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!

This was so incredibly sweet and cute and gave me all the feels!!!

Nobody writes family and overcoming adversity with heart & courage like T.J. Klune!!!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the copy!

After the unexpected deaths of his parents, Nate Cartwright heads to his family’s secluded cabin in the mountain town of Roseland, Oregon. Hoping for some peace and solitude to clear his mind, Nate is shocked to discover the cabin is already occupied by a man named Alex and a 10-year old girl named Artemis Darth Vader. Art is an unusual kid, unlike anyone Nate has ever encountered, and Alex is fiercely protective of her. As secrets are revealed and powerful forces close in on them, Nate faces a crucial decision: stay in the past or face an uncertain future with Alex and Art.

TJ Klune has an incredible imagination and this story was both entertaining and creative. I loved the quirky characters, their relationships with each other, and their growth as the story progressed. While the book tackled serious topics such as homophobia and grief, these heavy moments were balanced with lightheartedness and humor.

This book is marketed as a thriller, and there were certainly some very intense moments. However, the pacing of the entire story felt off to me. There would be bursts of action, but then it would slow down considerably. Because of the uneven pacing, some chapters felt drawn out and a bit repetitive at times.

If you’re looking for a mystery/sci-fi filled with road trips, eccentric and endearing characters, found family, LGBTQ+ representation, and strange, surreal elements, you may enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

I love this author. He must have such a deep love for humanity and it shows in every books he writes. This was no exception. Loved it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

I definitely enjoyed parts of this (Nate and Alex together, the suspense) but I kept feeling like the bass was going to drop but it never did. I also prefer a little more backstory in my sci-fi than this story provided. It was humorous at some points, but corny in others.
<spoiler>There is one sex scene that was well-written but felt very out of place and unnecessary to me. (and I'm a long-time E rated fanfiction reader) </spoiler>

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I am excited to see this get a physical version, and I love the cover.

This Klune sci fi novel has all the trademarks of a TJ Klune novel, a close look at humanity with all its flaws, while remaining hopeful and optimistic, great character development, and themes that keep you thinking long after the reading is over. It has a lot of action, more of a sci fi thriller, you can see it all playing out like a movie. Art's obsession with bacon and Louis L'Amour novels adds just the right amount of humor. It takes the ultimate feeling of otherness and nonacceptance and makes it tangible.

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did!
The Bones Beneath My Skin follows the chance (or maybe not so chance!) encounter between a lonely man named Nate who ran away to his family cabin in the woods to get away from it all and an unlikely dynamic duo 'father and daughter' pair who are on the run from bad people who wish them harm. Throughout the novel, and over the course of multiple trials and hurdles they come across, their bond grows and is strengthened like no other. They learn to overcome trivial ideas and realize that in the end they have what's important - each other.
Honestly such a heartwarming read despite the obvious sap! Such a treat of a novel and TJ Klune has succeeded again in evoking such emotion out of me from fictional characters!!

The Bones Beneath my skin has all the TJ Klune heart we're used to but then.... action?!?! Even with that, it remains so heartwarming and cozy. This is definitely a great book to read on a cold winter night; it's the story of humanity, love, loss, and growth.

As usual, I absolutely fell in love with these characters and couldn't help rooting for them the whole time. This is a speculative fiction with found family, a suspenseful road trip, and LGBT+ representation. Absolutely a must read for Klune fans, and honestly for anyone who loves a solid sci-fi/thriller.

Absolutely loved this delicious, heart-warming, funny story of found family and one very unique little girl. Terrific action sequences add drama and tension, but it's the outstanding characters and their connections that make this book so special.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced read copy of this book and exchange for an honest review. I am a sucker for any book by TJ Klune after reading The House in the Cerulean Sea! My initial thoughts after reading this book was that it didn’t scream a lot of romance to me, which isn’t very surprising, considering it’s an underlying theme in most of his books, but that I really enjoyed the personalities of the main characters. Klune is such a great writer in the fact that he puts a lot of thought into his character development and building as well as setting the scene for the stories. The Bones Beneath My Skin is no exception to that. It did take me several chapters to get into the book but once it really gets going, it’s a quick read. The relationships between Nate, Art, and Alex is one of growth and the realization that people are not always who they seem upon first glance. It’s very much a on the run from the government meets fantasy read - great book!

“Somehow we are all made of dust and stars”

This was by far my favorite book by TJ Klune. The characters showed so much growth and were so love able. The writing and emotions he showed were easy to connect to and you could feel it through the page.

