Cozy meets suspense/thriller in this novel by Klune, leading readers on one adventure after another, with major Stranger Things vibes. In 1995, Nate is returning to his family’s cabin in Oregon after the death of his parents, when he realizes he’s not alone. He encounters a strange man named Alex and and even stranger little girl named Artemis Darth Vader, both hiding out there. He’s quickly caught up into their lives as the people after them catch up. While it feels like he has the absolute worst luck, Nate realizes he was meant to meet this extraordinarily special girl and together, the three become a sort of family of their own as they work to save their futures.
It’s unclear if this is a re-release with a new cover or new content by Klune, but either way, this was a beautiful story that is typical of their storytelling, pulling at the heartstrings, with high stakes along the way. The ending confused me some but I otherwise enjoyed reading this!
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of this book. I was so excited to receive this as I love TJ Klune. Maybe Sci-Fi isn’t really my thing, but this book fell flat for me.

I love this authors writing & they always manage to get me to fall in love with the characters to quickly! I was devouring this book when I first started it. It started off quick and so interesting. About 40% in I had struggled to keep going. It got very boring to me and it took me a long time to finish it.

Overall I gave it 3 stars because I do really love the writing. This book however was just not for me.

I enjoyed this book overall. While it technically fits into the typical genres that I enjoy, it also has thriller vibes which is a bit outside of my comfort zone. The writing was pretty typical TJ Klune which I really enjoyed, but some parts were definitely repetitive. It was intense with high stakes and anxiety inducing action, while still being somewhat cozy and full of found family. Art's character was strange, but endearing. Nate and Alex were both characters who grew on me as the story progressed. I do wish there was a little bit more romance between the MMCs because that piece felt a bit rushed. Overall, it was an interesting read that kept me invested in the storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

This is the best thing I’ve read by TJ Klune. It’s full of humor and hope. Artemis, Nate, and Alex are now one of my favorite found families. Art’s quirky personality and child-like wonder are endearing, and I laughed at her lack of filter and response to some very adult situations. It has some reflection on human nature without sounding didactic. Just an enjoyable read.

This was such a fun supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government. Swipe to see the naked cover (#bacon) and the beautiful character art. Klune's writing never fails to balance humor/witty prose with vulnerability, intimacy, and heart! It is hard to review this one without spoilers, but I had a great time in this standalone release.

The Bones Beneath My Skin T.J. Klune

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Liked it - might read it again

Trying to review this without spoilers! I spent the first third wondering what the heck is going on, suspecting certain things (without proof). There is a wonderful mystery surrounding these characters. Was I right? Yes.

Nate is in a rough patch. His parents are dead, he lost his job as a journalist and he has nowhere else to go. So he goes to the cabin his parents left him. Only it isn’t empty.

What I loved:
Artemis Darth Vader - Need I say more?
Alex and Nate - slow burn
Such witty dialogue

I’m not sure it’s the spine-tingling thriller mentioned in the description. The mystery behind why people are hunting for Alex and Art and then there are little scares throughout the book as they try to get where they are going. I love T.J. Klune and love his characters and the relationships he builds. Together they slowly build a family.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I couldn't stop turning the pages and could feel the suspense in my stomach.

It is Spring 1995 and Nate has lost everything. He's been fired from his job and his family have all cut him out. One day, he hears from his brother that their parents have died and they left him their cabin and his dad's truck. Nate decides to take some time at the cabin to think and figure out what his next move should be. However, when he arrives at the cabin, he finds a man named Alex and a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader-or Art for short. Nate soon finds himself swept up in a fight to protect Art from dangerous forces who want her for her extraordinary qualities.

why am i crying?

the x-files meets cozy sci-fi in this absurd, heartfelt story about the family we choose. nick just lost his job and his parents, and his brother wants nothing to do with him. he heads to his family’s old cabin to be alone, but the cabin isn’t empty—inside he finds a man and a girl on the run, and finds himself with a choice to make.

i loved this book and will be picking up a copy for my shelves asap. the bones beneath my skin is lovely and hopeful and really, truly absurd—very much a “four stars in my head, five stars in my heart” book. i fell head over heels for nick and alex and artemis dark vader; the x-files vibes (the perfect combination of aliens and small towns and secret government conspiracies) were the cherry on top.

perfect for fans of found family, slow burns, ‘90s sci-fi, and bacon (iykyk).

