This is a delightful story about a human, Vic, who raised by robots. His father, Gio, Rambo (a vacuum), and Nurse Ratched. I absolutely loved the quirky vacuum robot, Rambo but I had a hard time connecting with the other characters. There are Pinocchio retelling threads throughout and I liked how those themes were cleverly woven into the plot. I found that the artificial intelligence and human interactions were well-written and definitely made me think about the role A.I. will have in the future.

I enjoyed the ending and felt that TJ Klune did a great job writing about forgiveness and mistakes but I struggled with the overall pace of the book. It just seemed too long and I found my mind wandering while trying to finish. I will continue to recommend and read more of TJ Klune's books as he is an amazing author but I just didn't find this one to be very engaging.

Thank you to TJ Kline, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book although it slowed down a little at times - I was caught up in the story and the characters. How you can you not absolutely adore the secondary characters. In fact, I think that was thing I enjoyed the most. This book actually gave me Wizard of Oz vibes even though I believe it was supposed to be more Pinocchio. I was definitely routing for the characters and although I would of liked a more concrete happy ending this one was happy enough and probably more fitting then anything super happy. It was quirky and charming and thoroughly enjoyable.

This did not land for me! If you're familiar with Klune's backlist, this to me is the most similar in tone and plot to The Lightning-Struck Heart which is not my favourite of his. Generally, richly-created characters are what make Klune's books enjoyable for me, and I found these characters a little bit hollow. The plot here was also quite thin for the length of the book, and I don't think that any themes were explored with any amount of depth. Overall, this was just lacking for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for giving me an ARC (eGalley) to review. Always excited to read new works from Tor Books and this was no exception <3

In the Lives of Puppets is an interesting story that was fun to dive into and heart-warming to finish. I was hoping this book would end up being a five-star read for me, but while I did enjoy the story, world, and ending of this novel there were a few elements that fell short.

The concept and world are great but I wanted so much more from this novel. That being said, I would still recommend In the Lives of Puppets as the journey brings you to a beautiful ending.

What I Enjoyed

1. This reminded me so much of The Iron Giant and The Brave Little Toaster but for adults. The inclusion of robots is an obvious similarity but the overall tone of the book matches with those films. The quirkiness of the robots in particular is what gave me The Iron Giant and The Brave Little Toaster vibes. The Iron Giant was one of my fave movies so I thoroughly enjoyed having another piece of media that reminded me of that movie.

2. All the robots have interesting designs and unique personalities. I love a robot with anxiety yet a peppy attitude and thus I'm a big fan of Rambo. Nurse Ratched took a while to grow on me, as at first, she seemed to just slot into so many stereotypes, but I liked her character the more I got to see her develop and interact with Victor. The robots were charming and fun!

3. I would love to see this as a film adaptation. The writing reads like a film to me and the uniqueness of the world could make for great visuals. In my mind, I could see this film as a claymation. Think of the movie Coraline but with more bright colors and talking robots. In a way, I think this book is almost better suited as a film than as a book due to its formulaic nature (which works great for films) and that the film would be able to highlight the unique visual world of In the Lives of Puppets.

4. Although the characters are primarily robots, this book is incredibly human. The ending was, in my opinion, beautiful, and it's what brought up my rating from three stars to four. It ended appropriately for the journey we were brought on and left me satisfied. The story is emotional and grapples with what makes us human.

How It Could Be Improved

1. My biggest peeve is that this reads like a Young Adult (YA) novel but is an Adult novel. While reading, I checked online multiple times to make sure this wasn't actually a YA novel and I was mistaken. The novel is written in the formulaic way that YA novels are written and the parts that are more "adult" felt thrown in to make the book feel more adult. This book may have been better suited as a New Adult novel and the more "adult" aspects could have been better handled.

2. One of the "adult" aspects of the book threw me off. All the mentions of sex (for those curious, there are no sex scenes just mentions of sex and arousal) felt forced and easily could have been taken out. I would have preferred if they weren't in the story because they did not add much. If there was meant to be some sexual tension between Vic and Hap, I could understand that, but there was very little of that, and most mentions of sex came from the robots. Every time sex or arousal was mentioned, it felt thrown into the story a bit aggressively and I would have liked to see the story without it. Please note this is not a huge part of the story, so don't let this deter you from reading it. You can easily skim past the parts that mention sex/arousal and still understand and enjoy the story.

