Honestly, this book is more of a three-star read, but Klune has created unforgettable characters that will live forever in my heart; and the power of that characterization alone, earns this an extra star.

The book starts off strong. In fact, I kept reading it at work and laughing aloud so often, I felt I had to explain to my coworkers what these characters were up to. Then something happens and the book looses steam.

Even though I wanted them to succeed in their mission, I was never really invested in the journey the core cast of characters embarked on. For the most part I found myself underwhelmed by the people and places they encountered along the way. Nevertheless, when I look back on this book what I will remember most is the laughter.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio version of this book In the Lives of Puppets.

Don't expect this book to be as good The House in the Cerulean Sea but dont disregard this book. Not at all.

With T.J. Klune, there is always a cast of odd characters and this is no different. Some familiar themes like love is love, accept yourself, etc. The narration by Daniel Henning was very, very good. I have to say listening on audio is definitely the way to go.

So cool and of course,there's a moral to this story. 4 stars

2023 LGBTQIA+ Pride Month #19 ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

This is a queer Pinocchio retelling featuring robots. All things I love, and yet I don't seem to have enjoyed it as much as the rest of you. I have wanted to read TJ's books for a while now, and I hear I should start with The House in the Cerulean Sea. I'll get there eventually.

I won't lie. I was very bored for the first 1/3. It took many hours of listening for the story to begin to sink in. But then I was invested. What is human emotion? Can it be applied to non-humans? And then is it just emotion? Things to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This is only my second read from TJ Klune (the first being The House in the Cerulean Sea) and I didn't love this one quite as much as Cerulean Sea - but I still really loved it. I suspect that might be because Cerulean Sea was such a revelation to me - the combination of Klune's characters and story and Daniel Henning's narration was brilliant. This is no different on those fronts - just not quite such a revelation this time around. They share some common themes - love is love, accept yourself (and others) for who you are, etc. It's filled with delightful characters and nasty villains. But underlying it all is a bit of a cautionary tale about AI - like maybe Klune heard Stephen Hawking's and others' warnings about the potential dangers of AI. Overall, though, that's just another part of what makes this a wonderful listen - whoever paired Daniel Henning's brilliant voices and narrations with TJ Klune's characters is a genius who isn't being paid enough!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Klune will always be an author I gravitate towards, purely due to the warm fuzzies his book provides. The characters he creates always have so much spunk and personality, and IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS is no different. Although I enjoyed the characters, I struggled with the book.

Maybe it was too long, maybe it was a tad repetitive, I’m not sure. But there was something about this didn’t hook me like Klune’s previous books. Maybe it was my timing, I don’t know! But it won’t stop me from reading future books he writes.

This very loosely based Pinocchio retelling is cute, don’t get me wrong. The descriptions are topnotch, but again, something about the plot didn’t stick with me. I found myself zoning out while listening to the audiobook, needing to rewind to understand what I missed.

There is still a lot of humor and banter, but it was too slow for me.

Big thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

Content warnings: grief, genocide, violence, death, panic attacks/disorders, confinement

I just could not finish this, and I tried so many times. I was really not remotely interested, which shocked me because I have so deeply loved Klune's books in the past.

The narrator is brilliant! Books like this need someone who can do nuanced and distinct voices, and he nails this! Kudos to him.

4.5 stars. In the Lives of Puppets might as well be called: Everything I Needed to Know About Humanity, I Learned in a Fairy Tale About Robots. I enjoyed both The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, but this book is definitely my favorite of the three.

This is the whimsical, funny, and deeply moving story of a motley crew of forest dwellers, including an android inventor named Gio, a medical robot named Nurse Ratched, a Roomba named Rambo, and a human named Victor. When Victor repairs an android named HAP, he sets off a series of events that will spark adventure and change their existences forever.

T.J. Klune's books are always so heartwarming, asking big questions and answering them in the most genuine, tender, and unexpected ways. In this novel, he explores what it means to be human through a group of characters who are mostly not actual humans -- but who nonetheless have so much humanity. In a novel that defies genre and takes its inspiration from Pinocchio and The Wizard of Oz, Klune takes us on a rollicking adventure through a fantastical dystopian landscape, and along the way, there is laughter, tears, and so many moments that simply made me feel. The love stories (because there are several types of love at play here) are sweet and pure and just beautiful.

The robots are conveyed absolutely perfectly, and the banter between Nurse Ratched and Roomba was hilarious. Nurse Ratched was my favorite! I listened to this as an audiobook, read by the great Daniel Henning, and that is absolutely THE WAY to take in this story. He does an amazing job with the character voices, and his narration is full of emotional depth.

