Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of In the Lives of Puppets.

I'm not a big fan of science fiction, I don't read much of it, but I will read outside my usual genre if I find a premise intriguing like I did with In the Lives of Puppets.

This book is a unique retelling of Pinocchio, and though there are some similarities, the Blue Fairy, the Stromboli-like character, the author weaves a unique and fascinating tale filled with good world-building and memorable characters.

The story transcends genres; it's science fiction, but it's also about love, family, loyalty, forgiveness, respect, and so much more.

It's a testament to the author's way with words that I found Rambo, Nurse Ratched, and Gio more compelling characters than Vic, and he's the human.

A few days after I finished reading In the Lives of Puppets, I think of Rambo's exuberant, sincere exclamations about being brave and Nurse Ratched's employing her Empathy Protocol, which is how I feel when my friends and family are rambling about a topic I could care less about.

I need to remind myself that friends and family listen to their friends and family, whether or not the topic is interesting or inane.

I loved Rambo, though Nurse Ratched's personality and humor is more in line with my own. You do need an optimistic person in your group of friends to balance everyone else out.

The only thing I didn't like was Vic and Hap's romance; I'm still not sure why they like each other nor did I find it necessary to the narrative.

As I've said before, a romance is not essential in books regardless of genre. Why can't they just be BFFs?

I'd love to read a story featuring Rambo and Nurse Ratched on an adventure of their own.

They remind me of two of the three robots in one of the shorts on NetFlix's Love, Death and Robots.

In the Lives of Puppets would make a great miniseries on the streaming site, too.

All alone, deep in a forest, lives an unusual family. There’s Gio, the inventor android, Rambo, a cleaning robot, and Nurse Ratched, a medical bot. There’s also Victor, a young human man raised by Gio who’s never seen another of his kind. They all live peacefully until one day, Victor brings home an android from the scrap yards named Hap. Repairing Hap sets off a chain of events that reveals secrets and leads to Gio being captured by strange and ominous looking robots. While Victor grapples with revelations, he knows one thing for sure: he’s going to journey to the city where Gio was taken and get his father back.

IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS is a book with a charming premise that unfortunately becomes a bit muddled by the end. I really liked the first half of this story. It’s got a wonderful set-up, and I enjoyed meeting the robots, particularly Rambo, the very nervous cleaning bot. It was a comfort to settle into their day-to-day lives and to experience the inevitable heartbreak. There’s also some genuinely humorous dialogue (Nurse Ratched’s deadpan delivery alongside contrasting images on her monitor was a delight).

There’s been a lot of emphasis in the marketing for this book that this tale was inspired by Pinocchio, and I can definitely see those influences in the story. However, there is just as much inspiration taken from THE WIZARD OF OZ. You need look no further than Victor’s three companions: a robot who can’t remember things, one that lacks empathy, and one that’s not very brave. It’s a true fusion of these two tropes that stops it from being completely predictable, as you can’t tell from which story the author is going to pull from next.

Overall, this was a fine adventure, but there were two elements that stopped the story from being a solid home run from me. The first is the most subjective: there was a significant amount of humor that wasn’t to my taste. Much as I liked Nurse Ratched’s deadpan commentary, many of her jokes have to do with her nonchalant discussion of genitalia and sex (meant to embarrass Victor like any kid whose parent starts talking about such things) and whether or not Victor is feeling aroused by another character. While I could have tolerated a couple of jokes in this vein, there is a LOT of that humor throughout the book, and I just got tired of it.

The other part where the book felt flat was I wasn’t sure what the thematic point was by the end. Was it about free will and choosing your own path? Was it about forgiveness? Human connection? The one given most weight is certainly about forgiveness, particularly who has the “right” to forgive, but not even that theme landed in an impactful way. And the moment where the title of the book came up, I was left utterly perplexed by what the character was trying to convey in the context of the full sentence. Perhaps I just didn’t “get” it, but the ending felt a bit rushed and left me underwhelmed.

IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS had the makings of a tale I was ready to fully enjoy. I’ve gotten a lot out of the author’s past books, and did like getting to meet the characters he created for this outing. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite connect with the final act of the story. While I did like a number of things about the overall story, this feeling of lack of payoff took away from some of the emotional punch of the finale for me personally. Others without my humor hang-ups will undoubtedly like it more, but for me, the biggest takeaway is that Rambo must be protected at all costs.

Once again, TJ Klune has proven he can write the most whimsical, adorable books ever. I rarely dip into genres not based in reality, but here I was, having a splendid time reading about anxious, sassy, and grumpy robots. I bounced between the ebook and audiobook, and the audiobook is truly special. I would have initially thought that listening to someone make robot voices for over 15 hours would be painful, but the narrator's distinct, amusing voices added to the charm.

