LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike)

By: Jay Kristoff

Narrated by: Erin Spencer

From the coauthor of the New York Times best-selling 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.

©2018 Jay Kristoff (P)2018 Listening Library

Critic reviews

“A fast-paced adventure full of energy and verve that will leave readers breathless.” (School Library Journal)

“A solid, fast-paced adventure.” (Publishers Weekly)

“[An] action-packed thriller.... It’s the print love child of movies Mad Max and Tank Girl.” (Booklist)

“Inventive and unexpected.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Sequel: Take My Money

Kristoff is a fantastic emerging storyteller in the realm of dark sci-fi. This is one that rings a fabulous tone that ricochets off some animé titles like Alita: Battle Angel, Full Metal Alchemist and a pinch of Appleseed. And apart from those mentions, it’s a unique blend all of its own. I highly recommend this and already am looking forward to the sequel

Post-apoc Jane Austen

Well written and executed, with good world building.

Unfortunately it's mostly a study of relationships rather than an adventure novel. If you want a telenovela set in a post-atomic wasteland, I guess this is for you.

Fantastic book... except for the very end.

Loved every minute of the story except for the very end. Never before have I seen a worse final twist in any story ever. The entire story is so amazingly woven together, the pacing is great, and the action scenes are very vivid. Even the romance part was more realistic and managed to not make me cringe. The only thing I wasn't big on throughout the majority of the book was the length of the flashback sequences. They probably took up a good quarter of the book. It's mostly understandable considering how crucial they are to the story, but they really seemed to drag on at times. All of this goodness culminates in an ending that is so unreasonable that I can only describe it as pure trash. Garbage, detritus, sewage, excrement. This is how I feel about the "twist" ending. Makes absolutely zero sense in the context of the rest of the book, and it makes me wonder who greenlit this multiple times in the revision process. I pride myself on being able to trudge through a saga until the very end, just to give it a chance. I don't think, however, that I will be continuing with this series. This first book's ending was so bad, I don't want to read the other two entries in this godforsaken series when they come out. Honestly though, if you can put up with the defecate of an ending, it's a good book, otherwise I don't recommend it.

Just ok

Many parts were a struggle to get through. Just didn't hold my interest in many parts. I liked the overall plot, but the dialogue was boring and I struggled to get attached to the characters who were often dumb and not dynamic. The end was interesting.

a must-read of 2018

this was not originally on my list for 2018 but after finding out about it I knew I needed to listen to it instantly. this is a top 10 for sure not just story but also for an e-reader. I look forward to what book to has the offer next year

Entertaining

The book was a fun world and full of excitement. I liked it and enjoyed it and it definitely got me through work. The dialogue was a little cheesy at times but the world is so fun you get over it 😊

slow start but amazing book!

First off, I love Jay Kristoff! Excellent writer and I recommend his other books. this one was slow for.me in the beginning to get in to, but I recommend. Post apocalyptic setting with a lit of twists. You will never expect the ending. Great narrator!

Great book

There was a lot of predictability in this book even though he does his best to head fake you. Does not matter, though, the over story was very well put together. Great imagery and character building. You will notice similarities to the likes of many popular sci fi movies but this story is a great all around sci fi listen and more than worth a credit. Top notch performance by Erin Spencer.

Post-apocalyptic with a twist (or three)

I loved Stormdancer so I was eager to give this one a try. It didn't disappoint! Kristoff has a knack for writing strong female heroines without making them cliche'. There is a hint of romance but Eve is her own character with her own goals, friends, and flaws that don't revolve around that, yet she never feels like a stereotype. The religious undertones added a lot of depth to the story and it's characters, I'm also a sucker for an ending with one twist I see coming and several that blindside me. Bonus points all around. Add that to a post-apocalyptic setting with flavors of Firefly and Johnny Mnemonic and you have a recipe for one heck of a ride.
The narrator did a great job of giving each character their own tone and cadence, I think her performance lent a lot to the story. Overall I very much enjoyed Lifelik3 and I hope there's a sequel or two in the works!

A poorly written, flagrant, soapy fantasy.

The dialog is overly childish. The supposed future world is so unrealistic as to nearly parody movies like San Andreas, and 2012. The protagonist constantly references the twentieth century, in a world that seems so different from our own as to certify that the author has no knowledge of science whatsoever. Nada. This is obviously a far future world, with mountains of trash littering the entire Earth. Many centuries would be referenced here, not just the only one you can think of.

Add to that, the treatment of the titular Al is explored in some human dimensions, but I dare say there are deeper implications which the author was unable or too lazy to fathom.

Sometimes, I could close my eyes and imagine manga, or Pokemon scenes, It's not a space opera, yet it's soapy. There's a flippancy toward human and robo emotions, in a story that could have allowed them to shine.

To the author: try again, you're onto something that just badly needs a rewrite.