Adventurous and original, emotionally compelling and deeply affecting, In the Lives of Puppets is an unforgettable journey that will leave you smiling and feeling all gooey inside. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the complimentary listening opportunity.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC of this unique title**

I will start this review out by saying the book/story itself was a 5 star read, half a star off for the audio for a total of 4.5!

This was my first TJ Klune book and I went in completely blind. I had never read any synopsis’ for his books and didn’t realize that this was going to be a sci-fi read (my preferred genre!) So what a pleasant surprise when this book turned out to be a futuristic retelling of Pinocchio, with robots in place of puppets!

The book follows Vic, a real boy, in his quest to get his father back. Sounds pretty simple until you throw in the fact that hunting robots want to kill him and his only companions are a ragtag bunch of robots (including a vacuum with anxiety.)

The characters in this book were adorable and badass all at the same time, and I was super impressed to find myself laughing out loud at certain points in the story. Klune does an amazing job with the world building in this one and I felt almost instantly attached to multiple characters.

My only negative point is for the audiobook itself - the narrator did a great job with distinguishing the voices and I thought the reading was great. However, the audio dipped at several points (primarily) at the beginning of the chapters and when characters were “whispering.” Just because characters are speaking softly shouldn’t mean that I have to crank my volume up 6 notches or rewind several times to catch something important that they said.

Please check this one out if you like themes of sentience, robots, epic adventures, family, and free will.

Something happened to this book. I've read both "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and "Under the Whisper Door" and loved both of them. I was so honored when I was able to get the ARC from Macmillan, and went into it so excited. I know TJ Klune has been getting a lot of bad press recently, but I decided I would try this final book, try to disconnect the author from the work, and then call it quits on his books.

Well, In The Lives of Puppets was a major let down. Nothing in the book grabbed my attention. The characters were boring and flat. I tried multiple times to get into this book, and nothing worked. The whimsy that was in his other works was just not in this one, along with really unlikeable characters. After a few attempts, I knew I just needed to stop reading it. Unfortunately this was my final experience with the author. I hated to leave on such a bad note.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me with a copy of this book for a free review.

If you are a fan of Pinocchio, then you will love this whimsical retelling of the classic. This story is filled with moments that make you laugh, cry, and pull on your heart strings. The characters are so intriguing, I especially loved the banter between them. The narrator for this audiobook was AMAZING! He really brought ever character to life and kept me invested in hearing more about this found family adventure.

What can I say about TJ Klune? Such amazing story telling.
I listened to the audiobook.. The voices were so on point. The narrator was perfect for this book.
My favorite is Rambo. his voice was so funny.
I love that this is a story that has such deep meanings. This story will be in my thoughts for many years to come.

This is the third Tj Klune book I've read and so far its my least favorite, but it's still really good. What i really liked about House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door was the small settings that all the characters existed in like the houses of both other stories. I was expecting something like that so thats my bad. The world building in this one was interesting. This one had a lot of humor to it and i really liked the characters. Tj klune really knows how to write lovable characters. The audiobook was really good. I think it really captured unique voices to these characters.

Victor Lawson, presumably the last human on earth after AI takes over, lives in an idyllic little treehouse with his 2 robot friends and inventor father. They are safe and secure from all the destruction going on down on earth below. One day, Victor discovers an old android in a junk yard, which he then restores back to life. This new android, Hap, as he is called, accidentally alerts the evil robots as to the "family" treehouse. Vic's father is kidnapped, and Vic and his robot friends, including Hap, go on an adventure to save him.

I wanted to like this book, but I don't think it was written for me. For starters, I am not sure into fantasy books, and that is on me. But the story really dragged and I found myself bored a lot. Also, I listened to this book on audiobook, and I found the narrator really annoying. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and I think I heard more about robot sex than I will ever want to know. It also comes off sort of as a children's book, but it is definitely not for children. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters like I know the author wanted you to do. I am sure they will appeal to some, but I am not that person.

2 stars were given because I actually finished the book. Obviously I did care enough to see what happened, but it was a boring story.

Special thank you to the author, Netgalley, and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book by T.J. Klune that I have read and enjoyed. In the Lives of Puppets is a very intriguing title for this book about a group of robots and one boy, that are living as a found family. In a series of tree houses lives fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine named Nurse Ratchet (Registered Automation to Care, Heal, Educate and Drill), and a small vacuum, Rambo, desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. Victor is the last human on the planet after humans built robots so advanced that they hunted and killed the human race. They're a family, hidden and safe. When the little group, sans Gio, find a pile of discarded android parts, they find one that is still operational, but in need of repair. They take it back to their little community and Vic repairs it, gives it a heart and a drop of human blood. This enables the HARP to bypass it's programming and become another part of the family. They call him HAP, Hysterically Angry Puppet, as only the HAP were visible on his body. The problem is that once her was reactivated, the evil robots were able to track him, destroy their homes and take Gio to the City of Electric Dreams. Vic, HAP, Rambo and Nurse Ratchet head off to save him and bring him home.

