Run if you have to. No dallying. No drilling (unless it is deemed necessary). And above all else, be brave.

"In the Lives of Puppets" by TJ Klune is hands-down one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. Not since "The House in the Cerulean Sea" have I fallen so in love with a book's characters. Part "Pinocchio" and part "The Wizard of Oz," this book is so good that you forget where you are while reading it. The real world ceases to exist. I was no longer sitting in my living room, but was transported to the forest, to the scrapyard, to a City of Electric Dreams unlike any city I've ever imagined before. The characters are so enchanting that you can't help but laugh and cry and love right along with them. This is a book that will stay with me for quite some time and that I will return to over and over whenever I need to be reminded that hope and love really do exist.

I love Klune's writing style and the way he shows me what is happening instead of just telling me. His writing is rich and descriptive, creating vivid characters that come completely to life. This book was so much fun to read and its moments of tenderness touched my soul. Klune has an amazing gift and his books are a gift to us all.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It is absolute perfection. All the stars.

Anyone who is a fan of Klune’s particular brand of saccharine found-family storytelling will absolutely find a literary home in this new addition. A retelling of the classic tale ‘Pinocchio’, this story is heartwarming with just enough heart-wrenching thrown in to make the resolution feel worth it.

If you've ever thought "There's no way that I would be interested in reading a book about a world in the future where robots are the norm and humans are almost extinct", you would be wrong. "In The Lives Of Puppets" defied every expectation I had and those that I didn't even know that I had.

Victor Lawson is aware of the fact that his family is unconventional. His dad is a robot, he's a human, and his best friends are a robot vacuum and an obsolete robot nurse. Hidden deep in the forest, Victor is mostly content, although at the edges of his mind he feels that there is more out there in the world for him. When he finds a robot called HAP in a junk pile it quickly becomes evident that his life is about to change, and when the robot authorities are inadvertently alerted to the fact that a human lives amongst them, Victor's unusual journey to the City of Electric Dreams begins.

Filled with heart, wisdom, and humour, "In the Lives of Puppets" proves that there is no family as important as our "chosen family". This book had me laughing out loud, sighing wistfully, and already anticipating whatever Klune comes up with next.

Victor lives with his father, Gio, in a series of tree houses in a forest adjacent to a scrap yard. He enjoys seeing what the scrap yard has to offer, but it is dangerous. Several machines guard it from outside interference. He already found a vaccum which he repaired and named "Rambo" and a robot nurse called Nurse Ratched (Ratched is actually the initials for Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill). One day while in the scrap yard, Victor finds an android that seems to still be alive. Unfortunately, by the time he removes everything on top of it, it is no longer functioning, but he takes it home to his lab to tinker with it. Eventually, he is able to repair everything but the battery that makes it work. He takes a heart he made in case his father needs it (Gio is an android, too) and puts a few drops of blood in and the android comes to life. The android doesn't know who he is or what his purpose is, but he has some initials on his body HAP, so that is what Victor, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched call him. Nurse Ratched also calls him Hysterically Angry Puppet since he is very grumpy. When Gio sees what Victor has done, he is upset since Gio built HAP originally as a human destroyer (HARP stands for Human Annihilation Response Protocol) and Victor is a human. Some government androids realize that HAP is alive and that there may be a human around, so Gio makes everyone go into a safe room. The government androids take Gio back to the City of Electric Dreams and destroy his heart. When Victor and his friends emerge from the safe room Gio is gone and the tree houses have been destroyed. They they go on a quest to rescue Gio.

This is not my usual type of story (not big into Sci Fi), but I had read another T. J. Klune book and wanted to read this. The robot friends are very funny (shades of MST3K). Many reviews say this is a modern day Pinocchio. I can see this as Gio creates Victor (he is already a "real" boy) and there is a workshop/lab for tinkering. I really enjoyed it.

I was so excited when I saw this on NetGalley because TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors. He writes with such emotion and humor, you often find yourself laughing while dabbing your eyes. While In the Lives of Puppets had similar qualities it didn’t move me in quite the same way.
Deep in the forest sometime in the future, when humans are extinct, lives a family of robots. Gio, an inventor; Nurse Ratched, a nurse; and Rambo, a little vacuum. Living with these robots is Vic, Gio’s greatest invention to date- a human. While exploring one day, Vic finds a broken robot and brings it home to fix up, unaware that this robot’s purpose was to annihilate humans. Vic knows he can get Hap to see he has a choice about who he is.
I found the theme of this to be very deep. It’s a great look at humanity; does anyone really have a choice to be different than what we have been told we are?
I was actually wary to read this, as much as I love TJ Klune, because I hate puppets. I was thrilled to realize the word puppets is solely used as a metaphor.
This didn’t move me quite as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. While I found the theme to be deep and thought provoking, I didn’t feel as deep a connection to the characters as I have with the other books. That being said, it is written just as beautifully as the others and the majority of the characters are just as deep. I think any fan of TJ Klune will enjoy this, but if you’ve never read his books before don’t start with this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the advanced copy. This hits shelves on April 25th.

