You’re going to be quite shocked to hear this ain’t no cutesy cozy story like his others books have mostly been, this is a thriller and its dark and tense which had me more excited personally. We have Nate who is returning back to his hometown, he was kicked out by his parents when he was young after finding out he was gay. He has nothing, he goes to the cabin where he lived to grieve, and there are squatters and there he has to make the decision to run away or maybe be friends with them. Found family, heart wrenching so if you’re looking for a punch to the gut, here you go!

I’m a fan of all of TJ Klune’s previous novels slowly getting a cover makeover, the designs are always gorgeous. Originally published in 2018, this one definitely had some of the same formula that made The House in the Cerulean Sea so easy to love. There is a misfit kid, a caretaker willing to protect her, and an outsider coming into a situation and staying, heartwarming family vibes, a bit of romance… The plot, with echoes of Stranger Things, was entertaining, particularly the process of uncovering the backstory while constantly feeling pursued. I think this one could have been a bit shorter and I think Klune has become a better writer over time but his storytelling here was still great.

Nate Cartwright is a journalist in Washington DC and after some questionable personal choices finds himself out of a job. If things weren’t bad enough he receives a call from his brother telling him that both of their parents are dead. He hasn’t been on speaking terms with his family in years but is left the family cabin in a remote location in Oregon. Nate is completely alone and has no idea what to do so he decides to head to the cabin and get some perspective on his life. His plan of solitude and self reflection are quickly halted when he discovers a gruff, intimidating man named Alex and a peculiar little girl named Artemis Darth Vader staying at his cabin. The pair are not very forthcoming about their situation but the journalist part of Nate wants to find out and finds himself in the middle of something he could have never imagined.

This was a work previously self published by the author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sometimes those earlier works are a let down. This was definitely not the case. I devoured this story. I am a huge fan of Klune and this story exhibits his talent of writing great characters that take the reader on an emotional journey that is hard to forget. This was packed with action, heartbreak, romance, love and most importantly bacon. I loved Artemis, she is one of my all time favorite characters from his books.

An easy 5 ⭐️ read for me

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read The Bones Beneath My Skin when I saw TJ Klune's new book on Netgalley. In The Lives of Puppets and House by the Cerulean Sea are two of my all time favorite books! I was a tad disappointed when I realized this isn't a brand new book, but rather a re-release, but that was my fault, and I was still excited to read a new-to-me book by Klune! Bones is similar in vibes to Klune's other works, but with less fantasy and more science fiction. I enjoyed the characters and the love that is emphasized throughout the book. I did feel like the relationship between Alex and Nate came out of nowhere and progressed too fast without any explanation. Artemis Darth Vader is a lovely and fun character, and I love the found family after difficult circumstances!

A sort-of-cozy adventure with a slow burn and satisfying queer love story, The Bones Beneath My Skin is an enjoyable read that feels a bit different from Klune's other works.

The book is solidly enjoyable as both a romance and an adventure, but I found certain parts dragged a little or were belaboured. I’ll get into those minor things I wasn’t partial to, but first, the good stuff.

The romance is great. You know from the start that it’s going to develop, but it also doesn’t punch you in the face with it. The characters are allowed time to develop not only physical attraction but a true emotional connection, something I find Romance books generally rush or skip over. As such, when the sex scene arrives, it feels warranted. It’s also a spicy one!

The characters are great. Nate is kind of a sad sack (I mean, for reasons that make sense and which make his characterization layered and complex), but Alex and Art were a delight. Alex is the stoic badass who rarely smiles but who is a complete cinnamon roll inside, and Artemsis was quite funny. In truth, she’s the main source of humour in the story. She was perfectly balanced, given the reveal about her. The dynamic between the three felt like a family, which I think was the goal.

Now, I hesitate to call it 100% cozy, because despite the focus on found family and love and growing together, there is quite a bit of death and Nate’s parents died in a murder-suicide (this is mentioned in like the first 5 pages so it’s not a spoiler) and there’s homophobia. Just in case you were thinking this book would have no content warnings, no, it’s quite serious at times.

The story itself is a little slow but I didn’t mind the pacing. It helped the characters grow attached to one another in a way that you understand their care toward one another. I do wish we’d seen a bit more countryside when it came to the “road trip” aspect; that would have been fun.

There were a few things that didn’t 100% work for me.

