The complexity of the writing and overall tone of the book felt like it should have been for a younger audience with all the poop jokes, however the sex jokes prevents it from being shelved in YA. Like his previous novel The House in the Cerulean Sea, the protagonist escapes the soul draining monotony of urban life for simpler existence in the forrest. The book was a fast and easy read filled with robot companions that bursting with personalities (sociopathic nurse robot and an anxiety ridden Roomba), however it is not a book that I will remember down the line. Recommended for anyone looking for queer, humorous sci-fi.

An interesting story leaning towards a reverse Pinocchio tale, where a elderly robot is forced to raise an abandoned human baby. he raises him to be a tinkerer, a builder of things. They are hidden from the rest of the world in a quaint forest tree-house setting with a cantankerous nurse bot and a lonely vacuum cleaner in need of love and attention. The foursome make a cozy family until the boy brings home an android to restore from the junkyard. When he is restored the android tells of the war to hunt and destroy humans. They are no longer safe.
I found this to be very slow to get into.

In the Lives of Puppets is a dystopian story where robots are in control. Where almost all the characters are robots, this book beautifully reflects the array of human complexity and emotions. What does it take to be a family, about being human, about being kind? The queer, Pinocchio inspired book was intelligent and funny (loved Nurse Ratched and Rambo), even a little corny, but in a fun way. There was some uneven pacing where some parts dragged on and other flew by. Overall, a really good read. My first by TJ Klune, but not my last.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune is a mashup of so many genres: sci-fi, fantasy, romance, fairy tales, LGBT, etc, but it really truly works. The main characters in the story are Giovanni (an inventor), Victor (Giovanni’s “son”), RAMBO (a sweet robot vacuum), Hap (a decommissioned, damaged android), and Nurse Ratched (a nurse robot, who is a sadistic, sarcastic, laugh out loud delight, and my favorite of all the characters). The book is ultimately about the family you are “born” into and the family you make along the way- and robots, so many robots!!. This modern day Pinocchio, Wizard of Oz, Swiss Family Robinson adventure is still, somehow, unlike anything you have ever read before and well worth the read. I am purposely avoiding including too many details, so as not to give anything away. Once you finish this book, go read The House in the Cerulean Sea, also by TJ Klun, which is absolute magic.

This book will be in my top 5 this year for sure. Klune did something with this story that touched that one string in my heart. I did not expect it to happen when starting with the ARC of this story, mostly because the author and I didn't see eye to eye every time. Of course here I had opinions. I swear, there were moments when I wanted Nurse Ratched (wink wink) to keep her promises and annihilate a little not-so-cute vacuum. But they are the best sidekicks one might ask for. Now to the main story.

The main character Victor, one day finds a discarded robot and decides against better judgment to fix it. This one decision breaks the whole Hell loose and becomes a coming-of-age tale. On his journey to make things right, we meet all kinds of entities. Each of them had a little spark of magic and personality that shined through dialogues. The main story was supposed to be a Pinocchio retelling, but I did not see it at all. Lucky for me because not only I found out about it after the fact, but also I truly dislike it. TJ Klune created his own story of journey, searching for love and loyalty. The end wrecked me big time without using tropes that usually melt me. I had the opportunity to read it and listen to it and then do both at the same time, and each gave me an amazing experience. I recommend it to anybody who likes cozy stories, stories that are deeper when you look, and stories about the future and robots.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I do think it missed the mark a little in the middle section - I found myself waiting for the pace to pick back up. I really liked all of the characters - Vic and Hap and Rambo and Nurse Ratched were fascinating and I loved their interactions with one another. There was so much heart in the beginning of this book, and SO much in the end, I just wish the middle had better pacing. Nitpicky, I know, but I did feel like I had to drag myself through the journey part of the book. Still, would definitely recommend it based solely on the characters and the emotions the end evoked in me.

A real boy helps build and transform the world, with his robot companions. This book was very good. It had so much charm and wit. Rambo and Nurse Ratched are hilarious with dark and twisty humor. Hap is haphazard and protective. Geo is the caring father we all wish we had. I enjoyed this book very much. If you love Pinocchio and also loved the 2001 movie A.I., you would enjoy this book. Klune’s books leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling every time.

This book was honestly incredible. I loved the humanity behind it. The characters are beautifully written, and the story is really beautiful and
Moving. I loved Rambo so much! This book is a true adventure and is filled with so much heart.

