This is my first Klune book and it absolutely will not be my last. While i thought the beginning of this novel was for lack of a better word odd, it wasn't long before i was completely sucked into this world. The characters are so much fun, obviously Nurse Rachet was my favorite. There were so many witty lines that i will be quoting for the foreseeable future. I felt that the character development, and story arc of Harp and Victor was done really well. The plot was so good. the ideas were fresh, unique and heartfelt. The world building was done so well i could see every bit of it in my mind. i have a feeling this will be a book that will nestle into the hearts of people for a long time.

5 stars

At this point, when I see that TJ Klune has written something, I'm not even messing around to find out WHAT; I'm just trying to figure out how I can read it immediately. So I came into this one with high expectations and limited information on plotting or any other details at all, and I think it's my favorite out of all of Klune's books so far (along with being a favorite of the year, for sure).

Klune describes this piece as "a queer retelling of Carlo Collodi's _The Adventures of Pinocchio_," but readers who are familiar with Klune's work will rightly know that there's going to be a whole lot more involved in this retelling than the average bear might anticipate. There are robots, tentacles, humans, quips, science, and magic all colliding here, and while that might sound like a wild story on its own, the noteworthy part is how heartfelt and emotional it is. I'm adding no extenuating detail about the characters or plot because I so enjoyed learning that as I read and hope other readers will have the same chance.

I can't recommend the audio highly enough. The narrator is superb and adds so much to the characters, the dark humor, and the depth of the storytelling. Folks who can access this version absolutely should. It's a treasure.

My love for TJ Klune has only grown while engaging with this most recent effort, and I can't wait to (1) share this with others and (2) read whatever comes next!

What if the world we had once lived in was run by machines? Humans were a detriment to society. Robots ran everything. But one robot re-created a human to change the world. Would the human be able to take down the robot world or would the robots reign supreme.

This is a book that questions everything humanity is, was and will be. In a society that is now being run by advancements in technology, Klune paints a scary picture of the future. He also asks the hard questions.

This story is more than a story of robots vs humans. It’s the story of questioning: can machines be empathetic, does a heart help you feel, can you be separated from your memories, are some lies important to tell?

What I loved about this story is Victor’s love for Gio, Nurse Ratched, Rambo and Hap. What I loved is that this was a unique approach to questioning societal norms. I could vividly picture the places in this book. While it was heavy in places to digest, I always walked away from reading questioning myself, my feelings and wha I would do.

I'm gonna be honest, I didn't finish this. I was so excited to receive this eARC because I LOVED The House in the Cerulean Sea. Unfortunately, I'm giving up on this one around 30% because nothing has happened and the robots are unnecessarily crass. I have questions about this world, so I may eventually go back to finish it, but so far, Vic has found a few cool things, wrestled with his humanity, and I've had explanations of his sexuality exposited to me when they honestly do not matter to the story thus far. The scenes explaining Vic's sexuality seem out of place in the context of the narrative and Nurse Rached's dialogue seems frequently to exist simply for the purpose of explaining aspects of Vic's or Gio's sexuality or personality. If Vic's sexuality is going to be a main point of this book, I'd love to see it developed the way any other character trait is developed in a novel. As much as I want to know what these "Old Ones" are or how Vic has come to exist as human in a world of android, I just don't know if I can get passed the current lack of narrative and use of exposition for important character development. It's even more disappointing knowing that these are things The House in the Cerulean Sea did exceptionally well.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for my eARC!

This book is a beautifully written, character driven story.

Before even 10% of the book I had fallen in love with this little band of misfits. Rambo especially stole my heart.

This book is the ultimate found family story. This little band of misfits shouldn't work, but totally does. If you are looking for cozy vibes and a journey style plot, then this book will be great for you.

However, as this was not my favorite of Klune's work, I still think his writing is unique and wonderful. He can create characters that you will love forever and not want to let go of. And he has a talent for making you look at our own world through the fantasy world he writes.

The plot really felt like it was broken up into 3 parts and at the end of the book I was wondering what was accomplished. However, I have learned sometimes no particular point and meandering through the story is the point of cozy fantasy.

Overall, if you love Klune's work, I recommend picking this up. I think this book would be great for younger middle grade / high school readers to read with their parents.

LOVED!!! This book was freaking adorable and so SO hilarious! I loved every single character but Rambo and Nurse Ratched will forever hold special places in my heart. It started a tad slow and around 30% I started listening to the audiobook of this one while reading along on my Kindle and let me tell you - the audiobook really brought the characters to life and that narrator deserves a raise. I kind of want to go back and listen to the first 30%! This book had me cackling so loudly the entire time and I loved it!

