Eve has discovered the truth about herself. This truth changes everything, and suddenly her best friends are her enemies. When she chooses her new Lifelike family over Ezekiel, he is devastated and powerless to change her mind.

He flees with Lemon Fresh and Cricket from Babel only to become stranded in the desert. Telling Lemon Fresh to stay put, he must return to Babel for what they need.

After fleeing the relentless chase of a ruthless Dataless Corp bounty hunter, Lemon Fresh finds herself pursued by another. This creature is made of bees, and is insistent on Lemon Fresh being important to her and her kind. Lemon Fresh is having none of it, but this bee woman who names herself Hunter refuses to take no for an answer.

Soon finding herself in the worst place possible – the city of The Brotherhood, she knows she is in the biggest trouble of her life. The Brotherhood are fanatical humans, controlled by one woman and her son, and their interpretation of the bible. They have vowed to exterminate people like Lemon Fresh. They name her Deviate, Trash Breed and Abnorm. Finding two other victims of this maniacal cult, she knows she must save them.

These fellow Deviates take her into a hidden home in the desert. Being with her kind, her ‘people’ gives her the strongest feelings of belonging that she’s ever had. Maybe these teens can be her true family?

Meanwhile, Eve and her new siblings are searching for the real Ana Monrova – the key to bringing Lifelikes back to life and being able to spawn more. Their goal is to wipe humankind from the Earth entirely and Eve is all good with that. After all, humans have done nothing but lie to her. Ana Monrova’s existence feels like a threat to her own as Eve, and she becomes a ruthless hunter along with her fellow Lifelikes.

Cricket has his own journey, horrified to find himself being prepared for the War Dome by the leaders of the Brotherhood. Will Lemon Fresh, Ezekiel, and Cricket ever find each other again? Has Eve made the right decision, leaving them all behind?

Part two in this trilogy splits the friends far and wide, sending them on their own paths of discovery and destruction.

Gut wrenching action stomps through this episode, throwing curveballs from every direction. The first episode Lifelik3 hooked me and I was keen to learn what happens next. We get to know Lemon Fresh better in this novel, and Cricket too. Lemon is a Deviate who finds others like her and learns more about her powers and Deviate history. Cricket is pushed to his absolute limits of loyalty and grit.

There’s action, betrayal, revenge and even humour sprinkled among the carnage.

Can’t wait to jump into the final book of this trilogy – TrueL1f3!

Author – Jay Kristoff

Age – 13+

SHORT-LISTED: Aurealis Awards, Best Young Adult Novel, 2019

(2019, Allen & Unwin, Mad Max, Action, Friendship, Love, Betrayal, Courage, Family, Series, The Terminator, Technology, Robots, Androids, Fighting back, Religious Zealots, Bounty Hunter, Rockets, Guns, Warbots, Fleeing, Escape, Truth, Identity, Loyalty, Badass, War Dome, Dystopian, Future, Apocalyptic, Grandfather, Warheads, )