In the Lives of Puppets is based loosely on The Adventures of Pinocchio, and I loved the creativity and world-building in this universe where humans are effectively nonexistent. Even though I thought the book went on a little longer than it needed to and at times it was a little bit too cutesy for my tastes, I can't fault it for putting a smile on my face and making me laugh.

TJ Klune continues to nail it! This was a delightful and feel good story, just as I have come to expect. I have already pre-ordered the hardcover book and plan to purchase a copy for our library as well.

Are you looking for an easily accessible fantasy book that will give you all the feels?
Robots - This world is filled with robots, of all types and shapes and functions. Here we following Gio, an aware robot that creates things.
Human - Humans are forbidden in this world, mostly because the robots do not want to be controlled. But Gio is lonely, so he creates a son, Victor.
Taken - Due to a snafu, the robots figure out there is a human among them, so they take Gio and wipe him.
Found Family - Victor must travel to the place where all the robots live in order to rescue his dad, along with his found family of “puppets”.

So in this book, some of the robots are called puppets which can be confusing until you read why. The robot characters are extremely fun, and as such I highly recommend the audio book because the voices really made the book for me. Victor’s found family are Rambo, a vacuum who likes the Fred Astair movie Top Hat, and Nurse Ratched who is the health robot who makes really funny double entendre statements. This book is a solid found family trope that TJ Klune is famous for, and I loved the story. However, this book is not my fav of his, mostly because of the fact that robots are just not my thing. But like I said, the audio book will entertain you!

In the Lives of Puppets was not the story I expected or thought it would be. I knew it was inspired by Pinocchio, knew it was going to be Sci-Fi/Dystopian. However, it was very different from what I anticipated. First, I will say, that TJ Klune knows how to write. He wasn't shy making connections to Pinocchio throughout the story-very close to a retelling in my opinion. It was engaging from the very first page with very loveable characters-Rambo being my favorite. I was entertained through the entirety of the book but it felt long and I continued to count pages until the book was done. This book touches on some real world problems and the future of AI. Really thought provoking themes.

Victor Lawson (human) lives in the woods with his dad (Giovanni) and friends (Rambo and Nurse Ratched) which are all robots/androids. Giovanni, was built to invent. Victor and his friends dig through the scrapyards looking for parts to construct new things. Their life is simple, free from dangers that lurk beyond the deep forest. The adventure really begins when Victor discovers a decommissioned bot with a mean attitude and their world changes overnight.

Although I am not a huge fan of this book-I am now a fan of TJ Klune and have several other books in my TBR written by this author. The clever writing and world building has me addicted to read more.

This was equal parts quirky and beautiful. One of Klune's talents is the way his stories burrow themselves into your heart and you smile thinking of them. It is magic to write unconventional that resonates like this story has.

Thanks to NetGalley for the DRC of this book! T.J. Klune's newest is a sci-fi reimagining of Pinocchio, in a future where machines and androids have taken over. The cast of characters is overwhelmingly lovable: A roomba with anxiety, a nurse robot a la Baymax, except she has murderous tendencies, a human named Victor who likes to invent and tinker, a rebuilt android who speaks almost exclusively in threats, and their paternal figure Giovanni, an android who built a home for them all in the forest away from the machine cities. I've found myself thinking of a Wall-E type of setting at times. Like Klune's previous work, the theme of found family is strong. His style of writing is exceptionally "animated". He portrays vibes better than any author I've read thus far. Everything is in vivid technicolor and scenes are cinematically orchestrated, which is remarkable because this is a book, with words, and it's all in my head. Anyways, definitely grab this one, it's another gem, TJ Klune never disappoints, blah blah blah.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of TJ Klune. I preorder his books as soon as I hear about them and then camp out on Netgalley to request when they are available. When I finally got this approval, I was so excited! Due to some family emergencies this Spring, I was a little delayed in starting this, but it worked out well, as I read it at a time when I needed a definite pick me. This book brought me peace and joy and hope, and I'm happy to say it may be tied as one of my favorite Klune works (tied with Cerulean Sea).

