Oh, what an extraordinary and enchanting journey! "In the Lives of Puppets," by New York Times best-selling author T. J. Klune, takes us through a unique and fascinating tale, blending the nostalgia of Pinocchio with an epic adventure in a peculiar world.
In the quirky treehouse, three robots reside — the fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum eager for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, also calls it home. They form an unlikely, hidden, and safe family.
The story unfolds when Victor salvages and repairs an unknown android named "HAP." At this moment, we discover a dark past shared between Hap and Gio, a past dedicated to hunting humans. When Hap inadvertently alerts robots from Gio's former lab about their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. Now, the rest of Vic's makeshift family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Throughout this quest to save Gio, amid conflicting feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic is faced with a crucial choice: can he accept love with strings attached?
Inspired by Carlo Collodi's "The Adventures of Pinocchio" and with the vibe of "Swiss Family Robinson" meets "Wall-E," "In the Lives of Puppets" is a brilliant standalone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and "Under the Whispering Door."
The narrative is an epic quest of rescue and discovery, with the author's trademark charm, heart, and a touch of bittersweetness. Klune once again delivers a story that captivates and tugs at the heartstrings.
For those who enjoyed his previous works, this book is an impressive addition to the collection. And for those diving into T. J. Klune's world for the first time, get ready to be wrapped in a blanket of warmth, creativity, and a story that will stay with you long after you close the book.
I sincerely thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books, for providing early access to the ebook. The opportunity to explore this story before the official release made my reading experience even more special and enriching. I am grateful for this generous opportunity!

This book was so unserious until it wasn't, and I loved it! Like with The House in the Cerulean Sea, you get a seemingly odd assortment of characters who you fall in love with and a story that warms your heart. An interesting mix of fairytales with science fiction make for an approachable sci-fi book even if it's not the genre you normally gravitate toward. My one criticism of the book would be that the story unfolded very slowly but felt a little rushed at the end. Maybe it's just because I didn't want to leave the characters, or maybe I was waiting for more of a resolution because I (selfishly) wanted an entire world solution. Overall loved this one and will continue to read anything TJ Klune writes!

Take of love and family! My son giggles several times reading this book to himself. Great characters, especially the side kicks! Highly recommend!

I love tj klunes writing! So full of feeling and life. This book was magical. Sweet and heartwarming. Deep. A retelling of Pinocchio mixed with robots. I cried so many tears, but my heart is better for it. Highly recommend!

🌟🌟🌟🌟 "In the Lives of Puppets" is a captivating fantasy adventure that seamlessly weaves together elements of family, love, and the complex dynamics between humans and robots. The story unfolds in a peculiar home nestled within the branches of a tree, where an unlikely family of robots and a human, Victor Lawson, coexist in hidden harmony.

The characters, especially the fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson and the enigmatic android 'HAP,' bring a unique charm to the narrative. As Victor salvages and repairs 'HAP,' a dark shared past between HAP and Gio surfaces - a past spent hunting humans. This revelation sets the stage for a gripping journey filled with conflict, loyalty, and self-discovery.

The world-building is imaginative and otherworldly, taking readers on a journey across an unforgiving country as the family races against time to rescue Gio from his former life. The nods to Carlo Collodi's 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' add a layer of depth and nostalgia to the narrative.

What sets this book apart is the unexpected emotional connection I felt with the robotic characters. The author skillfully explores themes of love, acceptance, and the complexities of relationships, making the reader genuinely care for these non-human entities.

"In the Lives of Puppets" is a masterful standalone fantasy that showcases the Klune's storytelling prowess. The adventure is rich in both whimsy and heart, making it a memorable and thought-provoking read. Who would have thought I'd connect so deeply with robots? A delightful surprise that elevates this book to a four-star gem. 📚🤖❤️ #BookReview #InTheLivesOfPuppets #FantasyAdventure #UnexpectedConnections

Thank you SO much to TOR and Netgalley for allowing me an early sneak peak at In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune. Luckily for me, TJ Klune is an absolute auto-buy author for me. I have read *almost* everything he's ever published and I've absolutely loved everything I've read so far. In the Lives of Puppets is no different! The story is a sci-fi retelling / reimagining of Pinocchio and is heartwarming to say the least. Much like his previous few novels, the characters are 100% the reason his books are so good. How can I learn to love a talking vacuum? When someone asks me how to describe Klune's writing style, the only word I can ever conjure is "whimsical". He literally transports you to another world and if only for a moment you have escaped all of your woes and worries of the real world. While admittedly, a little long, I still love this book so much! Unputdownable.