There is a radio talk show host whose monologues are often included at length in the book. I’ll be honest and say I found them annoying, and I skipped them. I don’t think they were needed.

Art’s special-ness was also way too obvious. This on its own was fine, but when Nate finds out, he takes what feels like forever to accept it. I found this dragged on and could have really been trimmed down quite a bit. It felt like when a household takes 90% of a movie to accept a house is haunted, it felt kind of forced.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this novel. Klune has a wonderful, immersive, flowing style that is easy to engage with and draws you in. If you like Klune, you’ll enjoy this one.

🛻 ARC REVIEW 🛻

THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN by TJ Klune
5/5 🌟
Pub date 🇺🇸: Feb 4th

He's done it again, folks. TJ Klune has made me cry like a baby for the second time. TJ, if we ever meet, it's fisticuffs on-site. Anywho, y'all need to pick this one up. It's funny, heartwarming, and interesting. Klune knows how to take a unique idea and write the hell out of it.

The story starts with Nate going up to his newly-inherited cabin after the death of his parents. There, he finds two stowaways: Alex and Artemis Darth Vador.

Please read this book if you like the following:

🌸 Stranger Things' Eleven if she was really into westerns
🌸 90's era conspiracy theories
🌸 Found Family and Romance on the run
🌸 Bacon 🥓

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the Advanced Review Copy 🙏

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If TJ Klune writes it, you best believe I'm going to read it. I've had this book pre-ordered since it was announced and even though I was lucky enough to read the arc, I'm still keeping that preorder. What I love about this author is his ability to quickly thrust you into the world he has created. Every book reads like a warm hug, even this one. The Bones Beneath My Skin touches on some touchy subjects but TJ does it with such elegance and grace. Per usual, the side characters are the best characters and the easiest to picture. This is yet another book I just wanted to savor. I didn't want it to end and I didn't want to plow through it. Once again, a masterpiece

There is just something about T.J. Klune's writing that pulls you in right away. In this books he has managed to yet again tell a story filled with heart, hope, and love, all while dealing with serious issues, and mixed with science fiction/fantasy elements. The characters are lovable, and develop as time goes on. You get invested in their outcomes, want to know what happened to them in the past, and are rooting for them each step of the way. This book is perfect for those who liked to have LBGTQ representation, supernatural elements, found families, and light romance.

✨ A heartfelt, beautifully written story that lingers long after the final page ✨

TJ Klune’s The Bones Beneath My Skin is a heartwarming blend of sci-fi, adventure, and found family, wrapped in the author’s signature emotional depth. The novel follows Nate, a man seeking solitude in his inherited cabin, only to find himself entangled in the lives of Alex, a guarded ex-military man, and a peculiar young girl named Artemis Darth Vader. What begins as an unexpected encounter soon turns into a gripping journey filled with action, secrets, and profound moments of connection.

Klune masterfully balances thrilling suspense with deeply moving character development. Art is an absolute standout—precocious, endearing, and impossible not to love. Beneath the action-packed plot lies a poignant exploration of grief, identity, and the families we create for ourselves. Fans of Stranger Things, like me, will find much to adore in this novel.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 The emotional depth and beautifully developed relationships.
📌 Art’s character—her innocence and wisdom were both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
📌 The perfect mix of action, suspense, and heartfelt moments.
📌 Klune’s signature humor and warmth that make even the most intense moments feel human.
📌 The themes of chosen family, healing, and identity woven seamlessly into the narrative.

✨TROPES:
📌 Found Family
📌 Grumpy x Sunshine
📌 Queer Romance
📌 Unlikely Friendship

What a weird and beautiful book. I can genuinely say I have never read anything Iike this before. I don’t even know what genre this is… romance? Sci-fi? Speculative fiction? There was an adorable note from the author at the back about him self-publishing this back in 2018, and now giving the book another shot with his current publisher and a gorgeous new cover - I loved this little personal piece behind the book.

The narrative itself is about Nate, a man who has just lost everything. He is driving to his recently inherited family cabin to essentially try to put the pieces of his life back together. When he arrives, he discovers a man and young girl are living in his cabin and running away from something. He quickly learns that there is something different about Alex and the girl - who is named Artemis Darth Vader or “Art” for short. The relationship between these three characters was extremely heart warming. Art was so endearing - it was impossible not to love her. This book took me places I did not expect and had me tearing up. Although there’s action and thrilling components of this book, it much more deals with character development and covers themes of grief, found family, queer romance, identity, and existentialism.

