I really really wanted to like this book. I have read all of TJ Klune’s previous work and have loved them, but unfortunately this book was not one that I was able to get into. I got about 20% in, but I found myself not enjoying the story. The premise sounds spectacular, but I think it is a bit long winded and i found myself losing focus while hunting for any big plot points. I tried stopping and restarting this book This book 3 times to determine if maybe it was just the mood I was in, but each time I had the same result. I appreciate the kindness of NetGalley and TOR Publishing group of sharing this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune does found family so well, and In the Lives of Puppets is no exception. Vic's relationships with Gio, Nurse Ratched, Rambo, and HAP are heart-warming and endearing, while raising important questions about what it truly means to be human. If you are a fan of The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door, then you will love this one too.

Victor grows up in a dense Oregon forest with his loving father Giovanni and two sentient robot companions he has saved from the scrap heap. Nurse Ratched is delightfully murderous, and Rambo the Roomba is anxious and eager to please. They rescue and repair another robot one day and name him Hap, but Hap's adjustment to his new life is rocky and he seems to struggle with secrets despite his memory wipe. Their tranquil lives are upended when Gio is captured by the robots of the Authority, but Vic vows to liberate him from his imprisonment in the City of Electric Dreams. All of the characters wrestle with what it means to trust, love, and forgive as they partake on their epic quest for autonomy.

True to TJ Klune, the characters in this book are singularly lovable and the world itself is unique and quirky. Nurse Ratched and Rambo remind me immensely of Invader Zim and Gir, and I'm not sure I can give them a higher compliment! I love the inclusion of the "real world" in the form of Ory-Gone, Las Vegas, and what I can only assume is the Luxor hotel and casino. Such a great combination of fantasy and reality!

While The House in the Cerulean Sea holds a special place in my heart, this story is a lot of fun and definitely worth a read. I always enjoy Klune's specifically-inclusive themes, and this book touches on gender fluidity as well as the wide spectrum of sexuality (asexuality included). The dialogue is laugh-out-loud amusing, and the tender interactions between characters is heartwarming. Loved it!

Thank you to TJ Klune, Tor Publishing, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

Thank you so so so much to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of one of my most anticipated books of 2023, The Lives of Puppets!!!! As always Tj Klune has done wonders with his writing. The family and friendships and love forged throughout this book were wonderful. The dynamic between them all was perfect. Rambo and Nurse Ratched and Hap were perfect friends and more to Victor. I want a Rambo and Nurse Ratched for myself. The family between Gio and Victor was amazing even if one was machine and one was human and neither would fully understand the other. The journey in which they all went on together was heartbreaking, heartwarming and tear jerking all at the same time. The very end of the book is the best part. The way these relationships have to come back together after being broken to try and save them. The love and affection they all have for one another is what Tj Klune writes best. The hope in which he leaves his readers is great! My only complaint, if I can think of one, is that the chapters are long. It’s my own personal problem that I’m not a huge fan of long chapters. Otherwise there isn’t anything I’d change! Thank you again for this highly anticipated ARC! All the stars! Highly recommend! His will be a top book for nearly everyone this year! Thank you so much to NetGalley!

"In the Lives of Puppets" is a contemporary fiction novel that begins with Gio (Giovanni Lawson) who leaves the City of Electric Dreams and escapes to a . He cares for and raises a human boy, Victor, who is left in his care in infancy. The pair are accompanied by two other companions: Nurse Ratched (a sarcastic, sadistic nurse machine) and Rambo (a small, compasant vacuum cleaner). This family is hidden and safe, until one day, Victor, Rambo and Nurse Ratched visit a graveyard/scrapyard of robots and find a decommissioned android named Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet). Victor learns of a dark connection between Giovanni and Hap and a secret mission to alert the robots about Giovanni's hiding place. Hap’s arrival jeopardizes the safety of their home and marks the beginning of the dangerous journey Victor, Nurse Ratched and Hap must take that determines their future.

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio, this story takes the essence of that novel and creates one with a unique concept, well-developed characters, and emotional depth that ensnare readers. TJK's writing is riddled in wit, humour and heart, which has his story radiating in love and humanity. Its themes of family, freedom and identity, and its diverse, enrapturing characters have the power to warm the heart and fill the soul.

If you enjoy queer contemporary fiction with a touch of magical realism and a focus on character development, "In the Lives of Puppets" is definitely a book worth checking out.

2.5 stars

This is a witty retelling of Pinocchio, Wizard of Oz and Brave Little Toaster tied into one story. The humor in this book kept me entertained, but I could not stay engaged throughout the book. I think the book was too long so the pace was off.

