Favorite Quote: Be you man or machine, death awaits us all.

Victor Lawson grew up in a remote location with his father, Giovanni. Not too far from their home was a machine scrap yard, and from that scrap yard, Vic found and rebuilt friends: Nurse Ratched, a very sassy and questionably medical robot, and Rambo, a neurotic and charming vacuum. One day, Vic found an android with a bit of life still in it and brought him home to fix him up. But in that excursion, Vic cut himself triggering an alarm to all the machines in the neural network alerting them to the presence of a human.

And while Giovanni was Victor’s father, Giovanni was a machine. Humans had been wiped out decades earlier.

When the machines sought out the human whose blood was in the scrap yard, they found only Gio who they took. Vic decides to go after his dad with Nurse Ratched, Rambo, and his newest friend, Hap.

Having read The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, I had high hopes for In the Lives of Puppets. TJ Klune did not disappoint. Set in a dystopian future where humans do not exist, In the Lives of Puppets explores the meaning of family, friendship, love, choice, and free will.

“In the Lives of Puppets” by TJ Klune ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Fantasy/Parable. Location: “In an old and lonely forest, far away from almost everything…in a place that used to be known as Ory-Gone.” Time: Future. NOTE: LGBTQ+Diverse Voices.


A “spare parts” family of 3 robots and 1 human live in a hidden home in the branches of a grove of trees: Dad Giovanni Lawson (fatherly inventor android), Nurse Ratched (pleasantly sadistic rectangle-shaped medical robot), Rambo (tiny, anxious, circular-shaped vacuum robot), and Victor Lawson (21-year-old human).

When Vic finds and repairs an android labelled “H.A.P,” he learns of Hap and his dad Gio’s shared past hunting humans. The robots from Hap’s former life are accidentally alerted, Gio is captured and taken to the City of Electric Dreams. The family must rescue him from decommission/reprogramming.

The momentum changes in Part 3 (The City) to harsher action. At the same time, the prose turns more metaphysical. But tiny Rambo is always there to share a little joyful whimsy. Author Klune has created a world of imaginative characters inspired by Carlo Collodi's “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. They’re charming, vibrantly alive, and usually hopeful. Klune’s colorful world building includes a Swiss Family Robinson-like treehouse, a moving house of curiosities, and the Terrible Dogfish flying whale machine.

This book has been widely applauded as a queer Pinocchio retelling. And it is a lovely, sensitive depiction of a person awakening to his sexual orientation. Even more important than the characters, their sexualities, genders, and their world are the messages Klune conveys. He asks us to imagine what would happen if humans were gone. Would new inhabitants of the earth find a new way, or repeat previous mistakes? He invites us to consider whether we can love without strings attached, and turn enemies into friends. He wonders about the nature of forgiveness.

It’s glorious and heartbreaking, entertaining and poignant, compassionate and ultimately hopeful. I’ve named my iRobot “Rambo” and it’s 5 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️. Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and T.J. Klune for this early ecopy.

I'm almost speechless about the creativity of this book.
How in the world did the author manage to make me fall in love with robots? ROBOTS!!

This book takes place at an undetermined time, when humans are nearly non-existent. What happened to cause such a change of events? Ever watch some of the Black Mirror episodes? If yes, that will give you an idea. If not, let’s just say the robots created by humans began to outthink the humans themselves. While this seems like a very deep topic, this book is nothing like the intensity of Black Mirror. It is a charming story with some similar themes to the classic, Pinocchio.

While Victor Lawson is the main protagonist, his ragtag group of robots share an equal stage with him in this story. None are more endearing than Victor's robotic partners in crime - Rambo and Nurse Ratched. Nearly everything out of their mouths made me smile or laugh.

"I'm also good," Rambo said.
"Unbearably so," Nurse Ratched said. "Though you seem to be suffering from an intense anxiety disorder. But that is fine. We are all unique. Victor is asexual. Giovanni is old. And I have sociopathic tendencies that manifest themselves in dangerous situations."
"Hurray!" Rambo squealed. "We all have things!"

I honestly could have a whole book featuring these two oddballs just talking.
But there is so much more to this story than great banter. It is a heartwarming story as Victor and his robot friends venture into the great unknown to find his dad/creator who was taken away by the Authority. There are plenty of misadventures along the way, but as a team, they find a way to overcome the odds and live up to their motto, "Be Brave!"

This will easily be on my Top Books of 2023 list, and I encourage everyone to read it (it has something for almost everyone - fantasy, sci fi, and even romance). A MUST READ!!