Wow, this was quite the story. First I want to say, that it is scary. With the way AI is going, self driving cars and more, could this actually happen?? I love stories of found family and this is one strange, but loving found family. It is a take from Pinnochio with the father figure being Gio, similar to Gepetto, the blue fairy plays a role in assisting him to bring Vic to life and then there are the other sidekicks. There are also some Wizard of Oz vibes with the travel to The City of Electric Dreams the happenings once they get there. Although this book is a bit longer than what I normally read, I listened to it and finished it in one day, perhaps because I just didn't stop for much. In the Lives of Puppets had me laughing out loud at times, crying at others and feeling joyful as well. It is an imaginative story, set in a unique and fascinating world, including an exciting adventure filled with danger and suspense. The characters were well developed and I loved getting to know each of them. It is a story of found family, friendship, love for everyone, seeing what humanity is all about and making choices and facing the consequences. Listening to the audiobook was definitely the way to go for me. Daniel Henning narrated and gave voice to the various characters in ways that made them very distinguishable and gave them their own personalities. I loved listening to this one and highly recommend the audiobook.

This book was alright. The writing didn't really do it for me, but I adored the narrator's drive to use different voices for the robots.

In the Lives of Puppets is billed as a Pinocchio retelling, but I got some Wizard of Oz vibes, too.

TJ Klune has a magical mind. I adore all his worlds and characters. Cerulean Sea remains my favorite, but I enjoyed In the Lives of Puppets. While the found family formula is the same, Klune is able to make each world unique, and each character stands out. Klune's trademark wholesomeness and humor remain present.

My favorite aspect of any Klune book is the characters, and this did not disappoint. Nurse Ratched had me cackling. I especially liked her banter with Rambo. Vic and HAP's relationship is incredibly sweet.

If you love Klune's worlds and characters, this will not disappoint. By now, people expect coziness from Klune, but note that this is less cozy than Cerulean and Whispering.

My main gripe with the book is the pacing. Some parts felt slow, others a little rushed. Also, the book is a little long. I think the ending could have been shorter. My other issue was that while I am happy to see the social themes throughout, I prefer them to be more subtle. I found parts a bit soap boxy, more so than past books by Klune.

I did the audio, and it took me a bit to get used to Rambo's voice, but overall I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vic, his father Gio and two robots, Nurse Ratchet and Rambo, a roomba type vacuum, live together in the woods, after Victor was abandoned by his parents to Gio as they were fleeing... well it was never really defined what they were running from (though there is a better explanation later). When Vic finds a new robot, Hap, and fixes him up, it draws some unfortunate attention and sends them out of the woods on an adventure into a world Vic hadn't expected to reunite their family.

Despite a slow start, "In the Lives of Puppets," was a sweet story of a unique family that never gave up on one another. There was a lot of cute banter between the two original robots, Nurse Ratchet and Rambo , though sometimes a bit too much.
Overall, a very sweet, wonderful read.

Thanks to NetGalley for and e-ARC me in exchange honest feedback.

This book was just okay. I thought the concept was cool but Klune’s writing really doesn’t resonate with me.

That being said, I loved Nurse Rachet and Rambo! They were the only reason I kept reading this book. Klune’s side characters are amazing!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC audiobook of T.J. Klune’s IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS.

When I learned the book was going to be a robot retelling of Pinocchio, I was excited to see how Klune would spin his magic. While I did not enjoy this story as much as I loved The House on the Cerulean Sea, the audio narration of Puppets was EXCELLENT!!

Daniel Henning is a master narrator. Each character’s voice was so distinct, unique, and hilariously narrated. It was pure entertainment to listen to this story.

Story: 3 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Overall rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up)

This story follows Vic, a young man who may be the last human alive. He is raised by his adoptive robot father, Giovanni, and accompanied by two robots he helped salvage, Nurse Ratchet and Rambo. Vic rescues and repairs HAP (Hysterically Angry Puppet), and soon after discover some unpleasant truths about their world after Gio is taken captive. The four set off to rescue him, and along the way learn what it means to have a heart. The story and its characters are often funny, but there are a lot of well-crafted and meaningful emotional scenes, plus tons of literary references throughout.