Review: LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

*LIFEL1K3 will be published Tuesday, May 29th!*

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff 

Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018

Hardcover. 416 pages.

**There is a pre-order campaign for LIFEL1K3 pre-orders that is ongoing until May 29th where you can receive a print of the map in LIFEL1K3 as well as four character cards! You can find out more here.**

LIFEL1K3 was a solid book, but it was also one of my biggest disappointments this year.

Everything about this book screams 'Jay Kristoff,' which is part of what made me so excited to read it. I expected a fascinating world, strong and unforgettable characters, a compelling plot, and a book that I would find impossible to put down. Instead, I got an overly predictable story, characters that I lost interest in, and a book that I found myself increasingly bored with.

Before getting into the details, I want to say that LIFEL1K3 is very much trademark Jay Kristoff and I could hear his voice throughout the entire story. The problem was that I felt like I'd read this book a hundred times before in many other books. It seemed like this book was more about the dialogue, the world, and the characters, with less emphasis placed on the plot itself, and this is where I had issues.

The world-building is fantastic and this is one area in which Kristoff shines. He not only builds an in-depth world with different locations and elements, but he also invents his own slang and manner of speaking that really brings it to life. I did have some issues with the slang in parts because I didn't always know what they were talking about, but idea and execution of it did help with the world-building. The only issue I had was that occasionally I felt confused and as if things weren't fully explained, but this wasn't something that lingered too long and was only minor. The Mad Max inspirations in his world-building really shine through in this world, though, so if you're a fan of that franchise you might want to pick up this book.

The characters in this book were really hit or miss for me. The main protagonist, Eve, irritated me more than I expected. I felt very little connection to her and that her reactions to various revelations and events were somewhat off. On a somewhat minor but still irritating note, she also made endless references to how 'she'd looked death in the face before and wasn't afraid to do it again' so. many. times. that I truly did not care anymore. I did, however, love Eve's cyborg dog Kaiser--Kristoff did great work on that. Lemon Fresh, her best friend, was one of the characters that I did really love. She seemed to have the most well-rounded and interesting personality of the bunch. She did feel slightly one-note at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed I felt she more well-developed and I loved her personality. I also really loved Lemon and Eve's friendship and really enjoyed seeing their love for another shine throughout this book. Ezekiel, a character we meet fairly early in the story, was one of the least interesting characters for me. There was nothing interesting or endearing about him, and I think Cait at Paper Fury got it right when she likened him to her toaster. The last character I want to mention is Preacher, only to say that I still don't understand what his purpose was and all he seemed to be to me was a huge pain in the ass for no reason.

As mentioned, it was the plot that I really struggled with. The twists and turns were interesting, but also easily guess-able; it's a well thought-out story, but it just wasn't new enough. I feel like if you don't read a lot of books then you might enjoy this book a lot more than I did, but since I read a lot all the tie I just feel like I've read and seen this all before.

The writing, however, was great. Kristoff is wonderful at creating engaging and witty dialogue that lets you easily imagine the story in your head and feel like you are there with the characters. The descriptions of the world were strong and I appreciated Kristoff's accessible prose. The biggest complaint I have about his writing was that there was way too much action for my taste. I felt like the characters were constantly on the run or involved in some sort of action drama and I just got so tired of it and found myself desperately wanting to skim over large chunks of this book.

Despite my rather ambivalent review, I do still recommend you check this one out if you are a Kristoff fan or if you think the synopsis sounds good. There are so many other readers that have fallen head over heels for this book, so there's a good chance that you might still like it. People are even calling this some of Jay's best work, which I personally find a bit insulting to Nevernight, but that's just my personal opinion. Overall, I've given LIFEL1K3 three stars. I liked parts of it, but I just didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to and I look forward to reading more reviews from other readers to see what their thoughts were.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of LIFEL1K3 courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

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Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman

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Waiting on Wednesday: Summerland by Hannu Ranjaniemi & The Mermaid by Christina Henry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

Summerland by Hannu Ranjaniemi
Publication Date: June 28th, 2018

Gollancz
320 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"From Hannu Rajaniemi, one of the most exciting science fiction writers in the last decade, comes an awe-inspiring account of the afterlife and what happens when it spills over into the world of the living. 

Loss is a thing of the past. Murder is obsolete. Death is just the beginning. 

In 1938, death is no longer feared but exploited. Since the discovery of the afterlife, the British Empire has extended its reach into Summerland, a metropolis for the recently deceased. 

Yet Britain isn’t the only contender for power in this life and the next. The Soviets have spies in Summerland, and the technology to build their own god. 

When SIS agent Rachel White gets a lead on one of the Soviet moles, blowing the whistle puts her hard-earned career at risk. The spy has friends in high places, and she will have to go rogue to bring him in. 

But how do you catch a man who’s already dead?"

I'm honestly just really intrigued by the idea of discovering the afterlife and somehow exploiting that, so this book sounds like it might be a fascinating experiment. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'm certainly looking forward to it!

and...

