TRUEL1F3 (Truelife) by Jay Kristoff

TRUEL1F3 (Truelife) (Lifel1k3, #3)

by Jay Kristoff

From the bestselling co-author of the Illuminae Files comes the thrilling finale in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy--hailed by Marie Lu as "a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means."

Best friends have become enemies. Lovers have become strangers. And deciding whose side you're on could be the difference between life and death. For Eve and Lemon, discovering the truth about themselves--and each other--was too much for their friendship to take. But with the country on the brink of a new world war--this time between the BioMaas swarm at CityHive and Daedalus's army at Megopolis, loyalties will be pushed to the brink, unlikely alliances will form and with them, betrayals. But the threat doesn't stop there, because the lifelikes are determined to access the program that will set every robot free, a task requiring both Eve and Ana, the girl she was created to replace. In the end, violent clashes and heartbreaking choices reveal the true heroes . . . and they may not be who you think they are.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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I was nervous going in, because Kristoff can be unmerciful. Again the tale is delivered from multiple POVs, but Spencer’s narration and unique voices made the switches seamless.

I love that even the side characters become important and that the dynamics change as characters grow, face consequence and evolve. Both Eva and Lemon struggle with their relationship, identity and the battle occurring. We see relationships develop, face betrayals and witness unwavering loyalty.

The action increased the further we travel into TRUEL1F3 and sometimes it was intense with twists I never saw coming. Through it all we see character grow as they question and we bear witness to unwavering loyalty.

The world-building for this trilogy has been brilliant, and in each book Kristoff expands the reader’s understanding and perspective. I loved that U became fully vested. I cheered, laughed and truly felt for these characters. I got angry for them, sided with a few and wanted to kick dirt at others!

Kristoff raises social questions and tackles slavery from an AI perspective, which I found fascinating. Through his characters he shows everything isn’t always black and white. That sometimes even the villain is a hero.

I loved the characters. This motley crew of humans, lifelikes and deviants grew on me. Even when I hated their actions, the author made me understand their emotions.

Erin Spencer was the perfect narration choice. From each character’s voice to their emotions and experiences, the audio took the story to the next level.

The Lifelike trilogy wrapped up nicely, leaving me smiling despite everything. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 11 June, 2020: Reviewed