Thanks to NetGalley and all for an ARC copy in return for a review.
Often I don't like to read one author's work too closely together just so they don't blend, or fearing that I will get bored of the same style. But no fear of that with TJ Klune! Each of his books are so unique in the story, characters and pacing. But the playful style is consistent.
While this isn't a genre that I always read, I will always read TJ Klune!

That time that a bunch of robots reduced me to tears. I’d say it was totally unexpected, but not at the hands of this #EvilAuthor – yeah, that pretty much sums up my initial thoughts when I finished In the Lives of Puppets. As usual, with just about every book I’ve picked up by T.J. Klune, I got more than I bargained for.

The concept of family is taken to a whole new extreme In the Lives of Puppets. Victor is a human raised by his android “father” Gio. He grows up loving to “tinker” as much as his father and finds the rest of his “family” members and brings them back to “life” along the way. They include a nervous, needy little vacuum and a hilariously sadistic nurse machine ironically named Nurse Ratched. (Yes, the irony is strong in this one. 😉 ) They live in a network of houses built high in the trees in a forest far away from everyone. Finding HAP changes everything for all of them.

During the course of In the Lives of Puppets, Victor learns that nothing is quite what it seems. Secrets have been kept, lies were told and supreme sacrifices were made. He has a lot to come to terms with, but he’s not alone.

In case you’re wondering, yes, there were tears. Some happy, some heartbreaking. (Along with quite a few "Easter Eggs" that made me smile.) Things aren’t exactly perfect in the end, but as readers have come to expect from T.J. Klune, you’re left with a strong sense of love and hope. ❤

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of In the Lives of Puppets. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TJ Klune is a fantastic tale spinner with this reverse reimagining of Pinocchio! We follow a misfit group of robots who live in the forest and their human Victor. When looking for new parts in a nearby scrap yard they find a new robot who's still awake. After this discovery Victor's world gets turned upside down and sets a course for worlds unknown as he tracks down his father. A really good book and I cannot get over Rambo and Nurse Ratched they have my full heart.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I just love how all of Klune's books have a found family that are not all human, monster or robot. There is such a sweet and human dynamic. There is always a vulnerable and tender note in these relationships and I just love them all. Cerulean, Whispering Door, The Extraordinaires- all so different but with this warm feeling of belonging when you find your people.
This was so fascinating. I love a good Robot, Android, AI takeover. Loved Nurse Ratchet she kept making me laugh and scaring me at the same time 🤣. Vic was such a great character and I love how these books also explain grief differently. They are all pretty accurate.

Thank you torbooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was my first Klune book and the first time I have read a book about robots. Definitely gave me a Wall-E feel. Sad, humor, scary moments, actions and drama! Definitely interested in reading his other books that have been on my shelf forever because I loved their covers 😂

In the Lives of Puppets is a bittersweet tale of forgiveness, loss, and unapologetically selfish love as only T.J Klune can tell it. His trademark humor takes a back seat to his commentary on the mistakes humanity has made and the legacy we leave behind. While these questions have been tackled numerous times (to the point they themselves almost feel cliché), I found that the world and scenario Klune created to address them unique enough to be refreshing. I especially loved the idea of a world both overrun with machines and reclaimed by nature- the juxtaposition a perfect backdrop for the existential dread that permeates the novel. I also appreciated that the most important relationship in the story wasn’t the romantic one. Victor’s relationship with Gio was really moving and Klune did a wonderful job making it feel natural. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the relationship with the actual love interest in the story, which for me fell a little flat. But that said, the bond between the found family was sweet and enjoyable, so I can’t complain too much.
Overall, the only gripe I really had was how fast the pacing seemed in some places. The settings are so atmospheric I wished we had explored them more. If you’ve enjoyed his previous work, you’ll certainly enjoy this one, and for those who haven’t, this might be different enough to be worth giving a shot!

Once again, a fantastic addition for TJ Klune. Full of love, wonder, joy, and happiness. Another staple!

I am a huge fan of TJ Klune’s work so receiving this ARC was such an exciting email! I love the way he creates characters with complex personalities, deep emotions, and relatable experiences.

That being said, In The Lives of Puppets was no exception! I loved this book so much! I fell in love with each of the characters, and found myself cheering for them, crying for them, and relating to them in ways I never thought possible! I will remember this book for the rest of my life.

In the Lives of Puppets is a Pinocchio retelling with a robotic twist. The story follows Victor, human son of robot inventor Gio, and their friends/family Rambo and Nurse Ratched. When Victor brings a new member into their family, it is a bit more than he originally bargained for. A long journey and adventure await Victor and his friends (and the reader!).

While I typically love TJ Klune's writing, this story fell a little flat for me. The characters did not have as much heart as I think his other novels do. The incessant banter from Rambo and Nurse Ratched, while funny at first, quickly becomes tedious as it is the only aspect of their personality we ever really receive. Whenever more depth is hinted at, it often felt hollow. Hap and Victor had next to no chemistry and I don't think it is every fully explained why they feel so drawn to each other. The only character I was truly interested in was Gio, but he is unfortunately not in the story very much.

