I make no secret of my love for the work of Jay Kristoff, and this final instalment in the Lifel1k3 series does nothing to change that. As it’s book 3, I’ll try and keep this post as spoiler-free as possible, but if you’ve not read the first couple of books, and gritty action-packed dystopian sci-fi with AI, robot battles and smart-mouthed teens with hearts of gold is your jam, get on it.
This book is a great end to the series, which shows us a future YouSay in which two Corp States race for supremacy over what’s left of the country after a nuclear and environmental disaster. It’s not uncommon in dystopian novels for us to see a grim picture of technology, virtual reality and automation having taken over. We often see futures in which a Borg-like collective has “improved” life for humanity, and sees individuality as inferior to the well-being of all. We frequently see mutations, genetic evolutions that see what’s left of humanity change in ways that more conservative factions see as freakish or wrong. This series gives us all of that and more. With Kristoff’s recurring focus on the potential impacts of AI, Truelife brings into sharp focus the questions around life and free will – what they are, and who is entitled to claim them. As is frequently the case, some of the most compelling and engaging characters are the non-human ones – Cricket, the tiny robotic companion and body guard to one of our main characters from book 1, really gets to flex his muscle in this book, and his story arc is undoubtedly my favourite.
Kristoff writes with a sharp and clever nod to pop culture, and his YA work is a great introduction to the sci-fi and dystopian genres for teen readers. He doesn’t talk down to his audience, and whilst there were times in this series I was reminded that I am not a member of that esteemed group, I still thoroughly enjoyed this finale to a gripping series.