This was a lovely reimagining of Pinocchio. Set in the not too distant dystopian future, robots have taken over the entire world, with the exception of one young man - Victor. The story was so beautifully written and touchingly tied together with themes that are pertinent today. I loved the way that the author was able to bring in many different ideas and concepts that one would not have expected from Pinocchio. The character development of what were essentially robots was wonderful, and the characters really came to life. The fact that a robot named Rambo existed was hilarious and also a wonderful play on words with Roomba, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed writings from this author before, although it seems to be a big departure from the type of writings they have offered before. Highly recommend!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ah this was enjoyable. Definite vibes of Pinocchio, but if you're going to name you're main character Victor and then have him making people (or machines in this case), I'm gonna be thinking along a Frankenstein vibe.

The reader learns very quickly that Victor is a human living in the forest and surrounded by machines that he has built over the years. He has no contact with other humans. And, from what we see, he doesn't seem upset by this. The combination of soft forest setting with human and machine relationships made me think of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, but then it went down a deeply different corridor.

I particularly liked the bits where the Pinocchio story was revisioned to fit into this world. The machine others ride around on is whale shaped and called the Terrible Dogfish. I would have laughed out loud there had it not been for the scariness of the moment for the characters.

Our rag tag bunch then go on a journey to see the Blue Fairy, also a robot in this futuristic world. We realise that as soon as they leave the forest.

Anything more than that, I feel, is going to be too big of a spoiler to include in here. This book was filled with T.J.'s usual charm and sweet characters meshed with intriguing plot. I'd definitely say this is unlike the other two fantasy novels he's recently released.

I've loved TJ Klune's THITCS and UTWD so I was so excited to read ITLOP. In perfect Klune fashion this story is heartfelt with a great father/son relationship dynamic. The quirky and cute side characters were stars. The anxiety riddled Rambo and sociopath Nurse Rarchet were great and unique. I loved the take on what makes us feel and love. The middle section of this story really dragged for me. I found my brain tuning out. I didn't feel a strong emotional connection to the main characters either. Pinocchio has never been a favorite story of mine and this didn't really change that. I ended up giving this 3.5 stars.

4.25 stars

If you're familiar with TJ Klune's work, you'll know he excels at creating a world with incredibly lovable characters in a story that will tug on your heartstrings until you finish the book and have gone through an entire box of tissues. While this book didn't garner many tears from me, it still had that quintessential Klune vibe that keeps me coming back to every new release.

In the forest, far away from anything else, we have the world's most unlikely family. There's Gio (an android inventor), Nurse Ratched (a sadistically humorous medical machine), Rambo (an anxiety ridden, lovable vacuum) and then Victor - our main character and the only human in the bunch. One day Victor salvages a decommissioned android from the Scrap Yards and returns home to try and revitalize him. This triggers a series of events that will have Victor and his family venturing out of their forest on maybe the world's most important rescue mission.

What makes this book is its characters and dialogue. I loved this group so much and the found family vibes are SO STRONG, which I think is exactly why I love reading Klune's books. If you're looking for a sci-fi adventure that reads like a love letter to what makes us human, you have to read In the Lives of Puppets.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Pinocchio meets the robot apocalypse but make it an MM romance

I loved everything about this. The characters were hilarious and deep despite being mostly robots. The concept was fresh, and the story was engaging.

Slower paced but only because I really wanted to immerse myself in the setting.

A cozy, whimsical quest adventure story with blood and violence.

Read this book if you want to go on an adventure with lovable characters.
Read this book if you want to laugh, but also have big feelings.
Read this book if you want to fill your friend/family chat with beautiful, funny and witty quotes.

This book introduces us to an unconventional family who live in treehouses deep in the forest. The father figure, Gio, is a high-tech android who has rebelled against his programing and left society to live deep in the woods. He is tasked with raising a human boy, Victor, who we meet at the age of 20. We're also introduced to Vic's two best friends, both robots who are fiercely protective (and unwittingly hilarious). Victor is in the process of fixing an android he discovered in a scrap yard when the father is taken by 'the authority'. Together, Vic, along with his three robot companions, journey against all odds to get Gio back.

If you loved TJ Klune's other books, this one takes his writing to the next level. You'll still get amazing character development and feel like a you're being hugged, but you'll also get bitten. The pacing is great, the adventure moves quickly and hits all the right beats. The writing is beautiful, clear and accessible. I can't stop recommending this to everyone I know. Next time I'm hiking deep in the forest I'll be looking for Vic and Hap.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

This book is best read deep in the forest, surrounded by butterflies.