While I looooved the House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door did not have quite the same overwhelming affect on me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect for TJ Klune’s most recent release. Luckily, it exceeded my hopes and then some! Though it was somewhat predictable, it only was because it was a critique on humanity and technology, both of which have yet to truly shock me. It was moving and beautifully written; Klune can really world-build in a way that is so accurate to real-life yet a dreamworld or two above it. He painted such beautiful imagery in what should have been a familiar dystopian with such distinct and funny personalities in each new character. The humor is clever and tactfully woven in with wonderful emotion.

On top of all the usual creative fantasy, there’s an asexual character! And not at all one I’ve read anything similar to before!

True to form for Klune, this book was exactly what I have come to expect from all his writing - a clever, heartwrentching, and beautifully human story that can be classified as more of an experience then a mere novel.

I loved this book and we have been stocking and selling it! Tj Klune is one of my favourite LGBT Authors (apologies for this review being so late!)

T.J. Klune has a way with words- there's no doubt about that. I definitely liked this story much less than Cerulean and Whispering Door. While the characters themselves were funny and endearing, I still didn't feel fully invested in their journey. It almost felt like.... nothing really happened? Also reading this made me realize I have no idea what the Pinocchio story is. I got vibes of The Wizard of Oz instead.

If TJ Klune knows how to write anything, it would be found family. As a long-time lover of TJ Klune's books, I can safely say I would die for any of these characters. They are all richly developed and endearing to read about. You can't help but want to root for all of them and want them to succeed. I also think that the most important aspect about TJ Klune's books is that it always reminds me to be optimistic about the world and people. It is so refreshing to read a book that confronts the harsh realities of humanity while never shedding the hopeful tone for a better future.

However, out of the previous books that I have read from TJ Klune (House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door), I do have to conclude that this is my least favorite. I think this book lacked the depth that the other two had in terms of the journey. The ending also felt a bit rushed and I would've liked to see more interaction between Gio and Victor.

Overall, this book still carries the charm of all TJ Klune's books and I had a good time reading it.

Gentle sci-fi - a Pinocchio retelling - is probably the best way to genre-fy this. There is a lot of heart, as one would expect from the author of Under the Whispering Door. The robot characters were funny and added some needed levity.

I didn't find this very interesting or look forward to picking it back up. The conflict just wasn't appealing to me.

I will keep reading what Klune writes.

Klune always makes me cry. ALWAYS. Another cozy, emotional, lovely hit. and a pinnochio retelling at that! The characterization was such a delight, everyone was so endearing and clear, I can't believe this is over and I don't get to read it for the first time again.

This was my second book by TJ Klune and it has cemented that Klune is an author I definitely want to follow. The story was interesting, the characters were all unique and compelling, and I was super happy to see asexuality representation. I desperately wanted everything to work out for the characters.

I wanted to like this one a whole lot more than I did. Unfortunately, there was just too much going on for me to enjoy it all that much. If this were my first Klune book, I might have enjoyed it more. His overly saccharine tone and quirky characters can be charming, but it just didn't work for me here. It's certainly not terrible, but overall it didn't live up to my expectations.

Much darker than I am used to but dang he has done it again! I can’t stop reading through my fingers.

I've been grappling with the precise reason behind the special allure of T.J. Klune's narratives, and I've finally pinpointed it: It's the way reading them transports me back to a childlike sense of wonder, where you step into a fantastical realm and passionately root for the heroes as they conquer the forces of darkness.

In this journey, you develop an affection for the characters and their universe, feeling fully immersed in the enchantment of it all.

As a reader, this is the exact experience I hope for every time I delve into a book.

To have a story seep into your consciousness, envelop your heart, and leave you feeling a bit disoriented afterward—there truly is no other sensation like it in the world.

So I have to be honest. I really struggled with getting into this book. It just wasn’t hitting the spot. I really enjoyed this authors other book. But this one just couldn’t get me invested.

The storyline had a creative spin but for me I didn’t snuggle into it. So I decided to DNF it. Though there are so many that will love and adore it for me it was a miss.

TJ Klune books are always a win for me. Since I got this ARC I've read and re-read the book. It just gives such a theme of hope and acceptance to read this story. Especially a story that features ace representation, which is so rare in media today. I loved all of the quirky side characters and the themes of the book just hit so hard. Absolutely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

As far as retellings go, I think this one was quite creative. The use of an end-times story where the world is filled with robots was interesting, and really made me think about the implications of a machine-based world. Victor and his robot family are unlike the robots in the City of Electric Dreams and provided him with a love that rivals what some humans have with each other.