Klune is one of my favorite authors, and this book only adds to a phenomenal catalog.

In the Lives of Puppets explores humanity, duty, love, and sacrifice while being heartwarming, funny, and all-out interesting. I felt the pacing was immaculate, and the prose pulled me right in. The book heavily features Klune's sense of humor (although not nearly as over the top as it is in his Verania books), and of course, Klune's characters show up strong.

I personally feel Klune's biggest strength is how he writes his characters and how they experience growth, and this novel exemplifies that. Even though the book is mostly character-oriented, it still has a decent plot. It's nothing groundbreaking, and it retreads a lot of the same ground many robot-take-over books do, but it serves as a wonderful vehicle to explore these characters -- and for the characters to explore their own motivations.

In the Lives of Puppets does wrap up fairly neatly, and if you've read The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door, the tone, especially at the end, will feel very familiar. For me, that's a huge plus, but if you really didn't like the tone/feeling of either of those two endings, this one probably wont hit for you.

Ultimately, I feel Klune does a fantastic job of reinventing Pinocchio, exploring his characters, and giving them the tools to explore themselves. If you've been impressed with Klune's latest offerings, give this one a shot!

When I first read [book:The House in the Cerulean Sea|45047384], I was gobsmacked. I fell in love with the author's style and began tracking down his back-list. Then I discovered IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS was due out soon, so I quickly requested it from NetGalley and here we are. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others I've read.

We join Gio in his strange little home in the woods. A couple runs through, acting as if they're being chased, and they leave their infant with Gio to keep him safe. Then they never came back. What follows is the charming story of Gio and his brood, which consists of robots. That's right, robots. We have Nurse Ratched, (a robot designed to care for humans), Rambo, (originally a vacuum), Gio and his new "son", Vic. Soon their serenity is darkened by a discovery at their local scrap yard, and life is never the same for them again.

This is an imaginative and creative tale, filled with humor and a bit of darkness as well. I loved the humor and laughed out loud more than a few times. Why is it then, that I was a somewhat disappointed? For a few reasons.

About halfway through the story, it changed from the peaceful, yet intriguing house in the woods to a quest. While this was just fine with me at first, I soon began finding myself reluctant to return to the story. Somewhere during that quest I lost my interest. It took me forever to finish because I just kept putting it off. Another reason was because I felt that this tale, (in certain ways), was almost exactly like the previous books of his I've read. Before I even got there, I knew how the story would end and I don't enjoy that when it happens. I like to be surprised. Formulaic stories can be good, but predictable, and that's how I felt about this one.

While definitely worth the read, I just felt that this tale did not measure up to what I've come to expect from T. J. Klune. I've rated it 3 stars: I liked it. The humor and characterization were top notch, but the story itself: predictable and a bit slow.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

I really, really enjoyed this one! Klune has this way of making, what I felt was, a very action packed and plot driven novel still seem very quiet and contemplative. Set in a dystopian future, our characters always seem to be on the verge of grave danger and yet, still find humor and joy throughout their days. If anyone can write a whimsical, dystopian love story, it’s Klune. Full of adventure in a futuristic setting, at it’s heart, In the Lives of Puppets is a magical story of found family, loyalty, acceptance, and love.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

The author clearly has a knack for making the readers absolutely love whimsical robotic creatures and bringing out humour in every little conversation. It constantly throws Pinocchio vibes and especially the characters Rambo and Nurse Ratchet were top notch in the fun elements. If you have read the author's previous book, I felt the Cerulean sea was absolutely the best and this one though it is amazing will rate always below that one for me. They both have a similar theme where it stresses how much everyone's feelings matter and the innocence is so heartwarmingly cute. It is perfect fantasy meets sci fi meets heartwarming family love!

This book as enjoyable. I love TJ Klune's writing style and that shone through in this book. The concept of the book was great, and I enjoyed it as a Pinocchio retelling. However there were points where I felt like it was dragging and the characters were not as likable as in The House in the Cerulean Sea. The robots dialogue felt a little forced at times, but were still pretty funny. Overall not my favorite by him but very enjoyable and I will continue to read what he puts out.