What worked for me in this one:
- A bit of adventure. This novel had a bit of adventure to it. It felt like a lot happened and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I was invested and excited to pick it up and continue reading it.
- The characters. Klune always writes phenomenal characters, it's one of the many reasons I love his books. He is so good at writing cute but sarcastic characters. But he takes the cake with these. I think this book may hold some of my favorite characters in Nurse Ratched and Rambo. I love them so much! I love their banter! I love Rambo's obliviousness/naivete! I love Nurse Ratched's sarcastic/sociopathic humor! I just love them! Give me a book of just these two and I would swallow it up!
- The emotions. As mentioned, I read this book after a stressful couple months in my life and this was just what I needed to pull me up. This single handedly pulled me out of my reading slump. It brought me hope and joy and made me laugh when I sorely needed it. This book has just a little bit of everything.
- Victor and Gio's relationship. I loved reading the relationship between "father and son". Klune wrote this very well and it brought me such joy to read their interactions.

What didn't work for me:
- Nothing!

As expected, I loved this Klune novel! He's one of my favorite authors, a complete auto-buy for me. I would recommend this novel to anyone and everyone. An easy 5 star read for me. Thank you so much for the review copy! I can't wait to receive my official copy!

Where UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR felt very much the same type of story as THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, this book felt different from the beginning. Perhaps it’s the sci-fi setting as opposed to the magical realist feel. Perhaps it’s the prevalence of (very middle school-feeling) humor mixed with the very adult themes and language. I don’t know. Something felt off from the beginning, and though it won me over enough to keep reading eventually, it never fully persuaded me.

If Cerulean Sea was a Pixar film, this is more a Spielberg—delightful, yes, but a bit overly sentimental and obviously trying to win the hearts of the Academy. Big themes sometimes very clunkily handled but you don’t mind it because of the charming characters. It creates a whimsical, Portal-esque vibe, but sometimes it felt like the tone didn’t match the story.

I think, in the end, I was most bothered by the plot. It felt like Klune focused so much on the characters and their banter that he forgot to actually develop the world and give the plot enough breathing room to develop in a natural way. It makes for a mixed bag of a book; fun yet a little grating at times, a heavy-handedness creeping in and only getting worse throughout. I actually believe it would’ve worked much better as a middle grade animated tv show. It certainly felt written that way.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

Klune’s books are full of heart, whimsy and characters that are unforgettable. His newest book is no exception. Vic is a human who lives in the woods with an android and two robots: Gio, Rambo and Nurse Ratched. When they come across a decommissioned “HAP” android (Hysterically Angry Puppet) their lives take a turn and the adventures begin! Only a few rules they all must follow:

“What are the rules?
Stick together
Run, if we have to No dallying
And above all else... Be brave!”

Nurse Ratched is easily one of my favorite characters ever and the banter between her, Rambo and Vic was the highlight of this book.

This book is a little bit Pinnochio (with robots), Wizard of Oz and Star Wars all rolled into one. While I didn’t love this one as much as Cerulean Sea, I still enjoyed the ride, the heartfelt message and the hilarious characters along the way.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but ultimately I don't think that I was the right reader for it. I loved the world that this book was set it. The worldbuilding was haunting, robot society well-developed, and the overall feel of this book, of living in a world after humanity, really stuck with me, so that I would find myself thinking about the world even when I wasn't reading the book. But while the characters were well-developed and the humor fun, ultimately, the tone of the book didn't mesh well with my expectations.

I don't think that this is a fault of the book, though, because it's written very well. I think that this might just be a matter of taste, which is why I'm still planning on recommending this book to people who enjoy post apocalyptic sci-fi mixed with a bit of comedy.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me everything that I wanted from a TJ. Klune novel. It was heartwarming, whimsical, and full of loveable characters. It took me a while to get into the book as I initially found the side characters to be a little over the top, but as I grew accustomed to the writing and the plot picked up, I came to love them. It made me laugh out loud, but it was also touching. I thought it had compelling mystery and interesting world-building.

TJ Klune delivers another amazing read! I love a retelling of a classic childhood story and he did Pinocchio justice! His storytelling is captivating and his attention to the smallest detail totally enhanced my reading experience.

TJ Klune’s In The Lives of Puppets channels delight into a story of a young boy and his relationship to his father, an android, and two other robots. The writing and worldbuilding are just as strong and whimsical as Klune’s previous endeavors, and I particularly found this to be the most fresh and innovative of his recent three novels.

Vic makes a wonderful protagonist to follow. He’s endearing, easy to root for, and also has charismatic flaws. Nurse Ratched and Rambo are delightful additions to the Klune-verse, albeit somewhat annoying at times, though mostly endearing.

The world of Mechanics and woodworking and puppets and treehouses feels like the most lived in and developed of Klune’s worlds so far. Particularly the Junk Yards were exciting to me.

Overall, Klune developed worlds and characters that are wholly original from his previous while still delivering on that charisma and charm he carrie’s through every book.

