It comes as no surprise that In the Lives of Puppets came chock full of all of the things many of us have grown to love about TJ Klune. Found family, some romance, LGBTQIA+ characters, and of course sarcastic, witty humor. As expected, I absolutely loved this book. Even going so far as to wonder if it may be my favorite of the books by him that I have read. I do believe that the answer to that question will likely depend on the day it is asked, as The House in the Cerulean Sea also holds a special place in my heart. For a story that primarily revolved around robots, this was truly about humanity and the choices we make.⁣
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This book. It had me laughing, crying, and at times doing both simultaneously. If there is anyone who can make me fall in love with a sociopathic nurse robot, it is Klune and he succeeded. If you’ve ever wondered “could I fall in love with a vacuum with an anxiety problem”? The answer is most undoubtedly, yes. Yes you can. The characters in this book stole the show. They could have sat around twiddling their thumbs for 600 pages and I would have been happy to read about it as long as Vic and his robot friends were involved. Their banter dragged me in, but it was their love that I inevitably ended up staying for. I will always be a sucker for a found family story, and Klune has a way of consistently nailing this theme while also raising the bar one notch higher.⁣
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It may be early, but this is already a strong contender for my favorite book of the year. I cannot reiterate enough how special these characters were, how much I loved going to The City of Electric Dreams with them, and that I just simply didn’t want the story to end. The writing, the emotion, and the themes were all above par and I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants to go on a whimsical adventure with some of the best robots I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about.

Absolute perfection. TJ Klune just knows how to make get your right in your feels and make your heart burst. Adored every second of this.

This is a very creative, interesting and unique story full of actually quite funny dry humor. Some parts were a little slow and convoluted but overall this was a heart-warming, enjoyable read with lots of adventure! If you enjoy lovable characters and fantasy/sci-fi, this one is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group and T. J. Klune for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. In The Lives of Puppets will be published in April 2023.

Another stellar read from TJ Klune!!!! A queer story that combines the best parts of Swiss Family Robinson and Pinocchio, but with a sci-fi twist. As someone who is not normally a fantasy or sci-fi reader, I found myself absolutely loving the world Klune created with love, laughter, and hope! I will 100% be recommending this book to everyone when it comes out!

Received this ARC for a fair review.

I love the characters TJ Klune creates. While I thought the story was a little drawn out, I was so invested in the characters that I just kept returning. Rambo is my hero. I want Nurse Ratched on my side all day long and not just because she is a nurse. This story intertwines the life of a human with the imagination of the author. What happens when you are the last human and the world is being taken over by robots. It is not awkward. It is wonderful.
I will forever read everything TJ Klune writes.

This book presents a different perspective about family and love. Can family only be defined if you are biologically related? In this delightful book, the answer is no. Does love have to follow traditional norms? Again, no. This book is another heartwarming story by T.J. Klune that brings together a human boy, robots and an inventor android. The tale is about family, love and survival.

I wish I could embrace this book with as much warmth and kindness as T.J. Klune imbues into his writing, but I felt that this book missed the mark much more than Klune’s previous two novels, unfortunately. Apart from one compelling twist, the emotional beats of this tale fell flat for me, as Klune’s trademark sentimentality feels empty when paired with an uninspired story.

The book itself is a Pinocchio retelling at its core, but it also reminded me of so many other works of fiction that it struggled to stand out on its own merits. If you threw together Pinocchio, Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries, Becky Chambers’ The Monk and Robot series, the setting of Fallout: New Vegas, the droids of Star Wars, the characters of The Brave Little Toaster, and the quest of The Wizard of Oz into a pot, you might have a stew that kinda sorta resembles In the Lives of Puppets. I just don’t think it tastes very good.

If you loved Klune’s previous work you’ll probably feel right at home with this book, but to me, a recovering cynic (who was still very much charmed by The House in the Cerulean Sea!), I think your reading time will be better spent elsewhere.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so quirky and lovable; who knew one could grow so attached to an android! The story line of this book is strange and different but I could not put it down, I needed to know more; I needed to know the fate of Vic, Rambo, Nurse RATCHED and HARP. This book is witty, hilarious, clever and so smart. It will not disappoint!

I feel so lucky to have received an ARC of this book. It was such a beautiful and touching story with so much raw emotion. I laughed, I cried, my heart stuttered. The world building in this story was perfection.

Rambo, the anxious Roomba was so endearing and I wanted to hug him. Again, the writing made me want to hug a vacuum. Nurse Ratched was the funniest sociopath I've read. Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet) was a dream. He had so many layers to his character; caring, compassionate, and strong. Vic was written as the most perfect human I've ever read. Not that he didn't have flaws, but his character was genuine and loving. Gio, the father and inventor was extremely complex. In the beginning, I envisioned a soft old man, but as the story progressed, his character had been through lifetimes worth of trials and his intelligence shined in his scheming.

I typically struggle when scenes change drastically. This story started at their home in the trees and their life was quaint and cozy. Typically, I would be stuck in this scene and would struggle as the characters leave their home for their adventure. Yet I was eager to venture through the story with these characters.

I don't know why but this reminded me of an intelligent, mature version of The Brave Little Toaster. I highly recommend preordering this book now. It will not disappoint and your faith in humanity or the concepts therein, will be renewed.

TJ Klune does what only he can do, again. This book pulls at your heartstrings in the most unexpected ways. I laughed, I cried, and contemplated what it is to be human all with in these pages. This book has characters that reach out and make you love them from the start. Some of it felt like a fever dream, but hey, Pinocchio is a very strange story. It’s hard to find books that have adventure, relationships, character growth, and philosophy all in one but this one fits the bill. I’m thank full is was able to receive and ARC of it.

