This novel sounded much better than Klune's other work, but I'm sad to admit it was just as mediocre as his other stories. There was nothing wrong with the plot or the prose; I'm simply not the target audience.

TJ Klune is a master of making you absolutely love the characters in a story. I love how this book deals with challenging topics in ways that are safe or even comforting. It feels like reading under a warm blanket.

Another beautiful story from TJ Klune that looks deep into the soul and asks the question, "what does it mean to be human?". This is a wonderfully written story that makes you instantly fall in love with all of the characters, especially Artemis Darth Vader, a precious little girl who may not be what she seems.

Nate's life has fallen apart. His parents have died a horrible death, he's not talking to his brother, and he just got fired from his dream job. All he has left is an old beat up pickup and a small cabin in the woods, both left to him by his parents. In an effort to find a new direction in life, he sets off for the cabin, hoping the quiet will help him make some decisions about what to do next. What he finds there changes his life forever.

This starts off really strong, with a good setting and an introduction to a character readers can root for. When things start going sideways once again for our MC, he makes some decisions even he is questioning, but that discovery of two strangers squatting in his cabin leads him into some uncharted territory.

This is full sci-fi, a little romance, and a lot of found family. The story was great, though it did feel like it got off track a little about 2/3 of the way through. The introduction of those additional characters didn't mesh well with the flow of the story and felt a little bumpy in the reading, but eventually that picks back up and gets back on track by the end.

Overall, a decent sci-fi first contact book.

I am a TJ Klune stan, and am on a mission to read his entire backlog (especially with THINCS sequel coming next month). His stories are always full of the most lovable characters, wrapped into a fantasy world. The way that he tells stories is just truly magical. I loved this story, just as I always do, and recommend this author so much if you are a fantasy person!

After losing his job, Nate heads to his family’s cabin he’s inherited in remote Oregon to figure out what to do next. He arrives to find a man and a young girl, Alex and Artemis, squatting there. As they get to know each other, Nate realizes that this chance meeting will dramatically change what he believes in and alter the course of his life. For science fiction and romance fans.

This story by TJ Kline reminds us that so much of this life is about giving ourselves the space to see beyond what we think we know. It’s a story about what it takes to find your way and the importance of protecting who and what we love.

It took me over a month to get to 37% of this book. I kept telling myself if I just got through the beginning, I'd be okay. I ended up having to DNF because it was somehow painfully slow yet also anxiety inducing.

I didn't even realize this book was published a few years ago and I am so mad I haven't read it until now. What a fantastic ride. The characters were relatable and Artemis Darth Vader was a breath of fresh air. The idea of building the family you want/need is one of my favorite concepts. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this amazing book.

I'm going to be honest, I found the summary for The Bones Beneath My Skin to be a little underwhelming. I'm not huge into sci-fi, although I don't hate it, but I've really liked every book I've read of TJ Klune's and so I was more than willing to give it a chance. And turns out, I loved it, of course. TJ Klune doesn't miss.

Klune's author note at the end talks about how he submitted this book to the publisher at the time and they weren't very happy with it, feeling it was different than his normal output, which, two things: I didn't even know this book was somewhat older and self published. I thought it was just his next book and didn't question it at all. The second thing is that, I actually don't think it's super far from what he normally writes? I feel like a lot of Klune's works deal with love, multiple and different types of love, and this book is no different. Is Bones definitely different than other stuff he's put out? Yes, but I also think it is distinctly TJ Klune.

Now onto more specifics. I loved the main characters. I'm usually not a fand of kid characters, but Art makes sense and is actually a lot of fun. I loved seeing Alex thaw slowly and I loved Nate's journey as a character. They are all fleshed out and the relationships between each of them are sweet interesting and sweet. I really liked the plot and I felt like the pacing was well done. This type of story could have easily been a slog with bad pacing, but I felt like there was a good balance between action and downtime.

