In a story inspired by Pinocchio, Victor, a human, lives in the forest with 3 robots. When he decides to fix a found decommissioned robot, authority finds them and takes away Victor's android father, and Victor is determined to get him back. Klune is great at dialogue and creating characters. This is the type of book I think would almost be better as a movie. This was very enjoyable, but I felt like the love story was forced and the sexuality comments were awkward and unnecessary.

I did not know what to expect from this book, but I definitely enjoyed finding familiar pieces of different stories along the way as I read it. It gave me vibes from Pinocchio and A.I the movie. I felt at home and also had many humorous laughs at the helpful and pragmatic characters that aided Vic, the main character. I enjoyed this story and had a difficult time putting it down.

TJ Klune’s imagination is something I find joy in! A take on the classic Pinocchio set in a time when humans are near extinction from the toys they’ve created. This could happen some day. Thank you for this joy and bringing simples household machines to life!

"Sometimes, it's the smallest things that can change everything when you least expect it."

Never in a million years did I think I would get approved for this eARC when I requested it a few weeks ago, but here we are! I feel so lucky to have gotten to read my most anticipated new release of 2023 three months early!

Ya'll. I fell in love with the characters that were gifted to us in this story. So much so that I am actively missing them right now as I write this. Klune is known for his loveable characters from his previous works, but he really outdid himself with the MC's two main companions: Rambo & Nurse Ratched. They were so wonderfully unique, strange, RAUNCHY, and charismatic. I love them with my whole heart. I can't wait for everyone else to meet them.

This is different from his previous adult novels (Cerulean Sea/Whispering Door) in that it is darker and more bleak at times, but still carries that same whimsical and pure tune that he is known for. It deals with heavy topics like grief, forgiveness, trust, and the weight of being a creature with emotions. It also speaks on conservation and corruption, while still finding a way to be amusing and light in some of the darker times. The contrasts and depths that this little adventure takes us through is just one of the many reasons I loved it so much.

This was queer Pinocchio meets iRobot meets Detroit Become Human to me and I loved every moment. I was so skeptical when first reading about it and worried I wouldn't be able to get into the world with me not being the biggest sci-fi fan, but NO. I love these robots and will protect them with my life. 😭

Anyway, TJ Klune, thanks for stealing my heart yet again. I can't wait to snag a physical copy of this when it releases.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yep. This is a TJ Klune book. The pacing on this one is a lot slower in the beginning, but I'm so glad that I stuck with it. Nurse Ratched and Rambo are the best. I love the big questions about humanity and what makes us human. Heart warming and melancholic and I loved it.

He’s done it again!

Robots have taken over the world, but despite all the odds there seems to be one human left! Vic roams the woods with his robot companions, browsing the scrap yards for any materials worth salvaging. One day he comes across a robot that will alter life as he knows it.

This book is well written; it brings up the flaws of the human race while also providing comic relief.

I loved every moment of this futuristic fantasy.

I was overly excited to read this as I love the author’s two previous books. I enjoyed this story, but I did not love it. It was slow for a lot of the book, and I found myself not completely engaged. The characters are great and the story is heartwarming (as all TJ Klune books) but something’s missing. I wasn’t excited to keep reading, and found the pace sluggish. I still recommend for lovers of TJ Klune’s books.

“And above all else, be brave.”

Book Dynamics✨
Laugh out loud funny
4 Parts
1 POV

This book is special. I don’t know how else to put it.

A book of found family, friendship, love, and adventure.

Imagine you put The Brave Little Toaster, Wall-E, and Pinocchio into a blender and it just spits out the most perfect novel. That’s what Klune did. It’s whimsical and funny - like really fucking funny - and wonderful and just oh so perfect.

I know it’s January but this will be a fave 2023 book. Dare I say ever.

Overall: Only read if you want to feel like your heart is going to burst from warm fuzzies and if you like to laugh a lot

Favorite Character: Rambo and Nurse Ratched are tied DO NOT MAKE ME CHOOSE


Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! TJ Klune has solidified himself as an auto buy author for me. I’ve already got this bad boy preordered to add to my shelf!

I love TJ Klune’s writing style and how he builds worlds and strong lovable quirky characters. Gio the creator builds a beautiful home in the woods. He has Victor his son and they make their own family. From old machines they bring to life Rambo a vacuum, nurse and HAP. Each machine has their own personality and sense of humor and just funny.

The nurse was my favorite character and she had so many funny lines and just loved her funny personality and humor.

This is a queer retelling of Pinocchio which is just so heart warming.

I really do like Klune's writing so much, but this one was missing a little something for me. I still really enjoyed the book, but not as much as Klune's previous novels. We will definitely be adding to our collection.

Everything TJ KLUNE writes is GOLD and this one is not exception.

The beginning is a little slow, but it is to be expected to set up the world. Once I got to about 35%, it picked up a a lot.

There’s adventure, found family, romance, and robots! The last 20% made me tear up.

TJ KLUNE has a way with making you fall in love with characters. I laughed out loud sooo much reading this book. Nurse Ratched was by far my favorite. Her dry and sarcastic humor had me dying.

The romance was sweet and the chemistry off the charts.

This book is fantastic and a 5 star for me. TJ KLUNE just has a way of writing the found family trope that no one else can surpass. If you’ve read any of his other books, you will love this one!

Highly recommend!

