DEV1AT3 (Deviate) by Jay Kristoff

DEV1AT3 (Deviate) (Lifel1k3, #2)

by Jay Kristoff

From bestselling author Jay Kristoff comes the second installment in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy--hailed by Marie Lu as "a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means."

In the wake of a climactic battle in the ruined city of Babel, two former best friends suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of the same quest. Eve is torn between the memories of the girl she was, and the synthetic she's discovered herself to be. Together with her lifelike "siblings," Eve sets out to find the real Ana Monrova, whose DNA is the key to building an army of lifelikes. Meanwhile, Eve's best friend, Lemon, is coming to terms with a power that she has long denied--and that others want to harness as a weapon. When she meets a strange boy named Grimm, he offers to lead her out of the horror-ridden landscape and to an enclave of other abnorms like herself. There, Lemon quickly finds a sense of belonging--and perhaps even love--among the other genetic deviates. But all is not what it seems, and with enemies and friends, heroes and villains wearing interchangeable faces, Lemon, too, will join the race to locate Ana Monrova before her former best friend can get to her.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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Kristoff treats us to the perspectives of Evie, Lemon, Zeke (Ezekiel), and Cricket. I think this worked really well, as we gained more knowledge about deviates, lifelikes, and the world. Hands down Cricket and Lemon are my favorite characters.

In this book we meet more; mostly deviates. Abraham, Grimm and Diesel are key players. I shed a few tears along the way. Kristoff tackles some big life questions and tests his characters. I love that he never takes the path of least resistance and damn it if he does takes my heart right along with him. Growth, trust, strength, and knowledge are your weapons.

I loved watching Cricket work within the perimeters of robotic law and seeing Lemon accept and test her abilities. It was interesting to see the other deviates abilities. There was some humor with robotic crushes. Zeke struggled with his own issues but mans up well sort of. You’ll see. I enjoyed our time with these characters.

I could not set this down and enjoyed time spent with each character and there were plenty of reveals that have me dying for more. By the time our story ends Lemon will be looking for the same thing Eva is but I hope she gets there first!

Erin Spencer did a bangup job with the narration and has me randomly spouting “Trademark” in her sing-song voice whenever I see the dang symbol. She has become the voice of the characters capturing Lemon and all of her snark and feisty attitude. She adds another layer of depth to this brilliant tale enhancing my experience.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 8 June, 2019: Reviewed