This book is filled with so much sweetness that it shines on every page. In a world gone crazy, it is a breath of fresh air. Because of the author's vivid description, I can almost smell the pine trees and feel the forest all around me. It is about loneliness, love, and reuniting with family. You'll giggle at the personalities and the characters. It is primarily about humans. I will always consider this book to be one of my favorites.

TJ Klune never fails to disappoint. The characters in this book were so well-done - I especially loved Nurse Ratched and Rambo (how could you not?!). Just like the other Klune books I read, they make your heart hurt in such a hopeful way. There was adversity and adventure but also love and companionship.

3.5! Every TJ Klune I have read feels like the center of a perfect grilled cheese - warm, gooey, and is satisfying no matter how old you are. In The Lives of Puppets is no different, complete with a lovable cast of characters set in a fantastic world that a very small part of me would love to see (but not most of me because I would definitely die). I enjoyed following the adventures of Vic accompanied by a host of hilarious and irreverent robots of all shapes, sizes, and designations as he tries to save his adopted father robot from reverting back to his human killer ways. Hopefully that one sentence, in addition to the two most common comps of gay Pinocchio plus Wall-E, gives you all you need to know in order to make the decision to buy this book, go find a spot in a wooded area, and read until your laughter turns into tears.

Unlike the current era of Klune’s writing that focuses more on the fantasy side of magical realism, In the Lives of Puppets incorporates more sci-fi elements which is a lot of fun, however if robots are really not your thing, this would be a hard one to get through.

Thank you to NetGalley, TJ Klune, and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the Lives of Puppets is a very loose Pinocchio retelling involving....robots. Yes, robots have finally taken over, but Victor and his father, Gio, have been living far-removed from the rest of the world in a safe, hidden home in the forest. Their lives are disrupted when Victor discovers a decommissioned robot that he brings back to life and accidentally alerts the others of their whereabouts.
Victor must embark on a journey to save his father with the help of his friends.

First of all, this is story is so different from anything I've ever read. It was a fun blend of sci fi and fantasy wrapped in a fairytale retelling. I enjoyed the humor, and nods to characters from other stories. For instance, the medical nurse robot with a penchant for wanting to hurt others, (the Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill: Nurse Ratched, for short), was a fun nod to One flew over the Cuckoo's nest, and Victor is clearly named after Dr. Frankenstein. It also explores what it means to be human, as well as found family.

The first half of this novel was very strong, and I was quickly invested. I wanted a bit more danger and exploration in the world around them, and I didn't think it really needed the romantic tones it was going for at times. The ending also felt a bit awkward to me. Overall, I loved this unique tale, and it is worth a read.

4.5 stars.

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, lived fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum desperate for love and attention, and Victor Lawson, a human. They were a family, and they were safely hidden. When an unexpected event caused them to lose both Gio and their house, they went on an expedition to save their loved one and learned about themselves and what was important in life.

Aww this book was so much fun and heartbreaking at the same time. I had jumped in blind and had the best experience reading it. I was delighted to find out it was somewhat a reverse-Pinocchio story, and I completely immersed myself in the details!

In the true style of T. J. Klune, this powerful story packed a punch. It covered topics such as the meaning of life, nature vs. nurture, having a purpose, and - my favourite - found family. I went through emotional roller coaster reading this, starting with full-on chuckles in the beginning and ending with tears running down my face.

The audiobook narration was an epic performance, especially for Rambo’s voice. For a single-cast production, I had no difficulty figuring out the different voices.

Amazing story, amazing delivery!

I think the most important thing to note is there were no actual puppets and I was beyond pleased. I will read anything TJ Klune publishes but the possibility of puppets made me hesitate. Wonderful characters and a fantastic setting.

TJ Klune NEVER disappoints!

Klune became an auto-buy author for me after reading one of my all-time favorite books, The House in the Cerulean Sea. After diving into In the Lives of Puppets, he has only cemented himself as one of my go-to authors!

