Tag: Dystopian

TRUEL1F3 (LIFEL1K3, #3) – Jay Kristoff [ARC Review]

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Huge thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Jay Kristoff has done it again. I seriously don’t know how he does it, but Kristoff consistently puts out absolute bangers. He is one of my favorite authors. One of the things that I like best about Kristoff’s books is that he includes a quick recap of the previous books in the beginning. This is so helpful when it’s been a long time since reading the previous books. He did this again with TRUEL1F3 and I loved it!

TRUEL1F3 picks up immediately after the events of DEV1AT3. The action starts immediately and does not let up. The entire book is non-stop! And I mean literally NON! STOP! Our rag tag group of characters are constantly getting themselves into all sorts of dangerous situations. TRUEL1F3 is a super exciting, fast-paced read that is jam packed full of fun.

I was so happy to be back with this incredible cast of characters . . . Cricket, the freaks, and my girl LEMON FRESH! Spank my spankables! Lemon is one of my favorite characters ever and she was once again she is totally *brilliful*! Lemon is fierce, sassy, independent, and so much fun. Her point of view chapters are always my favorite. I’m keeping this review spoiler free, but Lemon goes through a horrible trauma in TRUEL1F3. Kristoff did a great job of showing Lemon dealing with the physical and emotional tolls of this. It made Lemon Fresh even more fierce and powerful!

Besides Lemon Fresh, my favorite part of this series is the freaks . . . Diesel and Grimm. The team of freaks grows in TRUEL1F3 and I couldn’t be happier! I would definitely want to be a part of the team.

Of course I have to mention that it’s a Kristoff book . . . so that means I was an emotional wreck multiple times.

One character that I did not like at all . . . Eve. She has been the worst since the second book. I understand she is dealing with an identity crisis and incredible emotional stress, but Eve’s decisions and actions are horrible. One of the overarching themes of TRUEL1F3 is that your actions are what defines the type of person you are. So basically Eve is awful. The ONLY reason I deducted 1/2 star from my review is Eve’s arc/ending. It was too easy and seemed way off base for her story. To keep this spoiler free, I will include what I think would have been a more appropriate ending at the end of my review.

The LIFEL1K3 trilogy is an exciting, fast-paced, and action-packed series. Jay Kristoff creates the most thrilling worlds and captivating characters. TRUEL1F3 is no exception. I flew threw this book and I could not get enough of this incredible story.

TRUEL1F3 will be released June 30th by Knopf Books for Young Readers!

SPOILERS ON PAGE 2 . . .

Pages: 1 2

LIFEL1K3 (LIFEL1K3, #1) – Jay Kristoff

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Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Well that was a rollercoaster ride! LIFEL1K3 is my second venture into reading Jay Kristoff’s books and I. AM. HOOKED. He is becoming one of my favorite authors!

LIFEL1K3 is an epic sci-fi dystopian adventure story full of action and mystery. LIFEL1K3 takes place in a post apocalyptic USA or the Grande Ol’ Yousay as our lead, Eve, refers to it. This future world is a vivid wasteland that is dreary and gritty. It is the perfect setting for this fast paced story. The world is full of robots, scientists, and technology. A large part of the story focuses on the dynamic and power struggle between between robots and humans.

Before I move on, I have to take a moment to point out how stunning Jay’s writing is. It is so incredibly descriptive and imaginative. One perfect example is the scene inside the sea monster. Jay’s writing was so descriptive and vivid that I felt like I was there. I was totally grossed out!! This truly is a testament to Jay’s genius writing.

LIFEL1K3 focuses on Eve Carpenter, a skilled mechanic living in the Dregs. Eve and her bestest, Lemon Fresh, stumble upon a the damaged remains of a Lifelike. Lifelikes are androids that were created by a giant tech company. These androids were created in the image of humans, hence the name lifelike. The story follows Eve, Lemon, their bots, Cricket and Kaiser, and the Lifelike through an action packed journey full of crazy battles, twists, and epic reveals. LIFEL1K3 was so exciting and I truly didn’t know where the story was going to go next!

My favorite part of LIFEL1K3 is the characters. Every single one of our leads is absolutely delightful. I love each of their unique personalities. I love the way Jay incorporates humor into his stories through the characters. However, my absolute favorite part is the friendship between Eve and Lemon. They are each others “bestest” and it is the most beautiful relationship. The only thing I love more than strong female protagonists is strong and supportive female friendships! Their love and support for one another is so pure and I loved every minute. This quote from Eve illustrates their relationship perfectly. . .

  • “She couldn’t help but smile. The ache eased off, just a breath. No matter how bleak it got, how dark the places in her head grew, she’d always have Lemon. She was a rock. Always ready to dole out the sass. It meant more to her than her bestest would ever know.”

LIFEL1K3 is full of twists and turns and the ending is no different. LIFEL1K3 ends with a huge reveal and major cliffhanger! I am so curious where Jay will take the story next! I can’t wait to find out in DEV1AT3!

I wanted to include a couple of beautiful quotes from LIFEL1K3 . . .

  • “Most of them already exist in our computer archives, but there’s nothing quite the same as sitting with a real book in your hands. Breathing in the ink and feeling all those wonderful lives beneath your fingertips. In between the pages, I’m an emperor. An adventurer. A warrior and wanderer. In between the pages I’m not myself — and more myself than in any other place on earth.”
  • “Maybe it was time to acknowledge who she’d been yesterday, and decide who she wanted to be tomorrow.”
  • “Your scars tell who you are. Your skin is the page, and your scars are the ink, telling the story of your life.”

I don’t know if this officially counts as a spoiler because in retrospect it was super obvious.

BUT just in case I decided to put it at the end.

SPOILER AHEAD?

It took me WAY too long to realize that the Monrova family was inspired by the Romanovs. Once I realized it I was like COME ON LISA! Ha! I still can’t believe it took me so long to put it together! 😂