First of all, a major thank you to Tor for this ARC copy of In the Lives of Puppets- I was SO incredibly excited to be approved for this title! I am a huge fan of House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, so I was already looking forward to this one. This book pulled at my heartstrings- I loved the interactions between characters and found myself actually giggling out loud at some of the dialogue. This story explores identity, humanity, family, grief, and forgiveness in such a heartwarming AND heartbreaking way. I think anyone could find a lot of meaning in this book- I thought there were a lot of really important messages and quotes throughout the story, and I think it could really resonate with a large audience. That being said, I would probably recommend Under the Whispering Door to someone over this book, just based on my personal preference! Again, thank you for the opportunity to read In the Lives of Puppets, and be sure to check it out when it's released this April!

TJ Klune is master of creating a fantasy world and filling it with characters you can’t help but love. His latest novel, In the Lives of Puppets, is no different. In his previous two novels he has given us a disgruntled or unhappy character and carried them through the narrative until they found their happiness. In this novel he starts us with a character that has it all, and then he takes it all away.

I loved these characters. Their emotion was palpable, whether it was joy, sorrow, or any emotion in between. I have not read such humanity in characters in a long time… and from robots no less!

I LOVE TJ Klune his books are just so amazing. The writing, the plot, the characters, everything was amazing in this book. I don't even usually like dystopian type books (I'm not sure this is listed as dystopian) but somehow TJ Klune made me fall in love with this world. I really enjoyed everything about this book. I would definitely recommend it to a friend!

This book was SUCH a delight and my favorite read from TJ Klune so far.

I'm not usually sold on retellings or fiction that explores the philosophical connections between AI/robots and humanity, but this hooked me right from the beginning. It's such a sweet story of found family, redemption, and identity. It's funny, deep, and sometimes heartbreaking. I adored the ending, especially compared to what Klune's book "Under the Whispering Door" left me wanting.

My only complaint is that I wish there had been a more intentional or thorough exploration of Victor's asexuality. I haven't come across a lot of books with asexual characters who aren't also aromantic, so this was a really interesting and necessary representation. But any discussion of it felt somewhat disjointed from the rest of the narrative.

Also, not a criticism of the book but of the blurb: it reveals WAY too much! I think it needs to be cut back, because it really took away from a good majority of any surprise factor in the first half of the book. I think it can be rewritten in an effective way that sells the story without spoiling anything. This is my biggest recommendation for the book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC!

I wanted to love this book the way I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, but there was just something missing for me. Whereas u couldn’t put the other two down, I struggled to pick this one up and continue reading. I felt less connected to the characters and less invested in the outcome. Maybe it was the sci-fi aspect to the story. Still a solid read, just lacked the magic of his previous ones.

I absolutely love TJ Klune's books and this new one has made my list. It is a fantastic sci-fi, a little dystopian story filled with adventure and love. The fact that Klune can make robots such engaging characters says so much for his writing. His novels always have a morale and Puppets is no different. - definetly buying this in hardcover when it is published.

Loved every single second. I loved nurse ratched and Rambo so much. This would be such a beautiful film. Their banter/dialogue truly made this book and I’ve already preordered a copy to put on my shelf!

Gio is a creator who lives with his son Vic in the Woods of a futuristic world run by robots. They seem to be in hiding, living outside of the general population with re-built robots named Nurse Ratched and Rambo. When they are discovered one day and separated Vic and the robots begin a journey to reclaim Gio and find what their purpose is in this new world. Though a much darker world than those in Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, Klune still gives the reader a look at love and hope for a better future.

“All right. What are the rules?”
“Stick together!”
“Run if we have to.”
“No dallying!”
“No drilling.”
“And above all else, be brave!”

It is no surprise to anyone that I love TJ Klune. When I read House in the Cerulean Sea, I instantly fell in love with his beautiful ability to create the most heartfelt found family stories. In The Lives of Puppets is no exception, and if anything, this might be my favorite book he’s written. I know.. Shocking. In the Lives of Puppets is a story of family and love, but it’s also so much more. It tackles the beautiful and hideous sides of human society in a thoughtful, unique adventure. TJ found a way to mesh the heart of House in the Cerulean Sea, the insightfulness of Under the Whispering Door, and the humor of The Green Creek Series into one. It’s truly a masterpiece.

In the lives of puppets is a Pinocchio retelling that follows a father (android) and son (human) who live in a secluded treehouse in the woods. Other inhabitants of the house include a witty and humorous nurse robot and an anxiety ridden roomba vacuum. One day, Victor (aforementioned human) finds a mysterious robot labeled “HAP” in a local scrap yard. This discovery helps to uncover his father’s dark past, sparking an adventure Victor never thought possible.

There is so much to love about this book. From the characters, to the found family, to the humor, to the adventure, I truly think there is something for everyone. In typical Klune fashion, the found family was top tier. I loved this little group of misfit robots (and human) with all my heart. Each character was crafted so beautifully, with their own distinct personality, you simply cannot not love each and every one of them. However.. Rambo completely stole the show for me. I love that vacuum more than I can put into words. This book was also HILARIOUS. Nurse Ratched is honestly the funniest robot in existence. I was cracking up everytime she opened her mouth.

The romance in this book is adorable, however like many of TJ’s other books, it is not the main focus of the story. Klune puts a stronger emphasis on the found family dynamics for sure. Also, as to be expected, this book has fantastic queer representation, including asexual representation! Victor identifies as asexual and Klune did a phenomenal job with his character. I love how he didn’t shy away from talking about asexuality directly and normalizing Victor’s experience/identity through this book.

Finally, this book makes you think hard about human society, and plays with your emotions while doing so. One second I was crying, another I was cringing, and the next I was smiling like an idiot. Everyone needs to read this stunning novel when it releases on April 25th!