Why a fun and whimsical read! After reading TJ Klunes’ The House in the Cerulean Sea, I knew I had to get my hands on this one too!

I loved Nurse Ratched. The things that came out of her mouth, oh my god...hilarious.

The pacing and vibe of this book were all over the place. It started as a fairytale, then was slow and quiet, moved suddenly to ACTION OMG LITERAL FIRE, then was adventure and journeying that stopped and started, then was MORE ACTION ALL AT ONCE, then ended as a drawn-out fairytale.

The part after the climax was too long and wholly unsatisfactory. I'm not sure what point the author was trying to make here, and it overshadowed the rest of the book. There's great growth in Hap up until the climax, so much thematic exploration, and I feel like the post-climax part just killed all of it. It basically did a start-over, starting something new that couldn't be fully fleshed out and left me wanting in a big way.

Up until that point, at least, I really enjoyed the themes of creation, purpose, and choice. The writing and story kept me hooked, and the Pinocchio retelling was flipped well. I just wish the romance had more foundation and that the ending followed what came before, emotion-wise. It's worth a read, but don't expect the same experience as that of The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door.

4.5/5

I’m not really a big fan of robots and post-apocalyptic settings, but I AM a big fan of TJ Klune, so I’ve been anticipating this read for months! I’ve just finished reading this, and now the tears are starting to dry on my face and I’m wishing this story wasn’t over. <3

I think this is the first Pinocchio-inspired book I’ve ever read, and it was certainly an interesting adaption! The plot itself was very unique (no growing noses here), but I appreciated all the nods to the original story.

Vic was a wonderful and very lovable main character (as are all TJ Klune’s characters), but I was surprised at how I attached I was to the robot characters! Rambo is the cutest little roomba with anxiety you will ever meet. On the other hand, Nurse Ratched is the complete opposite and definitely brings the much-needed humor and lightheartedness to this book.

Overall, if you’re a fan of TJ Klune, you definitely don’t want to miss this book! You will laugh, you will cry, and you will want to drill give each character a big hug!

I can’t say enough about this book! Pinocchio meets the future in this love story like no other. With characters so likable you forget they aren’t real, and a plot line so perfect you’d think it was the original story! This book captures so much humanity for a cast of robots and androids. I finished with a tear in my eye and a full heart. Thanks so much for sharing this advance copy with me. I loved it!

Good ideas, interesting characters, entertaining dialog, nice story pace, good book-length, but one detail frustrated me and kept it my rating at 4 stars vs. 5.

This is a clever inversion of the classic Pinocchio story, using the human as the unusual character and the mechanical characters as the "normal" ones. (For this review I'll refer to the mechanical characters as "puppets", but be careful as you read the word - they are the ones in-charge!) And the book latches onto many of the important themes in the original, but remakes them in this environment:
- It maintains focus on the life (intellectual and emotional) development of the puppets more so than the human. In fact, the peak achievement of personal development is revealed at the climax of the book.
- The loving relationship between the puppet(s) & human becomes the core motivation for the main character(s) and plot development..
- The quest of the puppets for self-improvement. The fun twist here is a conflict created between the desires of various puppets (and puppet society) to become more, or less like humans.
- The distractions arising from the temptations of candy, toys, etc. from the original book are wonderfully mirrored in the vacuum cleaner puppet, who is a constant source of joy as it wanders off to investigate the next shiny object.

All of this is woven through an exciting story starts with discovery and leads to a quest-slash-rescue-attempt. There is a wonderful breadth of characters, from the loving father puppet, to the other core puppets that are alongside the human in their quest, "bad guy" puppets, "good guy" puppets that assist along the way, and more.

All that is done in wonderful respect to the original. But the inversion of the puppet/human roles - there being one human and many puppets - means that the relationship development has much more freedom to run. The human naturally develops relationships that are familial (e.g. to "father" Gio), fraternal (friends with the supporting cast), and - importantly - romantic ... and (pseudo-)sexual.