I did think some parts (especially the ending) were a bit drawn out but at the same time I liked that the ending wasn't rushed. Overall I had a fantastic time!

4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you Tor Books for providing me with an ARC.

I definitely enjoyed my time reading this book. Klune consistently writes magical worlds with adorable found families. I loved the pinocchio retelling aspect. You’re launched right into a silly family dynamic with hilarious banter. It’s a very cute and very heartwarming story.

Beautiful and thoughtful. This story will leave you with an ache in your chest (but in the best way possible).

I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite out of the other books I've read by TJ Klune, but it still had the vibes I was going for. I liked the forest setting but wish there was more of a cozy aspect to it. I'm typically not a big fan of sci-fi and especially sci-fi with robots, but I decided to give this a shot anyways. I didn't love it, I found it boring at times, but overall I would recommend it to certain people. My mom really loves all of TJ Klune's books, and I can see her enjoying this one, so I assume most of his fans will as well.

📗Book Review📗

Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC of In the Lives of Puppets.

In the Lives of Puppets is a general Pinocchio retelling, but only in very loose ways. There is only one human in this story, Victor Lawson. How this young man came to be and the journey he must take in this book are very imaginative. I liked the story and how it developed, but it wasn’t a book that had me dying to pick it back up when I had to set it down for real-life responsibilities.

My absolute favorite parts of this book are Victor’s companion characters of Nurse Ratched and Rambo, a hilariously sadistic nurse machine and a small vacuum respectively. The banter between these two machines is top notch and I would read any spin-off or novella featuring these two. Perhaps, they might’ve even stolen the show for me?

Lots of deep topics explored in this book, including what it means to be human. This was a thinker, but not a rapid page turner book.

I recommend this one to former Klune readers, but if you’re new to this author I’d probably recommend Under the Whispering Door first. Good, solid read, but not my absolute favorite from him.

This book had a lot of wonderful insight and was an intriguing concept for what could happen as humans continue to become increasingly dependent on technology. It poses a lot of questions, such as the meaning behind what it really means to be human, and makes the reader really think and reflect. The characters were lovable and quirky. It was a little slow in terms of pacing at times but overall this is an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first TJ Klune novel, and I loved it so much. It’s a retelling of the Adventures of Pinocchio, but with robots. Victor, Gio, Rambo, Nurse Ratched, and Hap are the sweetest found family and a beautiful testament of love, loyalty, and sacrifice. It’s also a story about humanity and having the ability to choose who you want to be. Just… so good. There are some books in which the themes and stories will affect me for quite sometime after I read them, and this book is no exception. It took me a bit longer to read it than previous books, because I just wanted to sit with the story. I also love books that can make me laugh unexpectedly, and this book continued to do that from cover to cover. The banter from Nurse Ratched and Rambo continued to make me laugh so hard, and they reminded me of C-3PO and R2-D2 a bit.

Honestly? Robots aren't really my thing. But I adore this author and knew he wouldn't let me down. My copy is filled with highlights and notes because there is so much to love in this book.

Klune took some people's fear of a world in which robots take over and made it endearing by bringing the characters to life. You get to know all the characters intimately. There's Rambo, with his incessant rambling, Nurse Ratched, the sociopath, who has the best sense of humor, HAP, who's learning a whole new way of life, Gio, who made this all happen, and his son Victor, an exceptional young man. (Also, when I read Victor Lawson, I immediately thought of The Bloggess, and now I need her to read this.) The world seems hopeless at times, and this little crew is the shining beacon in that bleak world.

I want to talk more about Nurse Ratched because she was my absolute favorite character. She is always on. She's hilarious but so very complex. There are layers to her. She is thoughtful and caring, witty, and feeds well off others. She's emotional without showing it, and it feels like she has walls up to protect herself. I could go on all day because she's one of my favorite fictional characters.

I laughed so much reading this, and I love the humanity Klune brought to the robots. I also cried a few times. This book is an absolute whirlwind. The dystopian premise, the humanity, the love, it's all this fantastic bundle of goodness. When you finish reading, you will be left with so many feels that will stay with you for a long time, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you to TOR for letting me read an early copy of IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS by TJ KLUNE. This book publishes on April 25.

I absolutely loved THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, it's one I've bought multiple copies of for friends. I also enjoyed UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by Klune quite a lot. When I finished both of those books, I wiped my tears and gave the book a little kiss after. This one didn't really leave me with the same feeling. This is a retelling of Pinocchio and it's a great story full of unforgettable characters and is super entertaining, but I can't put it on the same level as the other books I've read by TJ Klune. I still recommend this one!! I can't wait to talk about it!

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!