I adored this. Loved all of it, Klune has done it again. This warmed my heart. Of course I’m laughing and crying and all the feels with this one. Pinocchio is my least favourite Disney movie (ironically one of my sons favs lol) but this retelling was perfect. I loved how it was more Sci Fi, my FAVOURITE Genre 🥹. Perfectly imperfect characters, that you can’t help but admire. A charming setting, well I wouldn’t want to live anywhere near the City of Electric Dreams, sign me up for a treehouse in the middle of the forest.
All that being said, this didn’t top House in the Cerulean Sea, one of my all time favourite books e v e r

This is my second book by Klune. The writing in this latest book reminds me of the writing style of Douglas Adams and his use of humor and wit - only make it lewd. This book had a focus on tolerance, found family, and defeating the bureaucratic system.

The prologue was easy to read and peeked my interest right away, then chapter one left me feeling confused and grasping at straws. What was happening? What am I reading? What am I supposed to be seeing in my mind? After a slower start I cought up to the world Klune created and the ending had a beauty to it.

Overall this book wasn't for me.
There was a lot of robot banter.
A lot of lewd banter.

This was an absolutely delightful futuristic sci fi Pinocchio retelling full of all the charm and wit that I have come to associate with TJ Klune.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: ebook courtesy of Tor Publishing Group & NetGalley
Pub date: April 25, 2023

In a fantastic blend of Pinocchio, Wall-E, and The Swiss Family Robinson, TJ Klune grips our heartstrings and forces us in front of a mirror in his latest novel, In the Lives of Puppets. This book masterfully blends together subgenres: dystopian science-fiction & magical realism, humor, LGBT YA romance. The result is a story that is just... magic.

Victor Lawson lives a most peculiar existence. Physically, he is human, raised in the care of a loving and creative adopted father, with a quirky neat-freak and a sociopathic nurse for company, in their deep, lush forest homestead. Charming on its face, right? But its quickly revealed that Vic is the last survivor of an extinct species- humans- and all of his companions are androids- sentient, loyal, loving robots.

The adventure of Vic's lifetime begins when he and his friends stumble on a humanoid, showing faint signs of life but hiding a mysterious past. When the droid reanimates at last, it sets off a chain reaction of events that rip Vic's only known way of life out from under him. To put the pieces of his found family back together and breathe a new life into a peaceful future, Vic and his friends must summon their courage, journey across a dystopic landscape, and fight tooth, nail, and screw to reclaim their happiness and their beloved patriarch.

Reading the blurb for this story, I was skeptical about how much I could truly connect with a cast of characters that are largely inhuman. But TJ Klune does a magnificent job of endearing each and every character to the readers, organic and mechanical alike. This story of family ties and the love we hold for our closest friends can resonate with anyone.

When we think of love stories, most conjure an image of romantic, passionate infatuation. In the Lives of Puppets offers different takes on a love story- different, but no less strong; the love between a parent and child, and its reflection in the devotion of a child to its parent; a love between friends that demonstrates that unconditional acceptance and loyalty doesn't require a blood connection; and a romantic love that blooms slowly between two people separated by space and species, that somehow survives against all odds. In the Lives of Puppets is a story about forgiveness, and how true, unconditional love cannot exist without it- choosing to forgive those that you love, and choosing to forgive yourself.

The language in Klune's novel is simply beautiful- I highlighted countless passages in this book. I particularly enjoyed finding a few references to the real world and to prior Klune novels in this book too! In the Lives of Puppets made me laugh out loud, and brought tears to my eyes. It brings joy, reflection, grief, and hope to the reader. I will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this book when it is released (April 25th), and look forward to adding it to my collection and reading it again and again.

Special thanks to TJ Klune, Tor Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review

⭐️: 3.5/5

In a home built into the branches of a forest lives inventor and android Giovanni, as well as his son, human Victor, and their family, consisting of a sadistic nurse robot and a small, friendly vacuum. When one day, Victor finds an old, decommissioned android named Hap and repairs him, Giovanni is confronted with his own dark past. When other robots from Giovanni’s former life are alerted to their location, they capture him and take him back to his old life, leaving Victor and the rest of his found family no choice but the brave the outside world to try to rescue him.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by the same author was one of the most heartwarming books I read last year, even if I did have to be in a pretty specific mood to really enjoy it. TJ Klune certainly has a distinct writing style, as well as several character types he (based on my relatively small sample size of two books so far) includes in his books. He makes it easy too root for the characters, and is able to humanize all sorts of different types of characters who may or may not actually be human, drawing parallels to real life social issues that many marginalized groups face. Where I did have some issues with this book was the pacing. It felt like it took a long time to get to the meat of the story, like maybe even until about 50%, and while I was getting there, I found it hard to be excited to go back and continue to read this book. Thematically, I also don’t particularly enjoy stories about AI “coming to life” and attempting to eradicate all of humanity, just from a place of being a computer engineer and having to deal with all sorts of uneducated or uninformed people using the concept of AI as a fear mongering tactic, and to reassure non-technologically inclined family members that there’s a difference between reality and science fiction. Overall though, the message of this book was so lovely, and the resolution was wonderfully bittersweet.