It is in that last section where I think the book loses a star, for two reasons. First, the romantic relationship arises out of a savior story line. The human is protected by a strong robot, for which the human develops affection. I couldn't escape shaking my head saying "Don't make me accept a Snow White style affection for a protector as the main foundation for relationship." Yet, there wasn't much more foundation other than protection, care & comfort as the basis for the human/android love.

Second, the author decided to use human pronouns for the robots, and use a mail he/him pronoun for the android that the human loves. Since the human is male, this meant the author had to weave gay relationship development into the story - which was bizarre because the android in question didn't have any genitalia. So I was frustrated that a good book was making me deal with homosexuality in a way that frustrated me, rather than a validating way.

And basically, I would have thought the book would be more groundbreaking if it had tried to create new language for how we would label a romantic and physical relationship between human & machine. If you're going to push boundaries & create new ideas, create new language - don't burden me with old, divisive labels.

So, one star off for poor development of the romantic relationship. It's the one thing that will keep me from recommending this to others.

My rating system:
- Five stars is when you read a book to the end, put it down, take a deep breath, pick it up and start reading it all over again - or you would if you weren't so anxious to read the next book in a multi-book series. Or, it's simply really good.
- Four stars is when you tell yourself : ”This is good, this is well-written, this is full of interesting ideas/characters/plot points”, but you know you will never read it again.
- Three stars is when you read it to the end, put it down and proceed to forget all about it in the next instant.
- Two stars when it's so bad that it makes you laugh, or sigh, and want to write a review, but you can't remember the name of the book or dislike it so much that you don't.
- One star when you can't read past chapter 3, even as penance for your sins.

One star demerit if you write a long book that is obviously a cliffhanger setup to make you read a subsequent book to "finish" the story the first book sets up.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book at now cost. I commit to you, reader, not to let "free" generate a falsely-positive review.

A story of family and friendships in a tale full of robots, androids and one human. As always the writing is superb and the story relatable to current times. Are we heading in the direction where AI takes over our world? Who knows, but with friends like Victor, HAP, Rambo and Nurse Ratched the journey would be interesting.
#InTheLivesOfPuppets#NetGalley#TorBooks

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

A charmingly disturbing retelling of Pinocchio, In the Lives of Puppets will make you wonder which character actually IS Pinocchio. Following themes of found family (already assembled at the beginning), forgiveness, and love, Klune guides his ragtag bunch of robots and androids (and one squishy human) through a vivid landscape of wilderness and city.

With a constant stream of chuckle-inducing commentary by Nurse Ratched (Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill) and Rambo (the Roomba), it’s almost a surprise that there’s anything else to the book. But there is - Victor and Hap face adversaries who become friends, learn truths about the world that are almost too big to handle, and through it all, learn to love.

Appreciated that asexuality was mentioned and explained throughout the book, and also represented well in the main character.

This book was a dang for me. It didn’t really spark my interest and I couldn’t get in to the book. I have loved all his books I’ve read but this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the early review copy!

I won’t say much but TJ Klune has done it again. This queer story will hurt you so good.

A fun, queer Pinocchio retelling that will melt your heart.

T.J. is a master of writing the most ragtag family and makes you love them. Each one is a truly unique and complex character. It’s so fun to see them interact with each other and you can really see how much they love and care for each other.

The plot and world building were both fun and interesting. I loved slowly learning about how the world ended up the way it did. I also liked how T.J. made things that were familiar and made them just a bit different and interesting. The story itself is extremely entertaining, I was hooked pretty instantly.

This book made me laugh and cry. It’s truly a beautiful and heartfelt story. I loved every moment of it and it will stick with me. It’s about people finding themselves and choosing who they want to be, of family and love, of fighting for the ones you love.

I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys stories full of love and adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a free digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

I would not recommend this book to anyone. The plot was clunky and unwieldy. The characters were stayed and unlikeable. I found it very difficult to feel any empathy or even sympathy for their supposed plate. The main character Vic especially came off as whiny. This book was very disappointing.

