omg. Oh my god. I love this book. Sometimes you just meet characters and fall in love with all of them and this is exactly what happened here. TJ Klune has a talent for giving us a unique and lovable cast in all of his books. I was so invested in them, alot more then i expected. And the best part is that he makes them so funny. His humor is my favorite type, i found myself laughing out loud so many times. The mix between an anxious vacuum, a sadistic nurse and the human between them was so perfect. Their interaction gave me life, i would read a million other books with just them hanging out. This was such a treat. Also, my baby Rambo was everything. I loved him so freaking MUCH. Vic and Hap were also fantastic and adorable and made my heart so happy. Extra points for the romance being queer, and more extra point for the asexual representation. When it comes to the story itself, I enjoyed it! When i read Cerulean sea and whispering doors almost back to back, i was a bit scared by the similarities in both stories (unhappy men finds himself in a peculiar little house where he meets a fascinating man with who he falls in love and finds a new found family of colorful characters that shows his the true meaning of live) and some of those elements were found again here, but he added this quest element that i truly loved. It let us explore more of this world he had created. The ending sent me in an emotional rollercoaster and i am not complaining about it. As always, the writing was perfect, i think is style is a perfect match to my taste. I will read everything he writes.

There were definitely parts I enjoyed of this book and I liked the concept, but overall the book fell flat for me. It started off ok and then I just felt like it dragged.

Every book I’ve read from Klune has the same kind of powerful effect on me. I find they make me ponder humanity and our world and so much of what he writes feels like he’s asking me to sit in discomfort as I really consider what I’m doing, both good and bad, for our world.

While this story felt slower at times, as always, his story made a lasting impression on me. And, I was very impressed by his ability to make me feel love toward certain robots!

“I don’t know how not to be weird,[…] That’s like asking the birds to stop flying.”
I felt such kinship when reading this sentence and want Rambo to be my best friend!

Thanks to @Alana for the great buddy read discussion!

*quotes from advanced copies may be different in finished copies

4.5

“The truth was often broken, shards of glass embedded into skin. There they would remain until the wounds scarred over, leaving lumps that, while they never truly go away, would become less noticeable with time.”

I’ve read enough of TJ Klune’s books now that I pretty much expect certain elements to be involved in a new book by him, including an amazing found family, some full-circle moments to reflect upon, fantasy scenarios that somehow relate to society in the real world, at least one character whose heart grows more soft throughout the book, a chance for redemption, and moments that will make me both laugh and cry. This book, a Pinocchio-inspired story that is both similar to and completely different from the classic tale, had all of these and more!

There is also witty banter, adventure, and philosophical exploration into what it means to be alive. The book was, as I’ve also come to expect from Klune’s writing, comforting and deeply reflective. I will definitely be reading it again!

3 1/2 ⭐️
Victor is a young man being raised by a troop of unique individuals: an inventor, a psychotic nurse, and a little guy desperately needing attention. What do those three have in common? They are all robots. After Victor’s robot-dad is kidnapped and the rest have to go on a trip to save him.
First things first, thank you to #Netgalley & @TJKlune for the ARC.
Next, I struggled horribly with this book. I love Klune’s writing so much and it breaks my heart that I didn’t love this. The characters were beautiful as usual. I loved Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. The story is where it fell short for me. It seemed to drag and drag. I picked it up, put it down, and repeated. I did give an extra half star because he made me cry, so there’s that. I may try to reread this book down the road and edit my review. I do recommend any and all T J Klune books, I just expected more.

This is a retelling of Pinocchio set in a post apocalyptic world where robots rule. I also got some Wizard of Oz and Wall-E vibes from it.

There is ace representation, found family, and an epic adventure.

My favorite characters are Nurse Ratched and Rambo. I loved Nurse Ratched’s sense of humor and Rambo’s innocence and naïveté are adorable.

While I didn’t like it as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door, this is still a solid story by TJ Klune.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an eARC of In The Lives of Puppets in exchange for an honest review. 