So I just realized that this is an older book of TJ Klune’s that was originally self
published and is now being rereleased under a major publishing house.

I started this book and the first few chapters had me HOOKED. I couldn’t wait to get into the story. And then we get to the cabin and…just…what is even happening? I have skim read to about 25% and I couldn’t possibly be less interested because it’s tens upon tens of pages of essentially the same dialogue over and over. Boring!

So I am dnf’ing at 25%. Although I absolutely adored Cerulean I can’t seem to find that same magic in his other works.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

We're all made of stars and dust. It's a wonder humanity even exists. We live on a rock floating in space. And here I was thinking I'd read a book about two men and a little girl without realizing I'd come across a story of unconditional love, family, and what it means to be human. Klune's writing captivates me every time; The Bones Beneath My Skin is no exception. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. Absolutely loved it.

I just finished The Bones Beneath My Skin, and with no surprise TJ Klune has brought another incredible book into the universe. This story had stranger things vibes, with a side of Jim Jones culty energy. I was here for every moment of it! Not to mention a sweet little love story between two unlikely fellas and the Apple of their eye, Artemis Darth Vader. The little extraterrestrial being who stole every piece of my heart. This was unlike Klunes other books. It was more action packed, but with the usual magic you love from his other books. Including the magic of love! I very much appreciated that Klune wanted to create a love story that didn’t focus on the physical aspect we usually see in romances, but it was still just as beautiful and powerful 🫶

"We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars."

Y'all I don't know how TJ Klune does it but he keeps delivering on emotional, heartbreaking stories that somehow leaves me smiling at the end. The Bones Beneath My Skin is very different from his previous books. It's part sci-fi, part action with some romance and of course, a found family. At first it was giving me X-Men vibes, particularly Logan, but instead of the future this took place in the past, and instead of a mutant child, there was an alien. But there's so much more to this book than just two guys on the run with a super-powered child who can change the world.

This book goes from a small town in Oregon to well, another small town in Virginia. But along the way there's action and grief and love, so much love. Alex and Art have this amazing bond, and it takes barely any time before Nate is pulled into their circle. They're all struggling in the own ways but together they share something trule special.

Though Nate is the narrator of this book, Art was the true highlight for me. She's smart and genuine and so endearing. You can't help but fall in love with this pint-sized extraterrestrial who sees beauty in everything and finds joy in the mundane. She speaks her mind with a fearlessness that I think more people could do with, but she also cared with her whole self. I loved everything about her and her family.

Alex and Nate are just as amazing. They've both felt unimaginable loss, but they're still willing to do what's right and let go of the person they love most in the world. The three of them are so different from each other but that's what makes them work so well. Together they balance each other and bring out the very best in one another.

I thought I'd make it through this book without crying but I should have known that wouldn't be possible. These three had me bawling my eyes out and had my heart pounding so many times, but every second of it was worth it. I love everything about this story, from the old westerns to the blooming flower fields to all the bacon. But it all comes down to Art, Alex and Nate. They're what makes this book special and I'm so glad I got to go on this journey with them!

“Sometimes you need to take things on faith,” she said quietly. “Even if you think you have no faith left, I promise you, you do. All of you do. It’s easier, I think, to stay lost. But when you’re found, when you open your eyes, you can finally see the truth for what it is.”

Loved this book ❤️
While it wasn't written for me - I am not the 'target audience' - I loved the story told, and I love that there are people out there who need this story. TJ klune never fails to add diversity to the literature world through beautifully told stories, and this is one of them.
It does all start off a little strange - aliens, evil government (hmm...not that strange, I guess) - but it's easy to fall right into it.