I loved the sci-fi elements and the humor, but some of the other pieces felt forced to become something other than a work of fiction. One underlying element was should you play god and create robots with thoughts and feelings? Then there is also the part where a human was created artificially. I get why they are in the book, but I just wanted to read a story, not a political piece.

Then it was weird for Vic to fall in love with HAP. That was just kind of weird to add romance into this book. I understand that Vic is lonely being the only human, but it was just a little too odd and unnecessary.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

5 out of 5 stars! This book was so cozy and delightful! I really enjoyed the witty banter and dynamic between the characters. The book was paced wonderfully, I felt captivated the entire time. Anyone who enjoys a cozy sci-fi will love this book. The queer aspect made it even better! I found myself laughing multiple times and the book even tugged at my heart. Such a great story that I highly recommend!

I didn't know I needed a Pinocchio retelling until now! Such a beautiful take on a classic. I would absolutely watch this episode of Love, Death, and Robots. All that being said, it didn't quite have the depth of Cerulean Sea or Whispering Door. Fans of those stories won't be disappointed, but you also won't be curled up in a ball sobbing over your teacup. (Somehow I make that sound like a bad thing.)

I was soooooo happy when I got approved for this ARC. I have read both The House in the Cerulean Sea and House Under the Whispering Door and I have falling in love with TJ Klune. So when I found out he had a new book coming out I rushed to Netgalley to see if there was an ARC. I don't even need to know what his books are about anymore. He is an auto-buy and auto-read author.

This book was fun from start to finish. The world was fun, the characters were fun, the plot/story line was amazing. I haven't read a lot of Sci-fi books but if they are written like this then GIVE THEM TO ME!!!

You have a mix of characters and let me tell you I loved them all but Nurse Ratchet was my favorite. She is me. I am her! She made me laugh out loud, she gave me new material for when dealing with the public. And her relationship with the other characters was just great. I don't have a blood family, besides my kids, just a found family. So when I get an amazing found family story it just sits so well with me. Vic and Hap are so adorable, Gio makes me want to have him as my dad and Rambo, oh little Rambo! He would be the best little brother ever!

I also love the queer. All his books I've read so far have queer in them and its AMAZING. TJ Klune does an amazing job mixing in a queer story line with the rest of the book. It's there but not over powering.

I want more. I want more of these characters, more of this world, more of it ALL!!!

Oh, my heart! What a book! Klune is one of those authors who’s been on my TBR forever but haven’t gotten around too and I’m totally kicking myself for that now. Such a beautiful book about found family, friendship, and humanity. Pinocchio used to terrify me as a child (and this is coming from someone who has been watching horror movies since she was five) so I wasn’t sure if I would love this, but it was great. The inspiration was clear and I loved what Klune did with it, also mashing in a bit of The Wizard of Oz and Wall-E. The plot was amazing and it really captured so many elements I love.

If I had to mention one thing I would’ve liked better was better pacing. The first 30% or so had my full attention and the last 30% felt the same but the middle of the book was a bit slow. Which is unfortunate because the “journey” is usually one of my favorite parts of these types of books. It’s also surprising to me that I loved the side characters a lot more than the main character. Nurse Ratched might be my favorite literary character this year and Rambo is a national treasure. Hap was also a great character with fantastic development.

This book made me laugh (a lot), cry, and feel. So, mission accomplished! Highly recommend to fans that love fantasy and sci-fi.

4.5 ⭐️

TJ Klune is top 3 instant buy authors for me. I don’t even HAVE to look at the description of the book, which is what happened when I submitted a request to review this. I went in totally and completely blind and I was rewarded tenfold. Klune’s writing is magical and this story is so endearing. A queer retelling of Pinocchio, this is so full of humor, heart, and comfort you can’t help fall madly in love with every character. Victor’s life as the only human among robots sounds objectively lonely, but the robots are so charming and funny you forget their robots. Nurse Ratchet is probably my favorite character I’ve read in a long, long time. Klune if you’re reading this I need a whole saga with Nurse Ratchet at the forefront. Every character is given their moment to shine, which is what makes Klune one of the best authors in the game right now.

Another absolute masterpiece from Klune that shattered my heart in the best way.
A story of love, grief, unlikely pairings, and just the most wonderful magical robot family. A true love letter to humanity, this is one I will revisit many times.

Another cute read from one of my favorite authors; TJ Klune. This is a queer, sci-fi retelling of Pinocchio. It has the same quirky characters you can’t help but love, the brilliant humor that makes you cackle like a fool, and uplifting vibes that make you feel like you’re embraced in a warm hug that we’ve come to enjoy from TJ.

