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.

Thank you @torbooks @macmillan.audio for a copy of this sweet story. It's a retelling of Pinocchio told in the form of Victor, the only human on earth who is raised by robots. The robots in this story are so fun and the sarcasms of Nurse Ratched was such a hoot. The narration was so amazing with the different voices for each character. With the increase usage of AI and machine learning, it scary that maybe one day robots will take over.

I have adored TJ Klune's books that I have read so far and while I did enjoy this one, it felt a little off his usual writing for me. The sexual tension between the main character and the robot didn't quite feel right at first, but I did love the humour that Rambo and Nurse Ratched bring!
I recommend this book, but I do urge everyone to read some of Klune's other works as well!

(Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

4 ⭐️

The first 30-40% moved a little slow for me, but after this we hit peak Klune adorableness and by the end I was so happy I went on this journey with our friends. This book had much more adult humor than the other two books by him I’ve read, which mixed with the eternally optimistic and adorable tone could rub some people the wrong way. But if you want to follow an asexual main character and his budding adorable relationship, and his adventure with his obsessive robot vacuum and sociopathic robot nurse…you’ll be in for a treat. While this is billed as a Pinocchio retelling, and there certainly are elements of that, it’s much more about humans and interactions with AI and what even makes someone human. Would highly recommend if you’re in need of an adorable wholesome adventure with some random raunchy jokes thrown in.

This story was a charming examination of humanity. It is a Pinnchio re-telling. I enjoyed the premise and the writing but didn’t always reach for this story over other options.

The last human on the planet is being raised by a robot with a motley crew of patched up decommissioned bots. When he tries to bring a new robot into the family everything goes horribly wrong and they must risk life and limb to rescue one of their own.

I absolutely LOVED this crazy cast of characters. The banter between Rambo and Nurse RATCHED made me cackle and the trio's relationship was so sweet and heart-warming. The pacing of this book was great, pitching questions and answering them in due time. This wasn't too complex of a storyline, but there were some "revealing" times that kept it interesting. This post-apocalyptic robot world was crafted well. The concept of robots coming into their own and being able to go against their programming was nice and gave the reader something to root for. This was such an enjoyable read!

Another amazing book from TJ! He’s an author that I will read every piece of work he releases. Such good characters, setting, and writing style. Can’t recommend this one enough!!!

What a journey! I didn’t actually read the synopsis prior to starting this book so the sci-fi futuristic AI plot sort of surprised me but was alarming and really well done. Like all of Klunes work, it made me feel, and it made me think. This very much is a found family, against all odds story, of man and machines working together. There were nods to Pinnochio which I also loved, and all of the characters were endearing (except I did find Rambo annoying haha). Also loved the MM lovestory subplot with the main character being asexual.

3.5 stars rounded up because some parts felt a little long and fell flat for me, but that being said were probably necessary to build the journey and story of hardship to get to the end. Thank you NetGalley, TJ Klune, and Tor publishers for the arc copy. All thoughts are my own.


“What are the rules?”
“Stick together!” Rambo said.
“Run if we have to,” Nurse Ratched said as the map disappeared.
“No dallying!”
“No drilling,” Nurse Ratched said, sounding extraordinarily put out.
“And above all else, be brave!” Rambo finished.

At 432 pages this came in second place for longest vaca read thanks to long flights and equally long layovers. The third in his “kindness trilogy” as he coined his last 3 novels when we chatted with him about The House In The Cerulean Sea, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read and far different from book 2; Under The Whispering Door, as well.

This book felt like Pinocchio meets Wizard of Oz meets Terminator and is written with such creativity and that TJK panache. It’s a queer-adventure-fantasy-sci-fi-dystopia mash up. At its heart are endearing messages of love, memory, courage, heartache, life, mortality, purpose, friendship, conscience, grief, family, sin, selfishness, and so much more, brought to you through the lens of TJ Klune’s wild imagination and world building. It’s a bit like buckling up for a Tim Burton adventure as you navigate a futuristic world in which humanity has been eradicated by machines, and only a few good ones remain. If you don’t think this kind of story could give you all the feels, think again.

Gio lives in the forest and after years of loneliness builds himself a heart without understanding the complexities having one will create, and then takes in a child. His son Victor grows up visiting the Scrap Yards and fixes up some discarded robots who become his best friends; Nurse Ratched the snarky medical attendant and Rambo the ditsy and anxious but lovable vacuum cleaner. For years they live tucked away in the treetops safe from Gio’s past, adding an android Hap to the family, until one day Gio is captured and the 4 take off on a mission to save him.