The Mermaid by Christina Henry
Publication Date: June 19th, 2018

Berkley
336 pages
Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository 

From Goodreads:

"From the author of Lost Boy comes a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and later finds herself in P.T. Barnum's American Museum as the real Fiji mermaid. However, leaving the museum may be harder than leaving the sea ever was. 

Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn't bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return. 

P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he'd heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket. 

Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he's determined to hold on to his mermaid."

I love Christina Henry's books and her newest upcoming release sounds like it will be just as amazing as her previous work (Lost Boy, Alice). I really can't wait to finally read this gorgeous thing!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew S. Cox

*Wayfarer will be released Tuesday, May 8th!*

Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew Cox. Curiosity Quills Press, 2018. Ebook. 300 pages.

This book was... insane. I haven't been that 'on the edge of my seat' in quite a while. If you like foreign planet/space thrillers, then this one's for you.

In Wayfarer, Kerys Loring jumps headfirst for the opportunity to explore an alien ruin on a foreign planet. Once there, however, she is shocked to discover that her ex is also stationed on the planet, an issue that takes the backseat when an extreme unknown alien threat takes over and plunges the base in chaos.

Wayfarer was a little slow at the outset and I wasn't sure if it was going to pick up enough to keep me fully interested. I'm here to tell you not to worry about that because boy, does it pick up! I loved the basic premise of simply exploring a new planet for potential alien life and that is what initially hooked me. And then, for lack of a better phrase, the shit hit the fan and things went crazy. I had no idea what was going to happen in this book and I don't want to tell you anything about it other than to say things get dark... and stay dark.

One thing that I didn't love about being caught so unawares was how blindsided I was to the immense violence and gore that occurred throughout the events of this book. I don't usually have a problem with violence and gore (I mean, I love grimdark books), but this was just so unexpected for me and done in such a real and relevant way that it really shocked me and sort of threw me for a loop. If you're okay with some violence then you'll be fine, but if you're really sensitive to violence then you might want to consider that before picking this one up.

I'm not sure how much else I can really say about the plot without giving away anything important, so I'm going to jump into talking about some of the characters and the writing. Our main character is Kerys, a young woman who is beyond thrilled to have an opportunity to be a part of history and explore this new planet and newly discovered alien activity. Kerys is, overall, a very bright and interesting character, but I found it hard to connect with her at times. This doesn't really pose as a huge issue for me because I don't always need to connect with a character, but I just felt like some of her actions were a bit odd at times. For being as bright as she was said to be, I found her lack of common sense and lack of inquisitiveness about questionable things a bit annoying. There were certain things that I was surprised she didn't question more and that she brushed off too quickly and I found myself wanting to yell at Kerys on more than one occasion for different things she did or didn't do. Despite this, I was still very much captivated by her strength and determination; she has learned not to sit back and let things happen to her, but instead sticks up for herself and tries to be a stronger person everyday.

There was a decent variety of supporting characters in this book as well, though I never really felt like I got to know any of them very well so I don't really have all that much to say about them. One of the other prominent characters in this book is Kerys' ex-boyfriend, Will, someone she was horrified to find already on the base at the planet due to a previous abusive relationship and not-so-great break-up back on earth. I'll be honest an say that I did have my misgivings that this ex-boyfriend aspect would overtake the book in a negative way, but it actually didn't and instead ended up taking a very interesting turn. I felt the other characters were oddly interested in their past relationship (no one usually cares that much), but it didn't bother me too much. I wish I had known the other characters a bit more so I could separate who was who more easily, but they still added some great personality to the story.

The writing itself was pretty well done an captured the horror and suspense of the situation on the base. The only issues I had were with the dialogue itself, which just sometimes felt a bit stilted and awkward. Some of the responses and conversations people would have just felt a little bit off and pulled me slightly out of the action of story a little as well.

Overall, occasional issues with the writing and pacing aside, I definitely enjoyed reading this crazy and unpredictable book and have settled on four stars, rounded up from 3.75. If you like thrillers and space and a gripping story, then definitely pick up Wayfarer.

*I received a copy of Wayfarer courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review.*

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One Way by SJ Morden
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One Way by S.J. Morden

*One Way is available Tuesday, April 10th!*

One Way by S.J. Morden. Orbit, 2017. Paperback. 368  pages.

Now this was a fun, fast-paced adventure that I found incredibly entertaining.

I was immediately pulled in by the premise of this book and I'm happy to say that I felt it was executed really well. I've recently found that although I'm not always a huge sci-fi fan, I do really enjoy a good space novel, so One Way really fit that bill for me. I've been thinking of this book as a 'And Then There Were None in space,' and that in itself is a good enough description to hook me. The author, S.J. Morden, is a "bone fide rocket scientist" and for me that really gave this book an additional sense of authenticity that made it all the more enjoyable for me.

