I loved TJ Klune the second I read House in the Cerulean Sea. So I was eager for a Pinocchio retelling from him. It didn’t disappoint!

I really enjoyed this book! I’m already a big fan of TJ Klune so I had pretty high expectations going into it and I was not disappointed! The book is such a charm, the characters brilliantly written as always, the story gripping and the world so colourful and fully imagined. I particularly loved how Hap, a decommissioned robot which Victor discovered early on in the book, has a dark past which he does not remember, but which all the characters have to face head on throughout the book, which I think really does leave a poignant message that someone’s past does not define them. The central romance is of course perfectly written as is expected with Klune, and the ending had me sobbing as always. Would highly recommend!

Everyone go out and read this book!!!!
I have enjoyed Klune's past books but this one is my new favorite!
This is a retelling of Pinocchio set in a world of robots. The plot is a bit out there and it is definitely a sci fi book where you need to suspend belief but for me, every part of this worked!

I loved the quirky cast of characters. Especially, Nurse Ratched and Rambo who were endearing and hilarious and I laughed out loud every time these two bantered or joked. Vic was a great main character and his journey of self discovery and transformation was interesting to watch unfold. The support he received from his friends was the true definition of "found family". As with all of Klune's books, this one tackled big concepts such as sexuality, technology, and humanity.

Overall this is the most bizarre and unique retelling I've ever read. I could see how it might be an acquired taste but the unique plot and characters just added to the impact this book had on me. I will be recommending this to everyone!

TJ Klune's writing keeps getting better. This queer retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio is bursting with heart, family, and (ironically) humanity. I loved this cast of characters and how Klune leaned further into sci-fi with this new book.

Klune's previous two novels, The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, were both highly loved by me. I highlight this because I know what Klune is capable of bringing to the table, and I'm all about it.

There are times, however, that you can appreciate a writer's craft and yet a certain work may not hit the spot. I fear, for me, this is the case with In the Lives of Puppets.

The positives are indeed lovely. Once again, the author gives us whimsical, heartfelt characters that are easy to love and invest in. Quite honestly, I felt Nurse Ratched and Rambo 100% stole the show. Their banter, charisma, and loyalty were the epicenter of the themes I enjoyed: family, humanity, hope, and love.

That being said, I had a hard time getting behind the love story. I didn't think this relationship was brought to life in the way I have come to expect Klune to deliver. Many times, I was left thinking, "Ummm, ok. That's kind of weird." Or, "Yeah, no. I don't think so." It just lacked believability, and I wanted to FEEL it.

I also found it difficult to meld the worlds of the child-like innocence of these characters with the cringe inducing robot brothel, The Blue Fairy, and random raunchy comments from left field. Now, I'm not at all prudish OR easy to offend. The words themselves were not my issue. I just strongly felt it did not fit There is a time and a place, and the bawdy humor interjected missed both those marks. I had many times when I would physically wince and think, "Ewww. What?! Why? Oh ick." Sorry, it didn't work for me.

Final thoughts? A perfectly readable book that will be enjoyed by the majority of his fans. For me, the pros and cons were dished out in equal measure, and I felt it to be an ebb and flow experience. I was held enthralled only to then have to trudge through. A teeter-totter ride, that was more work than I would have liked. Not a bit of me, but still a fan.

(My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up)

Thanks to both the author and TOR Publishing for the digital ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

TJ Klune's books never disappoint and In the Lives of Puppets is no exception. This is a heartwarming story about three robots who live in a treehouse along with a human, Vic. One day, when messing around in the junkyard that Vic and his pseudo-father Gio salvage pieces from to tinker with, Vic comes across HAP, an android. This discovery unspools a world of mysteries for Vic and the dark truth about Gio's hidden past. This book is about found family, love, and acceptance. I highly recommend reading it with a box of tissues nearby.

I am such a huge fan of Klune’s unique, whimsical writing style. His books make me feel like a kid again, and like the world is ok. Unfortunately .. this one did not turn out to be one of my favorites.

So let’s clear the air, this book is not about puppets, it’s about robots.. in a world taken over by them. Two of said robots did have me cracking up (Nurse Ratched & Rambo kept me invested).

This book definitely requires heavy use of your imagination. I recommend going into it knowing you most likely will not read it in one or two sittings.