I definitely recommend this book and I'm counting down the days until Somewhere Beyond the Sea releases. I'll happily read whatever TJ Klune puts out at this point.

Another great T.J. Klune story.
Actually, my second favorite one now.

(Thank you, Netgalley, for the digital copy for review.)

I love that this veered off his now well-honed path and style. (Its variation was needed for this reader!)
The difference allowed him to lean deep into a powerfully character driven story. To capture all the subtleties, nuance, and clarity of their movements and emotional evolutions.

I really enjoyed this storyline too, but centering Klune's characters made all the difference.

#SecondOnlyToWhisperingDoor
:)

Another beautiful TJ Klune book. He is one of my favorite authors. He is a master of the written word. I don’t feel like I connected with the characters in the book as much as in other Klune novels, but there was a beautiful message to this story that will stick with me for a long time.

I struggled to review this book, especially after reading the author's note at the end. The book is "weird" (not that that's a bad thing) and I wouldn't really classify it as a romance (but not due to the lack of sex scenes). The book felt more like a sci-fi/adventure story with very little development between Alex and Nate.

The story was centered around Art which I would have enjoyed if it was more similar to The House in the Cerulean Sea. However, it was missing that magical spark that I expect from Klune's books. It didn't really make me laugh and it definitely didn't make me cry. Even when their lives were in peril, I just didn't particularly care about the outcome. This wasn't a "bad" book, and I'm sure many people will enjoy it, but it didn't take my breath away like HitCS and the Green Creek series did. 3.25/5⭐.

Nate Cartwright has lost everything in his life: his family, his job, and his self respect. Hoping to recenter his life, Nate heads to his parents wilderness cabin left to him in their will. Once there, his finds the cabin occupied by a big man named Alex and the odd, precocious girl named Artemis Darth Vader. They are on the run from people who unnamed but want to control Artemis. Nate becomes bound to the two beyond what he realizes to a life he could only imagine. I loved this book and is typical of TJ Klune, the humor and dialogue bring the characters to life. They journey has the reader rooting for the trio the whole way!

A Sci-Romance adventure story that you certainly need. All the characters are flawed but
that’s what makes the story so relatable. It’s the human side of being human.

DNF for me.
The Bones Beneath my Skin is actually a re-release. This book just has a new cover. I was excited about reading this book since I have recently discovered this author. This book is not for everyone and I gave up on it about 1/2 way through.
I appreciate the ARC

Potentially controversial, but this just might be my favourite TJ Klune book. It's got that trademark overlap of heart, sadness, and wonder, and oh, I LOVED the dynamic between the three main characters. It's about the aches that make us human, and living with impossible questions, and the deep-breath delight of finding people who really, truly care about us for who we are. I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but I know this for sure: THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN will stick beneath *my* skin for a long, long time.

I really enjoy this book - it kept me engaged from start to finish and I didn’t have any difficulty understand or relating to the prose. The characters were well developed and easy to like. I’d definitely recommend reading this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing group for the arc of this book!
My understanding is that this is actually a re-release. TJ Klune self published this book initially and now it is coming out via published in February 2025.

I loved loved House Under the Cerulean Sea. So weird and so perfect. I enjoyed this one- equally weird! Imagine Stranger Things meets an action movie meets a romance? Things went a little overboard for me towards the end, but overall I enjoyed it. Recommend for those who love weird (I mean this in a positive way) science fiction adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and most especially TJ Klune for this eARC of the rerelease of The Bones Beneath My Skin.

If you're a fan of TJ Klune's other works, you're in for a treat. The Bones Beneath My Skin digs deeply into those existential questions that drive us as humans, bring joy & strife to our relationships, and give us meaning as we stumble through life.

While it doesn't quite hold up to Under the Whispering Door or House on the Cerulean Sea, it was written earlier in Mr. Klune's career and provides incredible insight into his evolution as a writer and growing mastery of his craft.

Be warned, this book will almost certainly have you in tears.