“You’re all capable of such great and terrible things. And in such a short amount of time. You are surrounded by millions of those like you, yet you can still feel alone. You’re so angry and powerful and wonderful. And so fragile. You can break into pieces and feel so lost…none of us could get that. Not until they felt a heart beating in a chest like I have. Not until I felt the bones beneath my skin. We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars.”

Interesting in concept, not as fun in execution. TJ always does a good job with found family and side characters so I was not surprised that the side characters were my favorite part of the story. I was under the impression this was kind of a sci-fi thriller, but it was a really slow burn.

The FMC was supposed to be "10" years old but at times she behaved like a younger kid and at some parts she seemed like an adult so it was a little odd to me. She was very funny though and the dynamic with her bodyguard was great.

Some random heat - which was unexpected in a book of his. I did like the gay & bisexual representation TJ included.

For some reason this book didn't hit like I was hoping it would.

3.5 stars!
Ultimately a great ride! Bringing in a child character brought a unique twist to the thriller part of the story!

I adore T.J. Klune’s books, so I had to give this one a try. The story was not what I was expecting at all. The blurb says it is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and I 100% agree with that. This is listed as a thriller; I would mark it more as sci-fi. It has a M/M romance aspect and is full of action and adventure.

Down on his luck, Nate has lost everything. He heads to his family’s cabin to just figure out his life and is very rudely surprised to find it occupied by a man with a young girl and a gun pointed at him. We find out that Alex is there to protect Artemis, an incredibly special young girl that you cannot help but love. They say the oddest things and you slowly unravel bit by bit what is happening. Nate is left to choose to help them or continue with his life. With plenty of twists and turns you will not see coming, this read will keep you on your toes and stay in your thoughts.

4.75 Stars - I will read anything TJ Klune writes.

The way Klune is able to create warmth around grief through found family and second, sometimes third, chances is incredible. I wanted to read this book knowing it breached fantasy and teetered into a paranormal/sci-fi thriller genre. I didn't expect to read it so quickly. Once I began reading I couldn't put this book down.

Our MC, Nate is relatable, raw, and deeply flawed. We can see his trials and errors and always his redeeming qualities throughout this story. We meet Art and Alex early on in the story and fall fast for these two the more time spent with them. The real struggles of finding yourself after loss shows itself throughout this story. The 90s era is strongly conveyed on the page, and I felt like I'd drifted back in time.

I laughed and cried. This one ranks highly among the rest of Klune's works.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin. Below is my honest review.

While this book has been released previously, Tor is rereleasing it as part of its contract with TJ Klune, and I'm here for it. The new cover is great, and the book itself is absolutely fantastic.

It's sort of a discussion on what it means to be human and what the connections between us really mean, a story of found family and a story of love and forgiveness, both for others and for yourself.

Highly recommended read.

I fear that I will absolutely eat up anything that TJ Klune publishes.

A strange story of family, love, comets, and bacon. I could not come up with a truer statement.

This was definitely a bit of a branch out for me from my normal fantasy reads - I would classify this one as more sci fi or
paranormal thriller. But I do love sci fi. And thrillers. And I enjoyed the change up in genre.

Artemis Darth Vader is absolutely one of my new all time favorite characters. TJ Klune has a way with writing hilarious and endearingly strange children. Alex and Nathan were also fantastic and showed growth in their own ways. And of course I am so here for the queer love.

I absolutely devoured this book so fast. I could not put it down. It was emotional, funny, tense, and lighthearted but serious.

I need more TJ Klune in my life.

Thank you to Tor for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Where do I begin? This book is everything and nothing you expect from TJ Klune. I have read a couple of his books including house in the cerulean sea, and under the whispering door. This book does seem to have more adult content then I remember any of the others having, which is absolutely fine.
Introducing none other then, Artemis Darth Vader as our main character – yes you read that right. “Art” is a 9-10 year old, with the creative mind of a toddler – but is actually an alien in a human body. She loves sunglasses, bacon, star wars and westerns and talks like she's a cowboy. Simply.
The book is a beautiful story of found family, adventure, and fighting for what’s right. I enjoyed my time immensely – I always know I’m going to have a wholesome experience with a Klune book. It made me laugh lots, cringe a little, and my heart so so full.

