I feel like five stars aren’t enough to give this book. Not only is The Lives of Puppets a beautiful and emotional tale of love and forgiveness, but it’s warm and funny and amazing.

Imagine Wall-E, but with robots that all talk, and that are all quirky in their own ways, and that have adorable and hysterical adult humor. There is the sociopathic Nurse Ratched who has only a slightly better bedside manner than her namesake and an adorable vacuum robot, Rambo, who is adorable naive and enthusiastic. Victor is a human, surrounded by robots who have become his family, and like any other family they are dysfunctional and also beautiful together.

I’ve never stopped recommending TJ Klune’s books to anybody who would listen, and this book has somehow ended up being my favorite of them all. I can’t give high enough praise to this gorgeous story!

Thank you so much to Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

In the Lives of Puppets is a beautiful story! Losely based on Pinocchio, Klune created a unique world and characters. I absolutely love the main group of characters. The banter between them hilarious!!! I enjoyed this book so much! I wish it wasn't over!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC! In this heartachingly beautiful book, we follow Victor Lawson, a human, and his journeys with his quircky robotic family: his father, Gio, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. During a journey to the scrap yard Victor discovers Hap an android with a dark past and accidently wounds himself, leaving a single drop of blood behind. He then works vigorously to restore Hap and soon Hap becomes another member of the family. And then the robots come and take Gio away. Victor knows it's not safe, but he sets out with Nurse Ratched, Rambo, and Hap to get him back. Fans of TJ Klune should love this emotional tale of found family and what it means to be human.

This is a treasure of a book. I'm not a sci-fi reader at all, but I am a big fan of Klune's writing and characters, and that definitely won me over in this book. It's got all the coziness, wit and empathy that I love, with the addition of robots. Robots with overwhelming humanity in a world where humans no longer exist. It's a bittersweet reflection on forgiveness and growth, and a warning about AI.

I appreciate the asexual rep, however it almost felt a bit convenient as Vic is the only human around. But again, it was nice to see, just wish it was explored a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for access to this ARC.

“𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬” 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A queer retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio mixed with sci-fi, this book was yet another heart-warmer from Klune.

Giovanni Lawson is an android inventor, living in the forest with his human son, Victor, and two salvaged machines Rambo and Nurse Ratched. When Victor discovers a damaged android and salvages it, he discovers it shares a dark past with Giovanni that threatens to destroy the quiet life they have built hidden away in the trees.

Nobody writes witty like TJ Klune. I love his writing style and the characters he creates, there’s just something so comforting about his storytelling to me. I came to this story because of Klune but stayed for Rambo and Nurse Ratched. The banter and quirky one liners I’ve come to expect from Klune’s writing did not disappoint, and this was a fun new theme from him that I adored. I personally am not into sci-fi books on the whole, but this one was so unique and original I recommend it even if you’re not the biggest sci-fi buff either! The story was a lot longer than I think it maybe needed to be, but that’s really my only complaint!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and tor for my arc, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬 will be released 4.25.2023!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of one of my most anticipated releases of 2023!

TJ Klune is a master of his craft, forming beautiful and (simultaneously) heart wrenching/warming stories that teach important lessons while transporting you to beautiful worlds of magic. I know going into any of his books I’m going to experience a roller coaster of emotions and leave feeling empty but fulfilled and better off as a person for knowing the story.

In the Lives of Puppets explores what it means to be human with a cast of mostly robots and following (loosely) a well known and loved story as a foundation: Pinnochio. We follow Vic, Nurse Ratched, Rambo, and Hap on an adventure to save Gio (Vic’s father), their family, and so much more along the way. Klune tackles topics like grief, love, family, identity, individuality, belonging….using robots and a children’s story - again, he’s a master.

I could honestly talk about this (and any TJ Klune book) for hours. He transports you to worlds not so unlike our own while weaving in enough fantasy to feel safely distanced from reality and simultaneously discussing (sometimes difficult) topics necessary for our actual existence.

I loved this book - I can’t say it’s my favorite by Klune, but I loved it. I’ll be adding it to the shelf of “everyone in my life should read this” and I think you should all check it out too!

Vic, human tinkerer, has rescued and fixed his friends—Rambo, an anxious vacuum bot, and the sociopathic Nurse Ratched. Giovanni, Vic’s father, is an android and a brilliant creator, but he does not like Vic’s habit of sneaking through the Scrap Yards. When Vic finds and fixes a decommissioned android, Hap, a dark past is revealed and the forest can no longer protect them…

This story was very entertaining—bizarre in the best way and full of playful banter—but it was a little slow until around the 20-25% mark when we start to get to know Hap.

