People who enjoy the story of Pinocchio will like this modern-day retelling and spin on the classic. Other people, like me, who have a vague recollection that once upon a time there was a wooden doll who wanted to be a real boy will also find lots to appreciate in TJ Klune's newest novel. After escaping the City of Electric Dreams, a robot named Gio (short for General Innovation Operative) finds refuge in a secluded forest. He slowly assembles a family: a nervous vacuum called Rambo, a sadistic nursing robot called Nurse Ratched (Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill), and a human boy named Victor. Their peaceful life is upended after Victor restores a mysterious robot named Hap; the Authority is alerted to their location and capture Gio, taking him back for reprogramming. On their journey to rescue Gio, the group meets many allies and enemies, and face seemingly insurmountable odds.
I had a hard time getting into the story; even once the adventurous part begins, I found myself not really invested in the outcome. I also didn’t feel attached to the characters, although I can’t really explain why. I’ve come to expect stories from TJ Klune that are immersive and make me love the characters and never want to leave the world he’s created. While In the Lives of Puppets is a good story and worth reading, this one fell a little flat for me.

I never thought this day would come. The day I hated a TJ Klune book. Apparently other people like this, but it was a perfect storm for me.
Firstly, it's a retelling, which I don't like because it feels like they have to follow a script, one these characters in this situation wouldn't necessarily follow. So we've got all the Pinocchio staples, pleasure island, the whale, the coachman. None seem to have more thought put into them than 'this was in the original story so it should be here too'.
Secondly, this is a story about robots learning to love, something I love and have loved in other books. But this one fumbled it for me. Especially with the emotional ending, where I was cringing more than crying.
And of course, last and most, the humour. This is chock-full of puns and references (my example is MILF = machine I'd like to fornicate. Does anyone find this funny in the year of our lord 2023?). There are two comedic side characters that speak more than the main characters ever speak. Every moment of sweetness is undercut with a joke. It's exhausting to read.
I'm giving this two stars because I don't think it's a bad book, but I never had a good time.

TJ Klune has a style unlike most other books I have read, at least in the two books I have read of his. I enjoyed how he took the parts of Pinocchio and created his own story with them. He breathed new life into a story I have known since childhood and had me enjoying it so much more than ever before.

Each character felt alive in ways many authors cannot even do. Nurse Ratched and Rambo were hilarious. Nurse Ratched is a sadistic nurse machine who enjoys saying how much she wants to hurt others. Rambo is a Roomba who enjoys friendship, love, and keeping everything as clean as possible. I love the found family aspects in the book, and the group worked so well off of each other. It was especially interesting to see where the story went with Victor, Gio, and Hap as the story continued. The love that Victor, Gio, Nurse Ratched, Rambo, and Hap had for each other was beautiful. They had my heart the entire time.

Most of this book is filled with androids and robots, but one of the significant messages is: What it means to be human. TJ surprised me with how much heart and humanity he gave to each of his characters. We learn so much about these characters as the story continues and get connected to each of them. You want them to succeed in their mission and just to be able to live happily together.

This book perfectly combines heart, love, humanity, friendship, and adventure. I loved that it felt like a cross between fantasy and science fiction. It had me feeling so many different emotions throughout, just like Under the Whispering Door did for me. A beautiful book with an entertaining story that I highly recommend. I preordered my copy of the book last year, so I will have a physical copy soon.

I love TJ Klune and his body of work for TOR so far. He is the only author in the world who could make me feel for an anxiety riddled Roomba vacuum called Rambo.

In Klune’s In The Lives Of Puppets, we are once again moved into a world of found family and where love is love no matter who or what is involved.

I found the family elements of this story to be its most humorous and most sincere parts. It is truely hard to read this story and not fall for each of these quirky characters.

I do feel mixed about this book however. I did find some of the themes of this book repetitive of Klune’s previous writing in Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door to the point where I was not surprised by many of the story elements. I do feel as if this is the weaker of these books.

In the end, I absolutely do recommend this cozy read about finding family and love in a post apocalyptic SF world.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune may be a retelling of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, but it reads as a wholly original story that stands on its own. What I appreciated most about this novel were the philosophical discussions on the nature of humanity and love. The characters' conversations were thought-provoking and insightful, leaving me pondering long after I finished the book.

The theme of what it means to be human is intricately woven throughout the novel. Klune expertly explores this theme through the interactions between the robots and the human, Victor Lawson. The story is a poignant reminder that love and humanity are not solely reserved for biological beings.

