4.5 stars. Thank you so much for my eARC copy!!

OMG these characters absolutely wormed their way right into my heart, especially the dynamic between Nurse Ratched and Rambo. I wondered at the beginning if their dynamic would feel stale by the end but no. Not at all. 10/10 grumpy sunshine friendship between those two and I was totally here for it the entire time. And the dynamic between Hap and Victor was so sweet. And between Vic and his dad. So really just all of the main characters, I loved.

Like most of TJ Klune’s books, we follow these characters through a lot of personal growth and we grow with them, and that’s one of my favorite things about books from this author. But unlike his other books THIS ONE HAS A QUEST. So like what’s not to like right? Also can treehouse masters please recreate Giovanni’s house for me please? I can’t be the only one who would love to live in their wonderful treehouse abode.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune was absolutely beautiful. TJ Klune is an amazing writer that I have a hard time describing my feelings because I can’t even grasp the words I want so say in this review. TJ Klune’s storytelling is amazing and the characters are always unforgettable. This story made me laugh, made me sad because it was perfect. I loved the combination between Pinocchio and The Wizard of Oz. I adore this book so very much. Can’t wait to have a physical copy for my personal library. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity.

This book is, at its base, a retelling of the story of Pinocchio, the puppet who wanted, above all else, to become a real boy. In a future dystopia, Giovanni Lawson lives in the wilderness with his son, Victor, and their robotic aides, Nurse Ratched, a nursing robot, and Rambo, a vacuum. Giovanni (or Gio, as he is sometimes known) came to the wilderness well before Victor was born, fleeing the Authority - the robots who have taken over the world, in an attempt to create a world that is more predictable than a world run by humans.

In this day of AI becoming more and more capable, this is a cautionary tale about what could happen if humanity loses control of its creations; and yet, it is also a hopeful tale, about what could happen if humanity's creations seek to become more and more like their creator. There are a few twists and turns along the way, but ultimately, this novel is a quest - to find help, to find family, to find hope. Recommended for high school and adults.

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

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune is a book that I had huge expectations for. Unfortunately, they fell short. I like the premise of the story and the idea of the characters, but the character of Rambo the robot vacuum really got to me. In fact the lines that involved Rambo started to make me literally cringe that I could not go on. On top of this, I just thought that the story dragged on. I had to stop reading at 65% and hopefully I will get back to this one but for now, this is a DNF for me. DNFing a ARC is extremely rare for me because I want to respect the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity, but. I could not go on with the story. I know I am probably in the minority with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, this wasn't my favourite by TJ Klune but then again, after how destroyed I was by Under the Whispering Door, I feel like my expectations were very high. That being said, I would love to be able to take a peek into this author's brain. It must be such a magical and wonderful, creative space! I'm not sure how he comes up with these stories but I love it! They are just so unique and his characters are so relatable. I haven't seen many Pinocchio retellings and was definitely curious as to how Klune would spin it. The side characters in this one are especially funny and got many chuckles out of me. I do wish that we got an epilogue so we could see the characters rebuilding, the ending felt a tad cut short as it is. Nevertheless, this was a fun read and was very imaginative!

Rating: 3.5 rounded to 4.

Content warnings: grief, genocide, gore, death, confinement, dementia, panic attacks/disorder, animal cruelty, animal death.

A huge thanks to Tor Books and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

This is my first TJ Klune book and I am obsessed. World building was masterfully done, the characters were all a lot of fun and it felt like an adventure. I absolutely loved the banter and the themes of found family, love, queer representation and being whoever you want to be. It was wholesome and comforting. Now I wish I had had a sociopathic robot and anxious vacuum for friends. Loved it!

Another cute book from TJ Klune. It wasn't to most heartfelt of his and I wasn't dying to get back to the characters or world. With that I also don't regret reading it. I might just be a bit tired of Pinocchio but this didn't bring anything new to the table.

QUICK TAKE: Klune's take on THE WIZARD OF OZ and PINOCCHIO, and I loved it. It's probably his funniest book yet (primarily because of the amazing robot supporting cast...Nurse Ratched is a hoot), and definitely my favorite of his after Cerulean.

I really like the way Klune writes. It's just a big warm hug. And even though the topic of human annihilation doesn't scream "cozy," somehow this book manages to be just that. I appreciated Nurse Ratched's sarcasm, as well as the relationship with Rambo. Would recommend!