"I don’t think I got that, Art had told him. I don’t think anyone could. Not until they feel a heart beating in a chest like I have. Not until I felt the bones beneath my skin. We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow we’re all made of dust and stars."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

'You have bacon,' Alex reminded her. 'Eat that.'
'But I think I would like sausage.'
'Give me a piece of your bacon. We can trade.' '
Are you out of your mind? That's not - partner, you're lucky we're stuck together. Otherwise, I'd have half a mind to call you out for pistols at dawn.'

Amanda Give A Klune Novel Less Than 5 Stars, Challenge Level Impossible. Half of my notes on the kindle are "Klune, you motherfucker."

Nate returns to the cabin in the Oregon mountains after inheriting it from his parents, who he hasn't spoken to since they kicked him out for being gay. So, he's not in a good place. There he find Alex, a man who would prefer to shoot first ask questions later, and a wildly precocious 10 year old girl who goes by the name Artemis Darth Vader. Things go from weird to worse once he gets to know them.

I can't talk a lot about the plot without giving away too many spoilers, but goddamn was this good. Klune knows how to write a romance where the people literally JUST met, but you know they'll last forever. The softy hiding behind all of his at-first mean characters still gets me every time. Klune also always has a variation on the themes of home and family and love that make a lot of sense for queer people. We may not always be accepted by our "real" family, but we can always find one. Home is a people.

Artemis, Art, was such a fun character and I loved having her in the story. I love her so much. I also would do anything to protect her and then also give her a stack of pancakes covered in so much bacon you can't see the pancakes.

This was an absolutely beautiful story. I love that TJ Klune fully admits how weird his stories are, but in my opinion that's what makes them so unique. There's always so much humor, heart and found family in all of the stories he tells. He takes you on an exciting adventure which can be hilarious, interesting, action packed but always with a little bit of sadness/heartbreak.

The story of Alex, Nate and Artemis Darth Vader is one I will be thinking about for a while. The 90s setting made me feel so nostalgic. I was gripped by every word and every adventure these 3 went on. I loved that Artemis tried so hard to understand what it meant to be a human and in the end learned that we are all flawed, but worth saving. This is the kind of hopeful story we need right now. There were times when I sobbed reading Alex and Nate's stories feeling for these two men who felt such grief. I loved the way their story progressed and how this found family of three protected each other so fiercely. I really enjoyed the ending as well and though it wrapped up the story beautifully.

I realized while reading this that this book had been published previously and wondered about that while I was reading. The Author's note at the end did a great job explaining his reasoning for initially self publishing this story and I Just want to see keep being weird TJ because I am here for any and everything you write.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for my ARC of this book which publishes 2/4. I will be thinking about this one for a while.

Possibly unpopular opinion, but this just started as a similar storyline to House on the Cerulean Sea (now I know this was originally self published in 2018 and therefore was written first) but it follows a grumpy man who is in charge of some very amazingly talented suspiciously, mysterious little child (which the blurb does mention Stranger Things and I can certainly see the Hopper/Eleven parallel). An unsuspecting man who is subpar, and failing at his job and hitting a dead end and ending up in a situation in which he is now forced to be with these two individuals and make a huge life change. As I was reading this, I just felt like it was the house of the cerulean Sea all over again but with only one charge instead of the multiple kids that were in the house of the cerulean sea. I also thought this was supposed to be a thriller and It doesn’t really read like a thriller until the last 20% of the book. It reads like a magical realism/sci fi fantasy book. I also didn’t love that it’s took so long to reveal any of the mystery behind Alex and Artemis. All of that to be said I did truly love the writing style. I love the way that the characters leap off of the page and become so realistic. The setting is a little eerie with small town mountain vibes and then the characters traveling around the country. The “on the run” part took a little too long in my opinion. It was just a lot of “we drove for this long stayed in motel, drove for 5 days, camped” etc etc but it did get better the more I read. I loved seeing characters bond and become a little family. I did like the plot of Art being an alien. I liked the ending and surprisingly enjoyed the epilogue more than I thought I would. However, I felt like the sex scene was not necessary and honestly felt awkwardly put into the book. Overall though, it was a quirky fun read and im very glad I finished it!