Victor lives in the coolest treehouse ever with his loving robot dad, Gio, hyper as hell vacuum robot, Rambo, and hilariously murderous (she’s mostly kidding) robot nurse, Nurse Ratched. When they go to the scrapyards and find a new robot to repair, Hap, life changes for the family, and they must go to the City of Electric Dreams to save one of them.

This is a fantastical sci fi retelling of Pinocchio: that's about as much as I knew going into it (other than being familiar with the author), and I'm actually glad I went in with such little knowledge. I enjoyed the feeling of 'discovering' the plot and the world as I went, and I suspect others will too.

TJ Klune is wonderful with creating loveable characters, although I'll admit they thread the line between 'quirky' and 'caricature' at times. Even still, the book made me laugh out loud several times, and that's always a plus! The author also excels at developing loveable relationships and found families. While I haven't checked out Klune's backlist (like many, I've read the big ones with House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door), I've read enough to wager that those elements will be familiar to other Klune fans. Similarly, this novel takes on darker themes, even if it looks at them through a hopeful lens - that, too, feels very akin to other novels I've read by this author, and it's an element I love. I can count on Klune for an emotional wringer.

Unfortunately, the weaknesses I've noticed in Klune's other works are present here too. Namely: the pacing. I feel we could've used less time at the set-up, and more time at the finale and the resolution. As it stands, I was left wanting a more from the final pages. I will say that Klune's at times flowery and heavy-handed exploration of his themes actually work very well here. It is, after all, a fairytale retelling!

Overall, this is a 3.75/5 for me. For those who are familiar with Klune and have enjoyed his previous work (such as myself), this should be an easy sell. For those who are new to Klune, I'd recommend this one for the gay and ace rep, the characters (it's difficult to choose a favorite, but I think Hap would be mine), the found family, and the exploration into identity, freedom, and what it means to be alive.

(Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own)

Pro:
* Vic’s two robot friends are hilarious, and the interactions among the three of them are touching.
* Klune’s trademark tear-jerking moments: he does emotional connections really well.
* Superb Pinocchio adaptation with nods to Frankenstein and The Wizard of Oz
* I can absolutely see this as a movie.
* Political and social commentary of the best sci fi
* Classic hero’s quest

Con (minimal):
* Cliffhanger sentences at the end of the chapters aren’t necessary.
* Victor reads younger than it says he is. The book feels somewhat YA with adult humor in spots.
* End feels just a smidge drawn out.

The pros far outweigh the cons. Thank you to T.J. Klune, Tor Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my all-time favorite books and because of that, TJ Klune has become a must read author.

Unfortunately, In the Lives of Puppets didn't quite draw me in like Cerulean did. It has its quirky, charming moments - man, I loved Nurse Ratched and her psychopathic ways - but ultimately it missed the mark as a whole.

It felt a bit of a mashup of Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, and a bit of the book A Psalm for the Wild-Built.

I laughed, I cried and I would do it all over again to experience the joy that is this book. The characters drew me in immediately, I laughed out loud at Nurse Ratched's delivery and I smiled every time Rambo interacted with everyone; I never thought I would have so many feelings for a little vacuum. Overall a great story with heart that I would recommend to everyone over and over again. Thank you so much for the advanced digital copy,

I liked the House in the Cerulean Sea, and this book has a great premise. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. I just didn't feel drawn into the narrative or like I cared about the characters in the way that I did in Cerulean Sea. I had high hopes, but it was a disappointing read.

TJ Klune has done it again, this book stole my heart.

A fun and quirky take on a post apocalyptic story, this book features a group of robots and a man named Victor who have formed an unconventional family in their perfect forest home! When their world is unexpectedly turned upside down this group of unlikely heroes embark on the biggest adventure of their lives… and heartwarming hilarity ensues.

Despite being mainly driven by robots, this story felt beautifully human. We get to see these characters learn what it means to be “alive”, to develop unwavering faith in their people, and to be brave even in the scariest of moments! It was absolutely magical.

If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, you will love this one too - prepare to be taken on another unbelievable adventure!

Thanks to the author, @torbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of one of my most anticipated books of the year!

Overall, I enjoyed this quest based sci fi with its unique cast of characters! Learning about the world’s past and present was especially interesting, but I feel the ending was too rushed. Not everything was flushed out at the end from a larger scale/world building aspect, and I feel like if it had I would have given this an extra star. The comedic banter between Nurse Ratched and Rambo was my favorite element of all the characters. This one read like a movie and was very visual experience for me, but left me wanting more answers and closure at the end.