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start with, I loved this book. It’s was sweet, gentle, and funny. Like all of TJ Klune’s books, it reached into my soul and camped out, probably never to leave. I tend to read very fast, but I really made myself slow down to savor every word, because I didn’t want to leave these special characters. (Also, sociopathic nurse robots, and brave little vacuums are now my favorite things ever.) Thank you to TJ Klune, Tor Publishing and Net Galley for letting me read an advance copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing group for the digital ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

I saw someone online say this is the grown up version of the Brave Little Toaster. And honestly, that’s the perfect way to put it.

Everything about this story made my heart ache, swell, break and feel whole. Which is honestly the norm for how Klune’s books sit with me. Even a year later I still think about them and cling to the story.

Victor experiences so much growth. And the story is so out there yet close to home with the current trends with AI and technology. Rambo and Nurse Ratched are the perfect compliments to his journey. And honestly, to avoid spoilers, I’m not really sure what else to say.

This will make you cry. It’ll make you chuckle. And it will make you hope and pray for an ending that doesn’t break your heart.

If you read anything this year, read this. Honestly not sure how anything else could top this and it sits far above any of my other 5 star reads this year.

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint. It combined all of the best parts of Klune's previous works in this genre: the humor and innocence of The House in the Cerulean Sea and the cozy familial atmosphere of Under the Whispering Door. All of the characters are come alive off the page--I felt like I was walking through the forest with them, laughed with them and cried with them. It hit the perfect balance of sci-fi and fantasy and I simply wanted to live inside this world with the characters. Though I felt like the pacing was slightly off and the plot somewhat meandered, I didn't care. I will forever read Klune simply because of the lives and worlds he crafts,

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

I am a HUGE Extraordinaries fangirl, because that is what I love about TJ Klune - quirky, hilarious, queer joy, romance.

I feel like House in the Cerulean Sea really captured those things too. Under the Whispering Door I liked a little less - loved the found family, thought it was hilarious, but I didn't quite feel the romance in it.

Here the romance is between a human and an AI (?/machine), and I think it didn't quite work. I just didn't find myself super invested in the story. I often have difficulty with fantasy/scifi where I can't picture everything that's happening, and that's definitely part of my struggles here.

The story definitely still has the Klune sparkle with wit and plain old sillyness, lovable characters, and a lot of fun. I think it will be a great favorite for many people! It just wasn't super for me.

I absolutely adored TJ Klune's last two novels, and this novel has many of the same hallmarks I love in his books. Found family, queer characters, and so much humor, especially in dialogue. Unfortunately, the story didn't pull me along like his past ones did and the Pinocchio connections were more distracting than enlightening to me. I didn't always connect the source text to the meaning of the book in front of me. LOVE Nurse Ratched (more drilling!) and Rambo especially, but this is a solid 3 stars for me.

In the Lives of Puppets was a wonderful look at what it means to be human. I absolutely loved how TJ Klune presented their world of tree houses. It was masterfully created and made me feel like I was there amongst the trees with Vic, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched. I also loved the relationship between Vic and Gio, the easy familiarity of it that they'd established over Vic's life.

Living close to the Scrap Yard was both dangerous and serendipitous for them - a good source of materials for their creation and tinkering, but also life threatening, and life changing. Vic has the propensity to be right on the line of adventure and death - something I felt that he really did recognize and respect given that he was the only human in their home.

His journey with Hap was also very human. Hiding it from his father, learning about himself and the machine he'd rescued. Learning what it means to have a heart, family, the power of memories. I laughed and cried, felt each revelation of strong emotion right along with Vic. I could not stand the heartbreak of loss, but the way that Vic kept going and decided to move forward was magical. The power of choice, the dire responsibility in it.

In the Lives of Puppets is a MUST read for me this year, make sure to add it to your list and grab it when it comes out on April 24th, 2023!

What a delightful book! This is my third book by TJ Klune and I have loved them all.
This story is about a young man who lives in a forest with his father and two robots . They have had no interactions with anyone for as long as the young man can remember. They go to a nearby scrapyard to get useful things but must avoid the security bots there. Are they the only people left in the world?
How did they end up here? Like the other books by TJ Klune that I’ve read, the story is soooo good and the characters are wonderful and multifaceted. The story has funny moments, adventure, a sense of family and love. I enjoyed the book immensely and highly recommend it, Happy reading!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of TJ Klune's novel, In the Lives of Puppets.
In the Lives of Puppets retells the story of Pinocchio from a futuristic perspective. Written about a time when humans are replaced by robots, one human remains and this is his story. Beautifully written, this novel takes the reader to another time without sacrificing the complexity of human emotion.

