You know those books where you're in chapter two and you're just like this is going to be a 5 star book? Like you just know? Enter The Bones Beneath My Skin. Now don’t let the name scare you away. It is a thriller but it’s a beautiful story at its core of found family, grief, survival and unexpected love, in various forms. Nate Cartwright is lost after being fired from his dream job as a journalist, his life significantly slowing down making him realize how lonely his existence truly is. He didn’t have the best childhood, you find out pretty quickly why. This book is written in his POV from start to finish so you learn so much about him, you see him grow, slowly over the course of the book, he opens his mind to possibilities he never considered. He was tough and resilient in the ways a journalist needs to be but on the road in a truck with two strangers is where he truly learns his true strength. When he arrives to the cabin he’s met with a man and a little girl -> enter book boyfriend #2 of 2025. Alex Weir- protective AF, gruff, not trusting, military, clean cut, a grump with a heart of gold. I knew from the moment I mean him I knew he was going to make my book boyfriend list and then to see him with Art ugh melted my heart right into the floor. SWOON. Then how he was with Nate, it took time, like slooooow burn, for him to trust Nate, it would come out in little bursts that just has you craving for more. Saving the best for last Artemis Darth Vader, I don't know if there’s a reader out there who wouldn’t read her and not absolutely love her. She’s sassy, smart, happy, so observant, she’s the glue. The love she has for Alex and then later on for Nate is just adorable, she just makes your heart happy. I was so not ready for their story to end. This book does have loss, grief, death, homophobia so please be mindful if you chose to pick this up. It also has some of my favorite tropes- enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and suspense. The story is set in the 90’s which as a 90’s kid was so nostalgic! I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending this for me to read and review, this is my honest opinion.

Have you read TJ Klune's books? The House on the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door (which everyone should read). Well, he has a new book that comes out on February 4th called The Bones Beneath my Skin, I just finished it, and it was great.
I enjoy TJ Klune's imagination and creativity. His writing style is easy to read and impactful on every page. This story is heartbreaking but yet inspiring, as all his books are. This new story has found family, love, grief, friendship, murder, mystery, cults, and aliens! It's exactly what I was looking for when I picked this book up. Now, to the scary part. What a world we live in! No surprise that the government is truly screwed up in this story as in real life. Thankfully, this one isn't real, but it does have a ring of truth. If, in fact, aliens came to Earth today, our government would DEPORT them immediately or shoot to kill them. Fortunately, this is ultimately a love story. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for the advanced readers copy of the latest TJ Klune novel.

TJ Klune is know for writing stories about the underdogs, outcasts, and misunderstood types of characters. This latest book was no exception.

The beginning of the book had me intrigued but puzzled by what exactly was happening to our main character at the time. As the novel proceeds more and more are revealed about the man and girl he finds in his inherited cabin. That's where the comparison to Netflix series, Stranger Things comes into play. If you are a fan of that show, you will most likely love this novel.

This novel though sci-fi definitely will pull at your heart strings and have you crying at parts. It will get you in those tender moments of discovering what many refer to as found family.

I adored this book and couldn't put it down most nights.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on eGalley from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. It is a weird sort of sci-fi story with themes around building a family for yourself.

Nate inherits the family cabin after his parents' death and goes there to rebuild his life after loosing his job as a journalist. When he gets there, he finds Alex and Artemis hiding out in his cabin. Artemis is special and Nate will have to decide if he is going to help them hide or turn them in.

I enjoyed all the characters in here. There is a bit of a romance that ends up going on as well. I am not going to say a lot more about either the characters or what makes Artemis special because of spoilers.

This is well written and has some cozy elements, as well as a lot of action, and some alien government conspiracy themes going on. It was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it.

If I have one complaint about this, it's that the end felt a bit clunky. Yes, it was a nice ending but with all the time gaps it felt unwieldy.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I am glad I read this. It is a cozy sci-fi sort of story that fits well with the other books Klune as released. This book is aimed at adults and deals a lot with finding a family for yourself, which is a theme many of his books tackle. If you are intrigued by a different sort of sci-fi read like that, I would recommend it.

I don’t normally pick up Sci-fi but I loved TJ Klune’s other books so decided to give it a chance. And I loved it! I laughed. I cried. I craved bacon. It made me think about humanity and just how small we are in this universe. People complain it doesn’t have enough romance like his others but I think it did. In fact one scene was extremely spicy and considering I’m a heterosexual female - very informative. lol ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks so much for the ARC.

