First off, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC of this book! Every time I read one of TJ Klune’s books, it always leaves a very heartwarming and hopeful feeling at the end, and this one is no different. First off, it surprised me how a story about a family of androids and robots could be so much more humane than a story about humans. We see a group of characters, each with their own imperfections. But when they behave as a family, I love how their personalities very seamlessly complement one another. I think the author made such a creative decision when he chose robots (essentially puppets) as his main characters. By stripping them away from emotions that we are so familiar with, like love and anger and curiosity, the characters’ desire to feel these emotions help exemplify just how important they are, and how we should embrace these emotions, for they are what makes us alive.

Given that this is my third TJ Klune book, I would like to remind readers that his stories mostly start on the slower side, but because he sets readers up for such a fantastic world-building. All I can say to this is, take your time when reading this book, and use this opportunity to actually enjoy the prose, the world, and the characters and their relationships to one another. Overall, a LOVELY and WONDERFUL read. For all who love fantasy and sci-fi, and for those who may need a little bit of hope in their lives right now, this would be a great book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, TJ Klune has written an excellent book that made me laugh, made me happy cry, made me sad cry, and made me fall in love with all of the characters. This book, a loose reimagining of Pinocchio, was so inventive and imaginative and heartwarming, and I will absolutely be recommending it to all my friends.

Things I loved to see: ace rep, a character with a stutter (even though the character with a stutter is an android and the stutter rests in a fault in his code/wiring, it’s never miraculously “fixed” and I love that), found family (my all time favorite trope), RAMBO (probably my favorite character, if I’m being honest, but it’s a close call).

Fans of Klune’s previous works will definitely need to pick this one up ASAP.

What a beautiful, heartfelt hug of a book. This was exactly what I expected, and yet still frequently surprised me. The more I think about the entire vibe of this story the more my heart fills.

As always I adore TJ Klune’s characters, they’re funny, crude, gentle, and loveable. The BANTER. god, it’s out of this world. Rambo is without a doubt my favourite, his gentle little heart and raging anxiety brought me so much joy.

overall a lot of the story is very conveniently not explained, a lot of the plot relies on coincidence and a general lack of understanding for very important driving forces in the story that the reader just has to accept will never be explained. It often felt like Klune was putting more focus into writing funny banter and likeable characters and not actually developing this complex world he created, or giving the plot enough time to fully develop in a believable way.

That being said, I don’t think it majorly deters from the story. Avid sci fi fans looking for an in-depth explanation of this world will be sorely disappointed, but those looking for a fairytale-esque story about humanity, family, love, and perseverance will be over the moon with this sweet book.

this is such a nice, cozy robot adventure book. It’s simple, it’s hilarious, and it’s a great book to escape into when you need to have a good laugh and maybe a bit of a cry. I’ll be singing “heaven, I’m in heaven” for the rest of the week.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advanced copy of such a delightful book!

TJ Klune's adult books have always made me laugh, cry, and feel hopeful. "Under the Whispering Door" was one of my favorite books of 2021.

This one was sadly a bit of a let down. I thought it had a lot more of "Wizard of Oz" than "Pinocchio" or "Wall-E". The characters were somewhat enjoyable and fun (especially Rambo and Nurse Ratched), but mostly not memorable. While this story said a lot of the right things and a lot of what TJ Klune's reader would expect, it felt often heavy handed.

Many readers will absolutely love this book, and they should. Sadly I was not one of them. "Under the Whispering Door" stays my favorite for another few years.

The audiobook was good.

"Heaven. I'm in Heaven."

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune takes Pinocchio, Terminator, and Wall-E and creates a unique story about found family in the time of the apocalypse and makes it whimsical in only the way Klune can.

Klune is already an auto-buy author for me, and Puppets has really reminded me why. He paints such a wonderful picture with his storytelling and his characters. He truly is one of the best out there as far as creating spectacular characters who you only grow to love as the book progresses.

Puppets is the story of Gio, a lonely an living in a forest sanctuary that would make the Swiss Family Robinson envious, as he raises his son, Victor. Victor's best friends are a Roomba named Rambo, and a robot nurse aptly named Nurse Ratched. The four of them live happily until Victor finds a decommissioned android, Hap, in the scrap yard. That's when the plot really gets started, and never stops.

Rambo and Nurse Ratched are easily my favorite characters in the book, which I never thought I would consider a Roomba to be one of the best, most hilarious, characters I've encountered all year, but that's what Klune does. He makes you fall in love with the most unlikely of "people." I laughed out loud several times, and I highlighted so many passages.

In addition to his trademark humor, there are also the moments that make you cry. There is a scene near the end where I found myself crying, and had to stop myself and shake my head over what I was crying over. That's all I'll say. I don't want to spoil anything.

If you enjoyed any of Klune's previous books, I highly recommend you pick this one up. If you've never read any of his books before, you might as well start with this one, and then read his back list. If there's a long wait at your library, go read the back list first.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first TJ Klune book and I loved it. I’ve always wanted to read this author and with a never ending TBR this eARC was exactly what I needed to start. In the Lives of Puppets, Victor is the only human in a world of robots. This book had me laughing from beginning to end and the characters were wonderful. I will admit it took a while for me to get into but the journey ended up being fantastical and heartwarming.

I love all things TJ Klune. He is my auto buy author and this book has been perfectly added next to his others on my bookshelf. His descriptive writing, his settings and the love his characters have are truly amazing.