Klune explores many topics through these often humorous relationships, and as the sexual and asexual androids and characters evolve, his desire to create love in all its colors is highlighted in both innuendo and reality.

Pub Day is around the corner on 4/25! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

When I was granted access to the ARC of In the Lives of Puppets, I was so excited I literally squealed! The House in the Cerulean Sea is my favorite book ever, and I also loved Under the Whispering Door. I'm struggling with a star rating on this one, though, as there were parts of it I absolutely loved, yet it did not have the pull on my heartstrings that the author's last two books have had.

I loved the characters, which is one of TJ Klune's strengths. Rambo, the Roomba, is adorable and quirky, and Nurse Ratched is charmingly sociopathic. I found myself laughing out loud at some of their conversations. Hap rounds out Victor's crew as a slightly over-protective bodyguard who also serves as a bit of romantic interest. The book's theme of found family is a strength, as well, as Victor, Rambo, Nurse Ratched and Hap team up to find and save Gio, Victor's father.

I felt like the book dragged quite a bit, and the romance angle did not work for me as it has in previous books. Overall, I enjoyed the book for what it was, but it did not live up to my very high expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for the digital ARC of In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune. The opinions in this review are my own.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
Narrated by: Daniel Henning
Rating: 5 stars
Pub Date: 4/25

I don’t think five stars is enough to give this heartwarming retelling of Pinocchio. Every time I pick up something by TJ Klune, I think that it can’t possibly be as good as his last book. And every time, I’m wrong.

This book is not only an emotional tale of love and forgiveness, but it’s snarky, sweet, and oh-so funny. Victor is a human surrounded by robots who have become his family. Nurse Ratched is sociopathic, loyal, and hysterical without meaning to be. Rambo is an anxiety-ridden vacuum whose dialogue reminded me a lot of a robotic Olaf. When they find Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet) buried in a pile of scrap, they bring him home to fix him up, and their lives are forever changed.

If you’ve read one of Klune’s books before, you know what I mean when I say there are no characters in literature quite like his. I loved the complexity of the relationships in the story and the idea that family doesn’t always mean that you’re related by blood. The love and loyalty they have for one another is heartwarming and something I will think about for a long time.

As amazing as all of his books have been, I think this is his best one yet. It’s compelling and unique and will make you think about what it truly means to be human. I laughed, I cried, and I fell completely in love with these characters.

I requested the audio after reading because I NEEDED to hear Nurse Ratched and Rambo’s banter. It was even better than I could have hoped! Daniel Henning does SUCH an amazing job with the different voices of each character that I was walking around the grocery store laughing out loud. If you’re an audiobook lover, I highly recommend grabbing this one when it comes out.

I am a huge fan of TJ Klune, and I think you should read this book! Read if you like:

*Dystopian themes
*Robots
*Robots making sex jokes
*Found family
*Asexual rep
*Road trip adventures

Thank you so much to Tor Publishing for my physical copy of this book. I will treasure it forever! Also, big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC and ALC.

So so sad about this. I normally love TJ Klune’s books, but this was one was just not for me at all. The puppets were cute and the narration was so well done, but the storyline was just a snoozefest for me. I was so bored.

Oh, my heart!

I had both the kindle and audio version of this book and I have to say that the narrator of the audiobook knocked it out of the ballpark with his narration! So well done!

This book was full of heart and soul. In a grove of trees lives a family made up of fatherly inventor android Giovanni (Gio) Lawson, Nurse Rached, a sadistic nurse machine, Rambo, and a small vacuum desperate for love. A human, Victor (VIC) Lawson, lives there as well. They live in safety until the day Vic salvages HAP, an unfamiliar android. Unfortunately, HAP and Gio share a history of hunting humans.

The family is in danger when HAP alerts robots Gio's whereabouts and he is taken to a factory in the City of Electric Dreams. Gio's small family decides to risk all and go looking for him to save him from decommissioning and/or reprogramming. What ensues is a journey full of risk, sacrifice, heart, and family.

They may be robots, but they are a family who want to stay together, they care and show their humanity. This book and the audio version were simply brilliant. I loved the characters, their distinct personalities, their struggles, their discussions, and their journey.

T.J. Klune has such a creative mind. This book had me thinking of The wizard of Oz and Pinocchio. The characters were off on a journey, one who is timid gains courage, there is a father/son relationship, and there is one who is tough but has a heart.

The banter was adorable and had me smiling. This book evoked emotions and was thought provoking. It's about family, community, humanity, and love. I am not a big fantasy or Science fiction reader, but I love T.J. Klune's writing. I enjoyed being on this adventure with his characters. I also loved the diverse representation in this book. For me Nurse Ratched and sweet Rambo stole the show!