This is my third novel by TJ Klune and it did not disappoint! It is not the favorite out of the three, but most definitely worth reading! It is a modern take on Pinocchio (which I must admit I don't believe I remember the full story) involving machines. I loved the humor of Nurse RATCHET and her screen messages, but I didn't love every single character like I have in others I have read by Klune. I read along and listened to the audiobook. I highly recommend going the audiobook route if you like them, the voices given to the characters are perfect.

Oh this author has done it again! I really tried not to cry, I told myself I wasn't going to cry, I cried.

The author has created yet another story that is just filled with beautiful family, love, humanity and the ability and freedom to choose who we want to be.

They seem to be the themes that the author has become synonymous with and his storytelling and I find comfort in its familiarity every time I pick up and cozy down to one of his books.

This is yet another book of his that makes your heart feel 10 sizes bigger than it is and makes your insides feel all glowy and warm. T. J. Klune is quickly becoming a master storyteller. He creates books that are soft and comfy as a blanket that you just want to wrap yourself around in.

A post-modern tale with echoes of both Pinocchio and Wizard of Oz, with the most unique cast of characters. It's a story of humanity, found family, and the power of redemption and free choice.

I loved it. Despite not being much of a sci-fi fan, I have loved everything I've read from TJ Klune.

TJ Klune's talent as a storyteller is undeniable. His stories are set in beautifully crafted worlds with well-crafted characters that captivate readers. The latest story he presents is no exception. It is a riveting tale that is filled with adventure, romance, and depth that will leave you contemplating long after the final page. The characters are incredibly impressive, and Klune's gift for character development is evident. He imbues even the most minor characters with unique personalities and idiosyncrasies that are captivating. My personal favorite was Nurse Ratchet, a brutally honest yet fiercely loyal friend that we all wish we had. Although there were some parts of the book that were tedious and made me skim through a few pages, overall, the book was fantastic. While Under the Whispering Door remains my favorite TJ Klune book, I am always thrilled to read anything he writes. This not being an exception.

Dnf @ 20% sorry but I just couldn’t with this kms. I ended up trying to listen to the audio but it didn’t work for me and it was the same for the digital version.

This one took me emotions on a voyage lol. I was not expecting this to be so sad but I ended up crying. I do think the middle dragged a bit and I was honestly close to giving this 3 stars but I absolutely loved the ending of this one.

Absolutely amazing! I wasn’t sure how I would feel going into this book. I haven’t really read books with robots/androids. This was so good. I loved the main character Victor. There were so many unexpected turns in this book. I literally could not predict what would happen next. There were so many ups and downs. Bittersweet moments. I had so many thoughts while reading this. What would you do if everything you ever knew was wrong? What would you do if everything you knew was forgotten? And who has the right to give forgiveness?
*thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review.

Many thanks for the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of one of my most anticipated reads of 2023.

T.J. Klune does it again!

This is a beautiful story of love, family, humanity, creativity, friendship, I could go on and on. The characters in this, although most are machine, are some of the most well developed and life-like characters I have ever shared time with. Nurse Ratched will forever have my heart and I hope to be like her one day. There are lessons woven through each chapter of this work and some are so important and timely.

The first half will have you laughing out loud, the second will have you on the edge of your seat holding your breath with hope.

I highly recommend reading the Acknowledgement and would be very, very curious to see Klune's original manuscript for this. The world may not be 'ready,' but I can guarantee his voice is necessary for every human and machine to hear.

I had a really hard time with this book, and I’m upset because I reaaaaally wanted to love it! It has everything I enjoy: post-apocalyptic world, living in the fringes, found family, witty dialogue, romance and adventure! What more could I want? It seems to have missed the mark, unfortunately. While the writing was beautiful, it was lacking in plot to move the story forward which is kind of hard to read when it’s an adventure fantasy. It felt a little stagnant and I kept finding myself wishing for something to happen. The characters were developed well enough but at the same time they felt a little unreachable to me. I did think however his world building was insane! I really felt like I was immersed in the world of Gio and Vic and kept wishing there was a theme park like this that I could visit! Overall I would say this was 2.5-3 stars for me.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were fleshed (no pun intended) out well and the plot was well paced.