This is another TJ classic. It's a good sci fi starter book, with the right amount of people to add suspense but kot be too confusing for those new to sci fi.

Always, TJ has good quuer representation. The people feel whole and not flat.

Recommed for those new to sci fi or new to TJ.

TJ Klune said in his author's note that this book is for the weirdos and I'm so glad he wrote this for us! It's a blend of sci-fi, Stranger Things, doomsday cults, and queer romance and it's magical! All three main characters are so lovable and I didn't want this book to end. If you're a fan of any of Klune's other writing, you'll love this one too!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

An amazing young girl and her unlikely protectors are running from a cult and the government. At this point I would take my chances with the cult.

It’s 1995 and Nate Cartwright is 27, his parents, from whom he had been long estranged, are gone and his brother has pretty much written him off. He was a journalist in D.C., emphasis on the “was” as he has just been fired.

He heads to his family’s cabin in Roseland, Oregon (population 827) to try to find himself and to figure out what he should do next. Only when he gets there he finds the cabin isn’t empty. It’s occupied by a man named Alex and a very unusual girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader (which is the cutest.) Lots goes on but ultimately Nate throws in his lot with the two and a cross country adventure begins, leading to a tunnel in West Virginia.

The book is a re-issue, I’m assuming after the great success of THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA and its sequel. The book isn’t YA but could be enjoyed by younger readers, I think. The cult is a blatant rip off of Heaven’s Gate, and I wish the author had gone another way there, but overall it was a cute little tearjerker of a fantasy novel, sure to please Klune fans.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I can't express into words how much I loved this book. This is my favorite TJ Klune (I also really enjoyed Under the Whispering Door). The three main-ish characters (one main main and two main side) all had distinctly different personalities and were all very enjoyable in their own ways. This book is a journey and that used to be a keyword that made me not want to read it. However, this book is a journey and one that I enjoyed 100 percent of the way through.

This story is gripping, exciting, heartfelt, sad, hopeful, beautiful, I could go on and on. You will laugh and want to cry in the same sentence. If you enjoy found family this will make your heart happy. There's not a lot to say about the plot, it's exactly what is in the synopsis which I adored. The ending was wild and heartbreaking.

Klune has a very creative mind and that really shines through here. Not only is this story wildly creative but also he is able to combine that with such lovable characters and memorable relationships. I loved this books to the moon and back ;)

6 stars, new favorite.

Nate has been fired from his job, is struggling with grief and is driving out to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to just put everything on pause. He thinks once he is there he can just sit down and figure out what is next. He never expects that what is next is being held at gun point by a marine who is asking if the mountain sent him and being questioned by a girl who tells him her name is Artemis Darth Vader.
“You can fear what you don’t understand, but in the end, you can still be brave. You can still stand up for what’s right.” - amazing.
This story was a beautiful and heartwarming romance with lots of action that made me simultaneously want to fly through it and also never want it to end. I loved these characters so much and adored this story.

This is a story of love in its many forms. It’s about found family and connection. Part sci-fi, part action thriller, this novel is filled with heart.

The characters felt real and believable and I was rooting for them. I don’t know how the author wrote the young ten-year-old girl so believably - she was funny, adorable, and her relationship with the two men who worked to protect her rang true. I enjoyed the author’s celebration of differences and his message that connecting us all is the need and capacity for love and belonging,

I enjoyed this well-written inventive story; these characters will long linger in my mind.

Now to read more by this author!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book by Klune, and I can safely say it won't be my last. Those who know me know I LOVE a good found family trope. And BOY, did Klune deliver. I didn't know it was possible for a heart to both break and heal simultaneously, but that's what happened to me while reading this book. I have to admit, I didn't even like Nate at first. But he grew on me slowly, and by the end I was just hoping for a happy ending for him. For all of them, for that matter. I like how Klune wrapped things up very neatly, though the end left me craving more. If you love a good old queer sci-fi book with a dash of romance, this is definitely for you.