3. This is meant to be a Pinocchio retelling. It was by no means a true retelling, which is all fine and I can still appreciate when a work isn't a true retelling, however, the way in which Pinocchio was used felt like proper nouns from Pinocchio were being thrown around without the storyline really needing it to be there. If you replace all the use of proper nouns from Pinocchio with original proper nouns, the story would be just as interesting. The proper nouns from Pinocchio sometimes took me out of the story and the world too, so I even can see original proper nouns being more effective for the story. There are also so many pop culture references in general that the story becomes muddled with them. I wish this would have leaned more on the use of original content than on the Pinocchio retelling aspect and on the pop culture references. Not to say the story isn't original, but because it is so original that the use of Pinocchio as a crutch takes away from the originality of the story.

4. I talk a lot about what should be taken out of the story, but in its place, I would have liked to see Klune build more on the characterization of each character and the relationships between these characters. At times the characters, while still unique and interesting, felt as if they were falling into common stereotypes, and more focus on making them live outside of those stereotypes or even breaking those stereotypes would have been interesting. The characters are what keep me invested in a story, but I do feel the characters are so important to Klune's story. A story about what makes someone (or even something) human, which relies on the relationships between characters, can improve by focusing much more on characterization and veering away from stereotypes.

I also felt the relationships between characters could have been better developed, slowed down, and more detailed. I would have liked to see more father-son moments between Gio and Vic before Vic is separated from Gio to make the separation more emotional. I also wanted more interactions between Vic and Hap, specifically more interactions that connect the two characters on a more romantic level. I would have liked to see the story slow down to give us more intimate moments between these core relationships to make the impact of the story even stronger.

While I had a lot of thoughts on how In the Lives of Puppets could improve, I also felt a strong connection to the story and thought the ending made the journey worth it. I recommend purchasing it when it comes out and giving it a read.

I am a huge fan of T.J. Klune‘s writing and this book is no exception. That being said, it is NOTHING like the others. I have read. This book is a science- fiction/fantasy, a queer love story, a tale of unlikely friendships and a lesson in morality and equality. It is about making mistakes and finding forgiveness. The story begins in future Oregon, where Victor ( a human boy) is living with his dad Gio in a robotic world. The adventure really starts when Vic and his friends set out to rescue his father. Klune makes us think about issues facing us in todays society-racism, sexism, hate crimes, and prejudices-and while the story is whimsical and laugh-out-loud funny in parts, it still sends a clear message of the importance of tolerance and inclusion. The characters are lovable and quirky and the descriptions are vivid. There are so many quotes that I found relevant that it was hard to choose a favorite but I especially liked when Victor told the Blue Fairy “The past doesn’t have to define the future “. While not at all what I expected, I enjoyed every page. Another winner for T.J. Klune!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of TJ Klune and will read just about anything he writes. I have enjoyed his previous books immensely and In the Lives of Puppets was no different. One of my favorite things about Klune's previous books has been the aspect of found family, In the Lives of Puppets included that too. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Rambo, the anxious Roomba!

Klune's books have always been unapologetically queer, but I especially appreciated the ace representation Klune included in this story. Sexuality is a spectrum and Victor showcases this very well. My most favorite parts of the book, however, were the characters and the dialogue between them. I loved Victor and Hap, their relationship was so wholesome and sweet despite the hardships they've both been through. Gio, despite all his flaws, was such a loving father and I appreciated Klune not shying away from the darker parts of Gio's past. Nurse Ratched and Rambo were the real stars of the show, though. Such quirky and lovable characters, and they added some much needed humor to the story as well.

In the Lives of Puppets was such a treat from start to finish and if you have enjoyed Klune's previous books, then I am sure you will enjoy this one as well. Such a fantastic read, I look forward to whatever Klune writes next!

Unfortunately for me, IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS was missing the magic I found in UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR and THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA. I'm also undecided on how I feel about the plot points that circled around the potentially romantic love between a human and an android. Rambo (an anxiety-riddled Roomba vacuum) and Nurse Ratched (a sociopathic nursing machine, the Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill) get all 5 stars though. I loved how their personalities balanced each other out.