On the positive side, this story was more action driven than Klune's previous novels, and I think that was a nice development. The world Klune hints at is very intriguing, though we do not get as much detail about it as I would have liked. Had this been less true to the original Pinnochio tale, I think the world could have shined more, but the bits we do get to see kept me captivated. I would almost like to see another book in this world with a focus more on Klune's original pieces; I think in the parts unique to Klune's tale, there is a ton of potential.

Ultimately, this would not be the first work of Klune's I would recommend - I think his previous titles offer more. However, for fans of retellings and cozy fantasy, I think there are some pieces here to enjoy.

I would like to thank the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I read an advanced copy of this book, so the final edition of the book might be slightly different. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I’ve read quite a few T.J. Klune books at this point, and if you’ve been a fan of his books, you’ll be a fan of this one! It fits right in with his other books he’s published with similar covers, like Under the Whispering Door; a book set in an interesting world but where the focus remains on the characters and their relationships with one another. In the Lives of Puppets is another one of those internal stories, where the external world is exciting and intriguing and mysterious, but the true focus of the book still lies in the internal journey of the main character. There’s also the same, soft relationship and eccentric cast of side characters, and together it all just continues to work!

Despite how similar its pieces are to Klune’s other books, though, In the Lives of Puppets also just stands strongly on its own. It’s still very much its own story, and the similarities to his past works stop at those similar tropes/building blocks of the story. Victor’s troubles are entirely unlike those of the MCs of his other books, and he’s also much younger than those characters as well. There’s a stronger sense of isolation throughout the entire book too, tempered by how fiercely all the characters love each other, but it remains there all the same. Very few post-apocalyptic books manage to truly capture the sheer isolation that comes with being one of the few remaining of your species, but Klune does it really well here, and it becomes a driving force in many aspects of the book. It’s also fascinating to see here, because in some ways the robots that surround Victor are extremely human-like. However, we always end up seeing how not-human they truly are, despite their relationships with Victor being so close to normal human ones. It’s an interesting concept to see play out, made even more so by how much focus there is on these internal aspects of the characters as well! Usually these sorts of end-of-the-world books focus so much more on the action, and solving whatever ruined the world, and we almost never get to spend this much time actually thinking about what it all actually means with the characters that are going through it.

I also really liked how this book centered on familial relationships more as well. The MCs of Klune’s other books like Puppets are often very isolated: no friends, no family, no anything really. Victor is extremely different in that regard, all he has is family and friends, and his desire to create. We really get to explore what those relationships mean to Victor, and what happens when something threatens them. We also get to see what happens when secrets come out, and how even the most close of bonds can still suffer when one person realizes the other was keeping so much from you. And most interesting of all, there’s this constant thread of starting over, of trying again, and what that actually really means when it comes to both relationships with others and finding a home for yourself. There’s a lot of loss in this book, but in forms that aren’t often tackled in the fiction I’ve read, and it makes for such an interesting book, with so many threads to continue thinking about long after the book is done.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and the way it kept my head spinning in a more reflective way. It makes for a calmer, slower book, but those sorts of stories are often the best breaks from the world anyway!


Review will go live on my blog on June 2.

TJ Klune creates another cozy fantasy, but this one with some sci-fi elements. Very quirky and heartwarming as Klune is wont to do, but this might be too much in the way of science fiction for those that like Klune's fantasy. Overall, another winner from Klune.

Three robots - fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine named Nurse Ratched, and a small anxiety-filled vacuum named Rambo live with human Victor Lawson in the houses they’ve built into the branches of the trees in a forest - hidden and safe.

When Victor, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo find and repair an android with the label “HAP”, they learn of the dark past Gio and their new friend share. After getting back online, Hap unwittingly alerts robots from their past life to their current whereabouts and they capture and take Gio back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams.

Together, the makeshift family must journey across the country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Another amazing, beautiful, and touching found family novel from TJ Klune. I wrote down so many quotes from this novel (mostly from Nurse Ratched). I read over 100+ books a year and rarely do they make me actually cry - this one succeeded and therefore, it received 5 stars from me. And, like every year a new TJ Klune book comes out, this will be hard to beat for my choice of book of the year.

This is another book that, though it’s listed as SciFi/Fantasy, I can see so many people enjoying this. It does deal with Victor being the last human on Earth and the complications of loving those with an extremely complicated past, but it’s still a soft, found family read for me.

In the Lives of Puppets has an unforgettable cast of characters and the writing of Klune will make you care about an assembled group of robots and their human companion in a way I didn’t think would be possible.

I love this book and will be so highly recommending this to any and all for years to come.

*Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Klune writes fiction that is entirely unique in the fantasy genre. His characters have a depth and compassionate that begets the finest of fiction tales, while interlacing humor and tragedy in equal measure. In the Lives of Puppets gives us hope as Chat GPT and Art AI take over our consciousness. This tale of a post-human robot world is not as far fetched as we would like to believe.

