Another absolute winner from Klune! If you enjoyed THITCS you'll probably like this too. Full of Klune's signature humor and heart it was truly a treat to read an early copy. The queer representation is again, (imo) beautifully done.

In the Lives of Puppets invites readers into the heart of a peculiar forest in which three robots live – a fatherly inventor named Giovanni Lawson, a somewhat sadistic yet kind nurse machine and a small Roomba vacuum desperate for love. Together with a human, Victor Lawson, they make a family, hidden and safe from the outside world.
When Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled HAP, however, he learns of his father’s dark past – a past that was spent hunting down humans and eradicating them.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots to their whereabouts, the family is no longer safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory, all memory of his loved ones wiped clean. So together, Vic and his family must journey across the dangerous country and rescue Gio before he is reprogrammed. Along the way to save his father, Vic has to deal with conflicted emotions, betrayal and fear, blossoming affection and more for Hap. In the end, Vic must decide: can he accept love with all its strings attached?
One of these days I will finish a book by TJ Klune and not scream “emotional damage” at the top of my lungs for the next hour but this is not that day.
This man has made me care about many a thing over the past few years (including but not limited to wolves, bellhops, dead dogs and odd houses in the middle of the forest) and now he’s added machines to the list. That’s right, after reading In the Lives of Puppets, one of my new favorite characters is a Roomba vacuum called Rambo. A Roomba made me tear up. Made me laugh. Made me feel for him. You can’t make this stuff up.
Of course, this story has a fantastic cast of characters. From Victor’s father Giovanni that I just want to hug for eternity to Victor himself (asexual rep for the win!) to Victor’s best friends Nurse RATCHED and Rambo and of course, our fearsome, angry and hysterical puppet Hap, each character is as vivid as if they’re standing right next to you. Hilarious dialogue surrounding being human and…having human needs to what makes you truly feel alive, this story oscillates between hysterically funny and utterly heartbreaking – you know, the trademark Klune mix. Wouldn’t be a Klune book if you don’t need tissues for both your tears of pain and of laughter.
Also, the plot twists in this story. Listen, I have seen the Disney adaptation of Pinocchio maybe twice in my life as a kid so I don’t know if these plot twists are still as shocking if you know the original story but let me tell you, I was flabbergasted. Flabbergasted, I tell you, at some of these twists that wreak absolute havoc on Victor and his gang. From unexpected characters popping up to unlikely allies and…other events that make you question your own definition of humanity and machines, there’s just no dull moment in In The Lives of Puppets.
For the sake of spoilers, I won’t talk more about the plot but what I will say is that I am forever confused by how TJ Klune gets better with every single book. Yes, he was already fantastic but with every book I pick up, I keep subconsciously waiting for me to say “Okay, this was great, but not as great as…” and it just – never happens? I was SURE that nothing could beat my love for Wolfsong (and then the entirety of Green Creek happened). I was CERTAIN nothing could beat The House in the Cerulean Sea. And then this book happened. Man, whatever you’re doing, TJ, please keep doing it. I will never not need the boost of straight-up serotonin your books release in my body, mind and soul.
Anyways, long story short, if you’re a long-time fan of Klune’s trademark ridiculously funny humor, facepalm-inducing secondhand embarrassment, characters that will grip your heart and rip it out of your chest (only to then help you patch it up and make it better than ever before) and subtle yet insightful commentary on the human race and how love is the best thing we do, then you need to pick this book up immediately.
And if you’re new to this author, let me just say: In The Lives of Puppets is the perfect place to start. I promise it’ll be worth it (it being the trauma you’ll go through reading about your favorites having to face hell). But also, please be ready with tissues for the final chapters. You’ll need them.
Combining a queer retelling of Pinocchio with Klune’s trademark humor and tendency to both break and mend hearts in the same story, In The Lives of Puppets is a masterpiece that will make you question what it means to be human.

DNF @ 15%

This may come as a shock to everyone. Are you ready? This is the first book that I have ever read by TJK. I know! It’s pure insanity. It probably shouldn’t have been my first but I can’t go back now.

TJK has a magical way with words. They may only be words but they are mighty. His style is something you just can’t compete with.