I have only read one other TJ Klune book, under the whispering door but I think I am quickly making him an auto-read author.

This one is a Pinocchio inspired story set in a distant future where the world is controlled by robots and simulations. Victor is a human living with his robot father ‘Gio’, a anxious robot vacuum and Nurse Ratched - a health robot. This odd crew live in the forest away from civilisation until one day they find a broken down robot in a dump and the truth about Victor comes crashing down and their peaceful live becomes in danger.

This book grabbed my attention within a few pages just because of the humour. The back and forward conversation between the robots had me snorting with laughter. The story shows the characters learning and developing and evolving. It talks about ideas of freedom and self and what it means to be free. All of this whilst also being inspired by pinnochio in a whole new way I would have never imagined.

A great story that was told beautifully with lots of humour.

‘In the Lives of Puppets’ by TJ Klune

My heart.

This book was actually nothing like I imagined. Did you watch and love Wall-E? It’s a little like that but with adventure and banter. The characters are unforgettable. I highlighted, I tabbed, and I’ve already told all my loved ones to go read this.

Out in April, I highly suggest picking this one up!

I really loved this story though it was different from Klune’s other novels. Best to go in not expecting the same type of story as Cerulean Sea or Whispering Door. I’m not quite sure what was so different but I’ll try to lay it out. The pacing was slower, it was more about the journey than anything. Also, the majority of the characters are robots, which some people may have trouble connecting to simply because he truly wrote them as robots, not people in robot bodies as many authors do. The main human character is basically the one things happened around… he’s central to the story while at the same time it feels like he’s a side character rather than a main. It’s an interesting dichotomy that I didn’t mind but I can’t imagine many people would really prefer.

Overall I really liked the story it just didn’t have the same feel as his other books and didn’t leave me recommending it to everyone I know like the other two did. Still a solid read though.

TJ Klune does it again! I am such a fan of TJ's writing and In the Lives of Puppets did not disappoint. Gio and Vic have such a sweet relationship, but I love the comic relief of their two robot companions, When Vic finds another robot that he decides to fix, HAP is reborn and may have a bit of history behind him. I won't spoil the surprise. This is a story of love, family, and commitment. Pick this one up!

Thank you to T.J. Klune & Tor Books for sending me an advanced copy of In the Lives of Puppets! I adored The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, so this was one of my most anticipated books of the year.

Victor Lawson is a human in a world of robots. He lives in the forest with his inventive father, Giovanni, and his best friends Nurse Ratched, a nurse robot, and Rambo, a Roomba. When he discovers a new robot, Hap, their worlds shift. The past comes to light, and Victor must band together to save everything he holds dear.

You will undoubtedly fall in love with the characters in this story. Their distinctive personalities and the kind, intimate, vulnerable moments they share filled me with laughter and brought me to tears. As always, T.J. Klune’s writing is affecting and deeply emotional, and I’m sure I will be thinking about this story for a long time.

Look, I have no excuse for having read this other than I saw the author, and I saw the topic, and I felt in the mood to watch a trainwreck. However, I overestimated my ability to read this Pinocchio retelling without being creeped out beyond all recognition. So far it feels like a weird horrifying version of A Psalm For the Wild-Built so I guess if that appeals to you, go for it. (I guess more charitably I will say that in my experience TJ Klune writes very cute kids and I thought this would be more of that? But the book starts with Victor already a teenager/young adult.) DNF @ 8%.

I’m giving this 3 stars because although it really is a Nope from me, I think that’s very much a personal taste thing. Other people might like this more!

"to love something meant loving the ghost inside, to be haunted by it"

First, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are mine. I'd actually rate this 4.5 stars (if halves were a thing on GR).