I confess I am a TJ Klune fan and his latest does not disappoint. As in House In the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, he tackles big emotions in openly and sincerely. This Pinocchio retelling is heartfelt but still nuanced. Victor, a human, lives in the woods with his memorable, lovable, family of robots. When he rescues a new robot from the junkyard, Victor sets in motion a series of events that cause him to leave his home and question who he is, who his father is, and the complicated history, and future, of human and robot relations. Sweet and a little silly, in the way that makes it feel it would be perfect for a Studio Ghibli film adaptation, this earnest coming of age story will definitely please fans of his recent works.

In the Lives of Puppets is a beautiful story about hope and love and what we would do for those we care about. I feel in love with the characters and it’s honestly what kept me reading the book. I wanted to find out what happened next and what new adventure or roadblock they would encounter. If Vic, Rambo, Nurse Ratched, and Hap weren’t as quirky and lovable as they were in this novel I never would have finished it.
This novel is definitely not in my go to genres which made it a challenge to read. Then adding on chapters that took 30+ minutes to read… It was so hard to keep myself invested in this book. Overall, I loved the theme and that made it all worth it in the end.

I have long decided that TJ Klune is a favorite and again this book has proven that choice. This writer can write nothing but pure love that is golden and immeasurable with all possible reasoning for humanity and beyond.I have expected to feel good reading this and I was not disappointed. It was literally comfortable, with pure warmth and hugs and softness and never ending cuddles.

In The Lives Of Puppets was said to be Klune’s retelling to Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. But this is more that just retelling! It gave me a an adventure that I did not expect! Victor is the only human left in the world of robots and machine and this is his story. I remember enjoying the character of Iko in the Lunar Chronicles and having Nurse Rachet and Rambo as machine characters brings back that affection to my love for robots!

True to TJ Klune’s fashion, the story made me cry and laugh and scared and angry at times because life is all that. The creator has bestowed upon us a gift that is all too magical, wonderful, frightening and strange at the same time that is profound and powerful! Its focus is that there is always hope and that one can always dream and regardless of being different there is atonement and there is forgiveness and music and books can bring back good memories that will keep humanity grounded.

I have so much love and admiration for this book because it is inspiring from start to finish and I can go on forever and a day and the ending will still be the same- a 5 star rating! Thanks to TOR Books via Netgalley for the e-ARC and MacMillan Audio for the copies in exchange of my honest review. I highly recommend!

This book was more difficult to sink into than the first two I’ve read of T. J. Klune’s. The characters in this book were fantastic, and Rambo often provided a chuckle during the heavy parts. All in all, I enjoyed the character development, but was not the biggest fan of the overall story. I will still read anything new T. J. Klune writes though!

In the Lives of Puppets takes bits and pieces from The Wizard of Oz, Pinocchio, and A Psalm Wild Built to deliver another completely Klune-esque read. Like his other books, his characters are endearing, the social commentary is optimistic, the love is queer, and the story is feel-good.

I do enjoy a good fantasy book or speculative fiction and love the adventure-like quality and the imaginative characteristics in the future in Puppets which is very different from the cozy cottage-core vibes from Cerulean and Whispering. Nurse Ratched’s empathy protocol is a hilarious win for me. Her empathy and suck it up buttercup dichotomy is so funny!

Unfortunately, some things fell flat for me. I overall felt the book read a little too saccharine. I didn’t fully invest myself into all the characters and often found Rambo’s happy-core manic pixie robot character to be annoying. Even though the plot was wildly different than Klune’s other books, it also felt too predictable with the characters, message, and ending all having a dejavu-like quality.

The pacing moved along for me well and while the book wasn’t a standout for me, it was still a highly imaginative and entertaining read.

Don’t miss this one if you are a fan of Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, or are a Klune stan!

Publication date: April 25, 2023
Pages: 420

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the Lives of Puppets
by T.J. Klune
5 stars

what in the world did I pick up to read? I enjoyed every moment of this read but about 10% in I was just like what in the world is this? Absolutely loved the writing and the way it all came together. I have a feeling this is what our world will eventually turn into and I want a Nurse Ratchet for myself, it needs the attitude that one has though. I loved every moment even the sad parts.
Thank you, Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC for an honest review.

We follow the lives of Victor, his father Gio, a talkative and slighlty neurotic vacuum called Rambo, and the blunt and sarcastic nurse bot called Nurse Ratched. They live in the safety of a forest. One day after scavening through a scrapyard, Victor rescues Hap, an android porgrammed. His fate is similarly linked to Gio's.
After Hap's unwillingly call to the authorities, Gio is abducted. A riskly and terrifying journey to unknown territory follows; a journey to what really matters.

Like his previous novel, In The Lives of Puppets deal with the matters of the heart. This time - a retelling of Pinocchio. However, this story stands very well on its own ground, it is infused with moments of deep tenderness and intimacies, hilarious and ridiculous situations pervade the novel's inner landscape.
Klune's novels feels like a fresh breeze, a cup of hot cocoa after a hard day. And dare I say, a book filled with deep wisdom embedded in coziness.


Quotes:
"Be warned, a heart is not like the battery you used to have. It's stong, but fragile. It will lift you up. It will ache without reason. You'll find yourself feeling things you never thought possible. A heart changes everything."