The character development is exceptional, particularly that of HAP and Gio, whose complex history is central to the plot. The juxtaposition of HAP's self-discovery and Gio's struggle with his past creates a compelling narrative that tugs at the heartstrings.

In the Lives of Puppets is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story. The philosophical discussions, combined with the unique setting and well-crafted plot, make for a gripping and immersive read. If you're looking for a novel that challenges your perception of what it means to be human and explores the complexities of love and loyalty, this is the book for you.

I want to say first off that I absolutely adored the two previous books that I have read from this author. House on the Cerulean Sea was amazing and Under the Whispering Door was completely masterful. This book fell flat for me. I had the hardest time getting into it. The characters, except maybe Nurse Ratched, did absolutely nothing for me. I wasn't interested. I'm sorry, it just was not my cup of tea.

Victor Lawson is a human living deep in the woods with his android father Gio who spends his time fixing and inventing. Victor does much of the same along with his best friends Rambo and Nurse Ratched who frequently accompany Victor to the scrap yard where they come across a decommissioned android called HAP and decide to repair him. But the day they finish repairs, robots from City of Electric Dreams are notified and come to take Gio and restore him to his former glory which is much darker than Victor ever knew. Despite these revelations, Victor and the crew make the trek to the city to free Gio from the Authority and things and feelings get much more complicated along the way.

The best way I can describe this story is Pinocchio meets something between Bicentennial man and iRobot.

When I was given this ARC by Netgalley I was so excited because The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my very favorite books. TJ Klune did not disappoint with this one either. The first half of this book was an easy 5. The second half was more of a 4 for me but the ending was really beautiful. TJ really knows how to write about family in its various forms.

This had one of my favorite cast of characters in quite a while.
- Victor Lawson, the human
- Nurse Ratched, a nurse created to provide medical care. She’s like if April Ludgate and Wednesday Addams melded together and became a nurse.
- Rambo, a roomba with severe anxiety and hopeless innocence and naïveté.
- Hap, also known as Hysterically Angry Puppet to his friends, a lifelike robot created to kill all humans that was decommissioned until Vic repaired him and gave him a heart.

Nurse Ratched is obviously my favorite. She had me laughing the entire time. Some of my favorite Nurse Ratched Quotes
- “I would be impressed except I do not find idiocy impressive. If I did, I would flirt with you.”
- “Not that I would murder. Engaging Empathy Protocol. Murder is bad, and I would feel bad, and I don't want to feel bad because feelings are detrimental to my existence.”
- “I do not know if he can be repaired. I hope so, because I believe that I have a crush on him. Or I want to crush him. I am not sure which it is.”
- “I also do not experience sexual attraction, and I am perfect.”

And Rambo is such a precious little guy:
- "I'm going to," Rambo said. "I can help. I can do so many things like clean. And vacuum. And ... okay. That's mostly it, but that's still a lot."
-"Hugging," Rambo said. "He's hugging you. It's how you show that you're thankful and happy and best friends."

I leave you with the following quote that I feel is imperative to consider in these times. “No civilization can survive indifference. It spreads like a poison, turning fire into apathy, a dire infection whose cure requires more than most are willing to give.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for this ARC!

TJ Klune has catapulted into the spotlight over the past few years. He’s always been a prolific writer, though The House In The Cerulean Sea brought his name into bookish spheres like never before. Under The Whispering Door carried on his tradition of charming, heartwarming, delightfully gay fantasy. And now, he brings us In The Lives Of Puppets.

Victor Lawson lives in the woods with robots. His father, Giovanni, was built to innovate. Victor’s companions Nurse Ratched, a medic bot, and Rambo, a modified Roomba, help him dig through the dangerous neighboring scrapyards for parts to construct new things. They live a happy life, secluded from the dangers beyond the deep forests. One day, Victor uncovers a decommissioned bot with a strong grip, a sharp tongue, and a mean attitude. Giovanni discovers the robot and the Lawsons’ world changes overnight.

In The Lives Of Puppets takes its time, letting the characters steep in the world Klune creates. The synopsis above leaves out particular plot points only because they occur well beyond the first 20 percent of the book, which is our typical cutoff for opening summaries. This willingness to let things develop organically is a great strength for Klune, as evidenced in Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door. I bring both of those titles up because In The Lives Of Puppets has similar cover art and will beg the questions: is it similar? Is it as good as those titles?