Overall I found that I never ended up caring for Victor Lawson, or what happened to him and that I mainly stuck along just to see what Rambo and Nurse Ratched got up to. It's an interesting reimagining of THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO and SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, but after really loving UTWD and THITCS, my expectations were super high. I can see other people loving this book, and I am glad I read it, it just turned out to not be what I was expecting based on the other novels I've read from Klune.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a fan of Pinocchio anything, I just have never liked it. I do however, love TJ Klune. This book was really good and it surprised me that I enjoyed it. It felt very familiar and unique at the same time, I think in part because of his character building. Everyone was so loveable even with their faults and I'm also a sucker for found family.

I will note that the amount of sexual jokes may be off putting for some, there were a lot more than I normally prefer.

Thank you so much to Tor Books, NetGalley, and TJ Klune for this ARC! This book is set to published on April 25, 2023.

I was expecting this book to be all about puppets and a real close Pinocchio retelling but it's definitely it's own story. At first I was confused about all the characters because everyone was introduced so fast but I caught on shortly after reading a bit more. This is a sci-fi adventure story with highly likeable characters, Rambo (roomba vacuum) and HAP being my favorites. TJ Klune always creates such heartwarming stories that tug on a few of your heartstrings.

Rating:4.25/5 Stars
I really loved The House in the Cerulean Sea but this one is a close second!

Once again TJ Klune has written characters and a world that I just want to go live in. From the author’s note on the first page I knew I was going to love this book. The tone and the writing just take you right into the setting and makes you immediately fall in love with the characters. Don’t let the fact that this is about robots scare you off if that is not your normal thing. If you loved his other books you will love this one too. With hints of Pinocchio and to me Wall-E this story is not even really about robots. It’s about the family you choose and overcoming your past to make your own future. Vic is the he only human in his little family of robots. His dad Gio has a past hidden from his son that soon comes out to cause chaos as he is snatched back into it. Vic, Nurse Ratched (automated nursing machine that gives of Lucy vibes if you have read Cerulean Sea) Rambo the little vacuum robot and HAP the android they rescued and brought back to “life” set off on an adventure to save Gio from his past. Such an amazing read and I’m so sad it’s over. Well done #tjklune and thank you to #netgalley for the chance to read and review. #thelivesofpuppets #bookstagram #bookreview #booksaremylife

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical, the setting sounds weird. But then I got into it and it was another very well written, feel good-book from an author who has as of yet never disappointed. I would not recommend it as the first book by the author (for this, I stick with The House..), but I think it's more easily accessible than Under the Whispering Door (the ending of which didn't really fit, btw).

3.5 stars, rounded up

I absolutely love, love, LOVED <i>House in the Cereulean Sea</i> and<i> Under the Whispering Door</i>, so it pains me a little to say that I had a much harder time connecting with <i>In the Lives of Puppets.</i>

Part <i>Pinocchio</i> and part <i>Wizard of Oz</i>, mixed with a few dashes of other tales and a pinch of steampunk...it seems like it should have been another total hit for me, but it just took me SO long to get into the story that I was never really fully immersed into it.

Ultimately, I did enjoy this one, and the characters were delightful in that special TJ Klune way, so I'm going to chalk my feelings on this one to me still being in a book slump. I'm pretty sure that everyone else is going to love this one the way I wish I would have!

If the recommendations on every streaming platform are any indication, I tend to gravitate toward things heavy with blood and light on, well, light. Maybe none of the algorithms would suggest me T.J Klune's latest novel, In the Lives of Puppets, but I feel more refreshed for having read it. Part reverse-Pinocchio, part science-fiction Stardust, Puppets is another entry into the growing cozy SFF genre that is a welcome change from the usual fare.

Victor is at once brilliant and so naive, and through his character, Klune illustrates that kind of divide between book smarts and an awareness of the world around you—or vise versa—that many precocious teens face but don't bridge until a while into adulthood, if ever. Victor is sweet and earnest, and sees the best in everyone. Gio may have been the one to start this odd little found family, but Victor is the one who grows and maintains it, wherever Gio is. In that way, Puppets is another warm addition to the found family canon like Klune has become known for since The House in the Cerulean Sea.

But the emphasis on this odd little found family is odd. Eventually, I came to love Nurse Ratched and Rambo, which was a pleasant surprise because in the beginning a discussion about Victor's vitals takes an unexpected and unnecessary turn into talking about robot penises or the lack thereof. The humor between the bots remains occasionally off-color, but they are charming enough in their own way. I'd bring Rambo home and spill dirt on my floors for him to clean up. (Not sure if I'd ever let Nurse Ratched attend to my health, but that's not because of the jokes.) Hap's personality takes longer to grow, and Gio is in precious few scenes before he's taken by the evil robots. However, all of them are easier to love through the fierceness of Victor's love for each of them.