I can't explain how wonderful this book is.

Man or machine does it make a difference?.

Beautiful.
Beautiful like butterflies.

This is my new favourite book by Klune. A beautiful LGBT retelling of Pinocchio set in the bleak future. It’s the darkest book I’ve read from this author but it works very well and the storytelling is masterful. 10/10 would recommend to everyone.

This book is. Retelling of Pinocchio, but somehow, SO MUCH better!! TJ Klune books bring out so many emotions while I read. They are funny, sweet, thoughtful, and caring. The characters are unique and amazing and so genuinely well written. I love this book and this author so much.

Thank you NetGalley, and the publishers for the chance to read this ARC before publishing. This was my first TJ Klune book, and I absolutely loved it. It took me a couple of chapters to get fully invested, but once I was in, I was HOOKED. The story had an interesting premise that I hadn't read anything similar to, and the characters were ones that I felt a kind of kinship with. I will definitely be picking up the books from this author that I have missed, and will be posting a review on both GoodRead and TikTok/IG.

Thank you for letting me have an e-ARC of this book, will definitely buy a physical copy so I can reread the wonderful world that this has taken me to.

TJ Klune has definitely become a favorite author from last year. and this book didn't disappoint. the way he builds the world in his stories is always so fascinating. I laughed and even teared up, and I would gladly join them again on a journey.

The story revolves around a family of robots and one human that live in a complex tree house. Their lives are suddenly disrupted and shaken with the appearance of an unknown robot.

Cozy sci-fi and found family are two themes that are presented in this book, which makes it a perfect read for me. And it was; the diverse set of characters, their unique personalities, and even the secrets withheld, this was adventurous and even emotional.

All kinds of problems plague the characters; hidden past, white lies, confusing identities. Despite all these, one should learn to move on and find a way to be better; forgive others since time is finite. Forgive yourself especially, we all make mistakes and it’s the reason why we are perfectly flawed humans.

TJ Klune does it again! I started out being slightly confused by the premise, however, by about chapter 5 I could not put it down. There were so many laugh out loud parts as well as emotional moment. This is definitely a must read for all Fantasy fans.

"Some of the old books told stories of people yearning for more and setting off to find it and themselves. Vic always thought they were silly that way. He never wanted to go far from home."

I will start this review by saying, TJ Klune never fails to write characters that I, in turn, fall hopelessly in love with. This book was no exception. I worried so much about the well-being of a sentient roomba for a good portion of this book?! Like c'mon.

Not only do you fall in love with the characters in Klune's books, but they just make you feel all of the feelings spectrum. I laughed, I cried. I worried, I "hurrah"-ed in triumph. I held my breath, I crossed my fingers. I was one of the most human experiences I have ever had-- while reading a book where the majority of the characters are robots, humanoids, and AIs!

The entire journey felt like the lovechild of Wall-E, Pinocchio, and that one 2001 movie, <i>AI</i> with Jude Law. I can't speak highly enough of Klune's works and this one is no different. Read it just to fall in love with a stuttering half android-half wooden puppet, along with all the other amazing characters in this book.

Thanks to Tor Books, NetGalley and author TJ Klune for sending me this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of TJ Klune’s new book in exchange for an honest review! Although this wasn’t my favorite of his, it’s still a beautifully written and impactful story that I highly recommend.

In the Lives of Puppets is a sweet and emotional tale, filled with adventure, that reminded me of The Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio. In short, it’s about Victor, a human, and his gang of robot friends on a journey to rescue his dad from the City of Electric Dreams (pretty sure this is supposed to be Las Vegas). This story gave a lot more of a sci-fi and dystopian vibe than Klune’s UTWD and THITCS.

Just like in TJ Klune’s other books, he wrote his characters perfectly. I’m not a huge science fiction fan but the hilarious banter everyone in the group but especially between Rambo, the vacuum and Nurse Ratched, a robotic nurse, is what kept me reading. I do want to mention that Klune’s profound understanding of what it means to be queer is incredibly evident in this book. He manages to write such deep and empathetic stories while still maintaining the dry humor that keeps us laughing. As I mentioned above, I didn’t love this as much as Whispering Door or Cerulean Sea but I attribute that to my dislike of the sci-fi genre. Highly reccomend!

What an adventure! I didn't realize until about halfway through that this is a loose interpretation of Pinnochio, and you can totally see it! The characters are rich, just as in Klune's other novels, and the heart is clear throughout. This story is hopeful and lovely, and I could definitely see a sequel coming!

As a huge TJ Klune fan, this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I was SO excited when I received an advanced readers copy thanks to @Netgalley and @Torbooks.. All opinions are my own.

This is a LGBTQ+ retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio. Think Pinocchio meets Wall-E meets The Matrix.

I loved this book. Klune has a talent in adding incredible insight and life lessons into his stories. Whether you agree with them or not, they will always make you stop and think - which is always a good thing.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions; it's fun, sad, witty, hilarious, beautiful, and everything in between. It has LGBTQ+ representation, a special found family, a slow burn romance, and incredible character growth & development.

One of my favorite things about Klune's books is always the characters and their banter with one another, and this book doesn't disappoint! Some of my favorite hilarious conversations in this are between a semi-sociopathic nursing robot named Nurse Ratched and a naïve anxiety-filled vacuum robot named Rambo.

All in all, this is a wonderful story about forgiveness, friendship, family, love, adventure, humanity, creation, and most important - Family.

This book releases April 25th, 2023. I highly recommend reading. I definitely will be going out and grabbing a physical copy that day.

"What are the rules?
Stick together.
Run if we have to.
No dallying!
No drilling...
And above all, be brave!"