Klune sets Puppets in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world with fantasy elements. Whereas the other two books above inject fantasy into an otherwise real-world setting, this one feels like a big departure. It’s fun and intriguing. Robots roam the world, and they have unique purposes and personalities. They provide a fun venue for Klune’s signature charm. Nurse Ratched and Rambo, in particular, are excellent for comic relief and cute moments. However, I lose some of the heart of the book within this new pastiche. I commend Klune for trying something different, but it doesn’t hit quite the same within a robot-run world. In short, I liked the characters, but didn’t love most of them.

The plot was a major sticking point for me. In The Lives Of Puppets isn’t shy about its connections to Pinocchio. Many will call it a direct retelling, and that’s a fair interpretation. I say it’s more of an “inspired by” situation with its own identity. The problem then becomes the blatant callouts to Pinocchio, which weigh the book down the more they pile on. I would’ve been happy with a stray nod or occasional character named after a Pinocchio one, but it’s all a tad heavy-handed. I’m saying this as a guy who recently reframed his own thinking about retellings. Read that way, In The Lives Of Puppets doesn’t work all that well. Taken on its own, it’s still a unique and interesting story. Victor and his band of robotic misfits explore what it means to be human in deep and emotional ways. Hap, the robot they discover rotting in the scrapyards, provides both a window into the world beyond and a powerful message about the power to choose our own identity. There’s also the City of Electric Dreams, a Vegas overtaken by robots, which is a setting I could spend an entire book in.

I didn’t cry like a baby at the end of this book as I did with other Klune titles. Still, the emotional heart of the book remains, and there’s a lot to love there. It ends with a hesitant hope rather than a gutwrenching sob-worthy moment, and the feeling will linger with me even though the book wasn’t my favorite Klune so far.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

TJ Klune is a master of building fantastical worlds. This one is no different. Vic is the only human left in a world that is now dominated by robots and machines. He has a robot family, and listen, there is no better character out there than Nurse Ratched. Their existence is threatened when they find and modify a human-like robot. The first half of the book moved quickly for me, and it felt a little more slow towards the end. It was a slightly unhappy ending that was technically a happy ending, if that makes sense.

Life of Puppets examines what it means to be human in a world where all the humans are gone except for one. The world is filled with robots and this book follows the story of 3 of the robots and Victor, the human. The characters in this story are completely endearing and I found that I adored each and every one of them for different reasons. Rambo, the romba vacuum being my favorite.

Somehow this book never fully grabbed me. While I loved the characters I found the plot a bit tedious and it felt longer than it needed to be. I did still enjoy it but not as much as the author’s previous books. I still really enjoyed his story telling and felt like this book will appeal to a lot of readers.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

TJ Klune never disappoints! I have been waiting so long to read this and I could not get enough! Robots and adventure that bring in huge “The Brave Little Toaster” vibes!

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet—TJ Klune writes books that are just perfect for me. His writing style gives my brain a good tingly feeling, and I find myself thinking about his books for days, weeks, and months after I finish them. Needless to say, In the Lives of Puppets was my absolute most-anticipated book of 2023, and it fully lived up to every expectation I had. The found family dynamic was ELITE; I love the whole ensemble (especially Rambo!! he’s just a little guy with anxiety!!). The cozy vibes I got from being wrapped up in this story—even though there was adventure, conflict, and p a i n—make me immediately want to dive back in. And the ending! Not as cut-and-dry happy as some of his other books, but it felt real and, above all else, hopeful. And that’s all I want in a story. So good. So, so good. Thank you TJ Klune, love you.

Thank you Tor & NetGalley for the ARC, I wouldn’t have survived the wait for the book without you ♡

I’d say this was more like 3.5🌟 rounded up because I have a soft spot for anything by TJ Klune.

There were so many things to love about this book. It’s heartwarming and hilarious, but an equal number of things I didn’t love. Of his novels I’ve read this one took the longest to really grip me and pull me in and it was definitely very repetitive at times. Overall I still very much enjoyed it and will continue to look forward to future works by this author!!

I really loved The House on the Cerulean Sea and I was hoping to love this one too, but it just wasn’t the same. It’s a cute retelling of Pinocchio with a touch of The Wizard of Oz, but it just seemed to take too long to get the story out. I will read this author again, he has a very unique way of telling stories. Thank you Netgalley for the E ARC.

In the Lives of Puppets is a story that I think will appeal to established TJ Klune fans and newcomers alike. Puppets includes many of the same features that I know and love from this author: laugh out loud humor with *just* a bit of an edge, found family, and LGTBQ inclusion. However, this book explores some new territory not seen much in his previous novels for adults. I recently attended a talk with him where he said this book is an attempt to include more of his “dark side” in the style of writing he has used in his last two books. I think he accomplishes that beautifully by including a little more mature and darker content, and in the journey the characters take. There is still so much beauty, joy, and humor, but it is hard won. There will be tears, but there is also plenty of hope and love to balance it out.