This didn't end up being the kind of story I thought it might be - think a sci-fi adventure quest inspired by Pinocchio, not cozy fantasy romance. There are definitely some loveable characters (Rambo was my fav) & a romantic element, but I think if you're expecting cozy, this may not give you what you want. For the most part, I was entertained & swept through the story, but it did feel way too long and I thought the themes, while interesting, were too on the nose for my tastes

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. TJ Klune has such a unique way of storytelling and this is definitely on brand for those who loved House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. When I read the description I didn't get it, tbh. But I was still going in with high hopes because of the author's previous work. I also saw on Goodreads that TJK said in it was a queer retelling of Pinocchio and that short statement definitely peeked my interest more than what I read of the other official description.

But now that I've read it, saying a queer retelling of Pinocchio isn't the way I'd go about it. I would describe it as Becky Chamberlain's: A Psalm for the Wild-Built meets Douglas Adams meets The 1985 movie, Return to Oz (with a splash of Queer Pinocchio). And it was friggin DELIGHTFUL.

It was a warm hug for most of the way, but when we get a better glimpse of HAP's past...that was some difficult imagery to try to shake off. Especially as a parent of young ones. So, Trigger Warning right there for you.

I had a hard time putting this book down. Especially once I reached the 40% mark when the story take a huge turn. I definitely chose to read rather than sleep for two nights. Which is saying a LOT as a mom of a 3 & 5 year old. But I regret NOTHING!

Oh and I need to say a special shout-out to the character Nurse Ratched. She had me legitimately giggling at my e-reader. Rambo was the absolute perfect creation. Ugh, T.J. you did it again. *Cue confetti on Nurse Ratched's screen*

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am drawn to TJ Klune’s recent books by the quirky covers. Though I am not usually a fan of books about robots, or futuristic topics, I found myself drawn into his most recent novel, In the Lives of Puppets. Klune somehow manages to take robots and infuse them with human qualities, like caring and love. He weaves this into a story that is fast-paced and intrigues the reader, keeping them turning pages to see what he'll come up with next. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

TJ Klune’s latest releases have not only satisfied the giant part of me that loves love stories and companionship, they’ve also made me get a little philosophical in ways I appreciate.

Under the Whispering Door had me reconsidering what happens after death & Klune’s upcoming release In the Lives of Puppets made me think more about humanity & choice & forgiveness & courage. It’s really a special book.

For the sake of simplicity I’m going to use the words “human” & “robot” as I would have used them at the beginning of reading the book.

Lead Victor Lawson is a human with three family members who are robots. His father, an android named Giovanni, raised him after Victor was left in the forest by his biological parents.

Then one day Victor discovers another android, named Hap, & soon after Giovanni is taken & Victor’s world is burned down & his mettle & love & forgiveness are tested.

This book doesn’t just prompt philosophical musings—it’s also really funny. The interactions between robots Nurse Ratched & Rambo are hilarious & screwball & any time they are on the page it seemed like I was having some notable emotion.

The asexual rep, the growing relationship between Victor & Hap, the fantastical Pinocchio and Wizard of Oz-esque plot elements are all things that had me celebrating.

If you want your whimsy with loving relationships of many kinds & you want to walk away thinking “what do I really think about x & why do I think it,” I really recommend this one!

5⭐️. Out 04/25.

CWs: Father taken away. Murder of humans. Murder of androids. Violence.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing an orange floral dress, holds the ebook while sitting in a greenhouse.]

In The Lives Of Puppets by T.J. Klune

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

* Thank you to @netgalley and @tor for providing a digital copy of In The Lives Of Puppets in exchange of a honest review.

TJ Klune did it again! I only read Under The Whispering Door from the author and it is one of my favorite book of all time. I enjoy In The Lives Of Puppets but not as much as the previous one. My favorite aspect is the amazing friends relationships. What comforting and heart-warming story.

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TJ Klune’s books are truly a treasure. His books transport readers to another world where they are invited to experience the full spectrum of human emotion: loss, pain, sadness, hope, joy, and most importantly love. As readers, we often move from one book to the next, and occasionally, we come across a book that touches our hearts and leaves imprints. In the Lives of Puppets is one of those books. It delves into what it means to be human. TJ Klune shows us that despite the hurt, pain, and sadness that life can carry, experiencing such emotions and feeling is what it means to be alive. Klune wonderfully highlights that despite this heaviness, we are also able to experience joy, hope, and love. The book reminds us that through the dark times, moments of joy will appear, and these wonderful moments outweigh the pain. This is such a beautiful reminder that I will certainly carry with me. This book also delves into what it means to love. Through Vic and his relationship with Gio and Hap, we are able to see how love can be messy and difficult at times; that truly loving someone means loving the whole person despite their capability for destruction or hurt. We see that its core, love is one of the greatest gifts of living. It is the most precious gift we can find in life. For some, the beginning of the book may be a bit slow. Please don’t let that discourage you from continuing to read the novel, I promise everything comes together wonderfully. I can’t praise this book and TJ Klune enough! Bravo on another smash hit! Thank you for the arc and NetGalley

This was an excellent read. The story moved at a great pace, and it was refreshing to see ace representation. I feel like even though this book had it’s gory moments, I wouldn’t hesitate to place it in a school library or recommend to students for either personal reading or extra curricular activities.