This story just wasn’t for me. I’ve tried to read a little bit of this daily for the past nine days and I couldn’t go any further. It’s not my cup of tea. I would definitely try to read something else by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

I just finished reading this book and am struggling to find words to express how I am feeling. Nothing I write can even begin to do this book justice.

This is the story of Victor Lawson. He is a human who has been raised by his "father" Gio Lawson, a robot, in the forest. Victor's best friends are a sociopathic nursing robot named Nurse Ratched and a Roomba with severe anxiety named Rambo. They come across a damaged android and decide to repair it. This starts a chain of events that lead to Gio being captured and Victor and his friends heading to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue him.

TJ Klune is the master of writing the "found family." No other author could breath so much life and humanity into a bunch of robots. This book will make you feel all the feels. You will laugh, cry, and everything in between.

Enchanting and magical. I will always love this author and his imagination as this book felt like a warm hug. Much like the author's previous work, I found this one fantastic and I can't wait to read more. Highly recommend these books never disappointed and I always feel, I am amongst friends.

In true TJ Klune fashion this is a book with very loving characters and generally a fun story.

The first part of the book sets the scene with Victor living in the woods with his father Gio and two robots, Nurse Ratched and Rambo. As Victor and his friends raid the scrapyard, they discover pieces of a humanoid android - Hap - that they reassemble and turn into another friend.

Without giving away too much, the 4 friends will set off on an adventure to rescue Gio. In my opinion, this is where the book picked up. While it was pleasant enough beforehand (with perhaps a few too many references to evacuating bowels and inserting things into one another), the story got more interesting once they encountered the Coachman. There was a fair bit of pondering what makes us human, what are feelings, what is love and friendship, loyalty and purpose.

Some of the characters really grew on me. I wasn't overly fond of Rambo and Nurse Ratched and their mannerisms in the beginning, but towards the end they were beginning to seem delightful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing a free ARC in exchange for an hones review.

TJ Klune has once again struck that very special balance of heartbreakingly beautiful in his Frankenstinean retelling of Pinocchio. Following a young human inventor in a world of robots as he searches for his father, this book primarily concerns itself with how we build love into our lives - especially when we feel it is undeserved. The importance of this love radiates throughout the book and brings a joyful twist to a familiar story. I found myself consuming quite a few pinnochio retellings this year and this one succeeded in giving real heart to its cast of characters. As always though with Klune, have a box of tissues ready as love and joy come with their fair share of loss and heartbreak.

Reading a TJ Klune book always makes me so happy. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Victor Lawson, a human raised by a machine, whose best friends are machines. He ends up finding a machine and fixing him, creating another friend. I really don’t want to give away anything in this story, it’s just so sweet and beautiful.

I laughed so hard at Nurse Ratched’s antics, and Rambo’s excitement. The scene with Victor in the bathroom had me in absolute stitches. I read it out loud to several friends who also cracked up.

This book is funny, lovely, and heartwarming. Please pick it up when released!

Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book is one of the sweetest, funniest, most charming adventures I’ve ever read! Victor lives in the forest with his two best friends and his father. The thing is he’s the only one of that’s human, Rambo’s a vacuum robot, Nurse Ratched is a medical robot, and his rather is an android. They live a good live and one day while searching a scrap yard Victor discovers another android. The fix him up and name him Hap, he doesn’t remember anything from his past. When mysterious androids show up and take Victors father, he go on a daring adventure with his family to save his father. Will Hap remember his past? Will he like what he finds? Will they be able to rescue Victor’s father? One of my favorite things about TJ Klune is the sarcastic witty humor that he writes into all of his books, it reminds me so much of my own and I absolutely love it! I laughed throughout the whole book! Nurse Ratched was my favorite! And the relationship between Victor and Hap was so heartwarming! An amazing adventure full of hope, found family, love, and humor! I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re a fan of any other of TJ Klune books! You won’t be disappointed, can’t wait to read it again!

I was unsure at first, but finishing this tonight I’m feeling a solid 8.5/10 just for the emotions and the vivid pictures of every character in my brain, and somehow loving them even though they’re fictional and mostly machines! 😂

After LOVING “The House In The Cerulean Sea”, I was nervous as to how I’d find this book. “Fantasy romance” (as it is dubbed) is not my usual style, but I love the way Klune writes and paints a picture. And the way they develop characters. I really disliked one character to begin with, but then almost cried over them at the end. That is powerful! This book filled my mind and my soul with colour and warmth and I loved it just like I did House.