Anyway, it’s a good book. There’s the classic Klune themes of love, hope, freedom and humanity. You will care for the characters. I just couldn’t help feeling like it was extremely drawn out!! And a bit odder than usual, even for TJ.

This both is and isn't what you expect.

With each book, TJ Klune takes another step down a path. It’s darker- but not in a bad way. Rather like the ocean. The lower down you go the darker it is, but that doesn’t change the wonder and life it contains.

As it says in the description, this is a queer retelling of Pinnochio. Instead of true puppets like we know them now this book uses machines and an apocalyptic future to tell the story. Instead of a world of humans with one living puppet, Klune flips the story on its head with one human surrounded by "puppets". What follows is a heart-wrenching journey with philosophical thoughts on each page.

Personally, this wasn't my favorite. It actually took me several weeks to finish. It has all of the talents that are a TJ Klune book, but the sci-fi nature of the story did not gel with me. The arguments of machine vs man and what is humanity have never interested me. Frankly, if it wasn't a Klune I would have DNF'd it. But the writing and the discussions (despite my dislike) were well done. I can't deny it a 4 stars as I truly think that is what it deserves. Maybe even a 5. I want to encourage all who are interested to read this book. If you don't like sci-fi, maybe give it a skip. But even then, look at me. I read it and still can really appreciate it.

I really enjoyed this Sci-Fi Fantasy story, but I would not really put it in the romance category, at least not in the usual sense that I associate with romances.

For me, this was more of a story about human Victor's relationship with his robot father, Gio, and his other robotic friends, with the barest smidge of a love story thrown in for good measure.

I loved the touching scenes between Victor and Gio, but since they were both fairly middle-of-the-road characters in terms of quirkiness, I was happy to see a bit of snark and humor introduced in the form of Nurse Ratched, along with Rambo providing a lot of enthusiasm and innocence.

Nurse Ratched's “Engaging Empathy Protocol" made me laugh, because one second, she was sweet and comforting, then she'd “Disengage Empathy Protocol" and be absolutely brutal and cutting to the same person in the blink of an eye.

One thing that I did find annoying was the frequency of HAP's robotic stuttering, which tended to feel distracting and constantly tripped up the fluidity of my reading of the story.

After seeing how the group had been living hidden in the forest as a happy family, it was pretty heart-wrenching when the Terrible Dogfish showed up and Gio was taken away, along with their home being utterly destroyed.

I found their journey to the City of Electric Dreams to get Gio back both engaging and entertaining, with several obstacles to overcome along the way, including finding help from an initially-malicious robot.

The parts with the Blue Fairy were compelling, as you weren't sure what their true motivations were and if they could be trusted, which added to the elements of danger and intrigue.

That's all of the spoilers that I feel comfortable with, though I will say that after leaving the city, the road to a full-on happy ending wasn't immediate, but they did eventually get there. Maybe not to the point of an HEA, but that's where the story seemed to be heading.

I'd rate this one at around 4 stars and recommend it for readers of TJ's *newer* books and if you're curious about the romance, it's about the same level of romance as that of his "House in the Cerulean Sea".

another banger by tj klune. it is by far my favorite out of his 3 newest ones. what i love most about this one is that the paternal love to his father is almost more present and in focus than his romantic love to the love interest. it is so refreshing and beautiful. also the friendships in this book were wonderfully written, typical for a tj klune book.

TJ Klune is a favorite author of mine, and will continue to be due to this absolutely stunning, hilarious, and heartwarming novel. A queer retelling of Pinocchio, I found this book to be exceptional and cannot recommend it enough.

As with all TJ Klune novels, the concept for this novel is extraordinary. What would happen if machines became sentient and what are the consequences of that? However, this is not a doom and gloom, this is the end, apocalyptic style story. Instead, it is a novel that makes the reader FEEL. I laughed. I cried, I thought, I wondered. I contemplated. It is only through Klune's unparalleled ability to craft such a world that a story about machines could feel so entirely relatable.