I always enjoy T.J. Klune's novels. The characters are always fabulous and the found families are some of the best I've ever read. The author often writes about belonging, identity, and relationships, and the stories never fail to move me. The Bones Beneath My Skin is beautifully written, and you can't go wrong when you have a character named Artemis Darth Vader. So fabulous!

Klune has a way of writing characters that are so easy to love, and Nate Alex, and Art had my heart completely. They're all so layered and complex, and the different relationships they have with each other are everything - heartwarming, funny, romantic, and everything in between! I definitely felt all the feels with this one and sometimes went from laughing to sobbing in quick succession. There's just something special about the way Klune writes that gets me on so many levels.

I think one of the main reasons the characters always stand out for me is because of the dialogue. I've read several of Klune's books, and the dialogue is always impeccable. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always heartwarming, the dialogue feels effortless and natural and adds so much to the character development.

With powerful themes, lovable characters, and a story with a lot of heart and some interesting and thought-provoking sci-fi intrigue, this is another touching read by TJ Klune. Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Every time I finish a TJ Klune book, I find myself saying "there was something there but it never fully clicked for me". Don't get me wrong--his premises? Top notch originality. His characters? Heartwarming and complicated and one of a kind. But for whatever reason I always felt like something was missing. After the last Klune book, I was ready to say that despite his beautiful writing and thoughtful characterization he was just not for me. Then I saw the premise for The Bones Beneath My Skin, which of course sucked me back in.

And boy am I glad that I was drawn in by the premise because this is my favorite TJ Klune yet. There is, admittedly, a bit more plot than sweet characters coming together in this one, which may be a drawback for fans of his more character oriented stories.

In The Bones Beneath My Skin, Nate is having an unbelievably hard time. He decides he will go back to Oregon, to his family's cabin. Only when he gets there, he finds a man and a child living in the cabin. Soon, Nate is pulled into a much bigger conspiracy than he could have ever imagined. Action packed and engaging, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a stellar thriller with great personal connection for a fan favorite author.

TJ Klune I’m learning is a very hit or miss author for me. His characters are *always* 10/10, but sometimes the plot feels very sloppily put together to get the characters in his head on the page. That is how this book felt for me.

In his own words, this book is his most action-packed one yet, and I agree that it reads more like a sci-fi thriller. However, the plot still reads like a slow-burn, character-based read and the dichotomy of what it tries to be vs. what it is lost my interest by the end. I was invested enough to know what happened to the characters at the end, but my guesses regarding that were also right.

This wouldn’t be the TJ Klune I’d recommend to a reader interested in his work! Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door were more to my taste!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

TJ Klune is a master of writing emotional science fiction that always have family and relationships at the heart of the story. Nate finds that his family's cabin has been hijacked by a man who is protecting a girl. Nate gets mixed up in this government conspiracy that is pursuing the girl for reasons I won't spoil here. There are romantic feelings between Nate and Alex, the protector, and I loved the found family that the three of them create. At times this book is funny, suspenseful, and heartwarming. It's a bit of a buddy road-trip too.

I don’t read much YA at all, not because I question the quality but because there’s not a lot there for me to relate to. A lot of TJ Klune’s work fits into that category, so while I have heard of him I’ve never read his books. The Bones Beneath My Skin popped up as a recommendation, and while I was a little bit skeptical I read the blurb. I was surprised to discover that he does have a selection of books that are not YA, including this one.

The Bones Beneath My Skin is a sci-fi thriller, wrapped up in a road trip, with a little bit of romance thrown in. The writing features rich characterization, allowing the reader to connect with protagonists as real people with their own quirks and flaws and fears. Nate’s inner thoughts and struggles are on display throughout the book, and it is in his introspective moments that many of the book’s most emotionally compelling scenes are found. Furthermore, each character has a unique voice, and the dialogue between them is realistic; a feature that is, in my opinion, one of Klune’s strengths.