TJ Klune can do no wrong. All of his books are filled with so much heart - this one quite literally was filled with heart and the lengths a young human will go to restore the heart of the ones he loves. Somehow Klune can give robots/AI so much character - it’s phenomenal - inanimate objects that are full of life and humour. This book was so much fun to read, the world building was fantastic. I felt like I could clearly pictures each scene - as if I was dropped right into it and along for the journey. I can’t wait to see what Klune comes up with next!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune is a retelling of Pinocchio involving robots and AI. The main character, Victor, is human and has grown up with his adoptive father Gio (a robot who appears human), Nurse Ratchet ( a robot with a sadistic side), and a sweet vacuum robot named Rambo. When Victor finds a robot in a scrapyard that he is able to “bring back to life” their safety is compromised, Gio is captured and their home is destroyed. Now Victor, Nurse Ratchet, Rambo, and their new robot friend HAP must try to rescue him. The story is about love, what it means to be family and what makes us human. It really makes you think about the current world we live in and the dangers of artificial intelligence 4.5⭐️

There’s a sweetness to TJ Klune books that I absolutely adore. While this wasn’t my favorite of his titles, it was still an awesome, thoughtful read about love, accept, grief, and guilt. A little bit Pinocchio, a little bit terrifying robots who destroy humanity, and a little bit The Brave Little Toaster all wrapped into one book.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Tor Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In a peculiar little home built into the branches of a grove of tree, lives the inventor Giovanni, an android, an anxious vacuum, Rambo and Nurse Ratched (registered automato to care, heal, educate and drill) and a human and inventor, Victor. When Victor one day salvages and repair an unfamiliar android, labelled HAP, he and his family will discover dark secrets about Giovanni and when, HAP, unwittingly, alerts robots of Giovanni's whereabouts and he's kidnapped, they embark into a journey in order to save him and make him remember his life with them. If that means, journey into an unforgiving world where humanity is all but gone. And during this journey, something will change between Victor and HAP. Will they able to save their own family and themselves?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The adventures of Pinocchio, In the lives of puppets is a wonderful, thrilling and moving standalone fantasy, set in a post-apocalyptic world, populated by robots and with humanity gone. Telling this book broke me in so many pieces and then healed me back together is absolutely true. It's one of the best book I've read in a very long time and, as a fan of Pinocchio, it was such a pleasure finding references to the book. In the lives of puppets is a book about a gorgeous and peculiar found family, who fit together marvellously and fought back to be together again and in peace. It's a book about love and hearts, about being brave and fighting to do the right things, about evolving, and choosing your own destiny,
I loved the asexual representation and how the author was able to write about anxiety and panic attack. How it talks about a genocide and the importance of fighting against an authority wanting to control everything. It's a story about past, present and future, about fixing's one's wrongs and evolving, being better, becoming a different person.
It's a book with a sociopathic nurse and a talkative and anxious vacuum, about a father's love, siblings' love and all kind of love and how they are equally important.
It's a book I won't forget so easily. Amazing, moving and important.

A delightful sort of post-apocalyptic fairytale. It's sort of like if you put Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Wall-E, and The Brave Little Toaster in a blender, aged it up to an adult story, sprinkled in queer and asexual representation, and spiced it up with some offbeat humor. The finishing touch is a generous dose of the same wholesome and heartwarming vibes that T.J. Klune brought to [book:The House in the Cerulean Sea|45047384].

The sociopathic-but-not-really Nurse Ratched consistently had me giggling and Rambo was the cutest robot sidekick imaginable. But the real heart of the story was in its exploration of what it means to be human, as seen through the main character of Vic and his complex relationships with Gio, his father, and Hap, an android he restores to working condition after finding him discarded in a trash heap near his home. A story that manages to be hopeful and heartwarming without becoming sappy, and one of my new favorites.

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

Wie wundervoll! Wenn es derzeit einen Autor gibt, der es beherrscht, queere Fantasybücher herzuzaubern, dann ist es TJ Klune. Seine Bücher sind immer gespickt mit viel Fantastischem und diesem Fall sogar mit Science Fiction. Er entführt uns in eine Zukunft, in der es keine Menschen mehr gibt und das mit den Gefühlen irgendwie aus der Mode ist. Dennoch schafft es ein einziger menschlicher Junge so viel Liebe in diese Welt voller Roboter zu bringen, dass es auch dem Leser von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite einfach nur warm ums Herz wird. Klare Leseempfehlung! Habe das Buch geradezu verschlungen!

This was my first book by TJ Klune, and it won’t be my last. Recommended for fans of science fiction and dystopian novels.

T.J. Klune is known for fantasy novels that have a significant tone of whimsy. Here he has created a dystopian science fiction novel, but the whimsy is still very much intact. Young protagonist Victor Lawson has rescued and restored two robots: Nurse Ratched, a nurse robot who seems to have sociopathic tendencies; and Rambo, a robotic vacuum with a cleanliness obsession and a need to be loved (as well as a motor mouth). When Vic finds and salvages another robot which he names Hap, he triggers memories in his father, an android named Gio.