As Vic and his friends head out into the world and have a handful of brief philosophical conversations, you can’t help but reflect on humanity—love, joy, forgiveness, strengths, flaws, and mortality.

Once they got closer to the City of Electric Dreams, I couldn’t stop reading.

A delightful adventure with a heartwarming ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and TorBooks for the ARC.

The blurb explains the premise of this Pinocchio-inspired book pretty clearly: a human (Victor) and three robots form an atypical family living deep in the forest. Their life is changed when Giovanni’s (Victor’s android father) past building human-hunting killing machines comes back to haunt them, and Giovanni is taken to be decommissioned or reprogrammed. Victor and the remaining robot members of his strange but loving little family are off to rescue him.

This premise intrigued me. Along with having wanted to give TJ Klune a try, this was an easy book for me to want to pick up.

It would have made it even *easier* if they had published an alternate, shorter blurb for this book, something like “the story of a boy and his three robot buddies, GLaDOS, Claptrap, and the Terminator.”

The main story of this book didn’t *quite* click for me. It was fine, Victor as a character was fine, the emotional resonance was fine. I don’t have any complaints about it, but it’s also not something I’m going to be thinking about for a long time. It felt a little like the literary version of an Oscar-bait film, if I’m being completely honest. A bit pretentious, and full of Very Important Symbolism and saying Serious Things.

But oh dear lord, Victor’s three robot friends. This book was *hilarious*. If you’re familiar with the Borderlands and Portal video game series, then you can no doubt imagine what it would be like if GLaDOS had to deal with Claptrap, and it is AMAZING. Throw in the T-800, and this book never stopped being funny.

I cannot say how much I appreciate the opportunity given to me to have this book as an ARC! I loved it so much! The amazing world-building and adored every character (which characters can affect my whole reading experience and it was done wonderfully). This book is a masterpiece

Went in completely blind and it was my first Klune book! The genre was also new to me but there was so much to love. It is a retelling or Pinocchio in a post apocalyptic world where Gio, a robot, has escaped the city and built a home and family in the forest. His family is composed of an anxious vacuum, a hilarious Nurse Ratched, and a human boy. Eventually, city officials discover Gio’s hidden location and force him back to the city. This begins the adventurous part of the story when his family seeks to rescue him. The book was full of humor, deep feelings, adventures, and an exploration or romance. I really enjoyed it and will have to work on Klune’s backlist since others have shared this book doesn’t to his greatest hits!

A SF retelling of Pinocchio with a lot of heart. A story about forgiveness and choice. Maybe my favorite Klune so far--for fans of Psalm of the Wild-Built.

TJ Klune's latest book is a reimagining of Pinocchio and it is filled with all the heartwarming charm of his last two novels, The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. His characters are always so well-constructed and endearing. When science fiction is done right, we learn more about what it really means to be human through the eyes of non-humans (see Spock and Data for obvious examples). This book does that and really touched my soul. There is heartbreak and sadness but also love and humor. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Thanks for Netgalley and Tor Books for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A life changing retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio. Although, I didn't love this one quite has much as T.J. Klune's other books It was still a very enjoyable read. I love the familiarity I feel with his books and the cozy vibes that ensue afterwards. As always there were many laughs and tears along the way. I found all of the characters to be lovable. Nurse Ratched was my absolute favorite, her character was incredibly funny and loving. The asexual representation was also like a breath of fresh air, it is not often I find it so eloquently written within a book. ITLOP was a lot more adventurous than the authors past books, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There were parts of the book that felt a bit dragged out and slow, especially the journey to the city. A heartwarming story of love, loss, and change.

You can expect certain trademarks when it comes to TJ Klune books: a fantastical setting, quirky cast of characters, found family, dark humor, light exploration of deeper themes, and just a teaspoon of romance. In The Lives of Puppets is no different.

I would describe this one as Wall-e meets the Matrix, meets…Oz?” 😂. I can’t say much without giving things away, but it has a much more dystopian theme than Klune’s other books.

I absolutely adored Rambo and Nurse Ratched. They made the whole book for me with their banter and loveable personalities. I personally did have one story continuity issue and didn’t feel like the ending left any openings for a possibility of a future for out friends. There was a moment when I started skimming descriptions to get back to the action. For those reasons, I’m giving this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️- it was a enjoyable, but I didn’t love it and probably wouldn’t read again. This is on par for me for TJ Klune’s books though, so I think it’s safe to say that if you love his others, you’ll love this one too!

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.