4.5 stars

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright makes his way to his parents’ old cabin in Roseland, Oregon to start over. His parents are dead, his brother doesn’t want anything to do with him, and he got fired from his job in Washington, DC. At this moment, he has nothing to lose.

However, when he makes his way to the cabin, he finds that it isn’t empty. A man named Alex and a girl named Artemis Darth Vader have made a home there. And they aren’t what they seem on the surface. Now Nate has to make a choice: stay buried in the past, or make a future with two new strangers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune! As with pretty much any TJ Klune book, one of the core themes in this book is found family. And what a cute little found family Nate, Alex, and Artemis make. They may all be very different, but they work so well together.

Though this book starts out on the slower side, it does allow us to really get to know the characters before all of the action takes place. One of the things this is compared to is Stranger Things, which works as a comp title, especially from the point of view of the government chasing after a kid who has powers. But also the government tampering in something that they shouldn’t, which leads to dire consequences for other people.

Once you get into the chase about halfway through the book, this story is hard to put down. Klune strategically makes you care for these characters before putting them in danger; thus, you desperately want to know they’re safe at the end. As always, Klune has created deep, complex characters who just leap off the page. Though this book is a little more quirky than his other books, it’s definitely worth the read.

Pick up the re-published edition from Tor when it comes out in February!

This book surprised me! The only work I've read by Klune in the past is The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is one of my favorite books to date.

I was expecting The Bones Beneath My Skin to have similar whimsical themes, but that wasn't the case. This book is much more mature and tackles heavier themes. I think it's important to check some triggers prior to reading the book - there's homophobia, talks of suicide, child loss, and domestic violence.

Our story follows a man named Nate, whose parents have just died and he recently for fired from a journalism job he loves. He finds himself with nothing and no one, feeling truly alone. He goes to his family's cabin to grieve in peace, but finds it already occupied by a man named Alex and a little girl named Artemis. It’s now Nate’s job to figure out what these two “squatters” are doing in his cabin, and why they're on the run. At first, it’s a mystery—trying to understand what Alex and Artemis are running from. But what begins as a deeply sad exploration of Nate's trauma and a mystery about where the story is going transforms into something really heartfelt.

These three characters don't have much else other than each other, and the connections they form—especially before Nate fully understands who they are and what they’re doing—are truly touching. It’s easy to fall in love with the bond they share and the book's theme of found family.

The book becomes really exciting once it picks up momentum - it's really fast paced, and each chapter helps uncover a new mystery. The only times I felt a little lost were during the "cult-like" elements toward the end of the book. It started to feel a little bit “out there,” but considering the story deals with extraterrestrial life and aliens, I suppose being “out there” makes sense in the context of the book.

The ending is emotional, very well-done, and wraps up nicely. Klune does it again, by writing a story about human connection, understanding, and the importance of feeling love and being alive. A gorgeous reminder that none of us are ever truly alone.

I loved the creative world building and TJs writing style in this novel! However, I did not feel as though the characters were as developed as in other Klune novels. Usually his books are very character driven, which is something I love about his novels so much, but this one i felt like was more plot driven, and I was left not knowing the characters all that well. I did enjoy how fast paced the plot was, and how it kept me on the edge of my seat. I just wish the romantic elements hit harder with more developed characters.

Thank you, @torbooks for this ARC!! And most of all, thank you TJ Klune for this weird book! Weird in such a very good way. And I am glad you acknowledge this in the acknowledgment page :) The main characters are very lovable and I wish I had an extraterrestrial for a friend. I wasn't expecting about the romance part (not a fan of romance) but it was written so well I didn't mind it at all! It is action packed and fast-paced. I wasn't ready for the ending but I love it so much! I was teary-eyed and I wish I could hug all the main characters. Thank you, TJ Klune!

I loved reading this book so much. It had slow burn romance and a found family which are two of my favorite tropes. The ending wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. I will be recommending this to all of my friends.

I’m not sure what it is about ThJ Klune’s other books besides The House in the Cerulean Sea series but I can just NEVER get into them. Even though I ate THITCS and its sequel UP. I loooove the way he writes those but everything else just misses for me.

It’s certainly not a bad book but it just wasn’t for me!

A heart-aching tale of what it means to be human, this book follows Nate, fleeing from his mistakes, as he meets up with Alex and Art and embarks on an escape that is so much more than he expected. As these three take off on their adventure, they go through cycles of love, grief, heartbreak, and along the way they decide what family means to them.

