LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike)

March 19, 2018
Two years ago, Eve’s family was murdered, and she only barely survived, requiring cybernetic implants to restore her sight and memory. Now, she supports her ailing grandfather by piloting robot gladiators in the ruins of a devastated California, until everything goes wrong: she manifests a forbidden power to destroy technology with her mind, she rescues a “lifelike” robot, Ezekiel, during a salvage expedition, and the local gangs want her dead. On the run with her best friend, Lemon; a robotic protector, Cricket; and Ezekiel, Eve finds herself searching for the secrets of her past in a deadly postapocalyptic world, encountering everything from bioengineered kraken to an unstoppable murderous preacher. In one twist after another, Eve discovers that everything she knew may be a lie and the truth rests in whatever happened when her family died. Kristoff (the Illuminae Files, with Amie Kaufman) delivers a solid, fast-paced adventure in which well-drawn,
resourceful characters struggle against the dangers of a vividly described world. The plot falters a bit due to the overuse of shocking revelations, but the stylized language and futuristic slang give the narrative voice extra zing. Ages 12–up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary.

March 15, 2018
A scrappy survivor learns dangerous secrets in an artificial intelligence-heavy "post-apocalyptic hellscape."In a devastated post-nuclear war North America where corporations reign supreme, radiation occasionally causes mutations, but the main impact is rampant cancer. What's left of Kalifornya is an island called Dregs, where white teen Eve pilots a machina in the WarDome arena against bots that have malfunctioned and broken the First Law of Robotics (harming a human) in order to earn enough to cover her grandfather's medication. When a match goes wrong and Eve is about to be killed, she lifts her hand and screams, causing the rogue robot to destruct--to her shock and everyone else's. Unfortunately for Eve, Brotherhood fanatics exterminate "abnorms" and "deviates," so she has to go on the run. She and her redheaded best friend, Lemon (a tiny girl with a big personality), find Ezekiel, an olive-skinned, blue-eyed "lifelike" (the most advanced androids ever made, but ones that broke free of robotic laws and slaughtered their creators). Hunted by multiple parties after the WarDome incident, Eve uncovers revelations about herself, thanks to Ezekiel, while also struggling to keep her loved ones alive. Between the worldbuilding, nonstop action, endless twists, and futuristic jargon, characters sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Refreshingly, romance and female friendship are given equal weight. Inventive and unexpected. (Science fiction. 12-adult)

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April 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Eve is a 17-year-old girl living in a postapocalyptic world after a failed robot uprising. She spends her days working on fighting robots in an organized "robot wars" competition. The teen is on the run from gangsters and loan sharks while trying to care for her ailing grandfather. The memories of her past are murky; all she knows is that the robot uprising changed her life forever. After a particularly brutal robot war battle, Eve and her best friend Lemon Fresh discover a handsome android named Ezekiel in a pile of rubble. Ezekiel is a special android called a "LIFEL1K3" because they look exactly like humans. Much to their surprise, the android comes to life and starts to interact with them, despite the fact that androids have been outlawed since their unsuccessful attempt at taking over humankind. Ezekiel holds the truth to what really happened with the robot uprising and may hold the key to Eve's lost memories. Kristoff has crafted a fast-paced adventure full of energy and verve that will leave readers breathless. Fans of such popular sci-fi movies like Blade Runner and Mad Max: Fury Road will devour this series opener and will wait on the edge of their seats for the next installment. VERDICT A first purchase where fantasy titles thrive and for fans of Kristoff's "Illuminae Files."-Christopher Lassen, BookOps: The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
Grades 8-11 Pursued by a bounty hunter for exhibiting paranormal powers, Eve and her small band of friends?human, logika, and android?attempt to rescue the person she believes is her grandfather and stop a group of rebel androids from unlocking the secret to creating life in their own image. This action-packed thriller is set in a postapocalyptic North America where the laws of robotics no longer hold and artificial intelligence takes many forms, from a sentient garbage-collecting kraken to cuddly dogs whose only nonmetal body part is their brain. The stars of the show are the androids, built by Eve's father in the image of her siblings and named for the angels whose fall from grace they mimic. With plenty of fight scenes and tech talk, it's the print love child of movies Mad Max and Tank Girl and would pair well with them for a book-movie program. There is a lot to discuss about what makes beings human, where the line between confidence and complacence exists, and how loss can unhinge even the strongest among us.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)