I enjoyed the balance between the writing of the narration and of the characters. The narration felt descriptive while the dialogue felt appropriately robotic. Nurse Ratched and Rambo each had unique elements that made their characters quite compelling.

The main plot line was exciting and heartwarming. I appreciated the touch of melancholy at the end with the big dash of hope. Seems appropriately human.

The queer/ace representation was great. There aren’t many ace characters out there so to see that represented authentically was a great touch. It didn’t feel forced or unnecessary but simply an element of the character. It felt real.

My only minor complaint is that the message felt a little heavy handed at times. Just a little too spelled out. Not enough to put much of a dent into my experience. Still a 5 star read. One of my favorite books I’ve read this year so far. Will definitely recommend to any fan of science fiction or found family.

TJ Klune has done it again, crafting a world of machines and making it both enduring and relatable. This book is a mix of Pinocchio and Wizard of Oz. Victor is the last human left on earth. Machines now inhabit the world since all humans were killed off.
His adventure starts when machines come to his house to steal the great inventor, his father, and take him to their version of the emerald city. Now Victor must team up with his nurse, vacuum, and killer robot to get his father back and hope Gio remembers him.
This book had many laugh out loud moments and tender moments between friends. Such a fun read.

Another amazing book by T.J. Klune! The way Klune was able to bring to life the the robots in such a realistic way that the relationships never seemed far fetched was fantastic. The strength of the family (Victor, Gio, Rambo, Nurse Ratched) storyline and the story of Victor and Hap kept me reading when I should've been doing other things. I was laughing and crying all the way through. I'm now suffering from a major book hangover. I can't wait for another T.J. Klune.

This is a good book and a lovely story. But it didn't get its claws in me the way House on the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door did.

This retelling of Pinocchio is set post-robot apocolypse where Victor, the only human boy he knows, has a robot father, robot friends, and robot danger. When Victor's father is kidnapped by Bad Robots, he sets off to rescue them.

The love story is soft and gentle, and maybe a little heart breaking. It was a beautifully described book, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it optioned for some kind of prestige television based on the visuals alone.

No, I hate to say it, but the piece of this book that annoyed me were the voices of the robot friends - Rambo and Nurse Ratched. While I understand the voices and how they serve the characters, I just didn't like them. It is what it is.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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

[Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the early ARC to read and review!]

Victor lives in a strange little home in the woods hidden and safe with his android father and two robot friends Nurse Ratched and Rambo. When he repairs an unfamiliar robot named "HAP" (hysterically angry puppet) he learns of a dark past his father shares with HAP. But HAP doesn't remember who he used to be and he's learning a different lifestyle with Victor. When his father is taken by the authorities, Victor chooses to go find him. But as one of the only Humans left, it may be even more dangerous for him than he realizes, and along the way, HAP and Vic grow closer. But can he accept love with strings attached?

I enjoyed this book more than I had expected. It's not like The House in the Cerulean Sea but it shares the same cozy feel the book gives off, if you know what I mean. The writing style is easy to follow and every character has great development and I loved them all.

One thing I will say about this book is that it is very humorous. There were plenty of times I laughed from the conversations Victor has with his friends. The relationship between these characters was so wholesome and I enjoyed it so much.

This book, like their others, has great LGBTQA+ representation throughout it. Victor is asexual and it was so nice finally reading a story with asexual representation in the book. 

The adventures throughout this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was rooting for Victor and during the sad parts throughout the book I really felt along with him. If you haven't read this book, you need to. It was such a great story.

TJ Klune is probably the only person who can make you fall in love with monsters, ghosts, and now robots. It's a little Wizard of Oz (no wonder I liked it), a little Pinocchio, and a little Wall-E, but entirely unique and original at the same time.

I think everyone should read The House in the Cerulean Sea, but don't sleep on TJ Klune's other books. In the Lives of Puppets is another heart-warming story with big themes .

Out now.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the electronic copy.