even the character deaths. (C'mon, you know someone is going to die! It's Jay Kristoff!) I even teared up a bit towards the end. And speaking of the end... I've seen some people call it a cop-out. I was a bit disappointed. I didn't think it was a bad ending -- in fact, I was fairy happy with it. But Evie's character arc... I don't know. A bit unbelievable, I guess. I like that Kristoff made it seem like Evie was the main character in book 1, but she never really felt like the main character in books 2 and 3. In my mine, Lemon is the main character. And I love Lemon's arc and overall story. I wanted to like Eve so badly, but I really couldn't stand her. And the way her story ends just seemed very convenient and uncharacteristic.
Other than that, no complaints. I'm sure there are aspects other people will dislike, but like I said in the beginning: pure enjoyment on my end. Love the story, love the characters (for the most part), love the world. It's not my favorite Kristoff series, but I went into it thinking I would absolutely hate it, so coming out of it with so much enjoyment and love for the story makes me happy. Hopefully if you're reading this review, you've read the entire series. But if by some chance you're trying to decide whether or not to start it, I do recommend it, even though it's not his best. It is a great sci-fi dystopian full of robots and wastelands and death, so if you're into that, check it out.
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“Stronger together. Together forever.” I will miss this series; it was so much fun and I fell in love with so many of the characters. Come back soon.