While I still have a lot of TK Klune’s back list ahead of me, I’ve really enjoyed the books that I’ve read of his so far. I certainly squealed with excitement when I got the opportunity to read an advanced copy of his latest release, In the Lives of Puppets. I was quite intrigued when I saw that it was described as a queer reimagining of Pinocchio. In a grove of trees, lies a strange little home to the most unique of found families I’ve stumbled across. We have Giovanni, an android inventor, Nurse Rachet, a nurse machine, Rambo, a robot vacuum, and Victor, a human. When Victor salvages and repairs an android he finds while scavenging for parts, HAP, he learns that there is a dark shared past between Giovanni and Hap where they hunted humans. When robots from Gio’s past life are alerted to their whereabouts, he is taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. Vic gathers up his group of misfits and must do what he can to try to save him, despite the dangers.

I did enjoy this one, but I did find it a bit hard to get into at the start and become connected to the story. The characters were as quirky as expected and of course, endearing. Humanity was a big theme in the story and Klune executed well with his typical mix of wit and emotion. It really was the heartwarming read full of adventure I was expecting.

I think part of my struggle of getting into this one was how long the chapters were at times. That is really probably more of a personal preference, I prefer shorter chapters. When chapters start to feel long, I have a harder time staying present in the story.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming adventure with the quirkiest found family, I would recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to @netgalley & @torbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! In the Lives of Puppets is out April 25, 2023!

⭐3.75/5 stars⭐

2.5 I am a huge fan of "Under the Whispering Door" and "The House in the Cerulean Sea;" unfortunately, "In the Lives of Puppets" just did not hold my attention. The premise sounded promising and TJ Klune's beautiful writing style is obvious, but the plot and pacing were a struggle for me and I found myself putting the book down several times. It started off strong at the beginning and I liked the setting and introduction to the characters, especially when HAP is introduced, but as it continued it was like a slow meandering to their goal of rescuing Gio. While the protagonist, Vic, is a fun character and seemingly the only human in a world of robots, he and HAP just didn't click for me. Honestly, what made the story for me was Nurse Ratched and Rambo. Seriously, they were fantastic. These two robot "side-kicks" propelled the plot, held the humor, and were so creative in their dialogue and observations of the other characters.

Even though this wasn't my favorite novel, I know I will probably be in the minority and am sure many will love this novel. I will still read whatever imaginative creation comes out of Klune's head next.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I recently discovered Studio Ghibli movies, and I’ve discovered something. What I love so much about them is this heartwarming feeling I always get, even if the plot is a little weird.

T.J. Klune books are like that for me.

In the Lives of Puppets made me laugh, and cry, and my heart grew three sizes. The notion of a found family has never been more clear than in ItLoP. Truly, this story made my soul sing with happiness. I have nothing else to say except I highly recommend everyone read this book. It was *that* good.

Hands down, one of the best books of 2023.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙩.”

I never thought I’d see the day where I fall in love with a book about androids and vacuum cleaners, but here I am. Another masterpiece by TJ Klune that everyone needs to read!

If you’ve read TJ Klune’s books in the past, then you know just how marvelous his imagination is! This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and is filled with so much wonder, detail, and adventure. You’ll fall in love with each and every character from their banter, jokes, sarcasm, and ultimately, love.

In The Lives of Puppets is primarily based around Victor Lawson, and human raised and living among androids in a dystopian world. His dad, Giovanni, is a creator humanoid, and passes down those skills to Victor, who helps bring Nurse Ratched, (a sarcastic robotic nurse) Rambo (a sweet Roomba that loves to clean), and later on, Hap (a humanoid originally designed to erase humankind), back to life after finding them discarded in a scrapyard. This found family is all about being who you want to be regardless of what they’re built to do. After Giovanni gets taken, it’s up to Victor and his robotic family to bring him home.

I absolutely loved and devoured this book. And I especially loved the Easter eggs of TJ’s previous work throughout the book. This book will make you laugh, cry, and warm your heart. If you’re new to TJ, you need to read this and then continue reading everything of his because they’re all phenomenal!

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨?
𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧!
𝙍𝙪𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤.
𝙉𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜!
𝙉𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚, 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚!”

I would also like to give a thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of “In the Lives of Puppets.” I’ve loved the other unique books I’ve read by TJ Klune and so I had to read this one too. The concept was so interesting to me and this one was a page-turner for me. I had to see how it was going to end and what lay in store for Vic (& Hap!). I was a bit less invested in the “journey” part of the book (some parts felt a bit disconnected and random) and I felt like I was actually left wanting to learn a lot more of where Vic’s relationships were going at the end. I would rate this book a 3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️ for Goodreads.