This story follows Vic, a human, as he is raised by robots, trying to find his place in this world. He enjoys going to the Scrap Yards where he eventually finds a robot he names Hap, and takes him to fix him up. Throughout the story, Vic discovers what it truly means to be human.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed other T.J. Klune books. I thought the story was a little boring and didn’t have anything new and exciting to contribute to the literary world.

As for representation, I was disappointed in what I read. The character Hap has a stutter because he was found broken in a junkyard. There isn’t much representation of characters with stutters, and I was disappointed that when I finally found some explanation for it was because he was broken and couldn’t be repaired. The main character, Vic, is asexual, which just felt like it wasn’t really necessary. He’s surrounded by a bunch of robots so even if he wanted to be sexually active, it isn’t something he could pursue the majority of the story. I’m all for a character’s sexuality not being a thing that is of great importance to a storyline, but in this case, it felt like the author was trying to tie a connection between robots and asexual people that I wasn’t a fan of.

I felt that Rambo and Nurse Ratched, two of Vic’s robot companions, were much more enjoyable to read about than Vic himself. I often found myself caring more about Rambo’s and Nurse Ratched’s interactions than what was actually happening with Vic.

I am rating this book 2/5 stars. This book is very focused on the main character, and since I didn’t care for him, I also didn’t care for the book overall. I also feel that the representation in this book is more harmful than helpful. There are quite a few funny quips that got me through the book, but overall there are so many other books to read that have better representation and more enjoyable main characters.

In the Lives of Puppets

4.25 ⭐️

This book was such a fun adventure! Per usual TJ Klune fashion, I loved the characters so much. Nurse Rachel is hilarious and I loved the dark sense of humor coming from a medical robot. Worst bedside manner ever, but so entertaining. She had me laughing out loud from the very beginning.

The journey to rescue Vic’s father was full of deeper conversations, while also typical of Klune’s stories I thought it was sometimes a little overt.

The futuristic setting was fun to think through and I loved the questions Hap would ask at the beginning as he was learning about humans.

This was definitely one of the more challenging Klune books for me to read. Well I have read most of T J's writings this one was a little harder to get into. The world of androids and humans blend and the results get to be very predictable and deeply disturbing
. Victor has a beautiful relationship with his android father Gio and lives happily in the forest tinkering and creating. One day Victor's world is toppled over when his father is taken away and the truth emerges. There is much sadness and grief in this book and you actually can imagine the horror that existed. It is definitely a darker book of TJ 's even though there is some delightful humor provided by two sidekicks. I love nurse Ratchet and the little vacuum robot Rambo that added the needed comic relief .
If you enjoy science fiction and can deal with some pretty graphic and gory scenes then I would advise you to try this book. I don't think I will ever re read it which is a rarity for a TJ Klune book but I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read it. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy for my reading pleasure.

Thank you NetGalley and Mr. Klune for giving me the opportunity to review "In the Lives of Puppets." What I love the most about Mr. Klune's writing are his characters. He has a knack for creating endearing and humorous characters and "In the Lives of Puppets" is no exception. You will find yourself cheering on these characters as they learn what it means to be family. An interesting story about the interaction between humans and AI and one that will leave you thinking about the future of humans as technology advances.

Sci Fi and Fantasy is not my usual genre but I love TJ Klune! His works have made me cry, laugh and just feel all the feelings. This is supposed to be a retelling of Pinocchio and I see some similarities but it’s also it’s own story. Everyone should read this!

Another incredible adventure by the magical storyteller, TJ Klune. Explores the ideas of what makes us human, the bounds and paths of loneliness, and acceptance that can only come once you love and accept yourself. What a gift of a retelling!

I received an ARC for this book and I’m very glad I did. It is described as a retelling of Pinocchio. I was a little hesitant about this because Pinocchio scared me as a child and is one of the fairy tales I’m least fond of. But then they mention robots and I have to say I was easily sold with this addition.