There are so many gems in this book, so many beautiful sentiments, but sometimes it feels a bit heavy-handed. I loved the themes and the emotions explored, even when it did begin to feel a bit monologue-y. I loved the idea that a family is what you make it, not what you’re born into.

What I loved most was the love story. I’m a sucker for a good love story, and this one certainly delivered. I was rooting for them the whole time, and I loved the small shared moments as they drifted toward each other. Sometimes love really is someone throwing their head back in laughter, or the press of a foot to an ankle under the table.

All in all, lots to discover within these pages, and I most definitely did some crying.

Klune is such an auto-buy guy on my ordering lists. Never, ever disappoints me, and I can -- and do! -- handsell/recommend him to literally everybody. And this one's a doozy: a bit Stranger Things, but gay, with shades of Firestarter/old Stevie King. Much more pulse-pounding than Klune's known for, but the same rich world-building and beautiful turns of phrase he's known for.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book pretty much has all your classic TJ Klune tropes: a cute, queer romance, fantastical fantasy elements, and, of course, found family. But this book also tries out some different things too. There is a much bigger emphasis on the suspense and mystery of it all over the humor, something that has been very prevalent in almost all of Klune's other books. The humor has always at least been on par with the suspense and mystery in the other books, so, having read most of Klune's other works, it was a bit jarring. That is not to say it was bad, not at all! I fell in love with this group of characters even without their consistent need for funny banter. But the darker tone was definitely not expected--even though I probably should have taken the hint from the title.

Nostalgia, in recent years, has essentially become a trope all of its own. Many films and tv shows now a days have tried to recapture the magic Steven Spielberg created back in his hay day. If you are familiar with other stories following this new trope, will you be surprised by the events that take place in this book? No, I don't think so. But I also don't think it was made to be surprising. It was made for sci fi lovers who want to cheer on a rag tag team of people trying to make sense of it all. And if you go in expecting that, and looking for a fun time, I think you will find it here!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC of this book.

4.5/5 rounded up for being un-put-down-able

This was my first Klune and I will definitely be picking up more of his work in the near future. Right off the bat, I loved the voice Klune gave to each of his characters, particularly Artemis. The sci-fi nature of the book was so fun, and the action kept the plot moving forward at a steady pace. The "found family" trope is one of my favorites and I found it to be done well in this story. I loved the background slow burn romance but will say that the big spice moment felt a bit out of place and unnecessary (and I'm usually all for spice!). I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes found family, broody brutes, and unintentionally humorous extraterrestrials.

I am a huge fan of TJ Klunes books. I thought thi one would follow some of his previous books, but there is something missing here that is what I love about this author. The emotions are just not as deep. I was kind of disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
TJ Klune is a favorite author of mine and he nearly singlehandedly saved me from the doldrums during covid shutdown. I am always up for another one of his books! I did like this one very much (not as much as HitCS). Hit some of the same themes as other Klune books in different ways--fear and violence for those who are different, a young person far from home planet, etc. Well done, I found myself surprised by the romance even though I shouldn't have been, and loved Art. A new candidate for my favorite aliens list. Glad I read this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the copy.
The Bones Beneath My Skin is a beautifully written and deeply emotional story that weaves together themes of love, vulnerability, and humanity in the face of adversity. While the pacing was a bit slow in some parts, it allowed for a rich exploration of the characters' relationships and growth. Overall, it's a compelling read that lingers with you long after you've finished.

Sadly, I didn’t love this one. As a big fan of TJ Klune’s other works—The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, and the Green Creek series—I found myself a little disappointed. I understand that this is an older work, originally published independently and now re-released by Tor, so it’s not surprising that it lacks the polish of his newer books. Still, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The story itself felt fairly predictable, and the romance seemed a bit forced. Nate’s inner monologues dragged on far too long, and at the core of it all, I just couldn’t buy into the premise. The idea that someone would willingly take up with squatters in their own home felt far-fetched and undermined the story’s believability.

Overall, the book came across as more immature compared to his later works—which, given its origins, makes sense—but I was still disappointed by the execution. While I can appreciate its place in Klune’s journey as an author, this one just didn’t live up to the magic of his other stories.

This book has not brought any joy into my life. I try to give ARCs all a chance and finish them but I just could not with this one. It was slow, the characters unlikeable, and just SO SO SO boring.

