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!

Wonderful tale of adventure and love. The main characters were enjoyable, but the side characters really held the whole story together. Fun, funny and emotional throughout. Loved all the different settings dispersed within. I love how Klune writes fiction in a way that feels real and timely.

I feel like the Grinch writing this review, because this novel was SO fundamentally heartwarming and endearing but in a way that bypassed sweet and went straight into saccharine. We're talking ooey-gooey lovey dovey friendship is magic soppy scripted ridiculousness of the kind I would write on my notebook in glitter pen and bubble stickers in middle school. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for hopepunk literature, and absolutely adore optimistic fantasy when it is done right. However, for my PERSONAL tastes (see again: Grinch) there is only a certain level of syrupy gush that I can take, and overuse can send a story careening into eye-rolling territory. I feel like I could have tolerated this a lot more if the story had the complexity to back it up, but all of the problems the characters face are hills, not mountains. There is conflict in this book, but nothing that is not easily bypassed by romance and heroics. There is heartache in this book, but nothing that is not put back together and wrapped up neatly at the end with a bow. There's also just a weirdly uncomfortable amount of bad sex jokes? Like, we're talking PAINFULLY bad. Of the kind that would have made my mom take away my screen privileges at age 13. This isn't to say that my own humor doesn't resemble that of a 7th grade boy now and again but when every single punch line resolves with LOL, SEX!!! especially when the main character is explicitly asexual it just loses 100% of its corny humor and just becomes cringe.

I also idn't feel particularly connected or compelled by any of the side characters: Victor's two robot sidekicks are rapidly established as buddy-cop comic relief and rarely stray outside the confines of those roles, and his romantic interest exists only to provide narrative irony, a bit of drama, and the classic "oh shit there's only one bed!" moment. The only dynamic in this story that felt true and meaningful was the gorgeous father son relationship that is explored between the pseudo-Pinnochio character and the psuedo-Giuseppe character (e.g. Victor and Gio). Klune has successfully evoked a rollarcoater of loneliness and love and pride and sorrow that gives the novel its emotional center. I do with, however, that Victor had been given more room to feel more complicated negative emotions toward the people around him, particularly Gio. In keeping with thematic mushiness, Victor isn't really given the opportunity to wrestle with emotions like resentment towards his father or despair towards his circumstances, which would have given the story much greater emotional heft.

This was my first TJ Klune read; I’ve had his books on my TBR for awhile now and just haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. But I’m still interested in reading more of his work.

I enjoyed this read. It’s a fun retelling of Pinocchio in a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi world of various robots/AI and humans. The book reminded me a lot of the 2001 movie AI: Artificial Intelligence mixed with the Wizard of Oz and Bladerunner.

A 3.5/5 star read for me rounded down to 3 stars mainly because I liked it but I didn’t like it enough to round it to 4 stars.

What I liked:
-Ace representation
-Atmospheric settings
-Most of the characters—Nurse Ratched and Gio were probably my favorites

What I didn’t like:
-the humor wasn’t really my thing, it felt forced or like it was trying too hard to be funny.
-there was a character I couldn’t stand
-it was a slow moving story that felt like it should have been faster paced

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the copy of this eARC!

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchage for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are what really sold this for me. The story is pretty straightforward, and it actually takes quite awhile to get to the actual plot (around 20% in). I loved this though because it takes its time introducing the cast of characters and their different personalities. There was so much humor with the interactions between Nurse Ratched and Rambo that I found myself laughing out loud several times. And the father/child bond between Gio and Vic was wonderful.

This is an adventure story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz but also a love story. It explores what it means to be human in this world, and what it means to hope. I can't say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend reading it!

Thank you to the gorgeous people at TOR and Netgalley for granting me access to another TJ Klune novel!
I have always enjoyed my reading experience with Klune’s writing. He has a way of taking these fairytale-like plots and adding sarcasm and wit that would appeal to older audiences as well.
As with Under the Whispering Door and The house on the cerulean sea, I fell totally in love with this book, especially the dialogue. Dark humoured robots? Yes. Heart metaphors and exploring the human condition? Yes.
Klune’s use of language really threw me into the book. The imagery is so vivid to me that I could see it as clearly as a film. And similarly to a film, the time seemed to fly by as a couldn’t put this book down.
The concept of love between a romantic interest, family and friends was my favourite theme explored in this novel. I felt so engaged in learning about this world even when there were a couple plot-heavy points.
It is always an enjoyable and comfortable read with Klune’s books. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next! And keep the non-stereotypical queer stuff coming!!!

In the Lives of Puppets follows Vic, a human, going on an adventure with a funny cast of characters to save his father. If you’re a fan of TJ Klune’s other novels, you’ll like this one.

I’m not sure I was the right audience for this. I usually enjoy his stories, but I think this one leaned into whimsy and cutesy humor a bit too much for me. Some of the comedic bits that were funny in the beginning got old for me quickly.

Overall, the story and the very human lesson at the center are nice, though!

Perfect isn’t a strong enough word for this book. I loved every second of it; I laughed, I cried (sobbed at points), I felt my heart ache and break and heal, and I’ve never wanted to hug a Roomba more.
Nurse Ratched is hilarious, slightly sadistic and sociopathic, but with a heart or gold. Rambo is THE most precious vacuum ever; so naive and sunny and full of love. Hap’s development and growth was so beautiful. And sweet Victor. I loved him and I loved how he loved his friends and family. Being human is so very hard, but it can be wonderfully beautiful.
Pinnochio isn’t even one of my favorite stories, but I absolutely loved all the tie-ins throughout the book. Honestly, just read this book. It’s completely amazing. Allllll the stars and butterflies.

One day a couple shows up and hands Vic a newborn, take care of him, we will come back. They never return and now Vic has grown and while he wants to know more of this couple, he has a solid family in Gio, Rambo, and Nurse Ratchet. When he goes to the junk yard and decides to restore “HAP” things begin to get a bit crazy and the group ends up on an adventure they never expected.

Oh man. TJ Klune. Do I love you, or do I really love you? This man has a way of just making me love these crazy characters and want only the best for them. He opens my heart, and fills it with all the joy. Rambo and Nurse Ratchet had me legit laughing out loud as I read this book. While both robots, Rambo was so adorable and innocent, and Nurse Ratchet had the snarkiest comments that had in stitches. The Hysterically Angry Puppet was naturally amazing as well. This one is a bit different than we have seen from Klune recently, but it still had the heart deep down that just fills your cup. This synopsis and review are not adequate to describe this book, but if you enjoyed his other works, this one will fill you with joy as well!