From start to finish, I loved every second. This is actually my second robot story i have read this year with the idea of humanity being destroyed after we keep making robots. It is a fascinating concept. TJ Klume wrote this beautiful laugh out loud story that I will hold in my heart forever.

TJ Klune has become an instant-buy, favorite author for me. His characters, whether man or anti-christ, spirit guide or machine, are so alive, so nuanced, so flawed and lovely. In the Lives of Puppets does it again, giving even the setting such lovely character, you know right where you are, how the air feels, what it smells like, from the crisp forest of Oregon to the stale desert of Las Vegas. This book gives the reader a take on what it means to be human, in a world that is violently opposed to humanity. We meet machines that are so life-like they seem 100% human, but are they capable of the greatest of human emotions? What will it take for harmony, love and forgiveness to reign over order?

Overall loved this book, but it did feel less original than his other work and more pieced together from Disney works, I know some was intentional but others felt lazy. Still an enjoyable reading experience and will continue to read what he puts out!

Such a fun and interesting take on robots. I am not a Pinocchio fan so having that be part of the marketing was something that almost stopped me from requesting this book, but glad I did.

Oh, to live in TJ Klune’s mind for just one day…

If I told you to read a book that at times felt like a cross between Pinocchio and The Wizard of Oz, but with queer love and robots— would you read it? What if I told you to just trust me?! 🤣

Y’all. This book is so relevant with all the advancements in AI technology happening right now. We’ve all seen the movies, but Klune writes up a world post-robot takeover that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen or heard before. It’s terrifying, but also gentler and more hopeful. It will make you feel the feels, and it will open your heart.

If you’ve read and loved his books before, I know this will be no exception. If you’ve never ventured into Klune’s imagination before, I couldn’t think of a better place to start. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC of In the Lives of Puppets!

Robot Giovanni Lawson builds what is the most beautifully described treehouse in a remote forest (like I want to pack up and move there) and lives there until he eventually realizes that he is lonely and then a human couple come running through the trees and give him their baby to keep safe.

Gio is a creative robot and rehabilitates a Nurse Ratched robot and a robot vacuum named Rambo. Nurse Ratched and Rambo steal the show in this book. Their characters are hilarious.

Gio raises the human baby and names him Victor. The story takes place when Victor is 22. Vic, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo discover another android robot in the nearby scrapyards setting of a chain of events that lead to a quest to the City of Electric Dreams.

This story has such an interesting premise as a reverse Pinocchio retelling. The writing is beautiful and the characters are heartbreaking. This was such a great read.

Another great TJ Klune book. A great retelling that is heartwarming in a way that only Klune can do. This is a bit of a slow burn at the beginning but picks up about 30% in and makes it hard to put down

As always with T.J. Klune, this story is super original and creative with beautiful meaning tucked in as well as some great humor. It had great banter between the very lovable characters that had me laughing and smiling. While I did enjoy the book, it didn’t pull me in quite like the authors other books.

As with all of the T.J. Klune books I have read this was a stunning 5 star read. In the Lives of Puppets is adorable, emotional, heartfelt, and heart wrenching. It made me feel so many emotions throughout the entire story, it kept me coming back for more because I knew I was in for a good time! The story was full of wit and sass and snappy one-liners which was SO entertaining. This was the first story I've read that had Pinocchio influences which I thought was so unique and kept me coming back for more. My only wish was that some parts of the story were longer! I felt the ending was ever so slightly rushed but it ultimately did not detract from my joy of this story.

TJ Klune does it again. I feel like his books always start slow, and I tell myself that this one might not be my favorite..and then it happens. The magic. The magic that only he can produce. He makes you fall in love with the characters, but never forces it. A book about best friends, found family and a whole lot of love.

"In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe."

You know that first drink of water, after working out? Or digging in the garden on a hot day? Or when you first wake up and your tongue is glued to the roof of your mouth?

Coming off a month-long book slump, this book is that first drink.

Was lost, now found.
Was parched, now fully hydrated.

I loved everything about it.

I loved the ridiculous side characters (A Roomba with GAD and an Angel of Death nurse-bot?).

I loved the setting (should I be able to SMELL the colour green?).

I loved Victor's Hero's Journey.

I loved that it was a weird mash-up of Pinocchio and Psalm for the Wild-Built and Futurama.

And the ending. THE ENDING.

My only red-light is with my own brain, that won't let me stay in the moment and ENJOY all the happiness.

If I hadn't already read everything from this author's back catalogue, I'd have them all in my cart right now.

9.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan Audio for this not-so-Grimm Fairytale of an ARC.

Absolutely amazing! My friend and so many others have raved about TJ Klune and this is my first read of his work. I loved it. I adore his writing style and I love how he can talk about intense topics but does so in a way where I can still enjoy the book. I can't wait to read his others.

In the Lives of Puppets is a retelling of Pinocchio mixed with bits of The Wizard of OZ and The Terminator. Only this time the boy is human and everyone else is a pupp....err....robot.

This is a delightful book. There are complex emotions, social commentary, pop culture references, and a big huge dollop of humor layered into a love story between a human and the robot created to destroy humans. I enjoyed it immensely and was deeply moved by the ending.

Also, I would live for a series of picture books of Nurse Ratched and Rambo wandering in the forest getting into misadventures.