Victor also believes in the best in everyone, even and especially when their programming is, say, to kill humans on sight. It is heartening to see this belief rewarded. There's a lot of cynicism out there in both real life and fiction, and most of it is earned. In his world, Victor goes against the grain, and often reason, with his conviction. In a way, Klune has done the same. It feels nice, like having a place to rest, to have a little cozy optimism, even if the characters bringing it occasionally fixate on robot penises.

(A longer version of this review will appear on 25 April 2023 at 3:36 p.m. MDT at https://ringreads.com/2023/04/25/puppets-a-refreshingly-light-read/)

••••Book Review••••
In the Lives of Puppets
By: TJ Klune
Format: kindle
Goodreads: 4.26
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

TJ knocked this book out of the park. After reading another one of his books I didn’t expect anything less! TJ has a way of writing the most lovable characters. Seriously, I don’t believe I’ll ever be the same and these characters will stay with me. Such an incredible book about the last human living amongst robots and some of those were created to kill him. I loved following Vic’s journey with his robot nurse, robot vacuum, and his hilariously angry puppet. You’re actually able to envision this world TJ creates and it’s so amazing because you see those places in Oregon or Las Vegas and know exactly where Vic and the crew are. The friendships that are created in this book are so authentic and I promise that you’ll be amazed at how much they tug at your heartstrings I love how there are so many important life themes in each of TJ’s book. They make the stories feel so relatable. I think what is most important about this book to me is that the end of the book isn’t exactly a HAE but it’s so real and feels how it feels to be living life as a human and that is so impactful. TJ Klune has made his space in my autobuy authors list and I will forever recommend his books!!

Thank you Tor Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC copy!

TJ Klune is the king of creative fiction. Each book is a world unto itself, fleshed out and fully realized, and that level of creativity is impressive. In the Lives of Puppets is set in a post-human world. The robots are in control. Humanity has been wiped out. Except for one special boy named Victor. This is a story about family. This is a story about growing into the person you're meant to be. This is a story about love and sacrifice and redemption. It takes found family to a new and literal level--Victor finds his family and builds them from spare parts.

Together with his AI inventor father Giovanni, Nurse Ratchet, and an overly anxious vacuum robot, Victor has grown up in a forest sanctuary, safe and hidden from the rest of the world. But the arrival of HAP, a robot Victor rescues from the junk yard, sets a life-altering chain of events into motion. Giovanni is captured and wiped--reset to his original programming--in order to save Victor from eradication. Victor and the rest set off toward the City of Electric Dreams to rescue Gio and bring him home.

This book is like if Pinocchio and Swiss Family Robinson had a dystopian baby. In a world where humanity is practically extinct, Klune manages to imbue each page with hope and all the things that make being human special. It's charming and bittersweet and hopeful and tender. Once again, Klune has written a book unlike anything else I've ever read.

Thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for my advance review copy. The audiobook from MacMillan Audio is also FANTASTIC. The narrator does a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

*Full review to be added closer to publication!*

In the Lives of Puppets is an incredibly delightful new work from TJ Klune and I am so glad I decided to give it a read! I adored the creativity that was at play with this book, from the characters to the setting and the home in which our characters lives. The dialogue is full of wit, humor, and some really authentic moments, and I found myself absolutely falling in love with everything about the characters and their interactions. This is definitely a must-read for any TJ Klune fan, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, clever, and interesting read as well.

This is a Pinocchio retelling and Klune does an amazing job of making it unique. The characters are so lovable, Rambo and Nurse Ratched being the stand-outs! These two created some amazing and hilarious moments that truly had me laughing out loud!

Unfortunately, I think this one was a little too unique for my liking. I'm not a fantasy reader but I gave both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under The Whispering Door 5 stars (they remain top reads for me even years later), and this one missed the mark for me a little bit. I felt the romance subplot was unnecessary and really didn't add to a plot that mainly (and wonderfully) focused on friendship and found family.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the digital copy. This review is honest and voluntary.

