I am beginning to wonder if Klune is even capable of writing a bad book. Klune's books all focus on love and the newest book, In the Lives of Puppets, is just as masterful as the previous two books. The masterful complement of characters is what made Cerulean Sea such an amazing book. While Whispering Door was good the characters just were not as compelling as Cerulean Sea. However, the secondary characters in In the Lives of Puppets may be the best part of the story. I know that Vic is the focus - but this story is just not the same without the comedy duo of Ratched and Rambo. Hours after I have finished the story they are the two "people" I am still thinking about. This is a great book and I expect it to be a bestseller. Empathy Protocol Engaging, I will champion this book far and wide!

Thank you Tor publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of In The Lives of Puppets in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let me start by saying I absolutely love the mind of TJ Klune. It’s fascinating and magical. His attention to detail makes it easy to visualize the worlds he creates.

In the Lives of Puppets is a science fiction, fantasy. A boy living in a world that has been taken over by robots. Robots that want to destroy humanity with very few good robots. It shows how powerful love and compassion can be.

I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what TJ Klune comes up with next.

Adorable and fun, with great representation.

I love this retelling. It solidifies Klune as one of the best storytellers of the modern era.

A Pinocchio retelling,

Victor is human living with his father Gio a robot and Rambo and Nurse Ratched also robots. Victor has only known this way of life. One day searching the scrape yard he finds a robot he has never seen before. Bringing him back to life, his father disapproves, but why? When Victor is scavenging he cuts himself. Soon the authorities are after Gio and takes him. Victor finds the truth about himself, but his love for Gio he will do anything to find him. With the help of his robots companions including his new friend Hap they are off to rescue Gio. They learn much along the way but the biggest lesson learned is love and friendship and sacrifice. Will Victor find his father and save his friends????

What a beautiful story of love acceptance. Its not only a Pinocchio retelling it is a lesson for us to treat each other with love and respect. We should go the extra mile for each one we love. Also the story shows how humanity can make mistakes and how we can fix them if we have love in our hearts. Another wonderful story from TJ Klune. I was so excited to read this before it comes out!! So worth for all to read!!!

In all fairness, Sci-fi is not my jam. And because the allure of it eludes me, I'm always trying to read more of it.

That said, TJ Klune has a unique touch for adding depth to his characters that means I'm inevitably pulled in to the worlds he creates... normally.

It took me awhile to get into this book. Almost halfway through, I was still strugglin. I appreciated the levity of humor, the struggles with emotions, and the barriers with communication, but I struggled to connect with the coexistence of such diverse characters. The "journey" seemed too easy, but I think it had to be in order to be achievable for the main troupe.

All that aside, the ending was a strong wrap up that did give me closure and pull me back to those slight nods of Pinocchio. It was a cute story overall, and the strong philosophical elements added life to the story: the paths made for us v the paths we want to choose for ourselves; inherited family vs created family; the pull of nostalgia vs the need for advancement and change. Those "big questions" were the string that pulled me along....

Overall: 3.5/5 stars

I'll tell my students about: LGBTQ+, sexual talks/issues, languages, sarcasm, violence, existentialism

**Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the free ARC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

What a fantastically wonderful book!! I've loved all of the other books I've read by TJ Klune, and this one is just as magical. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially Rambo, and wanted to read about them forever. A huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was good but not quite a knockout hit to me. TJ Klune did what he does great, created delightful characters you cared about and wanted more from. I just felt the plot was missing something.

Well, to no one's surprise, TJ has done it again.

A unique take on the Pinnoochio story, IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS is imbued with Klune's signature humor and heart -- a perfect 'tug at your heartstrings' story. TJ is THE master at making readers laugh, (ugly) cry, and ponder on humanity. His latest is thought-provoking, beautifully written, and boasts expertly crafted characters, heart-wrenching found family, and immersive world-building.

I loved this story.

A big thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

If you know TJ Klune, you know that picking up one of his books means diving headlong into wholesome conversations about mental health served with a healthy dose of banter. His latest is another in a line of soul-stirring stories with the most delightful band of characters - a roomba with anxiety, a sociopathic nursing bot, a inventing robot seeking absolution through creation, his human tinkerer son, and a hysterically angry puppet. IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS was an incredibly fun and heartfelt Pinocchio spin in a world that exists after humanity has been wiped out. The nods to the original story were creative without overshadowing the main plot. While I wasn't emotionally gripped in the same way as Cerulean or Whispering, this was a lovely palate cleanser. Sincerely looking forward to the fan art too!