At first when I heard this was a retelling of Carlo Collodi's "The Adventures of Pinocchio", I was a little hesitant to read it, because honestly, Pinocchio gives me anxiety and I don't love that.
I am, however, a sucker for robots. so.

I especially adored every part of the novel that took part in the forest. Being from Oregon, it was really awesome for me personally that that's where things start out. I automatically felt right at home in their world which is super comforting when I'm starting a new book. I am also finding that I'm a huge fan of novels that include a group of characters going on any kind of journey/quest, dangerous or otherwise; and of course anything that reps LGBTQ+, I am behind 100%. So basically this checked a lot of my boxes.
And speaking of LGBTQ+, I really really liked that one of the (later) characters in the book goes by they/them, even though it's never outright addressed. Maybe it's a robot-made-without-any-type-of-gender thing, maybe it's a nonbinary thing... regardless, I appreciated it a lot.

And the main characters, they were amazing. Though I did really like Victor, Gio, and Hap, my all time favorites were Nurse Ratched and Rambo. Oh my god I cannot even begin to explain how incredible these two are. I would probably read 50+ books just on them and their adventures.
Just about every single time they were speaking, I was either smiling or laughing out loud. Words cannot express the love I have for them and everything that they do and say.

I think the best way that I can describe this, is by saying that it feels like a hug for your heart..
It's incredibly comforting and sweet, and it made me smile consistently. There is adventure and there's suspense, but I never lost the feeling of being incredibly warm and (mostly) calm whenever I was reading.
I swear, this one will touch your soul.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in return for my honest review. I was attracted to the impressive cover, and I have also enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, hence I do have high expectation from this author. I have found the below on Goodreads, written by T.J. Klune himself:

"A queer retelling of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio starring an inventor named Victor, a mysterious android called Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet), an anxiety-riddled Roomba vacuum named Rambo, and a sociopathic nursing machine, the Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill (Nurse Ratched, for short)."

In the Lives of Puppets is a robotic world created by T.J. Klune. It is about a boy, Victor, who was raised in a secluded forest by a robotic father, Gio and his 2 robotic buddies, Nurse Ratched and Rambo. One day, as he was foraging at a nearby scrapyard, he has accidentally found a decommissioned robot and brought it home. Victor managed to activate and name it Hap. His blissful life in the forest came to stop when The Authority found a breach nearby and came knocking at their door. Through all the chaos, he learnt the hard way that he is the only human alive and some dark secrets his father has been keeping.

I have enjoyed Victor's journey especially from when the chaos started. It was a little slow and mundane for my liking when it started hence, I kept peeking behind and speedread at some point. As it slowly encroached the danger zone, I finally found the gist to read-on and embraced the adventure! Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the way the author writes which is simple and straightforward with his own signature prose. It's just the pacing at the start.

Somehow, I kept comparing it with The house in the Cerulean Sea which I find it to be an awesome read! As such I did have a high expectation for this novel which I should have expelled from my mind in order to enjoy this better. Both the context is different, but I do still prefer the former. I am just amazed with the world building in this mechanical world that I can even imagined it! Klune truly is a wonderful storyteller and able to have it as relevant as possible.

If you are looking for something light, didn't mind a little LGBT and haven't read T.J. Klune's books, you should start with this and then read Cerulean Sea. They are not related but I would think the buildup is better :-)

“And above all yes…be brave.”

Was I sure I was going to love TJ Klune’s new book? Yes. Did I think I would get emotional over robots? No, that was definitely unexpected.

“In the Lives of Puppets” by TJ Klune (out April 25, 2023), we are taken through a sci-fi Pinocchio retelling. Shocking to no one, Klune does an amazing job building this world and telling us it’s history as we explore it’s future. This book gave my Wall-E and Brave Little Toaster vibes and I loved every minute of it. While I loved House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, I found myself diving in Puppets much easier. I was hooked and intrigued pretty quickly.

As always, great world building, great main characters, great side characters, great plot. All around great.

Thank you to @torbooks for the e-ARC!