I had heard so many negative comments on this book. I have to disagree. I really ended up liking this book more than I expected. The characters were so easy to like. An the concept was so fun and interesting. The ending was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley, Tor publishing and the author for my ARC. I preordered this as soon as I caught wind of it then prayed to all the deities for my NetGalley approval. I was at Barnes to pick up my order as soon as they opened on pub day.
🤖🦾🤖
A review won’t do this book justice, so I’ll just gush instead.
This is by far the best thing I’ve read all year🎉💖
Victor, a very human boy, must travel with his Android friends to rescue his Android dad who was taken by some very bad “people” who has no fucking joy in life. It’s an adventure and its love and it’s so damn beautiful, my petty little heart wobbled and tilted and made music.
🤖🦾🤖
You will fall in love with every single character, and yes my favorite is nurse Ratched especially with lines like these- “Feelings are detrimental to my existence”. I wanted to hug Rambo and also let HAP stalk me from behind a tree.
🤖🦾🤖
Klune definitely knows how to make you feel feelings in the best ways possible. Respect ✊.
This should be your next read, trust me, it’s just an unforgettable little treat. Highly recommend ❤️💖💖

his is my first advanced copy from net galley, and I did not expect to get it! TJ Klune does enjoy stories about found families in weird houses.

I expected the Pinocchio parallels, but when I noticed another re-worked story creeping in, I enjoyed the book even more. I would have never mashed those two stories together, but it worked well! The book was written in a way where I could see each piece as a scene in a movie, which is not typically how I read books. It didn’t get 5 stars from me due to a lot of cheesy dialogue and there were some parts that slowed down and took me out of the story.

One time TJ Klune made me fall in love with a green blob and I thought, this is the weirdest character that I will ever love this much...and then in this book I fell in love with a vacuum. Seriously, Rambo steals the show and is just amazing. If you're on the fence, read it for him alone.

This might be the weirdest book Klune has ever written, but as I completely expected, it absolutely worked and I loved every moment of it. Honestly, I saw a lot of past favorites within this story. Hap reminded me so much of Gavin from Brothersong (in all the best ways), some of the early on bad guys (staying spoiler free) took me back to Into This River I Drown, and as previously stated I fell in love with non human characters in very The House in the Cerulean Sea fashion. Maybe others wont see all this, but to me it kinda felt like a love letter to his readers without hitting you over the head with cameos. (Not to say I don't usually love the cameos that Klune weaves through).

Overall this is exactly what I've come to expect from Klune. It has strong found family vibes, some of the realest characters you will ever read (I would love to be friends with any one of them), a ton of laughter, and of course some tears. The love story on this one is really light, but it worked for the Victor and Hap. It was more of a story of family and humanity, and it was impossible to put down.

This is a story about what it takes to make a family.  In an unusual and isolated home deep in the forest, there is an unconventional family.  Three of them are robots: Giovanni Lawson, an older inventor; Nurse Ratched, a nurse machine; and Rambo, a small vacuum.  The fourth is Gio's son, Victor, who is a human, left in Giovanni's care when he was a baby.  The four have made a comfortable and warm life for themselves, supported by Gio's inventions and repairs of things that were scavenged from a nearby scrapyard.  

One day, Vic finds an unfamiliar android in the scrapyard labeled "HAP."  Eager to emulate his dad as an inventor, Vic repairs the android.  HAP at first seems standoffish, but gradually becomes a part of the family.  But bringing Hap into their family inadvertently reveals Gio's location to robots from a former life that Vic, Nurse Ratched, and Ramo knew nothing about.  When Gio is seized by these robots and taken back to the City of Electric Dreams, a center of robot life, Vic is determined to get Gio back. So he, Hap, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo leave their home for a long journey to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue Gio.  Through this journey, Vic learns much more about Gio, Hap, and even his own background, causing him to question his relationships with them and the wider world -- and what love really means.

I enjoyed this book.  It is an interesting and highly creative take on a Pinocchio story.  As in his previous novels, the author creates a rich and fully realized world that unfolds over the course of the book, combined with a highly engaging and emotional story.  I found myself completely invested in the relationships between Vic and his father, Vic and Hap, and Vic with both Nurse Ratched and especially Rambo.  It takes a special writer to make a robot vacuum into both one of the hearts of a story and also its comic relief.  The book also offered thoughtful insights about free will and the degree to which one should be defined by their past.

Strongly recommended!

TJ Klune truly is a master with words. He creates such immersive worlds and characters that you want to call your friends, looking at you Nurse Ratched. “In the Lives of Puppets” is a story of found family, love, loss, and fighting for what you love most. A perfect blend of sci-fi and whimsy, but with heart in the center of the story.
If you’re familiar with Klune’s previous work, you will absolutely love this addition to his ever growing body of work. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

TJ Klune certainly knows how to write characters that will melt your heart and reside within your soul for all of time. I absolutely adored this cast of characters. I felt equally attached to them as I did to the characters in The House in the Cerulean Sea.

What I found done so well done in this book was the relationships between Victor, Giovanni, Hap, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. Also the humor that was injected in Nurse Ratched’s personality had me actually laughing out loud at various points. Rambo was equally funny in his own unique way. I never thought I could love a vacuum but here we are.

