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.

TJ Klune does a spectacular job writing fantasy. He effortlessly builds charcuterie relationships and explores how our past affects them. This story was beautifully written. A little long in the middle but I still enjoyed it!

This book felt like a bit of a mish-mash. Part romance, part sci-fi, part tragedy, part romance ... and that's fine, most stories are more than one thing. But this one felt a little too jarring in some places to be entirely a great experience. I did really enjoy what I think of as "the first part," where Nate, Alex, and Artemis Darth Vader are at the cabin in the woods. Once all the chase and trauma re: Artemis and Alex's "before" story opens up, it became something different for me. I loved the humor of Art and the quiet bond Alex and she had from the start. Many laugh out loud moments from her, for sure. A big no thanks to Oren and his bs, but SO MUCH vegan food shade! Won't even touch a soup without meat? Huh? Ever heard of tomato soup? Ever heard of potato leek soup? C'mon. And the spice levels between Nate and Alex felt a bit sudden to be really believable, I felt. There were some journeying moments that made the book feel longer than it needed to be as well. But on the whole, Art was the star of this novel.

I stayed up until 1am on a work night to finish this in one sitting and cry. Seriously, TJ Klune can make me cry over anyone at this point.

This is a little bit Firestarter, a little bit ET, a lot bit action movie directed by Michael Bay, and 100% OMG I CAN'T STOP FEELING! Alllllll the feels. We've got a mysterious kid and her protector on the run meeting a grieving and lost man. Which gives us major found family, so much love, and lots of "everyone's heart grew 3 sizes." There's a romance too of course, with some spice!

The writing is, as always, so great. There was an entire page at one point I wanted to highlight and save. While the reveals and twists weren't incredibly surprising, I was still on the edge of my seat, sometimes with tears, as we experienced them. I'm also not kidding when I say this was like a Michael Bay action movie!

Anyway, loved it, highly recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the preview. All opinions are my own.

It's been a very long time since I have read a T.J. Klune book so when I got this ARC I was pleasantly surprised and excited to start reading it. This is much different than The House in the Cerulean Sea which I also loved. As someone who usually goes into kinda blind and skips on the synopsis I instantly thought, wow Artemis Darth Vader really reminds me of Eleven from Stranger Things.. come to find out yeah that's the point. This was more Sci Fi than I was expecting with a touch of romance, heavy on the found family and I loved it.

Definitely check this one out on 4 February if you enjoyed his other books and willing to try something new of his, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Also going to make some bacon because Artemis Darth Vader really hyped it up.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for giving me access to this book before the February 2025 release date. Such a unique, memorable, and captivating story about the connections we make with the people (and potential other beings) we share ourselves with and what we're willing to risk for those we care about most. I felt drawn in from the beginning and became more and more invested in the story as I learned more about each character. T.J. Klune is a favorite of mine and has such talent with weaving relationships and complex personalities through his characters, their experiences, and their interactions with one another. This book is joining my list of 5-star Klune books! I will be thinking about Artemis, Alex, and Nate for a long time to come after finishing this book!

TJ Klune has an almost magical ability to write a book that from its summary does not sound like something I would like, but it ends up being so charming that I can't help but fall in love with it.

I have read several of T J Klune's novels and appreciate his writing style. This book is sci-fi, mystery, romance, and thriller. I love the character of Artemis Darth Vader, an extraordinary young girl who may not be as she appears. Alex is her bodyguard who has helped her escape and is trying to get her back home. They are hiding out in Nate's cabin. Nate and Alex come together to help Art. It was a very interesting novel.
Thanks, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The bones beneath the skin. This book is a saga of strangers staying in a house., with no trust and understanding

I loved this SO MUCH! I literally could not put it down once I started. You’ll fall in love with Nate, Alex and Artemis, I promise.

This sci-fi novel dissects found family and what it means to be human. From what I remember, Nate’s coming out to his parents happened all too often (and still does, sadly) in the nineties.

I’d highly, highly recommend this for older teens (one spicy scene) and up. It’s so wonderful.

I tried , I tried so hard to love this one because I loved the other Klune book I had previously read. Unfortunately I felt this was one was very slow moving and just couldn’t get into the story.

When Nate arrives at his parents' cabin in the woods, he's not expecting to find a bear of a man and his 10-year-old sidekick. Why are they here? What do they want from him? It quickly becomes apparent that things are not what they seem. What will Nate do to keep Art safe? Great for fans of gentle domestic suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC of this novel. "The Bones Beneath My Skin" is not like T.J. Klune's other books - and yet it is. It's definitely darker and much more violent than his other books that I've read. Anyone expecting another Cerulean Sea might want to drop those expectations. At the same time, the story is beautiful, loving, romantic, and empathetic with amazing characters and a fantastic storyline. So in that way, it is Klunesque.

When Washington journalist, Nate, gets fired from his job and wants to escape the world for a bit, he heads to the isolated cabin left to him by his parents. Upon arrival, he finds his the cabin already occupied by a huge, burly former Marine and a chatty little girl who calls him her protector. As the trio begrudgingly gets to know one another (and all the many meats you can get from a pig), their individual stories unfold and they find themselves bonded together. While trying to evade the bad guys, they create a little family with a singular goal - help the little girl get home. Ah, but where is home? That is the interesting part.

The love story between Nate and Alex is at times funny, heartwarming and delicious. The "adventures" they take with Art, the little girl, are scary, dangerous, more violent than I anticipated, suspenseful but ultimately rewarding.

T.J. Klune’s The Bones Beneath My Skin is a heartfelt and captivating fantasy that masterfully blends magic, mystery, and deep emotional storytelling. Set in a richly imagined world, the novel follows a protagonist forced to confront their past, uncovering buried secrets and grappling with their identity along the way.

Klune’s writing shines with its balance of humor and tenderness, making the emotional moments all the more impactful. The characters are complex and beautifully developed, and their relationships—both romantic and platonic—are grounded in vulnerability and trust. The story is filled with twists, magic, and an underlying sense of wonder that keeps readers hooked.

With themes of self-acceptance, love, and the power of found family, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a must-read for fans of character-driven fantasy. Klune’s ability to create both laughter and heartache ensures this novel will stay with you long after you finish it.

I just finished The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune. I received a free eArc from NetGalley.

Nathaniel Cartwright just wants to dissappear for a little while. He lost his job, his family, and with not many options left he drops everything to go to the cabin in the Oregon mountains that his mother left for him. He wants peace and quiet, and to figure out what comes next for him. What he doesn't want is to find two people already in his cabin; an intimidating man named Alex, and a mysterious girl named Artemis. But there they are. And they're about to change the entire trajectory of Nate's life, and maybe humanity.

I've read a few other TJ Klune novels, and this one both feels like him and doesn't. First and foremost are the characters, Klune loves giving us beautifully broken characters, and Nate (and Alex) are no different. Artemis is also a breath of glorious fresh air throughout the entire novel. She's funny and forward and boy oh boy does she love bacon. This book is really about humanity and found family. What it means to be human and to love and grieve and persevere. There's some fun action, light conspiracy theories, a cult, and a love story. This was a fun read!