I also absolutely loved the world-building in this story.. The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door take place mostly in a (wonderful, magical) single location with a set cast of (whimsical, wonderful) characters. This story sees our ragtag family take their show on the road and explore the world outside their treehouse bungalow. We get some solid side characters (Dear TJ, please write your next book about The Coachman. Please and thank you.) and explore a dazzling and terrifying new city. This story also has lots of extras; different types of robots and droids, the Blue Fairy, the Authority, the HARPs. Throughout the book, Klune builds out just enough characters and locales to keep us enchanted and oriented, but not so much that it overwhelms or bogs down the story.

Long story short, I would read a refrigerator manual if TJ Klune wrote it and I would probably rave about it afterward. Fortunately, he just keeps writing absolutely beautiful books that I genuinely love and recommend wholeheartedly. It’s the kind of book that will make you laugh, cry, laugh again, and then find yourself deep in thought about why you exist.

In the Lives of Puppets is a delightful and whimsical fantasy novel by TJ Klune. It tells the story of a family of robots and their human companion as they embark on an adventure to save the world.
The robots are all named after famous puppets: Giovanni Lawson, a fatherly inventor android; Nurse Ratched, a sadistic nurse robot; and Rambo, a small vacuum cleaner. They are joined by Victor Lawson, a human who found them in the scrap yard and took them in.
The family lives in a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees. They are content in their solitude, but their lives are turned upside down when Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP.”
In the Lives of Puppets is a heartwarming and funny story about family, friendship, and the power of love. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. The plot is well-paced and engaging, and the ending is satisfying.

Overall, In the Lives of Puppets is a great read for anyone looking for a fun and heartwarming story. I highly recommend it!

Victor lives secluded in the forest with his father and the two robots they have salvaged from the scrap heap and lovingly restored: a vacuum cleaner and a robot nurse. The robots are full of bugs and quirks (such as a slight murderous psychosis) that would horrify their original creators, but to Victor they are family. Dysfunctional, but happy. Even the outside world holds only a mild curiosity. A new discovery in the scrapheap seems like a great opportunity to add to this family, but this new robot might be more than he seems. In fact the world itself may be more than Victor has ever realised.

The characters in this book are definitely unique and unusual yet their relationships are not too different from what we might expect. Robots in fiction are stereotypically emotionless and their evolution usually adopts an evil streak. Whilst there is an element of this, TJ Klune’s robots also debunk this stereotype. Somehow he has made them into realistically complex characters, with feelings and human-like reactions, without ever letting us forget their true origins. By creating emotional connections with robots, TJ Klune has also added a new depth of vulnerability. Not only can the robots be destroyed, they can also have their memories removed and overwritten with enemy objectives. This creates the heart breaking possibility of having to watch someone you love become the thing you hate.

At the start our setting is very limited and provides us with a restricted understanding of the wider world of the book. This opening setting places us deep within the natural world, removing the robots from their presumed native industrial setting. I believe that this adds to the humanisation of the robots that we meet at the beginning of the book, something which is greatly lacking in the robots we meet later on. Gradually this narrow lens widens, revealing many aspects of the world which I had previously guessed at. The pace of the reader’s discovery echoes Victors own views on the world which encourages us to view it from his biased viewpoint.

Overall the setting and characters of this book make for a lighter form of sci-fi which is ideal for new or cautious readers of the genre.

I grew up watching the bicentennial man a thousand times, so the story about friendship, family and love between humans and machines was one that I was very fond of. And this book did not disappoint me. I laughed, I cried and I swooned. What else do you want from a book? There were so many references that I appreciated without being overwhelmed. Pinocchio above all else, but also Frankenstein (hello inventor who gives life named Victor), which is one of my favorite stories of all time. I loved everything about this book and if you already know Klune and you are worried that this book will be another House in the Cerulean Sea do not worry because it is not. The elements of Klune's story are there but the story is very different from the previous two. I would honestly recommend reading this book even if it was garbage (which is absolutely not!) just for the character of Nurse Ratched. I cannot express how much I loved her.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Love this book and love Klune! What a gift for storytelling and bringing characters to life. This book will be featured on an upcoming episode of Your Rainbow Reads podcast about fairytale retellings.

Fans of Klune's last 2 books will feel right at home in the world created here. Part fantasy, part love story, this book will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The similarities to Pinocchio are obvious, but never over the top. The story flows well and the characters are delightful. I will highly recommend this book to all my customers!