Found family is such an important thing and this book showed how truly magical and out of this world feeling it could be.

This book had me laughing, yelling and crying. The full range of human emotions, just as the characters experienced. I also enjoyed the little bit of spice that was added in.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I truly love Nate, Alex & Art or should I say Nolan, Aaron & Ellie.

“I know what it means now to be human. It means having your heart broken”

"𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓼. 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼. 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓽, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓼𝓴 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓲𝓽."

You know why I love TJ Klune? Because every single one of his stories is so different. Its a trust the process vibe and you know that you’re going to be met with heartbreak followed by the biggest softest hug ever. He has this magical power in creating lovable characters with important lessons while making it fun, whimsical, and different.

This book was simply that. I have tears running down my cheeks while still smiling just as big because my mind and heart can’t decide how to feel. The characters feel like family, and I am missing them as we speak.

A solid reminder about human complexities and how others who appear different can still relate to us. We are not alone and you are loved.

"𝒫𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝒶𝓇."

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and TJ “Weirdo” Klune for this advanced copy.

I really enjoy TJ Klune's books.
But this one didn't quite hit for me.

I was super invested in the beginning. I loved seeing how Nate, Alex, and Art got along with each other and their dynamics. However, the middle kind of dragged. It felt like watching a slowed down montage and that was rough.

TJ Klune has once again proven why he is an auto-buy author for me. Departing from his more fantastical works like "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and "Under the Whispering Door," this novel ventures into a gripping sci-fi narrative reminiscent of "Stranger Things" and "Escape to Witch Mountain" (a movie I loved as a kid). It carries Klune's signature warmth, wit, and exploration of found-family dynamics while wrapping it in an action-packed, emotionally resonant story that is impossible to put down.

Set in 1995, the novel follows Nate Cartwright, a man who has always been somewhat adrift, but when the book begins, he feels especially alone. Nate recently lost his job as a reporter, lost both his parents to a murder/suicide, and has no meaningful connection to his estranged brother. After his parent's death, Nate inherited the family's old cabin in the remote mountains of Roseland, Oregon, along with his father's old truck. Nate flies back to Oregon to spend some quiet time alone, but when he arrives, he finds a couple of unexpected visitors squatting in the cabin. A mysterious man named Alex and an extraordinary young girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader are hiding out and, at first, are convinced that Nate is part of a group that has been chasing them. However, they're not especially clear as to why. From there, the story launches into a whirlwind of danger, adventure, revelations, and - as expected in a Klune novel - a fantastic, found family dynamic that'll tug at your heartstrings.

For readers familiar with Klune's previous works, the found-family trope is here in full force, and as always, it feels like a great big hug. But where many of his previous novels are tinged with whimsy, this novel is tinged with action and a sense of urgency and danger, which was a welcome surprise. While the emotional beats of the story are its backbone, this is a fast-paced and suspenseful ride. The sci-fi elements are subtle but effective, blending seamlessly into the grounded 1990s setting. This would make a fantastic movie. As I mentioned earlier, it was almost like a gay "Escape to Witch Mountain," and I loved that!

The main cast of characters is as loveable as you would expect in a Klune novel. Nate's inner turmoil, Artemis's infectious charm, and Alex's quiet strength create a trio of characters that balance each other perfectly. The bond between the three develops organically, with Klune taking his time to explore the small, tender moments that make their relationships feel authentic. Nate's journey of self-discovery and healing is beautifully woven into the narrative, and his growing attachment to Artemis and romantic attachment to Alex is both heartwarming and bittersweet.

The ending is as poignant as it is satisfying, delivering an emotional payoff that left me teary. Despite its sci-fi underpinnings, the novel is fundamentally about humanity and really speaks to LGBTQIA+ readers like me - especially those of us who have had to build our own family because we didn't get the support we needed from the family we were born into.

For longtime fans of TJ Klune, this book is a must-read. It showcases his ability to explore new genres while maintaining the heart and humor that make his writing so beloved. For new readers, this is an excellent introduction to his work, offering a story that is both thrilling and deeply moving. Whether you're drawn in by the sci-fi premise or the promise of a heartfelt found-family narrative, this book will definitely entertain you. It's a journey you won't soon forget.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
I am struggling to figure out what to write in this review. I really enjoyed this story! It's a mix of
sci-fi, action, adventure and romance. I don't want to give anything away but I will say the characters are relatable and likeable, and reading about them doing the things they thought was right made a really good story. Parts were creepy but for the most part I just enjoyed their interactions with one another, they were heartfelt and tender and made me feel like a part of the story.