After Nate’s life implodes, he runs away to the only thing his parents left him after their murder suicide: a lakeside cabin in the middle of nowhere and a truck to get him there. Instead of peace or quiet, Nate discovers that his cabin has been co opted by a man and a young girl who are also running away… but from what? As Nate opens his heart to these two strangers, he discovers that the truth is stranger than any fiction he invents for them, the world is bigger than he thought, and that as it turns out, he will do almost anything for love.

Thanks to Tor Books & NetGalley for providing a copy for review!

One of TJ Klune's earlier titles, but with all the great bits that made him a name in the bookish world: found family, loveable weirdos, and enough action to keep you guessing. More on the scifi side of things, a wonderful road trip romp.

I wanted to love The Bones Beneath My Skin, but it fell short for me. The plot has an interesting premise with Nate meeting Artemis, an extraordinary girl, and the tension of forces trying to control her. However, the characters lacked depth, and I struggled to connect with them. Nate's emotional journey felt underdeveloped, and Artemis seemed more like a quirky plot device than a real child. While Klune's writing is solid, the lack of character attachment made it hard to feel invested in the stakes. This wasn't the emotional ride I hoped for, and it ultimately left me feeling indifferent.

It's no secret I love found family and Klune is one of the best at it. He nailed it once again with his unique way of bringing you so much joy, but also breaking your heart. I absolutely ADORED these characters. This story does contain more action than his other books, but still has deep and impactful love and grief woven throughout. From the start Nate and his struggles and his choices feel so very real that you just want to keep reading. There is just so much to love about this book. We are all just made of dust and stars. And maybe bacon.

I didn't realize this was an older Klune story until the end of the book, and I can see that a bit - his unique blend is here, but not quite as polished as it is in some of his later tales, and so there are a some clunkier moments in this one, especially in the balance of the science fiction thriller and relationship sides of the story that he has now mastered a little more effectivley.

Klune himself described this tale as weird and I can't disagree - it is strange and odd and somewhat disjointed, but it is still a fun story that fits his usual themes, and I really enjoyed it.

This will be great for those who also enjoyed In the Lives of Puppets, but not for every Klune reader.

Let me start with I will read and likely love everything that TJ Klune writes. This book was no exception. I went into it blind and, while it was not what I expected, I was not disappointed. I don't want to give much away, but the signature Klune fastastical nature, intrigue, and relationships were present. If you enjoy TJ Klune or enjoy non-traditional, genre-bending books, you will definitely love this.

I tried. I really really tried. The beginning was good, intriguing, promising. However, this is the slowest book I’ve ever read. When I thought I was half way through, I was at 35%. When I thought I was 75% through I was at 54%. I DNF at 62%. I just couldn’t continue the plodding progress. So I skipped to the end but none of the main characters names were mentioned, except Art. Did they die? Change their identity? Do I care? Sadly, not enough.
Still giving 3 stars for the part in the cabin at the beginning and because Klune wrote The House by the Cerulean Sea. That counts for all future work because I know Klune has a beautiful, imaginative mind.

Absolutely love everything TJ writes. This book was no exception. I loved the characters and the story. Very beautifully written

This was a very gripping and interesting book! It was much darker than anything else I've read by TJ Klune.

The Bones Beneath My Skin follows Nate, a man who recently lost his parents and his job, as he travels to the cabin he just inherited. There, he meets a mysterious little girl and her grumpy ex-military protector. As the story progresses, Nate gets swept up into a world of secret government activities, grand theft auto, helicopters falling from the sky, cults, and violence.

This book features a romance subplot with tropes including forced proximity, found family, and a grumpy, brooding love interest.

Gosh I love TJ Klune. This is the fourth of his books I've read and while none can top Cerulean Sea, this was a beautiful addition to my Klune experience. I absolutely adore how adept he is at weaving queer storytelling into such beautiful and impactful stories. Highly recommend.