The story centers on a family of mixed characters. One of whom is taken away. The rest of the family chooses to go after them and venture through an unfamiliar, dangerous world to the City of Electric Dreams.

This, I think, will easily become one of my comfort reads. I found myself not wanting to put this one down but also trying to not read it too quickly. The author’s humor balances the darker parts of the story out well and, at times, I found myself laughing out loud. I also found it interesting when the new machine world linked with the human past world.

I think this is a really fun read, especially if you have a euphemism-based sense of humor. I do think I will be reading it again.

rating 2.75
This was a very interesting concept and the flow of the story was good. Reminded me a little bit of a more adult "Robots" movie. It however, was just not for me. The dialogue at times was great and other times i cringed. The way the human talked also just did not interest me. It took a long while for me to see where it was going with the plot. It seemed to alternate sounding very young adult but with cringy adult dialogue thrown in. It was a decent story but for my taste I did not enjoy this one of Klune's all that much.

I was thrilled when I received the kindle ARC of this from NetGalley and the publisher. I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea. I liked, but plodded through, Under the Whispering Door. And for a couple of days, I have been thinking about what I want to say about this book. I read it mostly at night; and most nights I could only get through a few pages. I didn't find myself yearning to read it at all during the day. It was long and weird. But, it was so creative. Prior to my starting the book, I did not read anything about it. I just dove in. Early on, I couldn't help thinking it was a sort of twisted take on Pinocchio. Low and behold, I read a bit about it and, in fact, it is a retelling of Pinocchio. I also couldn't help but see aspects of Wall-E and The Wizard of Oz and bits of the dystopian vibes of the Hunger Games. Like Under the Whispering Door, I found this to be too long and in need of some editorial downsizing. But, again, it is so creative. Ultimately, it ended with some warm fuzzies that made up for the drawn out tale. I am all for fantastical, for suspending belief, for topical tropes, for tales and talk of acceptance and of being true to yourself. I just think I read this too soon after his last book and felt like it was another heavy dose of all that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. It was just a bit repetitive, even if it came from puppets and androids.

In the Lives of Puppets is TJ Klune’s newest cozy novel. In this book, we follow Victor, a human, who lives with a group of eccentric robots. His father figure, a roomba that is full of anxiety, and a nurse robot who really just wants to maim something. One day, while exploring the scrap yard, they come across a dismantled droid that Victor becomes determined to fix, even if it (the droid) kills him.

I have read The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door and I enjoyed them both. I liked Whispering Door more but I had a good time with both of them. But they both dealt with a curmudgeon type character learning about life which naturally means the characters started their books as pretty unlikeable characters. I thought that was just Klune’s thing, taking unlikeable characters and introducing them to new, quirky characters and watching them grow. So while I had fun reading them, I wasn’t obsessed the same way other people were.

This book was so completely different for me and I was obsessed with it. A lot of it comes down to loving the characters. I loved Rambo and Nurse Ratched with my whole heart. Gio was the perfect father figure and Victor was just doing his best to deal with the situation he was in-being the only human around. I teared up several times reading this book. I actually had to put it down at one point because I was afraid of what I thought MIGHT happen to the characters.

This book isn’t going to be for everyone. The humor will be a big hit or miss. It comes off as slightly juvenile but in a way that was endearing and funny to me. I read several passages aloud to my partner and we both had some laughs about it. This story is loosely based on Pinocchio and I can see the comparisons but I wouldn’t say it is a retelling at all. It just contains some of the story elements and Easter eggs. I feel like there are a lot of easter eggs thrown around in this book so I’m excited to see future reviews to see if other people think the same thing!

I loved everything about this book. I would definitely classify it as a cozy sci-fi. While there are some stakes, they aren’t super high to where the characters are saving the world or anything.