Victor Lawson, son of Gio Lawson, is a human, which is pretty unique among his circle of friends. They're all robots. His dad is an android. His best friends are a Roomba vacuum cleaner with faded paint named Rambo that's a bit extra and has a huge heart ,and Nurse Ratched, a medical droid (whose name is an acronym for Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, heal, Educate, and Drill) who is a bit of sociopath but loves her friends deeply (though she will drill you if you ever tell anyone...she hasn't drilled anyone in way too long and would love the chance).

The four live in happiness and harmony in the forest in a wonderous multi-tree-treehouse home. One day while scavenging for scrap, Vic, Rambo and Nurse Ratched come across a pile of newly decommissioned robots..one of which still has a bit of power left. This discovery flips Vic's entire world on end and leads him to go on a massive journey to ensure the safe lives of those he loves.

I loved this book. I always love TJ's writing. He is a master at creating loveable characters that you truly care about. This retelling of Pinocchio (with a bit of Frankenstein tossed in) was somehow exactly what I was hoping for and so much more than I expected. TJ has spoken about how you'll fall in love with the vacuum and its true, but, personally, I really loved Nurse Ratched. The fact that she loves and cares for her friends so deeply was touching every time she spoke.

My only slight negative of the book is that the ending feels rushed. I would've happily read another 50 to 100 pages of the end. Its not a detriment and I'm still rating this book at a sold 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5). I think the ending is perfectly fine the way it is, I just wanted a bit more of these characters that I grew to love so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

It's impressive how TJ Klune just get's better and better for each book he writes.
I loved both House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, and this book ticks off all the boxes with a darker tone like UtWD, but also the found family element and sweet romance that we all love. There were also more elements of action and fast paced scenes, which were refreshing.
I also liked his take on light science fiction and the Pinocchio aspect of the story felt like a new and fun take on the classic.

Klune's superpower is to perfectly make characters you will fall in love with, and this book is no different. Nurse Ratched and Rambo will always have a special place in my heart.

I took this slowly because I found it to be an emotional rollercoaster. Vic Lawson starts a dangerous chain of events by rescuing a decommissioned robot from a scrap yard in a tale with a touch of Pinocchio, Swiss Family Robinson, the Wizard of Oz...and so much heart. A lone human in a found family of machines, Vic is the beloved son of inventor Giovanni Lawson, but when a salvage trip goes awry robots from Giovanni’s former life attack their home and take Gio. So begins Vic’s quest to save his father from the City of Electric Dreams. It’s laugh out loud funny, absolutely heartbreaking, and wonderful!

Biggest thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of 'In the Lives of Puppets'! This review is my full, honest opinion.

'In the Lives of Puppets' is one of my most anticipated books of the year. Hearing it was a queer, inspired retelling of Pinnochio where the reader is bound to fall in love with a vacuum, I was on board for a good time from the pitch alone! We follow Victor Lawson, a human living in the forest with his humanoid father Giovanni, a medical robot unit named Nurse Ratched, and an anxious little roomba vacuum called Rambo. He's an inventor, just like his dad, and when he comes across something (or someone) at a junkyard with signs of energy and life, it causes his life to turn upside down, and in need to go off on an adventure to the City of Electric Dreams!

I was suckered into the story from the first chapter alone. TJ Klune never disappoints in creating a gang of characters that readers will always fall in love with. The character interactions between Nurse Ratched and Rambo are hilarious and are definitely the best duo anyone can ask for. Giovanni and Victor have such a wonderful relationship between father and son. Giovanni is my favorite character besides Rambo; his character and lessons as a father and a humanoid with feelings had me crying multiple times. This book is nothing less than engaging. And I do need to mention again, this book made me SOB multiple times!

One aspect of the book I had not picked up on and kind of threw me for a loop was Victor's relationship with Hap. I had not for one second considered them to be in a romantic relationship until the idea was mentioned by another character 60% into reading this book. Even until the end, I wasn't convinced of their feelings for each other. It is what soiled what would have been a five-star read for me because I don't think there needed to be a romance in this novel, especially with the themes and the journey our group of characters is going through, but I might have different thoughts on a second read. There is also a bit of confusion on the timeline of the story, especially with figuring out the timeframe involving Hap. Again, it may be more clear during a re-read but the timespan of when Victor found Hap and the time of Hap's decommissioning sounded to me to be two decades and this jumbles my brain because of the reason why he was decommissioned.

I did love this book! It took me to a world so easily digestible and allowed me to escape and follow lovable characters I wish I could follow forever and ever. I do have plans to re-read this book because I love these characters with all my heart. There is no doubt this book is another lovely read by TJ Klune!