Klune creates a world that is familiar, yet unique. And he does this through his writing and his characters. I always think that Klune's writing and characters are sensational. But in this book, I feel both are elevated because of the ideas he conveys so effortlessly. Through his writing and through Vic, Nurse Ratched, Hap, Rambo, and Gio, he gets the reader to think about what it means to truly be human. What it means to defy expectations. What it means to love and forgive, to accept an individual for who they are in the present moment, for better or for worse. These poignant concepts, seamlessly conveyed through his writing and characters, are what makes this story so special.

Overall, the author has created a story that reminds us of the value of human connection, the possibilities of humanity, and what it means to be alive. Read this book. You won't regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ability to read this book in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to TJ Klune for writing such a remarkable story.

An interesting take on a classic retelling with hints of nostalgia, machine aesthetic, and traditional tropes we expect from Klune in the form of found family and queer romance. It’s Pinocchio meets Wizard of Oz in TJ Klune’s latest speculative fiction work!

I was so looking forward to reading this book. However, after trying three times, I've just been really unable to get into it. I loved TJ Klune's other novels. I think maybe this would be a good summer read so I will try again in the summer.

(i received this e-ARC from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

while i've been on a streak of enjoying Klune's previous works, this did not hit the same notes like before.

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

This is described as “a queer retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio” by the author and it gave all of those vibes, plus mixed in with little dashes of Frankenstein (a sci-fi/robotic take), The Brave Little Toaster, The Wizard of Oz, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Wall-E! And honestly, I was here for all of it! This delivered on that quirky, soul-brightening, joy-filled, heart-achy ride that TJK always does.

The story opens with Giovanni, an inventor android, finding a curious, dilapidated building—long forgotten, in an old and lonely forest, far away from almost everything. He decides to fix it up and make it into a house, a house for many things. Except when he finishes, he realizes there isn’t much space for himself and he decides to build up amongst the trees: a big house, a sunroom, and a laboratory, all connected by rope bridges. One day, a few years into Giovanni living in the forest alone, a man and a woman show up asking for his help. They leave him a baby bundled in rags, asking Gio to take the baby and keep him safe. Gio names the baby Victor and raises him as his own.

We then cut to years later. Victor “Vic” is now 21, and spends most of his time in the Scrap Yards with his robotic friends collecting parts. He found and repaired a tiny vacuum robot, that he named Rambo, who has anxiety and worries about most things: dirt on the floor, dirt on Vic’s hands, and death in all manner of ways. And Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill (or Nurse Ratched for short), who loves to threaten Rambo for fun and has sociopathic tendencies at times. One day Vic, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched happen across an android in need of repairs. They bring back to life “HAP” and while Vic feels pulled to this new android in his life, he also learns some dark secrets of HAP and Vic’s father Gio. When androids show up in the secluded forest to take Gio away to the City of Electric Dreams, Vic and his family set off to bring Gio back home!

This felt unique, yet familiar. I grew up a sci-fi fantasy loving girl, so my heart was happy…so many fun nods and inspirations you can feel while reading this. The writing was really quite lovely and I loved the adventure tale it told! While some of the humor and dialogue didn’t always work for me, I still really enjoyed the found (created) family in here and these characters that were so much more than the parts they were made of!

Thank you to the publisher (Tor Books) for an e-ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own. In the Lives of Puppets is out April 25, 2023!

I love TJ Klune. I wanted to love this one even half as much as I love his other books. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this. I am not in love with rewrites, fairytale or otherwise. I don’t love androids. But I love TJ Klune. Unfortunately I couldn’t get through this one. I’ll still recommend it though.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for gifting me an early copy of this book. I love book gifts! Below is my honest review.

I love TJ Klune. He's a master of writing gay romance that don't stray overly far into naughty territory and instead focus on delving deeply into his characters and really showing us who they are and bringing them together. He's also great at developing interesting new worlds.

That being said, for some reason, I struggled to connect with the characters in this one. It was a fun story - very Wizard of Oz meets break-in-rescue heist in a wacky, Klune, techno-weird way. But I wasn't really drawn into the character romance like I normally am. (That being said - Rambo and Nurse Ratched are two of his best characters ever and really the only two that entertained me!)

I did love the messages he was trying to get across in this one. I felt the urgency to spend time with those you care about, because you never know when life will change. I felt the burden of carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, of an obligation thrust on you that you never asked for. I felt the confusion and frustration with trying to figure out who you are and what your place is in the world.