From his ability to highlight the importance and beauty of friendships and family to the whimsical worlds he invites us to explore, TJK never fails to craft stories that leave me teary-eyed and wholly happy.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, TJ Klune, and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC!

Not sure this one is for me. Loved the idea of the book though and the cover is so cute. Maybe will try again another time!

I really wanted to like this one. I have enjoyed several other books by T.J. Klune, but this one just didn’t do it for me. The world was really creative and felt magical, and I liked that one of the main characters was asexual, but that’s about it on this one. The pacing felt really weird at times, and I found myself bored through quite a bit of the book.

I will say though, that the audiobook was really well done. If I was going to recommend this book, I would recommend the audiobook.

i got this as an arc last year and oh my god tj klune you have once again outdone yourself. this was so eerie yet so good
reading about hap , vic and Gio
this truly was a chilling beautiful read. loved it.

A beautiful blend of Pinocchio and AI: Artificial Intelligence, which was, itself, a reimagining of Pinocchio.

I am typically a huge fan of Klune's work. In the Lives of Puppets was almost like a modern day type of Wizard of Oz mixed with Pinocchio, while involving robots. For me, this book just didn't hit the way his others have. It had some compelling parts and a twist as well as the emotional setups and queer characters.

I loved the relationships between Gio, Vic, Nurse, and Rambo. They are all such quirky and unique individuals and their camaraderie was phenomenal work. They each had strong personalities that were shown through throughout the story. There were some hearth wrenching moments and some "edge of the seat" type moments as well.

I think I just expected more from it. I almost got to the end and questioned what the purpose of the book really was. There were great quotes and takeaway moments, but the story, as whole did not speak to me, to my heart like I expected. I wanted there to be more flow and more symmetry, but it just kind of felt haphazard at times.

This author has started to become one of my favorites lately but this book was probably my least favorite one from him. I don't know maybe I just wasn't the right audience for this one. I enjoy a lot of his other books but this one was a little too weird for me.

Klune is sincerely one of my favourite authors, but this was a slight deviation from my normal adoration. The plot on this one kind of lost me, but I really loved how Klune still packed an emotional gut punch into the story. It's a clever retelling of pinochio (I think?) and the actual laugh out loud moments were there, right along with the very sweet heart. That said. 9/10 always worth a read.

In the Lives of Puppets is not at all what I expected, and everything that I needed. This was such a delightful read! I laughed out loud, I cried (sometimes both at the same time), and overall felt so much joy from this reading experience. I’m a sucker for a found family trope, and especially fond of adorable robot side characters, so this was a guarantee for me to love. I found the plot dragged a bit in some places, and some plot devices could be predictable at times, but other than those minor things I adored this book!

I know so many readers that love TJ Klune and I really wanted to like this book. I was very interested in the beginning, but the pacing slowed down and I felt like I was trudging through the book.

The author's writing is very good, and I can see why so many people love his books, but for me personally, I need a faster plot with more going on.

This was an enjoyable read that will catch the interest of older students. I enjoyed the weaving together of multiple familiar stories about puppets into something entirely new. TJ Klune always knows how to pack an emotional punch into an otherwise fast-paced story.

I like a lot of TJ Klune but this one didn't draw me in quite as much as some of the others. It still has some signature quirky humor and heartwarming scenes but this type of story just wasnt my jam.

TJ Klune is obviously amazing and this one is equally as great as everything else. I love this family drama and enjoyed the twists and turns.

I was honestly surprised by how much I loved this book. As someone who doesn't typically read fantasy books I decided to give this one a shot based on how much I enjoyed the other books by Klune that I've read. At first the book feels fairly simplistic and it follows the story of a man, Viktor, and his father but the more you read the increasingly complex the book and story actually is. It's beautiful in how Klune is able to tackle complex topics in humorous ways that feel believable and real in the end, even while dealing with robots. Also, if you haven't already read it, I would also highly recommend T.J. Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea.