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!

While the story took me a little while to get into, I was immediately attached to the characters. My favorite part of Klune's writing is his ability to write real, believable, and flawed characters. A loose interpretation of the story of Pinocchio, this tale finds main character Victor forced onto an adventure with his robot companions. Going from their small forest hideaway to the City of Electric Dreams, the small band of friends are able to face new challenges by following the rules "Stick together...run if we have to...no dallying...no drilling...and above all else, be brave."

Fantastic story about family and finding your way. Speaks to how we choose our identities and how our actions and intentions form us. In the question of nature vs nurture, Klune seems to fall firmly in the nurture camp.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Though I did not like this novel as much as The House in the Cerulean Sea or Under the Whispering Door, I did find myself enjoying it for many reasons. The characters are really fun to read. They all have their quirks, and I found myself enjoying the dynamic between Nurse Ratched and Rambo the most. In my head, they were voiced by Sarah Paulson and Alpha 5, respectively. Redemption, forgiveness, loneliness, and family were all intriguing concepts to read about within the futuristic setting, and like other Klune novels I've read, I feel that there are several lines throughout that are sweet and beautiful.
I think my biggest issue was with the pacing. Some aspects of the story that I thought would be focused on more were over quickly, and other aspects that I thought would be brief were extended. I was about half way through the book, and I do not think that the journey had even begun. It just felt a little off.
Overall, I think that this book would be a good addition to anyone's shelf, and I will more than likely be recommending that my library purchase it.

I have been a huge fan of TJ Klune and this book is no exception. Each book by this author shows a new level of creativity & fantasy, while simultaneously touching on things that matter to us, things that bring peace, joy, contentment. Most often, this comes from relationships and the people we surround ourselves.

Klune took on a big undertaking by exploring a world made almost entirely of machines. Vic is the only remaining human, and this book explores the relationships he built with a small group of machines around him. It’s a beautiful testament to love- how machines can overcome their programming to find companionship and also how we will make sacrifices for those that they care about.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC.

This story was fascinating, and I could not put it down. All the characters had so much personality and heart. I laughed, I cried (literally teared up in the middle of work), and all the emotions in between. The search into humanity's flaws was fascinating, and the robot/human dynamic created a unique story. I give In The Lives of Puppets 5/5 stars.

In a story reminiscent of Pinocchio (deliberately, as is shown by the quotes at the beginning of each chapter) crossed with The Terminator, TJ Klune's newest novel is a mash-up of science fiction and fantasy. As the story of Victor and Rambo, Nurse Ratched and Hap and their quest develops, interesting questions about family, love, responsibility, and humanity all follow.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the characters easy to root for. Part quest, part found family, all delightful (even though sometimes sad).

Klune did it again!!! Such an amazing book! I am so grateful to netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy

Another great book from TJ Klune, a whimsical queer Pinocchio retelling! Would recommend for purchase at all libraries.