I adore In the Lives of Puppets. In true Klune style, it is a book that manages to ask probing questions with heart and warmth. It's a sturdy, sheltering tree-- both giving shelter and requiring respect. It is wonderfully funny and often bittersweet.. I wiuld recommend this book to anyone with a heart.

Thank you SO much to TOR, T.J. Klune and NetGalley for this advanced copy. I can’t believe I got to read a book from one of my favorite authors before the release date. Wow.

REVIEW: In the Lives of Puppets

Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Kindle Advanced Copy
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Summary:

In a strange home in the middle of the forest live three robots - Gio, the fatherly-figure inventor; Nurse Ratched, a sadistic nursing machine; and Rambo, an adorable yet slightly neurotic Roomba vacuum. Victor, a human, lives there too, making up their strange but loving family of four.

One day, Victory salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android that he finds, Hap, and he soon learns of the dark past that Hap and Gio share; a past hunting humans.

When Gio is captured and taken away from his home, Victor and the robots take off on a quest to save him. Along the way, they meet more interesting machines and Victor has to decide if he can accept to love with strings attached.

Review:

I am a HUGE fan of Klune’s previous novels “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and “Under the Whispering Door,” so when I got the chance to read an advanced copy of his new book, I was ecstatic.

I loved the characters in this books so much (Rambo has my whole heart) and I really enjoyed how Klune touches on such important topics in a digestible way. This is a wonderful book, and the only reason it isn’t 5 stars is because I just connected to the story line in his other books a little bit more.

That being said, I can totally see this being a favorite for so many people and I can’t wait to hear how everyone likes it when it comes out in April!

“All right. What are the rules?”
“Stick together.”
“Run if we have to.”
“No dallying!”
“No drilling.”
“And above all else, be brave.”

"What a strange existence we find ourselves in. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world."

In the middle of the forest, far away from all civilization lives a family. They're safe and hidden away from all the worries in the world. We have Giovanni Lawson- a fatherly figure and inventor, Nurse Ratched- a slightly sociopathic caretaker and expert driller, Rambo- the overly talkative and anxious vacuum, and a human named Victor. Nothing could be more tranquil than days of adventuring to the scrap yard and nights filled with Miles Davis and watching Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont dancing check to check in Top Hat. That is until Victor discovers an unfamiliar and broken-down android labeled HAP. Victor works tirelessly, and secretly, to restore HAP to his former glory. When HAP finally awakes, Victor's life and the truths he's always believed are completely shattered. He and his crew of misfits journey to restore a semblance of what they once had in this entirely human retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio.

After finishing this book I find myself still rife with emotion. Klune does an impressive job of humanizing his characters- which is the highlight of the whole novel. We have a rather small cast throughout our story and each one of them is delightfully wonderful in their own way. My easy favorite is Rambo- how could you not fall in love with a robot vacuum cleaner that has severe anxiety? I find that TJ Klune must have a secret formula for making characters that are so endlessly loveable He is also a master of adding humor to stories with such heavy topics and I always find myself crying and laughing while reading his work. The only shortcoming for me was the pacing which at some points throughout the story felt a little sluggish. This story is full of love and heart and was exactly what I needed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Klune, found family, and maybe in need of a good cry.

Just remember the rules:
Stick together.
Run if you have to.
No dallying.
No drilling (optional).

And above, all else, be brave.

🌲 World Building: 5/5
🤖 Plot: 4/5
💫 Pacing: 4/5
🫂 Characters: 5/5
⭐️ Overall: 4/5

TJ Klune's books are a must-read. In all of his books, he manages to capture both the pain and joy of being human, with unique and memorable characters.

'In the Lives of Puppets' may have been inspired by the classic story of Pinocchio, but it is not quite like anything I have read before. The story is set some time in the distant future when humans have been all but wiped out, and machines rule the land. Despite this grim premise, this book is full of humor, warmth and connection. All of the characters are quirky real, even those that are not quite human.

This one was a joy to read. Highly recommend!