The Bones Beneath My Skin has a lot to say about the dichotomy between the good and bad found in human nature, and I was charmed by the use of Louis L’Amour’s books as a tool for Art’s “education” – I read every single one of them in my youth, and still have copies of them all. The book is meant to be suspenseful, with the reader discovering pertinent details along the way. In my opinion there really wasn’t all that much suspense; most of it was pretty predictable. But I did very much enjoy the way Klune made use of pacing to ease or escalate tension and build a sense of anticipation. The one sex scene in the book did feel kind of out of place to me, but that may just be a difference in perspective – it is an MM scene, and clearly I have zero expertise on that. Still, to me it felt kind of obligatory. And I’ll be honest and say I skimmed the scene itself, as my interest in the male anatomy is somewhat less than zero.

Taken as a whole, I loved the book. Art had me ready to go on the run to protect her from the Enforcers by the end of Chapter One, not gonna lie. Be forewarned: if you read this book you are absolutely going to fall in love with that kid.

4.5⭐️

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he lost his journalist job in Washington DC. The only thing he has left is his dad’s old truck, and the family’s empty summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon. So he decides to go there to be alone - except, the cabin isn’t empty. A big gruff of a man named Alex is there. And with him is a young girl, who’s not really young, but oh is she extraordinary. She calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

It becomes clear to Nate that he has two choices. One is to wallow in the memories of his past and drown. Two is the fight for a future he never thought possible. Because it wasn’t by chance Nate met this duo in his cabin, he doesn’t really believe is fate or destiny either - but they’re special, and Nate will do what it takes to keep them free.

Oh I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! As always, I was not disappointed by anything TJ Klune writes; there’s found family, gayness, witty humor, and this time, bacon (all the bacon), conspiracy theories, and running from bad men!

I don’t know how Klune is able to write such realistic, multilayered characters that always end up stealing pieces of my heart and never letting it go, but he does so every single time. The little found family of Nate, Alex, and Art will live on forever in my head by the phrase, “How would Art experience this?” when going through life.

This book is more science fiction over Klune’s usual (recent) releases of fantasy, and there is a small spice scene, but I wouldn’t classify this as a sole romance. There’s more focus on the found family portion as well as Nate coming to terms with his past.

Overall, this is a wonderful, thrilling, fast pace, page turner filled with a blend of the supernatural and of the human experience that is a must-read for all.

*Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What a lovely book. Klune has become an absolute favourite of mine, and I remain so heartened to know that this book is out there. There's a lot of lovely pieces of this book - tension, humour, societal impacts - probably the book we all need right now. This was a bit slower that his more recent books but you can see this as the start of such a great writer. If TJ Klune writes, I will read.

An absolute thrilling and heartwarming story that made me cry at the end. 😭

Me being me, I went into this blind as I normally do when picking up a new book. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional turmoil and the beautiful found family that was introduced to me.

I loved seeing the bond develop between Nate, Alex and Art. You think you’re about be witnessing a crime when they first meet but instead, it’s a beautiful story of hardships and what it means to be human.

This also touches on government, homophobia and the prejudices of society. It was really easy to compare to our times now to what was happening in the 90s. And how I would predict things happening if extraterrestrials ever made contact with humans on this planet.

The bacon scene was hilarious, the cult was creepy but the found family was beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

A reissue of a 2017 decent scifi action thriller which at first seems wildly different from TJ Klune’s more recent novel but actually has a lot in common with them under the skin.

It’s 1995, and journalist Nate Cartwright has lost everything except for the truck and the cabin in the woods that his parents have left him. When he arrives at the cabin he finds it already occupied by a hostile man, Alex, and an unusual little girl, Artemis. They are running from Something though, initially, it’s not clear what, but it soon becomes clear that they are the good guys and Nate joins them on the run.

There is much tension and excitement as the trio race to connect with Something while being pursued by the bad guys. However, towards the end there’s quite a lot of talky stuff which slows everything down and had me itching to skip ahead. There is also a romance of sorts, one that is pretty explicit, but it often gets a bit submerged by all the action. Sorry, I’m being vague here because I’d like you to go in not knowing too much either. So plotwise and tonally this is a head scratcher that it comes from the author of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door (or even The Lives of Puppets).

However, looking at the, ahem, bones beneath the skin of the novel and the similarities emerge. Thematically, it explores the ideas of acceptance and being accepted, of what it means to be human, and of kindness as a catalyst for change. As with the more recent novels, there is a created family which welcomes lots souls with open arms.