The one small downfall for me personally was a couple of times I think the author could have been more subtle at explaining things, and just let us feel and experience it like we did for throughout rest of the book. I know representation is important (maybe that’s why it was necessary to be clear) but I think we could have just known the same thing without Klune having to say it at all.

Overall, a really lovely, slightly heart wrenching, and somehow also funny read about friendship, loyalty, loss and love.

Thanks to the publisher for offering an ARC for me to read!

TJ Klune strikes again with his typical lyrical language in this book. It's equal parts Wall-E, Pinocchio, and Swiss Family Robinson--and the combination just WORKS.

Who can help but fall in love with an anxiety-ridden Roomba?

If you go into this expecting a funny little book because it's a Pinocchio re-telling but with robots including a talking Roomba with anxiety you will definitely get that but you will also get an epic, emotional, and wonderful story about humanity, loneliness, forgiveness, and love. Like what the crap I don't know how it happened but it is a real journey.

All the characters are fully developed and complex, even the robot vacuum. Or maybe especially the robot vacuum. There were lines which made me laugh and then a few pages later it was deep thoughts and emotions. I appreciated the levity because otherwise it would be Too Much. As it is, I will probably be thinking about these characters for a while.

I should have expected a book about robots to do this to me since this is the same author who thought "haha what if i wrote a book about werewolves wouldn't that be fun" and gave us the emotional throat punch of the Green Creek series which ruined me for a week after I read it but here we are.

Oh, and the romance! Incredibly slow burn and quiet but very deep as Hap and Victor learn about themselves and each other. It gave a compelling undercurrent to the plot and I was very Invested in them. And we got fun lines like this:

<i>"What you are feeling now might be considered happiness."

"It's terrible," Hap said. "I want to p-punch something."</i>

I don't want to spoil anything because the less you know going in the better the experience will be so I will end my review here.

tl;dr In conclusion, Klune did it again. Good book everyone go read it.

Side note: I looked up Pinocchio (the original non-Disney version) and first of all, children's stories were fucked up back in the day - Pinocchio and his friends die a lot as punishment for being bad kids and not doing their homework and eating too much candy and whatever. BUT there really are a lot of elements and characters pulled from the story except, you know, robots. Neat!

The formula that makes TJ Klune's book so beloved are hard at work here: family relationships, queer love, fantasy. In the Lives of Puppets does take a bit more of a futuristic angle with the protagonists being robots - a bit more steampunk than what we are used to seeing from this author. This might deter some but this novel will still go down as TJ Klune canon!

“In The Lives of Puppets” was not what I expected it to be and I’m so happy for that. It’s an astonishing reimagining of a classic fairy tale. Like Pinocchio, meets wizard of Oz, meets AI (yes I know that’s based on Pinocchio too). TJ Klune is a master of characterization and here is no different. You will fall in love with Victor, Rambo, Nurse Ratched, Hap, and Gio. The sci fi world he has created for them is brimming with reality. Hard to not feel as if you’ve fallen head first into the world of the book. As with all TJ Klune books there is humor and heart for days. You will laugh out loud one second and have a tears in your eyes the next. Once again he brings us bold and powerful themes of chosen family, loving those who aren’t “normal”, loving who you are, and not being defined by our pasts. TJ Klune has a deep and profound understanding of love, compassion, empathy, and humanity and he infuses it into every word he writes. His love for the queer community overflows and representation is bursting from every page. This is an adventure you won’t soon forget. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

Giovanni Lawson is a man (but not really a man) who find a little home in the woods and builds up into the trees. He has an anxiety riddled Roomba named Rambo, and a nursing machine named Nurse Ratched who just wants to drill and kill. One day a couple run into the woods leaving their baby boy with Giovanni in hopes he will keep him safe. Giovanni raises this boy, who he names Victor, and at 22 years old Vic is a creater! He loves to go to the Scrap Yards and see what he can salvage. He doesn't know life outside of his home in the forest. His home in the trees.

Until one day HAP (hysterically angry puppet) stumbles into their life when Vic finds him at the Scrap Yards and suddenly everything changes. Giovanni is captured and taken away to The City Of Electric Dreams. Vic and his robot friends go on quite an adventure to get him back. Along the way they meet interesting characters and find themselves in difficult situations.