TJ Klune has been an autobuy + autoread author for me since The House on the Cerulean Sea came out and I fell in love with it several years ago. This was another sweet, thoughtful, unique fantasy story that was heartwarming and I cannot wait to get the hard copy for my shelf to go next to all the others by TJ. He is truly one of the most wonderful authors of our time.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

nate cartwright is lost. his parents recently dead, fired from his job, estranged from his brother. he inherits the family cabin in oregon and decides to go there to figure out what comes next. the cabin should be empty—it’s not. a man named alex and a strange little girl who calls herself artemis darth vader is there. alex is lost too and his sole purpose is keeping art safe. but art sees something more, something they may all need. nate is left with a choice: drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible.

what is it about the way tj klune writes found family that leaves me a snivelling mess??

nate and alex are two intensely lonely men. both running and grieving in the wake of profound loss. both who think it might be easier to stay lost because it’s hard to take things on faith when it feels like there’s none left.

and then: being found.

but before that we need to talk about little artemis darth vader. it’s hard to explain without giving it away, but this book looks at humanity from a different lens. how awful and flawed humanity is. but also, so fierce and wild. how fragile we are but how we take chances, how hard we fight to have a future full of hope.

together they make a home out of nothingness. they create a home for together after almost losing themselves. out of a place where they should not exist. they take turns carrying each other until their knees give out. together they search for home in a harsh and unforgiving world.

it’s hard to explain how this feels until you read their story with your own eyes, but when you do there will be so much love and trust and heartache and humanity that sometimes it will feel like you’re drowning it in. i felt so alive reading this book.

i loved nate, alex, and artemis so much that it hurt to let them go. but i know i'll be back to see them again sometime in the near future.

but in the meantime i will just think about how

we’re all just made of dust and stars.

The Bones Beneath My Skin is yet another book that shows TJ Klune's prowess at crafting fantastical stories with found family at the heart. Like the author's note that follows to tale says, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a weird book; it combines aspects of grief with sci-fi and adventure with deep, profound, love. At no point was I not interested in what would happen next, and while it's not a cozy sort of novel that I want to live in, it is a book I want to analyze enough to pick apart how exactly it's making me feel so much. It's almost overwhelming how much happens, but Klune adds moments or simply lines of levity that give you a well needed breath of air and help you fall in love with the characters a little bit more every time. Simply a fantastic story, the second I finished I went right back to chapter one to start it all over again.

This book is like Stranger Things and The Last of us had a baby, written in the choppiest prose ever, moving at a snails pace. It dragged. Nate is the dullest protagonist ever, having everything happen to him. He takes no responsibility and acts like he has no choice or idea what to do up until the 11th hour. Art is ridiculous. Endearing, sure but also precocious and loquacious. I’m never a fan of children who do not act or speak like children. I feel like Klune struggles with appropriate voice for younger aged characters across his novels. They always seem older and wiser than kids ought to be (And not in a cute Harry Potter way, but in a creepy Enders Game sort of way). Alex is flat, but still the most relatable somehow, which is confusing because he mostly speaks in grunts and silence.

Klune straight up mentions cordacyepts, and the name Ellie appears... Settle. An Ellie is like El, or 11, who can throw people with her mind. Way to make two pieces of beautiful media absolutely terrible.

I think with the cover art of this novel, readers may think this is a YA novel like House in the Cerulean Sea. However, Nate swears and was estranged from his family for his sexuality. Some of the topics in this book are not for kids, but it is marketed the same as his YA novels. Just a concern for parents.

This book was not the book for me, however I appreciate NetGalley and Tor for providing me an advanced copy of this book.

This book was great!! I love the way TJ Klune writes - the characters in this book are really lovely. There’s a lot of action in this book which I enjoyed, as it’s a bit different from his other works. It was also a great audiobook - I’m really glad TOR decided to release it!! Definitely recommend if you’re a Klune fan! 4.25 rounded up.

🌈Queer rep: gay male main character, bi male love interest, MM main pairing. Brief mention of an FF couple and a throuple (genders not mentioned)

The Bones Beneath My Skin
by TJ Klune
ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every TJ Klune book is gold, as far as I'm concerned.

This one, billed as a "supernatural road-trip thriller," shows Klune's genre range while also featuring his tried-and-true found family troupe.

Nate only wants to escape to the quiet of his newly- inherited cabin in Oregon to figure out the next steps in his life. But instead, he finds an armed squatter, Alex and his young charge, Artemis. Soon, the three unlikely allies are on the run and Nate learns that Artemis isn't exactly what she seems.

In the midst of action-packed chase scenes, we get deep moments of grief, growth, and love. There were wonderful moments of commentary about the harm of blind faith, the dangers of government secrets, and what makes humanity worth saving.