The family (which is revealed to be one human and several robots) finds a way to be comfortable with the situation. Unfortunately, the Authority (the robotic control group) has become aware of them, and they arrive to retrieve Gio. He is an important android, but having anticipated the situation he programmed the nurse robot to keep the rest of the family safe. The Authority destroys the family's home and takes Gio back to headquarters, the City of Electric Dreams.

The family is united in the desire to rescue Gio, which takes them on an epic adventure. They encounter a robot who is fascinated with human artifacts, and after a rough patch (including kidnapping) he helps them find their way into the City. The rescue is not smooth, but it is ultimately successful. The conclusion eventually finds Gio and Hap mostly restored to their former selves–which was certainly not guaranteed–and the relationship between Vic and Hap also resumes. The conclusion is open-ended, but as usual Klune's gay male couple gets together (even if one of them is an android). Despite the big apocalyptic setting the story is really small and interpersonal. It's about the rebirth of one human, not all of humanity.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy.

Quirky and convoluted, there's a lot of moving parts (forgive the pun) to this story. While there is a positive-ish ending (my opinion) I felt a sense of dread through most of the book. That being said though, the author did not disappoint.

I decided to read In The Lives of Puppets because the summary sounded so odd. It was whimsical and different, so unlike anything I had read before. I hadn’t known it was a Pinocchio retelling at first. In fact, as I read, I thought it might be a Frankenstein retelling. I still stand by that, at least a little bit. I’ll get back to the Pinocchio retelling piece a little later in my review.

I’m going to tell you what I will be telling everyone from now on- if you read the summary and thought this book may not be for you, I encourage you to read it anyway. I say this not because the summary didn’t immediately sell me on it (it did) but I have heard comments like this surrounding the book. Not only did I laugh more than I ever have while reading a book (Nurse Ratched and Rambo’s dialogue had me crying from so much laughter), I connected to these characters immediately.

Without giving too much away, Victor lives with his father, Gio, and his friends Nurse Ratched and Rambo out in the forest. He likes to collect bits and pieces of scrap to build more or improve on the machines and things they have around their treehouse home (take a second to read that again. Yes, a TREEHOUSE HOME). The robots around him are very human in their personalities even though two of them look nothing like us. Nurse Ratched and Rambo can succumb to their original programming at times, which provides for even more funny and heartfelt moments. We’re introduced to a particularly complex android, Hap, that gives wonderful insight into choice and what it means to be human.

A common theme throughout the book is battling loneliness and, linked to that, finding where one fits in the world. Remember what I said about connecting to these characters immediately? I think that’s why. Almost all of us have experienced or are experiencing those feelings. Klune made robots more open to their emotions than almost any human I’ve ever met, and tied them into the beautiful package that is this book.

Hap and Gio are both complicated characters, having pasts that don’t quite align with who they truly are. It begs the question, can we change? Can we improve the future despite our past as a species? An interesting thought.

Regarding the Pinnochio telling, I have only one major critique. I didn’t think it was necessary. This story could have easily stood on its own without any reference to Pinnochio. At times it felt forced, not quite melding into the world, in my opinion. This clearly did not take away from my experience as this is honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read, but it didn’t necessarily add.

I won’t say any more, for fear of spoiling, but just know that the range of emotions I felt while reading this book are unparalleled. I truly did laugh, and cry, and gasp and feel so incredibly happy I was able to read this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A Few Favorite Quotes:

“‘What if I wish for impossible things?’
‘Then you’re doing it right. It always seems impossible when you first start.’”

“Words were a weapon, he knew, one that had taken him a long time to wield. But he was different than he’d been before. He wasn’t that boy. He’d found his voice. This machine– this man– had given it to him.”

“‘Something to it, I think. Maybe I was meant to find you. Before and now.’”

“In his secret heart, hope had flickered like a dying flame.”

“‘My feet hurt,’ Rambo said.
‘You do not have feet.’
‘Oh. Well if I did, they would hurt.’”

“He felt it, then, something foreign, sticky, all-consuming. Its tendrils whipped up around him, pulling him down, down, and as he gasped for air, he recognized it for what it was though he’d never experienced it before in his life. A word flitted through the static as if stuck to the wing of a butterfly. Grief. This was grief.”

I could quote almost the entire book, so I’ll make myself stop there!

TJ Klune’s books are always so sweet, and this was no exception!! I loved the characters and had such a great time with this one

TJ Klune's books are always a warm hug that manage to make me cry, laugh, and feel all the emotions. A story that I didn't think I would initially love but once again am pleasantly surprised.