A gay scifi mashup of Pinnochio, Frankenstein, and The Wizard of Oz which is as intriguing as that sounds and way more moving and delightful than it might suggest.

Android Gio Lawson and his human son, Victor, live in isolation in a forest and have created a home and a family. They are both inventors and creators but Victor is much more adventurous, going out into the scrap yards to collect material for his work. On one visit he finds a dumped pile of androids which have all been stripped apart except one, which he takes home and is able to re-animate, but the advent of Hap into their home brings unexpected consequences: a mysterious delegation from the Authority arrives and takes Gio off to the City of Electric Dreams. Vic, Hap, and their two robot companions - the Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill, aka Nurse Ratched, and Rambo the vacuum cleaner - set off on a quest to bring him home.

In what is quite a dark tale, there is much entertainment to be had in the banter between the robots with Nurse Ratched’s tongue in cheek toughness and little Rambo’s desire to please. The journey that the family undertakes is full of the sort of tests and pitfalls that any hero’s journey contains and the author is brave enough to leave the ending with a few ends untied.

This is a more sophisticated and nuanced novel than Klune's two previous adult novels, The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door and also more adult - literally, as it's way more overt about sex, as well as in tone. The world is much more expansive and open with a more complicated back story, though for me this didn’t work as well as the smaller more contained worlds in the other novels. The characters are more complex and ambiguous in their motivations while retaining charm and warmth. Klune’s enduring themes of humanity and what it means to be human, what it means to love and be loved, what it means to be accepted and offer acceptance are woven throughout.

While this is a marvelous and lovely scifi novel, I found I missed the uniquely pillowy sweetness of Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door but still highly recommend it, particularly to those who like a bit more edge than it seems I do in the case of Mr Klune.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the digital review c

TJ Klune has crafted another stellar, heartwarming tale with his latest novel. A story about a young man and his robot friends on a mission to rescue someone they love, In the Lives of Puppets may be TJ Klune’s most bighearted novel yet.

Victor, a rare human, lives deep in the woods with his android father, Giovanni, and their robot friends. They pass their time tinkering with new inventions, foraging for scrap parts in the junkyard and watching old movies. Their routine is peaceful, until the day that Victor finds a discarded android in the junkyard who hasn’t quite been fully decommissioned. Determined to fix the android and give him a new life, Victor brings him home and begins the repairs in secret, naming him Hap.

But this act of generosity will have consequences that Victor never imagined. Hap’s existence draws attention to their retreat in the forest - attracting the eye of a forceful authority that Victor didn’t even know existed. When the authorities leave with the decommissioned body of his father, Victor has no choice but to face his fears and start the impossible journey to rescue Giovanni.

But the world has changed, and it’s not a kind place for humans. Luckily, Victor’s robot pals are joining the rescue party. Disguised as an ugly android, Victor and the group set out on their journey. But in typical TJ Klune style, there are plenty of laughs and quirky characters along the way as they explore philosophical topics of purpose, free will, fulfillment, identity, love, and family.

By the end of the book, your heart will be bursting with such love and affection for these characters, you’ll forget that only one of them is "human." I love how TJ Klune always builds a world of characters who challenge us to love harder and be better, kinder people, and this novel is no exception.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the arc!

Gio is a man but not like any other men because he's a robot living in the forest with his son The Inventor (Victor) , an anxiety riddled vacuum (Rambo), a sociopathic nursing machine ( Nurse Ratched), and HAP ( Hysterically Angry Puppet) together they shared a house built on trees.
Victor likes to create and play with robots and androids he's Gio's son but he is a human the only human in this house.
Every other day, Victor goes to the scrap yards to salvage some stuff the machines has dropped in order to repair, but one day he, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched come up on a robot that still has power and Victor couldn't stop himself from taking him back to the lab in order to fix and repair him. Now, HAP has joined this strange found family but what Victor didn't know that bringing him back and repairing him will cost him a lot.

In a world where humans don't exist anymore, where there's only robots and androids we will read Vic's story about his journey to discover himself, help his father, and face the unknown.

This is my first time reading a Sci-fi novel, it was good and a different experience I won't say I was overjoyed but it was nice for a change.
My favourite characters were Rambo and Nurse Ratched they made me laugh so much and they added the needed humour to the story while at the same being emotional and friendly.
So if you are into this genre, I would recommend you to pick up this book once its released.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #InTheLivesOfPuppets in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