And then there’s the characters. It takes a bit of work to draw a line from the protagonists of House and Door to Nate, but his sense of abandonment and his discovery of something he didn’t realize he was looking for provide the link. Conversely Alex is absolutely in the mold of those novels’ love interests, albeit one who’s a bit grumpier than Arthur and Hugo. Artemis fits neatly into the slot of innocent with unusual talents and provider of humor.

While I was gripped by the fast pace thrills, I found myself missing the non-cloying sweetness that I associate with my favorite of the author’s novels which gives them an appeal that this just doesn’t have.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

TJ Klune is a marvel. His stories are always so beautiful. This one gave me a lot of stress because there are strangers in your house and they won’t leave. But anything TJ Klune writes, I will read. And you should too.

A little slow at the beginning, the chapters are super long. The story is fantastic. Two men and a little "girl" trying to find thier way. Heartbreaking at times, some action at times. A great story of a road trip. This was my first Klune novel, it will not be my last.

5 stars

This was definitely a new type of genre/book for TJ Klune, but I actually ended up really enjoying it! I went into this one a bit tentative because although I love Klune's books and writing, I didn't know what to expect with a thriller/mystery. But he kept me on my toes with this one, while also incorporating his beautiful writing and reflections on life and humanity.

The Bones Beneath My Skin is about a man named Nate, who inherits a cabin in Oregon from his parents and decides to up and move to the remote location. When he arrives, he is confronted by an older man Alex and a younger girl Art, who have been living at his cabin. From the beginning, it is clear that while Alex and Art are on the run, there is something strangely special about Art.

As most of Klune's books are, this is a story of a special found family, the beautiful connections built between strangers. Nate and Alex are the most wonderful parents to Art and will do anything to protect her from people who don't understand. This book kind of gave me Stranger Things vibes in a way, but with much more wonderful dialogue on the mystery of humans and how each person's actions and choices can help shape our future and our individual impact on the Earth and each other. This book was very fast paced for me and I really enjoyed it!!

Thanks to Tor Books for the free book!!

I just don’t know how he keeps doing it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yet another brilliant, impactful 5 star read from T.J. Klune!

This story has the usual Klune suspects—found family, amazing queer representation, precocious children who defy imagination, and so, so much humor.

There’s an overarching theme to this story about the nature of saying good-bye; goodbye to lost loved ones, good-bye to your childhood, good-bye to the versions of yourself you shed as you grow and change. And the meditations throughout on what the word “human” really means, were striking.

Nate and Alex’s romance had me giggling and kicking my feet to the point that my category ten clinger of a dog left me and went to sleep in another room. Take that as you will.

This one is for the star watchers and comet wishers. For the people who grew up watching ET and pressing their tiny index fingers to a staticky screen.

For those of us who dare to believe that—not only are we not alone in this vast and spiraling universe—but that when they do finally show themselves, humanity is capable of doing it right. If there’s a brave few willing to make the first step.

(I do recommend looking up the trigger warnings for this book, because there’s some pretty heavy material to be found here.)

✨OUT ON FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025✨

𝐀𝐑𝐂: Thank you NetGalley for the amazing opportunity to read this book so early.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - TJ Klune does it again… this book was Cheft Kiss and I will forever be thinking about this book for ages.
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶 - One sex scene but it wasn’t needed, there was so much romance that was beautiful
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: February 4, 2025
𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥: 7/12

I am floored. How does TJ Klune keep writing these amazing books? I first fell in love with his ‘The House on the Cerulean Sea’; every book he writes is one of my favorites.

This book is no different. I have been sitting on this ARC for months now because I knew I wouldn’t be the same once I read it, and I was right. This book broke my heart.

I read the first 50% of the book in one sitting and stayed up till 2 am to read it and only stopped because I had to be up by 7 for work the next day. Then I finished it over the weekend; I tried to read it slower so that I didn’t have to say goodbye to the characters as fast but I had to keep reading to figure out what happened next.

The book has so many amazing aspects in it that I cannot even begin to put down; you will just have to read it for yourself and see how amazing this book truly is.

This book has:
🌑 LGBTQ+
🌑 Sci-Fi
🌑 Age Gap
🌑 Action Pack

"A spine-tingling standalone novel by bestselling author T.J. Klune - a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government.

There's nothing more human than a broken heart.

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC.

With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her."

I mean, obviously she's special, she's named after Darth Vader!