In The Lives of Puppets is your quintessential TJ Klune book. Banter. Snark. Found family. Love. All things we love about his books.
But here are 3 reasons why I only gave this 3 stars.
1. This is a slooooow burn. If that's your thing, then this is perfect for you. But unfortunately slow burns are not my jam.
2. Once again we have a character who threatens to kill people (I'm looking at you Talia and Mei.) But I'm conflicted on this point cause the author DOES write that character so well. I laughed many times.
3. I didn't find the end to really wrap things up. Some things were left unanswered and I just didn't feel satisfied.
Overall I still recommend this book and you'll totally fall in love (and relate) with Rambo and you'll laugh at Nurse Ratched's need to drill something!

Thank you so much to the publisher (tor publishing) and Netgalley for the free ARC!!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for having sent me a gifted copy of In the Lives of Puppets. I have always enjoyed T.J Klune's books so I was definitely excited for this one. You get to meet so many different characters in this one and all are so unique. Definitely a book full of adventure, fantasy, sci-fi feels, etc. Hope all of you get the chance to read this one!

As is expected from my experience reading TJ Klune books -- this novel is full of palpable and whimsical characters. I did not realize that it was a bit of a (reverse?) Pinocchio retelling until I was really into the story, which is just as well since I've never been a Pinocchio fan. This book was interesting and captivating and builds on a lot of deep thought and reflection that you do (off page). It was not my favorite Klune book and it went just outside of realism to be in my comfort zone. But there's something here nonetheless and I would look forward to a group book discussion for this one.

Hands down my favorite TJ Klune book so far (which is saying something). In the Lives of Puppets hit everything I want in a retelling -- clever callbacks to the source with a completely fresh story, some genuinely shocking twists (when I say a couple moments made my jaw DROP), and characters that make me want to fling myself out a window (affectionate).

(Side note, I don't know what will go on the official inside cover teaser, but I feel like the goodreads summary unnecessarily spoils some really good reveals??)

Vic is an excellent blend of grumpy and idealistic, he and his robot family have drilled their way into my brain. Rambo the anxious roomba and Nurse Ratched (major GLaDOS vibes and I'm LIVING for it) had me laughing to myself out loud in public. Also loving the various flavors of ace rep we've been getting recently. Vic's portrayal is very close to my heart, as are the creative and varied ND traits in Vic and his robot companions.

The romance subplot didn't overshadow all other relationships and character growth. (Though it was SO fun. it was like a party for all my favorite romance tropes. At one point I thought, " That's it, TJ Klune has been through my fanfiction history.")

Anyway. I'm also a huge fan of bittersweet endings and writers not having down from the stakes they've set, so not to scare anyone, but this was an all-around win :) Gonna go turn the themes of forgiveness and bravery and what we owe each other around in my head like a rock tumbler.

**I'll probably update this with some more detail (read: spoilers) after the release, but just know I've hyped this book up so constantly as I read it that my roommate is convinced it's her new favorite book even though she knows nothing about it, and I just took a break to go pre-order a physical copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor publishing for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the dream of every bookseller. It is both philosophical and thrilling. It is both romantic and inhuman. It had me crying with laughter, and also just crying. On top of all that, it is extraordinarily well written.
My favourite thing about this book was Rambo, he was so very lovable and hilarious and just the perfect kind of annoying. He brought the much needed humour in a story that is rather dark and balanced everything out. The other characters were also very wonderful. And that's TJ Klune for you, action, philosophy and a lot of humour.

In all honesty, this is not my favourite TJ Klune story, but that's because of my personal preferences. The lives of puppets is darker than his previous work, it has the exact same vibe as Pinocchio (this seems to me a retelling of that story) and I was a bit unnerved by that story as well, so that adds up. But that's personal. This book is just as good as every other thing he has written.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.

God, TJ Klune has done it again! To be honest, his books are a bit hit-or-miss for me - the only ones I've enjoyed being The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door and, of course, this one. He has mastered the art of using the found family trope to its fullest potential and pulling heart strings (I know, I know, I couldn't help myself). Definitely a book I am going to recommend to customers at work (and my friends, who will have no choice but to read it. Trust me.)