This story, loosely based on Pinocchio, is a Pixar film waiting to happen. Gio and his son Victor live in a cool tree house compound along with their two robot friends Rambo the anxiety ridden roomba and Nurse Ratched a vaguely sociopathic nursing robot. Their idyllic existence is ruptured when Victor saves a new android they find on the scrap heap and the Authorities find Gio. Now Victor must face up to his father’s violent past along with the misdeeds of his new friend- can love redeem them all?
Action, humor, and warm fuzzies abound!

This book made me laugh out loud and cry at some parts. I loved the characters and their friendship- what a unique story. I’m glad I ended 2022 with this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This isn’t a book I would have normally picked for myself other than the fact it is scifi. Other than the use of the blue fairy and the fact that someone was made. I don’t see this as a retelling of Pinocchio more like a nod to it.

I rather enjoyed the story and characters. The blue fairy seemd more like the wizard from Wizard of Oz to me. All smoke and mirrors. It set them off on a journey to fulfill a task with their own skills and abilities. No real magic involved nor promised.

Perhaps it is more a retelling of The Wizard of Oz. The journey to the city. Vic is Dorothy. Hap is the tin man. Rambo the scarecrow. Leaving Nurse Ratched as the cowardly lion doesn’t quite match up.

But I digress. This is an interesting tale of a single human left in a world after the robot uprising has taken place. It is also a rather sad tale since he is the last of his kind and very mortal. He is looking to find his father, the android that made him along with his robot friends. All of which have extremely human traits. Even though he finds what he is looking for and saves the day, he still very much alone in a world of false humanoids (puppets).

It can’t really have a happy ending can it? Humanity will still end and nothing but robots will remain. Granted rebooted ones with perhaps a less malicious purpose than before but still the same end result.

I was beyond excited to get the ARC of this novel; I've read and loved a number of T.J. Klune's earlier books and knew I was in for a treat.

"In the Lives of Puppets" takes us to an alternate reality in an unknown time period. In a home built in an isolated forest, inventor and android Giovanni Lawson lives with his human son, Victor Lawson, and a family of robots, including Nurse Ratched (Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill) and Rambo, a verbose Roomba. Victor has never questioned his origins and differences, and has lived in the care and company of these machines, learning from his father. Things begin to change though, when he visits the Scrap Yards and finds the remains of a humanoid robot.

Victor brings the robot home to attempt to repair it, giving it replacement parts and inserting a mechanical heart in its cavity; thus, they're introduced to HAP, or Hysterically Angry Puppet. Hap has no recollection of his past or anything before he was discovered in the Scrap Yards, but begins to live with Victor and his family, adjusting to their way of life. Their relative peace is shattered when Gio is suddenly taken by an unknown force, and Victor and his friends make the decision to bring him back - regardless of the dangers they may face.

This novel is beautifully representative of Klune's writing, crafting a brand new world and characters that nonetheless feel real-to-life and relatable for readers. Even though the majority of characters are some form of machine or android, they nonetheless have distinct personalities and mannerisms, many of which develop and change as the story progresses. I would say that this novel is accurately described as a modern retelling of Pinocchio, although I found hints of Wizard of Oz thrown in. Klune also covers a number of pressing and relevant topics - including the complexity and range of sexuality, the rise in AI/ML, mental health, and whether humans and machines can have feelings towards the other - with great care and his signature humor and wit.

I have a few minor, personal quips about this book, however, that make it fall just shy of perfect in my perspective. I found that the dialogue was too drawn out, and at times unnecessary, especially when it came to the banter between Victor, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. Yes, a enjoyed the jokes and jabs about Victor's sexuality (or lack thereof) and the fact that machines do not have reproductive organs, but it felt overdone and at times detracted from the story as a whole.

"In the Lives of Puppets" is nonetheless one of the books I'm most excited for in 2023 and I'm sure readers will love this newest adventure from T.J. Klune!

This is cute story of human child Vic living with his fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson and a few other robots. The author’s storytelling is magical, humorous, and loving; the characters are developed and there’s always a found family theme. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a copy.

I found this book to be cozy and very humorous. It travels well with The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. I enjoyed Vic & Gio very much but Nurse Ratched stole the show. Another heart warming read from TJ Klune. Thank you

Reading 2022
Book 195: In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Thank you #NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for my feedback. This book is expected in April 2023.

Synopsis: In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

Review: After The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favorite books of 2020 I will read any book TJ Klune writes. His newest book, expected to be published in April 2023 was a queer retelling of Pinocchio. If I am ranking the adult Klune books I have read, this one would be second behind Cerulean Sea. A sci-fi adventure book, this was another book that took a while to get settled into for me. Victor, the main character is the only human in a world of robots. He seems to love his life living in the forest with his “family” of robots. When he discovers a killer robot and brings him back to life, his world changes, his family is splintered, and he must figure out how to save it all. This book will not be for everyone, I did enjoy it. 4.25⭐️.