I don't know how TJ Klune continues to do it, but his character work is supurb. He made me love and care for a group of misfit robots and their one human companion! This, like his other works, are just was cozy. There are stakes and hard hitting themes, but in the end, it feels like a warm hug of a book

TJ Klune’s #InTheLivesOfPuppets is a complete and utter delight. A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, this book beautifully blends together humor, heartbreak, and poignant story telling.

Klune’s writing style is both lyrical and down to earth with poetic descriptions right beside engaging dialogue full of energy and humor. He has an incredible gift for creating stories with fully realized characters who feel like real people with all the quirks and flaws that make them human.

“In The Lives of Puppets” touches on themes of identity, trauma, and family. It is a story about love, both the kind we find in others and the kind we find in ourselves. Even after over a year of anticipation for this book, it did not disappoint.

𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘎𝘪𝘰, 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺-𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩.

𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘈𝘗. 𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘈𝘗 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘪𝘰- 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘱.

REVIEW: In the Lives of Puppets ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5)

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

I fell in love with TJ Klune’s storytelling and characterization in The House In The Cerulean Sea which is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. I then moved on to Under the Whispering Door which the character again drew me in. So I was so excited when I saw another title from TJ Klune, In the Lives of Puppets.

While normally I do not read much science fiction, In the Lives of Puppets grabbed me from the beginning. Klune again shines with his characters. Even though they were mainly robots, they all felt so human. Each character has their own strengths and flaws that you couldn’t help but love. Also the chemistry the characters had together was so enduring. It felt like a strong family full of love who would do anything for each other. The futuristic world was built up so well it almost became a character in itself.

The story reminded me of a few other classic tales (Pinocchio, Wizard of Oz), it still had its own take on the story. The only thing about the story that wasn’t as strong was the fact that there were some moments where the pacing felt slower. The story could have moved a bit more so that it didn’t feel so drawn out in some areas.

This book has been considered a queer adaptation of Pinocchio by many. While there is definitely representation (asexuality and what could be considered male to male relationship are present throughout) I do not see it as the main focus. Klune does an amazing job representing queerness in a very natural, sweet, beautiful, and unforced way. (doesn’t just put it in for the sake of it)

Overall I absolutely loved this book. While it did have some pacing issues at some parts, it made up for it with the amazing characters, world building, and feel good storyline. I will always read more TJ Klune books as they hold a special place in my heart.

TJ Klune’s writing is just magic! He’s back again with super lovable characters and a heartwarming story.

Victor is a human in a world that is overrun with robots. All he knows is his life in his forest with his father, Giovanni, his nurse bot and lovable vacuum cleaner. While scavenging the scrap yard, he makes a finding that changes the course of his life.

It’s giving Pinocchio, Wizard of Oz and a little but iRobot. There’s just the perfect amount of action, bad guys and humour. I don’t know who installed the humour chip on these robots, but I found them absolutely hilarious.

I would call this mid-stakes cozy fantasy/sci-fi. So if you’re looking for something cozy, you know TJ Klune is going to hook you up.

Classic Klune! I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hug every character, and I remain so grateful for my own "found family". TJ Klune continues to put out warm hugs of books and I am eternally grateful. Everyone, literally everyone, should read In the Lives of Puppets.

In The Lives of Puppets has quite a stronghold on my heart as much as Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door. The characters are enduring, the story is an adventure, and you are left with a heart full of joy and satisfaction.

This queer retelling of Pinocchio is mixed with essence of The Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and Wall-E. The main characters are all completely unique and lovable, although I have developed a soft spot for Rambo, an anxious robotic vacuum with a love for old romance movies. I can’t tell you how many times this book made me laugh out loud. Truly a treasure!

If you are a fan of Klune’s other popular titles, this one will be no exception. Well done, Klune. Well done!

It makes me so sad to say this didn't work for me. The author's 2 previous adult novels were such heart warming and wrenching joys that I could not wait to get my hands in this. To be fair, I am not a science fiction reader, and I didn't finish it. It was just a little too farm from reality for me and more dialogue than plot. Still love the author and would try again based on his author work for sure!

TJ Klune's words and stories are such a gift and In the Lives of Puppets is no exception. The story feels timely and human and somehow timeless as it grapples with questions of what it means to be human and feel and have a heart. I loved that the story never gets too lost or bogged down in these questions; it keeps its heart on its sleeve and the adventure is propelled with such care and so much love. I don't want to say too much because I thought that so much of the story was designed to delight in its surprise, but know that you'll be attached to every character and grab your tissues. The story subverts and builds on the Pinocchio tale in such an elegant and heartfelt way - you'll definitely want a few tissues at the ready! Read it and love it!

After loving The Cerulean Sea, I knew I had to read In The Lives Of Puppets! Overall, this was an entertaining unique read and I love how Klune can make a junk yard and puppets be something so complex. Klune has a way with words and a uniqueness in his writing tone that is unmatched.