I appreciated the different themes that Klune tackled. He never shies away from hard topics. Though he handles them with such care and weaves them into the story seamlessly. It feel authentic and not preachy in any way. I will say the plot got a little bogged down in the middle for me. That tends to be the pattern for the books of Klune’s I have read. However, the ending always makes up for it. An emotional gut punch is always expected when reading books by this author and I’m never disappointed. I can’t wait to read whatever he releases next.

This book was an interesting mishmash of genres and ideas. I would pitch it as Pinocchio meets Terminator as weird as that sounds. I think my biggest issue with the book was the writing style and particularly the dialogue and humour. It felt like 2/4 main characters were Olaf from Frozen. The first half of the book really dragged and felt like a one-liner filled stand out comedy set from Rambo and Nurse Ratched. I really wish this was toned down a bit then maybe there wouldn't be such a big disconnect between the first and second half of the book. Something which I did really like was the exploration of themes such as purpose, belonging, destiny etc. Overall I'd recommend it if you don't mind the corny and childish humour.

A book about family that you choose, humanity, choices and love.

Victor lives with his family in the forest. His family consists of his father Giovanni, who is a robot. Then they have a sadistic nurse who is called nurse Ratched. And last but not least, a vacuum who needs affirmation and love at every second: Rambo.

When Rambo, Nurse Ratched and Vic find a broken robot in the scrap yards, they resolve to fix him. He then becomes one of their best friends. But at the same time, he destroys life as they know it.

Vic, Nurse Ratched, Rambo and HAP (the new robot) go on a journey together to rescue Gio. They need to go to the City of Lights, but it will not be an easy journey. During this journey, there are awful things that happen, and feelings that need to be addressed.

I loved the conversations in this book. They were light, and a lot of fun. The characters were well-described and all of it added to the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan who provided me with an Arc in exchange for my opinion. All opinions are honest and my own.

I started reading this a few months back, and every time I had to put it down. It’s one of the books you want to finish asap to know what happens next, and at the same time wish it wouldn’t end so soon.

TJ Klune has done it again! I thought he can’t top how The House in the Cerulean Sea made me feel, but I am glad to report I was proven wrong. This book is all ❤️!

Giovanni Lawson (aka Gio aka General Information Operative) escapes to the forest and there he makes a home among the trees. When a baby is left in his care, he brings him up as his own son and names him Victor/Vic. Along the way, Vic fixes a sociopathic nursing machine, Nurse Rached and an neurotic Vacuum, Rambo, and together they make a motley family, living in the jungle. Everything changes when Vic rescues a decommissioned Robot, Hap- Hysterically Angry Puppet and gives him a heart. When Hap unwittingly leads the authorities to them and Gio is taken away, Vic decides to go to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue Gio, and along came Nurse Rached, Rambo, and Hap.
Their adventures along the way, meeting people he had never heard of, and learning the truth, his own truth is what the story is all about. Can Vic find forgiveness and enough love in his heart to move on from what people he loved had done?

This is such a hopeful and endearing story. And that regardless of how we are programmed, there is always a choice. All the characters are very well fleshed out. Even the transient ones, where you get a good sense of what the character is about within a few pages.

Highly recommended!

Let the adventure begin! And as with all adventures, these are the rules:

“Stick together.
Run of you have to.
No dallying.
No drilling (Nurse Rached disagrees).
And above all else,
Be brave!”

This was a cool reimagining of Pinocchio meets The Wizard of Oz meets Wall-E. The story takes place in the far future when robots have taken over the world. The story begins when Gio, who is running away from something, ends up in a forest in the middle of nowhere and builds his home on the ruins of an abandoned home. One day a couple appearing to flee something dangerous brings their child and abandons him to Gio's care. The boy, Viktor, ends up being adopted and raised by Gio.

I loved the cast of characters, but it took me some time to become invested in Viktor and Hap. It wasn't until they were in the city and a few traumatic things occurred that I really felt connected to them. There were moments when I lost the thread of what was happening and had to go back and reread passages. By the time they got to the city, I ended up bingeing the rest of the book. I loved Rambo and Nurse Ratchet--they were awesome. In every one of Klune's books that I've read, there's always a loveable ADHD character, and while I don't know the author, I suspect it's the character that represents himself. That was Rambo and I loved him! Nurse Ratchet was just as hilarious but in a very dry and matter-of-fact way.

I loved Klune's messages in this book, about living life to the fullest, never giving up on your loved ones, treasuring every moment with them, and getting to choose who you are, regardless of what others say. I also loved the concept of the heart and blood giving life. As usual, his stories give LGBTQ+ voices space, and I enjoyed the conversations Viktor had with his friends about asexuality as well as what Viktor considered private, and Hap trying to understand it. This was Klune's usual quirky story with a lot of heart. I didn't like it quite as much as some of his other stories, but I love it all the same. If you're already a Klune fan, you should not miss this one!

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.