Lifel1k3 is the new young adult book by Jay Kristoff and of course, the second I heard about it I knew I was going to need it. I love all of Kristoff’s other books because he creates these crazy and amazing worlds filled with interesting and flawed characters and Lifel1k3 was no exception. No spoilers…I promise!

Eve is the main character and we are introduced to her just as she is about to compete in a dome bout to face off against a bot who went against the laws of robotics and win credits to get the medication her grandpa needs to survive. Unfortunately for Eve, the bot is a Goliath. As her bot is getting dismantled (with her in it), Eve discovers she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind. While this is a handy trick, not everyone appreciates this and the Brotherhood, a group who tracks down and eliminates abnorms, will now be looking for her. At seventeen, Eve has been through a lot and now she’s going to have to face more.

Along with Eve, we are introduced to a great cast of characters. First, you have Lemon Fresh, Eve’s best friend, and after crossing paths a while back (Lem was trying to steal from her) she quickly became a part of Eve and her grandpa’s family. We eventually learn there is more to her than Eve knew but she is loyal and loves Eve and her grandpa as family and is willing to do whatever she needs to in order keep her people safe. Cricket is a bot that Eve’s grandpa built for her and “robotic conscience” is a great descriptor. He is also pretty protective of Eve and tries to guide her to do the right thing.

I’ll come back to characters again in a moment, but I have to talk about this world that Kristoff has developed. It’s important to recognize that the world is populated with different types of robots. There are different kinds and they all must follow the laws of robotics or they face destruction. The dome bouts are where those that break the laws typically end up when they are caught but they aren’t always caught…as we find out more about throughout the story.

After losing all her credits and seeing her bot destroyed, Eve, Lemon, and Cricket are on their way back to her grandpa’s place when things continue to go sideways. On their way back, they see a crash and as they go to see what they can salvage, they find an android boy named Ezekiel. Ezekiel also happens to be a lifelike, one of the types of bots that have been outlawed. Little does Eve know that he was coming to find Eve and her grandpa. Following closely behind are some others who are looking for Eve and will do whatever they need to get her, and this is where Eve’s story begins to come out.

I love the characters in this book and the relationships between them are well done. Of course, you have Eve and Lemon’s friendship but the addition of Ezekiel to the mix adds another layer. I won’t say much here because I don’t want to spoil the story but as we learn more about who Ezekiel is and what he means to Eve, it was great to see how their interactions change. The banter between all of the characters was one of my favorite things.

As for the story, it is set up in a way that you know that something is different with Eve. We know that something clearly happened to her as she is missing an eye, has silicon chips in her ear, and an implant of flesh at the base of her skull which isn’t quite a match. As the story progresses we find out just what happened and what that means for Eve but there is so much to this story that I can’t say for fear of ruining it for you. Just know that Kristoff has written a story that will have you wondering what will happened next for these characters and what really is going on with Eve.

So that’s about all I can say without giving anything away…don’t blame me for being somewhat vague. You will thank me later. This book is packed full of action and twists and the creativity in the way this story was set up just blows my mind. It had everything I look for in a good book and more. I will say that the ending is a bit of a killer and I have no idea how I am going to wait another year for the next book to come out, so I can know what happens next for everyone. If you are looking for something different with some amazing characters and a fantastic story, definitely read this book. I can’t wait to add the finished copy to my bookshelves.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.