Review to come

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.

I love a good thriller so when I picked up The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan, by Gia Cribbs, from my to read stack, I was immediately excited as I read the summary and I’m glad I grabbed this one! Thrillers and mysteries are always hard to review as I never want to give anything away so don’t be angry with me if I am somewhat vague about the actual details here.

Sloane Sullivan is in another new town and another new school. As someone who has been in the Witness Security Program since she was twelve, Sloane is used to moving and changing her name, but she is ready to be done. She is hoping this is the last time because when she turns 18, which is soon, she has been promised by one of the marshals that she doesn’t have to stay in and can do what she wants. However, the one thing that can throw a major wrench in her plans happens and on her first day at her new school, she realizes she is face to face with someone from her past and she decides that she isn’t going to tell anyone.

I liked Sloane as a character in this story. She is smart, and she has been through a lot in her life already. After seeing something she should not have, she and her family are in danger and while I would like to say they all got away, they didn’t. In the end, Sloane has been living with Mark, one of the US Marshals that has been assigned to her case. Over time, Sloane and Mark have become a family. They have come to rely and depend on each other and I loved the interactions they had throughout.

Sloane is also tough, adaptable, and independent – she has had to be, and I liked how she used her brain every time when things would come up…whether it was a boy taking liberties he shouldn’t or finding someone dead on her kitchen floor. The only thing that appears to throw her is Jason, the boy from her past that is now one of her new friends. They were twelve when they last saw each other and although they both have changed, she recognizes him immediately and decides not to tell Mark about him.

I thought the development of the other characters was well done too. Of course, there is Sloane and I have mentioned Jason and Mark but Sloane is in high school so there are others. Oliver was great, Livie was definitely a piece of work, and Sawyer was interesting but I’m still not sure how I feel about him.

I loved how Cribbs set up the story. Sloane’s background and story are told through flashbacks and this includes not only her friendship with Jason but also, what happened to cause her to go on the run. I will say that there was a twist that I never saw coming and once that reveal happens, they just keep coming and it all came together so well that I couldn’t put this book down until I turned the last page.

If you are looking for a book that has interesting characters and a story that will keep you engaged, consider checking this one out. It was fairly quick and had some great twists and turns that I never saw coming. I’ll definitely be waiting to see what Gia Cribbs writes next!

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

If you have never heard a book narrated by Steve West...you need to fix that. Actually I loved all of these narrators and the book was just as good in audio as it was when I read it. Except that one part...I will forever not like that one part.

I originally picked up this series when the first book came out and when I saw this book 3 I was happy to see there was a continuation. In all honesty, it had been a while since I read the second book so I did have to go back to remind myself where it left off. With that said, I was glad I did pick it up. I enjoyed diving back into this world and seeing what was going on with the characters. There is plenty of action, deception, and danger in this installment and if you are interested in picking up a dystopian that will keep you wondering what will happen next, consider checking this series out.

I enjoyed this book and it was the first one I have picked up from this author. I found the story interesting and the characters were engaging...although sometimes frustrating. I am looking forward to the next book of this series to see what happens next for these two. If you're looking for a paranormal with romance and vampires, check this one out.

I loved this book and this author is one of my most favorite Romance authors. The characters in this book are well developed and the story kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. If you are looking for something steamy with a thriller feel to it, consider checking this series out. I loved all of the books in this series equally and can't wait to see what Sierra Kincade writes next!

Ruthie Knox writes some of my favorite adult romances and to say I was excited when I saw this one is absolutely an understatement. I loved the first two books in this series and if you are looking for contemporary romance that is well written and swoony, definitely check out Knox's books...this one included.

A unique story!

I enjoyed this one but it was definitely different. I'm not sure what I was expecting going in and maybe that is the approach everyone should take as Kang has created a very unique story that is not only beautifully written but also kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next for these characters. If you are looking for something that is out of the ordinary, consider checking this one out.

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