Because of the lack of connection I felt with the majority of the characters, I can't give this one my usual Klune 5. I'm going to give it a 3.75 rounded up to 4. Recommended for Klune fans - I hope you don't have the same issue I have.

Big shout-out to Tor for their willingness to publish weird, endearing, entertaining content for gay people. In a world of hatred and vitriol, I value allies. Thank you!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title.

It took me a little bit to settle on a rating for this one, but I think I'm going to land on 3.5 rounded up to 4. I absolutely loved 2 of Klune's other novels The House on the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. They were both easy 5 stars and are books that I consider all time favorites. This one didn't do it for me like those 2 did though. I wasn't expecting this novel to be SciFi (my own fault. I didn't read the synopsis. It's clearing a science fiction novel). I don't really have a problem with that, but I did need to adjust my expectations a bit.

Things I enjoyed: The writing style. As expected, this book is beautifully written. I loved the imagery and humor. I found the writing very engaging. Nurse Ratched and Rambo. These 2 are hilarious and really made the book for me. The setting. I really loved how a lot of this story was actually quite dark. Once it is revealed what has happened and why Victor is living with androids, it definitely makes everything just seem very bleak. All of that said, this book was funny and sweet.

Dislikes: The love story. Sorry but I can't with this one. I loved the found family aspect of this book, but the romance was not it for me. It was too weird. I also felt like this book took a bit to get going. It was tough to get through the first 25% or so. After that point though, I didn't want to put it down and ended up reading the last 3/4 all in one day.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. I feel like this is one that I will be thinking about for a while. It's definitely memorable. I enjoyed the characters and the writing. I might even recommend this one to friends and family that don't typically read stories about androids. I don't think it has the magic that his other novels did, however, it was an enjoyable read.

“‘What do you do if you’ve forgotten all you know?’

Dad opened his eyes. He was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. ‘You start again from the beginning.’”

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @torbooks for an ARC of this novel!

Summary: An inventor, Gio, and his son, Victor, live deep in the forest along with a sadistic, but loving, nurse robot and an overly-loyal Roomba robot. On an outing for spare parts, Gio and his robot companions happen upon a strange android, and bring him back to their home for repair, and, unexpectedly, humanity in this Pinocchio retelling.

After “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and “Under the Whispering Door”, TJ Klune is definitely one of my auto-buy authors. His stories are filled with whimsy and lovely characters and plots that just touch your heart, and this one is no exception.

This is like Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” mixed with that episode of “Futurama” where Bender meets all the obsolete robots, and, yes, that is such a good thing. I instantly fell in love with the characters (especially the robotic ones), and the slow unveiling of the world was just perfect.

This story is full of love, adventure, and just enough sci-fi elements to be its own perfect world without dipping into hard science fiction. It’s lovely, and quirky, and full of heart. I only can dock it a half star because there was a chunk in the middle that did drag on a bit too long.

Overall, a beautiful and unique Pinocchio retelling with sweet and often hilarious characters, and a story that is both filed with adventure and a poignant character study on the main character, Victor.

“In the Lives of Puppets” will be released on April 25, 2023.

I liked this a lot more than House on the Cerulean Sea, which was too saccharine and self-consciously heartwarming for my taste. While In the Lives of Puppets had the same found family and rooting-for-underdogs elements as HOTCS, this had some decidedly adult humor and didn’t make me feel like I was eating cotton candy.

This is inspired by Pinocchio, but not having read the original, I can’t tell how close the interpretation is. I can say that in this iteration, the story takes place centuries in the future after AI has become sentient, decided humans are a destructive and unsalvageable species, and hunted us all to extinction. There’s a hilariously sociopathic medic robot called Nurse Ratched; a sentient Roomba who, of all the characters, reminds me most of HOTCS with his squirrel-like attention span and frequent inanities; Vic, possibly the sole existing human; Gio, the brilliant, humanesque robot who raised Vic; and Hap (“Hysterically Angry Puppet”) who this crew rescues from a scrap heap.

The characters’ interactions are mostly entertaining and the quest they embark upon about one-third into the novel is an intriguing one. For me, though, the most compelling aspect was the depiction of a post-Anthropocene sentient AI society and how this world mirrored and departed from our current one. That depiction was not the intent of this book and therefore played a relatively minor role, and I’d have loved to read more of it.