(And look for a brief cameo mention of Green Creek, from Klune's Wolfsong series) 🐺

I will be buying this one when it releases. Honestly? I'd buy Underwater Basketweaving for Dummies is TJ Klune wrote it.

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @torbooks. The opinions are my own.

The Bones Beneath My Skin will be released Feb 4, 2025

This one is not at the top of my fav from this author but it's concistent with their style, message, types of character, figting for acceptance and creative writing.

This book is recommended for readers who enjoy:

Genre-blending narratives

Found family dynamics

LGBTQ+ representation

Slow-burn romance

Supernatural elements in contemporary settings

Note: For those new to Klune's work, this standalone novel serves as an excellent introduction to his storytelling style while offering something fresh for longtime fans.



The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune takes readers on a heart-pounding, emotionally charged journey through an unexpected blend of sci-fi thriller, mystery, and an exploration of the human heart. Set in the spring of 1995, the novel pulls us into the life of Nate Cartwright, a man weighed down by grief and loss. With his parents gone and a strained relationship with his brother, Nate's life is at a standstill—until a mysterious encounter at his family's remote cabin shakes him to the core.

At the heart of the story is a strange little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader (yes, you read that right). With her comes Alex, a man cloaked in secrecy. Their arrival at Nate's cabin turns what he thought would be a quiet retreat into a desperate flight for survival. With cultists and government agents closing in, the novel slowly reveals the complexity of Artemis’ true nature, and Nate is forced to make decisions that will alter his life forever.

Klune excels at creating vivid, multilayered characters that feel painfully real, and Nate is no exception. His struggle with the weight of his past feels deeply personal, but the presence of Artemis and Alex opens the door to something he didn't know he needed—a chance at redemption and the possibility of forming a new kind of family. While there is a subtle romance at play, it takes a back seat to the deeper, more compelling relationships in the book—primarily the one Nate forms with Artemis.

The narrative has moments of pure adrenaline, especially as danger creeps closer. Klune is a master at pacing, though there are sections where the plot meanders a bit, especially during their time on the road. These slower moments, however, serve to deepen the bond between the characters, allowing us to feel their growing connection and investment in each other. And when the action does come, it's as electrifying as you'd hope, with helicopters, gunfire, and a climactic reveal that will leave you breathless.

For those expecting a typical Klune romance, this novel might feel a bit different. The romantic undertones are there but subdued, with the primary focus being the found family dynamic and the emotional journey of Nate coming to terms with his past. Klune’s signature blend of wit and heart is still very much present, but this time it’s wrapped in a darker, more suspenseful package.

Overall, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a thrilling, moving ride. It might take a little time to fully immerse yourself in the sci-fi elements, but once you do, you’ll be rewarded with a story that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. For anyone craving a gripping blend of supernatural suspense and deep emotional resonance, this book is a must-read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sharing this re-releasing romantasy’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I received a temporary digital copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin from NetGalley, Tor Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After losing his job as a journalist in D.C., Nate Cartwright returns to his family's cabin Oregon in hopes of figuring out what is next for him. At his cabin, he finds a man and young girl have broken into his home and seem to be on the run. Alex and Artemis aren't your typical father-daughter and this isn't a typical situation Nate finds himself in. Will he help Alex and Artemis find their way home and in turn, maybe find his way, or will greater forces rip away the little he has and knows?

The Bones Beneath My Skin was previously self-published by Klune in 2018 and he is now republishing it with his new inclusive and accepting publisher. Klune's stories are truly magical, he is incredibly talented at world building and drawing the reader into falling in love with his characters. However, I've said this before, I will say it again - once you start reading Klune's work it is extremely difficult not to see extremely similar threads between his novels. Nate reminded me so much of Nick (The Extraordinaries) and even Arthur (Cerulean Chronicles) and the romances between his characters are so similar between his novels--two men fall in love - one is a bit quirky and unsure of himself, the other is the complete opposite in build and is humble but confident. I wish there was a bit more differentiation between his characters and their romances. He needs to keep the LGBTQ+ perspective, those POVs aren't told enough, but change it up a bit from book to book. Also, the humor in this book seemed slightly more forced than Klune's later writing. This is probably one of my least favorite Klune novels, but a good story is within The Bones Beneath My Skin that deserves to be told; I appreciate Klune's choice to republish.

I recently listened to this book on audio and it is compelling and intriguing and so very well written. It is classic TJ Klune. I will be writing a full review soon.