LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike) by Jay Kristoff

LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike) (Lifel1k3, #1)

by Jay Kristoff

From the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Illuminae Files comes the first book in a new series that's part Romeo and Juliet, part Terminator, and all adrenaline.

On an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap. Seventeen-year-old Eve isn't looking for trouble--she's too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she spent months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she's on the local gangster's wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she's discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it. If she's ever had a worse day, Eve can't remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day--one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel--called a "Lifelike" because they resemble humans--will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves...and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past.

Reviewed by alisoninbookland on

4 of 5 stars

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I’m sure if I just missed it when I bought the book but I’m totally digging the Anastasia vibes to the story. It’s hinted at but never overwhelms the story which was nice.

This was my first solo Kristoff book and I’m glad I enjoyed it as much as I did. It appears that his solo writing can be intense so I’m glad it worked for me.

The story was truly fabulous and certainly never dull. Kristoff creates this brutal world that you can’t help but want to know more about. Robot and android technology is something that will likely be in our not-so distant future. Exploring the ideas of freedom and exactly what makes someone a ‘person’ are endlessly fascinating topics for me.

I typically don’t care for time jumping in a story but found the then and now story lines to be great. I never wanted to leave either time but was eager to learn more about the other story.

Non-human characters can occasionally be dry or dull. Not so with with Lifel1k3. The robots and androids manage to have distinct and realistic personalities full of snark and sass. Obviously, snarky robots/androids are the best robots/androids.

The end really does knock the book out of the park. Without spoilers, it elevates the story to an entire different level. I can’t wait to see what DEV1AT3 has to bring to the table.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 4 April, 2019: Reviewed