The Illuminae Series have to be one of the most entertaining YA science-fiction that Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman have delivered in the past years. When I heard about Jay Kristoff releasing a new scifi series, I couldn’t help but having very high expectations. It ends up being one of my favourite reads of the summer.
Honestly, I think I’m a bad storyteller because I tried to make this novel sounds interesting to one of my friend and he just looked at me : wtf are you reading.. LOL Hopefully, putting it into proper words for this review would make it sound a little bit more interesting.
1.AI, Cyborg and everything iRobots

Jay Kristoff’s writing style fits very well with Artificial Intelligence narrative voice. I don’t know why but after AIDAN (from Illuminae), and now CRICKET in this novel (a little bot), he proves once and or all his capacity in giving all AI a distinctive voice. A voice that sounds realistic but very typical artificial blending with humour and personality. He also created one of the most interesting cyborg world-building. Inspiring a lot from Blade Runner 2049 and the polished fancy upper class from Altered Carbon, he gives us his own version of the future of AI and mankind.

As a neuroscientist, I’ve also been fascinated with consciousness and emotions in artificial-lifelike-human. Mentioning a lot of dilemmas and ethical questions similar to Westworld, Kristoff explores a possibility where cyborgs and robots developing their own thoughts and freewill allowing them to control their own actions.

2. The friendship between the main character and her bestfriend is not overshadowed by some stupid romance
Evie, the main character and her best friend Lemon Fresh (yes, what a name but the explanation is hilarious) shared a strong friendship chemistry since the first pages. As the journey continues and obstacles throwing their ways, they still remained one of the main dynamics of the novel. Lemon has as many replies and importance as Evie and that’s a move I applaud. She’s of the funniest characters I’ve encountered, Not just funny h-a-h-a, funny as in LMAO in front of everybody in the train.
3. Fast paced /Action packed
With the first scene starting in a Dome fight, Jay Kristoff showed us once again that he can kick start a novel pretty fast and dangerously. Not once the characters have some time to rest (is this a good thing? LOL) , always on the run, always something happening in a really fast paced. You want to see some cyborg kicking ass ? Or maybe a whole mechanical ecosystem inside a robot Kracken? Kristoff covers it all. There are some different timelines and I love how he transitions between them as if the whole novel is a rediscovery of a different lifetime.
4. You know a novel ends well when..
The last sentence completely changes all the course of the story and now you cry in your corner because you need the sequel ASAP.
It’s Cinder meets Blade Runner and some really cool Pacific Rim action scenes,
Thank you to Penguin Random House for a copy of this ARC to review!
I’m so excited to read this, Trang! Awesome review, I have a copy but my review books are bogging me down and I haven’t had time to read it yet😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOOL no problem Tammy! I feel the struggle 🤣 Thank you for kind words and I hope you’ll get the chance to read it soon 🤩
LikeLike
I loved this book too!! Lovely review! 🙂
LikeLike
What did you think about the ending??🧐🧐
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely didn’t see that twist coming. And I really need book 2 soon!
LikeLike
SAME HERE! I was also lost how everybody just got so.. out of character in the end and leaves ?! LOL so weird
LikeLike
Fabulous review Trang! I loved this as well although the ending left me floored.😱
LikeLike
I love the last lines HAHA but I thought Lemon and Eke were so out of character?! What was that about..like Evie just says ok leave LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well…no worries..you already convince me by mentioning Bladerunner 2049 and Altered Carbon. This has now become a must read for me…as always wonderful review😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
AWW YEEE 😀 Did you finish Altered Carbon? :O Such a magnificent show !!
LikeLike
I did: it was fantastic: can’t wait for season 2 😀😀
LikeLike
Omg do you want to write a collab post on reviewing Altered Carbon ? :O
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really? Wow..so cool! Of course I would be honored 😊 This week I have a bit of busy week, as I have a company dinner and have to work on saturday, but next week I have much more spare time. Awesome idea, looking forward to it 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect !! Should I contact via email ? 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool! Yes that’s probably best: my emailadress is mvanderweide28@gmail.com. As I said this week is going to a bit hectic, because I have to work tomorrow and got some other things lined up in the weekend, but after that I have more time on my hands again 😊 Looking forward to this 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not a problem at all!! I’m quite busy this week too T_T So maybe I’ll start emailing you next weekend to see how would we do this collab? Do you want to do a post on each blog? A review and I don’t know a discussion? :O Any discussion topic that Altered Carbon has inspired you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No problem. As we have a time difference I think email is the best way to communicate. Hmm. Good question. I think a review and discussion is a pretty good way to go for a collab post. Looking forward to this, and as I said take your time 😊😊
LikeLike
Awesome review!
Only heard good things about this one so far! I’m super excited to read it ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yesss!! Have you read Illuminae? 😀 All the things I love about Illuminae are in this book too 🤩
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not yet… need to finish some other series before i jump into another one :s But once i’m done with them, this is next 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohh yess good idea! 😀 Illuminae is a special one hahah 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s sounds awesome! I love Pacific Rim so the comparison has me intrigued!
LikeLiked by 1 person
YESS!! It is very similar to the last Pacific Rim released this year (which I really enjoyed btw hahah) !
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw it and it was great!
LikeLike
It sounds like a really good book!! 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was Caroline!! 😀 Thank you for reading the review ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome review! You convinced me to read the book, but your line “It’s Cinder meets Blade Runner and some really cool Pacific Rim action scenes” shot this book to the top of my TBR.
LikeLiked by 1 person
YASS!! I was looking for an efficient way to describe this book with only a few words HAH I guess it works 😏❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have literally just started Lifel1k3 today. I haven’t got far enough into the story to tell whether I like it or not but it’s a promising start (already Lemon Fresh is my favourite character and I can’t wait to hear the explanation behind her name). After The Illuminae Files and the Nevernight series I have high hopes for Jay Kristoff’s work, so hopefully this will be another five star read for me.
Great review Trang. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG OMG !! What part are you now? 😀 Lemon is so funny I swear I’d love her as my best friend 😂 at some time I even liked her more than Evie 🤫 can you believe I .. haven’t read Nevernight yet ??! 😭 It’s seating on my bookshelves for too long
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well now I’ve actually finished it, and I loved it. It was a five star read for me (probably not surprising) and yes Lemon was probably my favourite character.
Oh definitely get to Nevernight soon. I’m sure you’ll love it Trang. 🙂 ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
YAYYY 😀 Like me hahah!! I always know we have similar taste but I’m happy everytime you end up liking the books I like *0* Can’t wait to read your review ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re excitement over this book is contagious….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha !! Yayyy that’s what I wanted to show 👏👏😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Aislynn!! 😀
LikeLike
Awesome review! In the middle of Nevernight after finishing book 2 of The Illuminae Files. Can’t wait to read Life L1k3. Both me and my writing partner want to read it! ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Dani! 🙂 I have to review Nevernight T_T its been so long!! Did you like the book? GEMINA was amazing as well!! XD Hope you and your writing partner get to LIFELIK3 😀
LikeLike
I’m pretty excited for this one, it has been on my list since the first review I read. But I loved yours too 🙂
LikeLike
Have been hearing a lot about this. Great review. Thanks for sharing. I also have been revisiting some of the books I have read here: https://therapywithbooks.clinic/ . Would love your thoughts.
LikeLike