TJ Klune is a master of found family and books that feel like a hug, and In the Lives of Puppets only further proves that. In a home in the branches of the forest lives three robots—an inventor, an optimistic vacuum, and a dry humored nurse machine—and with them lives a human with a heart of gold—Vic. And when Vic salvages and saves an unknown machine, the lives of these characters are changed forever and their put on a quest that could change everything. These characters are so lovely. Rambo, the vacuum, was such an absolute delight with his eternal optimism and home, and Nurse Ratched, the nurse machine, is so funny, I love her sadistic humor. And Gio, the inventor, and Vic’s relationship is so special. And Hap, that salvaged robot, is just wonderful. He’s damaged and lost and watching him find his own heart was just beautiful. There is a wisdom and gentleness in the writing. It is funny and emotional and heartwarming. The characters have such wonderful chemistry and reading this just made my heart feel so full.

Victor Lawson lives in a treehouse complex in the forest with three robots. Life is pretty peaceful until Victor decides to rescue another robot he finds in the scrap heap. He cuts his hand in the process, which alerts the authorities, and his father is taken away. Victor must balance his need to find his father and his hope of keeping his whole family safe all while battling through hidden truths and lies and the question of what it means to be human.

When I saw that TJ Klune was releasing another book with unexpected characters and a thoughtful take on life, I was instantly on board. Klune has written poetic books and crass books, and I've loved nearly all of them just for what they are. I have such mixed feelings about this one though! On the one hand, it brings up really thoughtful points about forgiveness and trust and bravery and family. On the other hand, I have no idea why a book about an asexual man and four robots would have so many cringey sex scenes. I found parts of this book addictive. I read sections that made me gag a little. I nearly cried at the beauty of some scenes. I considered DNFing this book more than once. This book has a lot of lovely things in it, but it was way more of a miss for me than a winner. Sometimes it's awesome when you open a book and discover it's not what you were expecting. But a robot brothel? Really?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

In the Lives of Puppets is a quirky family story set in a science fiction backdrop. TJ Klune has a gift for writing stories that give all the feels, like being cozy, wrapped up in a blanket, on a comfy sofa or bed. Even though he writes about serious issues, love is the backbone of his stories. Lovely book.

I am a library associate and received and advance copy from #NetGalley.

TJ Klune's updated Pinocchio set in a future run by AI is another found family story with a lot of heart as Vic and his friends set out to save his father.

TJ Klune did it again, but this time with robots. At first. I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out, but he found a way to make robots with fantastic and lovable traits. Rambo and Nurse Ratched were perfect supporting characters, and I was rooting for Gio, Victor and Hap the whole time. It also contained such sweet message about friendship, love, and choice. Highly recommend!

Giovanni Lawson is an android and a creator. He is part of a misfit family - his human son, Victor, as well as Nurse Ratched and Rambo, both robots. But when Victor discovers Hap, a decommissioned robot, ij the Scrap Yards, he learns a truth he never could have imagined. When Gio is taken, Victor and his family are determined to get him back.

Thisbook is every bit the warm&fuzzy that is typical of T.J. Kline, but instead of magical realism, it's robots and science fiction-esque. The characters are beautifully flawed, and I loved every single central figure. The robots - especially Rambo the vacuum and Nurse Ratched - bring a delightful humor to the novel. Absolutely 5 stars; one of my favorite books of the year. I am forever a TJ Klune fan 🩷

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune is a lovely re-imagination of the classic fairy tale of Pinocchio, with the added science fiction flavor. I like the twist that TJ Klune added to the story, and I adore all of the main characters, especially Rambo and Nurse Ratchet.

I have to think more about this one, but I am rating it according to what I am feeling right now. Heartwarming and all the feels. A wonderful read give it a try.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Tor Books for this eARC!

TJ Klune’s newest is a Sci-fi, loosely based Pinocchio retelling! I’m so torn on my thoughts. There were things I loved and things I thought were just okay. I loved the friendship between Vic, Rambo, Nurse Ratchet, and Hap. The banter was funny for most of the book, but then felt repetitive by the end. Klune is good at putting you in your feelings and this book is no exception. It felt a little long and like the plot was loose overall. I feel like I’m brain is unfairly comparing to Cerulean Sea and it just isn’t as good, it just didn’t suck me in the same way. If you’re a fan of Klune it’s worth picking up!

I loved both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. In the past, I have described Klune's writing as pure love and it holds true for this book. The way Klune writes about humanity and our faults, struggles, and ability to persevere is unmatched. I didn't fall in love with this books main characters as much as I did in the last two books. I think the supporting characters were the strongest and carried the story. Nurse Ratched and Rambo were wonderful. I loved them so much. The humor in this one was perfect. I laughed the whole way through. It's a beautiful feel-good story of finding yourself, love, faith, loyalty, and overcoming your faults to be the best "human" you can be. Highly recommend.

Another touching, funny and ultimately uplifting story from TJ Klune. A fairly quick read (or maybe I just couldn’t put it down!). Suitable for teens and up!

4 ⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an ARC of this book — one of my highly anticipated reads of 2023!

TJ Klune is an expert at creating lovable and weird little characters, and at doing it quickly! Each personality is so unique, and so funny and easy for readers to latch on to. The story was adventurous, and I was rooting for our band of misfits the whole time. I can't decide if Rambo or Nurse Ratched was my favorite character! They were both so funny and added levity and comedy to the story, which really balanced the more reflective (philosophical?) narratives from Gio, Vic and Hap.