This book was originally self-pubbed by Klune back in 2018. It’s since been picked up by Tor and is being re-released, so if anyone sees something about a “new book from the other of *House on the Cerulean Sea*” and is confused because they’ve read it before - well, now you know what’s going on.

Anyway.

Nate, our protagonist, is going up to the remote Oregon cabin left to him by his estranged parents. He was disowned by them for being gay, and with their recent deaths he’s got a lot to work through. His feelings towards the cabin are complicated, but the isolation feels like the right thing. So he’s more than a little surprised to get there and find a large, taciturn, armed ex-Marine in his cabin, who is vigilantly guarding a little girl who cheerfully tells Nate her name is Artemis Darth Vader.

Artemis (“Art”) is being chased by … someone, but neither she nor the ex-Marine Alex will tell Nate much. Alex was ready to shoot Nate when he showed up, and Art had to persuade him not to do so. Art, meanwhile, is a very strange girl, with an odd mix of knowledge and ignorance. For example, when she eats the bacon that Nate brought up to the cabin with him, Nate learns that she’s not only never had bacon before (though now she’s certain it’s the Best Thing Ever) she also questions that one animal can be the source of bacon *and* ham *and* pork chops.

The action of the book is, in some senses, predictable. Obviously the people chasing Art show up at the cabin, and obviously Nate goes on the run with her and Alex instead of turning on them. What is less obvious about the action of the book is what exactly Art’s deal is. It’s obvious she’s not an ordinary girl, but what her actual deal turns out to be was not obvious at all.

The other side of the book is Nate’s personal journey. He’s been lonely and feeling isolated ever since his parents disowned him; now they’re gone, and he’s dealing with all the extraordinarily complicated feelings associated with that situation. And in comes these two people he comes to care deeply about. His growing feelings for Alex were another thing that was super easy to see coming, but again, the way the relationship developed didn’t really go the way I expected.

A good book, and a reminder to myself that I really need to get to *Cerulean Sea* one of these days.

I've really enjoyed TJ Klune's books before so I was thrilled to read this one. His writing makes you feel and think and I love that!

The Bones Beneath My Skin follows Nate Cartwright, who has just lost his job as a journalist and has inherited his family's cabin in Oregon after his parent's tragic death. Nate decides to escape to the cabin to regroup and figure out what is next but when he arrives at the remote location, his cabin is already inhabited by a man. Alex, and a very strange young girl named Artemis Darth Vader, who is not as she appears. Nate must decide to live in the memories of the past or to fight for the future and the little girl, because she is special and in danger.

This was a slow read for me and kind of a struggle. There were parts of the story I really enjoyed; the characters were well developed and the relationships formed between them were wonderful. However, I just didn't get the main idea of the story. Klune's books always seem (to me, at least) to have a larger overarching theme that really makes you think and I just couldn't figure this one out. I kind of felt a little dumb because I just couldn't figure out what thought-provoking thing I was supposed to be pondering.

I think many readers will devour this one and love it and I wanted to like this one, I really did, but it ended up just not being the book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

You guys I really enjoyed this one! TJ Klune always writes the most fun and interesting stories about weird characters that some how have your heart by the end of each story. I LOOOOOOVE Art, and the boys of course, but Art had me cackling. I went into this book semi blind, and did not at all expect what happened.... the epilogue soothed my soul. Overall just a really fun read that also made a point to tug on my heartstrings.

TJ Klune is a magnificent author that really makes the readers think outside the box in his books. I felt like I was guessing the entire time, and when twists happened I then got to think and see what happened previously that dropped hints that I missed. As always, I read this book in almost one sitting, about 2/3 of the way, there were about 50 pages where it was incredibly slow paced, but once I got past that I zoomed to the end. Can’t wait to read what comes next!

To being my review I would like to say how much I enjoy reading novels by TJ Klune. I have always appreciated the message behind the stories, the attention to characters, and the quality of his writing. When I reached 50% in "The Bones Beneath My Skin", I found that this book hard been previously released in 2018. I am not 100% if it was ever in any stores or just sold online.
This novel reminded me a lot of stranger things with the "younger girl" and two people who were helping her. With my review being as vague as possible to not give any clues away and let others experience this novel for themselves, the story was magical, funny, and suspenseful. There were moments I was on the edge of my seating just waiting to turn the next page. I loved it.