One Way kicks off when a small crew of ex-cons are recruited to be the first men to set up base on Mars. When a few of the crew members begin dying at random, the deaths that initially appear to be accidents soon start adding up to look a bit more suspicious than initially thought. As you can imagine, the number of suspects is limited and tensions start to rise.

The beginning of this book was a little on the slow side, but that's only because of the setup that had to be done to really get the foundation settled and the story and going. It was never boring, but it did leave me wondering if it would pick up--and fortunately it did. By the time I reached the midway point of this book, it was a complete page-turner and I was having a hard time putting this book down at all. There were a few times when the technical aspects of things took over a bit too much for me and I would sort of skim over the more intricate aspects, but that didn't happen too much to really be a problem. At the end of the day, I'd probably rather have too many details than not enough, anyway.

I really liked the cast of characters that was collected for the crew. They weren't all entirely likable, but they all had a certain authenticity that worked really for the story and helped to tell their own personal backstories. It was hard to keep track of who was who initially, but eventually the personalities of each began to show through and things got smoother. Our main protagonist, Frank, often came across as a fairly generic sort of figure, but I actually thought this worked well in coordination with the other characters, as it basically made him the de facto leader, as it seemed it was most natural and that he was the most clear-headed at all times. Despite his murder conviction, Frank seems to be a fairly decent guy (who ever thought those words would be typed?) One Way has a theme of 'second chance' running through it that I think every character could relate to in some way, and that I'm sure many of us reader could also relate to. I did want a little bit more from each of the characters in terms of fully developing the into three dimensional figures, particularly when it comes to a man named Brack. The characters were still well done, but I just felt like the development wasn't quite there.

One Way wasn't perfect and there were more than a few things that I could have done without, such as placing some sort of classified document at the beginning of each chapter that documents conversations and dialogue between the creators of the company that sends the crew to Mars. Some of these were really interesting and did add a lot to the story, but more than a few felt a bit unneeded and were overall uninteresting.

One Way ends on a bit of a cliffhanger in the sense we find out what's been going and why people have been dying, but it still leaves off right at a point where I cannot way to find out what happens next. I really can't wait to read the sequel!

Overall, I've given One Way  four stars. This isn't some phenomenal, ground-breaking book, but it is incredibly fascinating and highly entertaining nonetheless. I simply did not want to put it down. Morden himself is a retired rocket scientist, which lends quite a lot of credibility to the technical aspects within this book.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received a copy of One Way courtesy of the publisher, Orbit, in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Never miss a post of bookish fun by subscribing to Forever Lost in Literature!

Planning to purchase a book or two? Consider purchasing on Book Depository through my affiliate link! Book Depository has worldwide free shipping and millions of titles to choose from.

I am also an Amazon affiliate, so if you'd prefer to shop through Amazon, just click the banner on the upper right hand side of my blog! (above the 'Follow by email' box, you may need to pause adblock to see it!)

You might also like:
Arabella of Mars by David D. Levine
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Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku. Doubleday; 2008. 329 pages. Paperback/Softcover. 

Have you ever been watching or reading a science fiction movie or book and wondered if that crazy gadget or idea could actually happen? Do you want an invisibility like Harry Potter? Do you want to fly into the future with Marty McFly? Michio Kaku will discuss whether or not this is a real possibility in the future.

The purpose of this book is basically to go over the biggest ideas of science fiction, such as invisibility, force fields, starships, fourth dimensions, etc., and discuss the plausibility of each one in real, scientific terms. I definitely think you might be surprised at some of the results.

Kaku lays out the book in extremely simple terms. There are three main sections of the book: Class I impossibilities, which are impossibilities today, but do not violate any laws of physics and could eventually become possible; Class II Impossibilities, which are still slightly within our realm of understanding, but would not come into existence for millions of years; lastly, there are Class III impossibilities, which violate known laws of physics - if they ever become possible, things in our world are even less than what we think. Within each category, Kaku touches upon a plethora of ideas created from the works and worlds of science fiction.

As far as readability goes, this book is wonderful at explaining things in terms that scientists and non-scientists alike can understand. I'm definitely not scientifically inclined (though not for lack of trying...), but I was able to understand just about everything. (Science fascinates me, but I'm just not very good at understanding and processing science -  though I really wish I could.)

What I really loved about this book was Kaku's writing itself. He writes about things that would normally probably bore me to tears, but because of his personality and incredibly smooth writing technique I was able to fully understand and enjoy all parts of this book. Kaku also retains a good sense of objectivity; he incorporates his own personality and style, but does this in a manner so that he doesn't interject his own opinions on the plausibility or rationality of any specific idea. He keeps his mind wide open to any and all possibilities.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction, science in general, technology and advanced technology, or even if you're just curious about whether or not you could have a cloak like Harry Potter! Physics of the Impossible has received four stars from me because it was immensely fascinating and enjoyable, but not quite up to five stars.

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