I know this was intended to be a Pinnochio story, but I might need to refresh my memory of how that original story goes 😂 There is definitely creation, humanity, and giving life to inanimate things in the plot line, and the question of "What does it mean to be human?" or even, "What does it mean to be alive?" throughout the book, but it didn't scream Pinnochio to me! At the very end of the book, I think there's an obvious line that implies who Pinnochio is supposed to be, but I think there could be multiple Pinnochios in the book. There were also a few scenes that were much more Wizard of Oz to me.

This could have been a 5 star book, but I think TJ Klune has a formula that I would have liked to see him stray from a bit more here. The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, and now In the Lives of Puppets all have a similar cast — quirky, lovable misfits and anxious LGBTQIA+ characters exploring and finding themselves. It's great, really! And each book has truly been unique and creative, storytelling that I haven't read or seen before. But, I would have liked to see some different characters here!

Would still highly recommend to all of my friends, and anyone that enjoys TJ Klune, or what I like to call "digestible fantasy" :)

Like Wall-E and Pinocchio had a little queer baby. Some of the most beautiful quotes I have ever read, while still being equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. A wonderful book about humanity from the perspective of machines, and questioning how far you will go for the ones that you love. Honestly, I want my own Rambo now! One of my top books for the year!

This is the first book I have read by TJ Klune, and it will NOT be the last. From the first page, I was sucked into this magical plot. His way with words is unlike anything else I have ever read. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good standalone fantasy.

Loved this story! The friendships between Vic & his found family were such a pleasure to read. I especially loved Rambo, how could you not though?

This book is a charming found family tale set in a fascinating world. The world building happens slowly and naturally, and I found I was never confused or lost. The characters had my heart from page one, and the ending had one of the most casually haunting and thought-provoking lines I've ever read. The humour was perfectly balanced with the angst, and it had me laughing and crying in the same chapters.

In France, they don't say "I love you," they say "One is sufficient," and I think that's beautiful.

tl;dr 4 Stars

IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS is TJ Klune's newest in a line of books based on concepts that should be ridiculous on paper and yet are so very good in execution. It shouldn't make sense that a sentient roomba and nursebot can exist in a book that also gives us a deep exploration of what it means to be human, who the responsibility of blame and forgiveness lies on, and what makes a family, and yet...

In this post-AIpocolyptic world, Victor Lawson is the only human left, though he doesn't know this yet. Raised by an android, Vic spends his days diving for scraps and fixing disassembled machines, breathing new life back into what the AI regime has decided no longer fills their primary functions. Between the sentient rumba called Rambo, a killer nursebot called Ratched, and his father, Vic feels content with life despite how different his family is from him. But unearthing an android that has ties to his father's mysterious past has consequences that Vic could never have prepared for, and will set him on a journey across a land where all other humans have been eradicated. Will he and this android kiss a little? You betcha!

PUPPETS was very good. I don't know that I'd call it great, but there was a lot that resonated with me. There was also a lot that didn't resonate with me. I've said this before in other reviews of his work, but Klune has a habit of drawing certain, story elements out a lot longer than they need to be, particularly when it comes to the "comedic" aspects of the story. Quirky dialogue. Running gags. Things that he probably assumes are landing as humor, but ... are just so annoying. In PUPPETS, I found those elements to be Rambo and Nurse Ratched's endless and plot-interrupting "banter" and the continuous toilet/bathroom-related humor. It just isn't my speed. It wasn't detrimental to my enjoyment of the book, but it just wasn't my speed, and it got old fast.

But what PUPPETS does have going for it ... it works SO WELL. Giovanni and Victor's father-son relationship was so wonderful to read, especially in the later part of the book when we get more insight into why Gio created Vic in the first place and all the ways his son has awed and delighted him over the years. Others want Vic to be this revolutionary tool, but Gio only wants him to be his son, and is so patient and careful with him that it broke my cold little heart. And I can't talk about PUPPETS without talking about HAP -- our hysterically angry puppet deciding that he doesn't want to hurt anyone and becoming an immediate protector of Vic and their strange little family was wonderfully heartwarming. I loved the pacing of their relationship in this book, the pitfalls and triumphs of their friendship-and-then-more, Vic bringing Hap back to himself with a kiss, oh, it was all so good. Klune does such fantastic job laying out a narrative and dropping little seeds for the readers to look after -- I knew I would love Hap from the minute we see his mechanical arm sticking out of the scrap pile, and that never wavered throughout the story. Rambo and Ratched ... honestly, I could have taken or leaven them, but I guess this book would have been much shorter without them around.

In comparison to Klune's previous novels, I think The House in the Cerulean Sea ranks below this, but IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS still doesn't beat Under the Whispering Door. Even so, I enjoyed this read SO much, and if you've liked any of his past work, there's no reason you won't like this.