‘Above all else, be brave’

This book ruined me. The writing is so beautiful and full of wonder; I cried so much and my heart is impossibly full. In The Lives Of Puppets is categorically a masterpiece and a masterclass at showing what a retelling can be. Every character is wonderful, especially the main four: Vic, Hap, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched. I am truly endeared by all of them and their perfect little found family.

The writing style is reminiscent of a fairytale and begins very cosily, however the sci-fi elements are masterfully incorporated and established without the type of techno-babble that can make the genre feel alienating. The romance, the plot, the pacing - all combined with new favourite comfort characters makes for an unforgettable read. There is humour is threaded through as well, mostly in the form of Nurse Ratched, who is full of wit and dry pessimism that doesn’t ever get tiring. I want to buy a physical copy purely so I can highlight such choice remarks as ‘As of now, he is merely decorative. If we are unable to find a new battery, perhaps we can use him to hold potted plants’.

Representation-wise, I am happy that the asexual character isn’t one of the androids, since that trope is very much over-done, and that he wasn’t “””fixed””” upon falling in love, since it is not a flaw. Other than that, there are explorations of gender and gendered presentation, a character who uses they/them pronouns, and apparently Vic is meant to be written as autistic. I only know this because this book was on a recommendation list of books with autistic rep, however after knowing that I started to notice general signifiers like sensory overload. I recommend seeking out own-voices reviews about each of those things for a more comprehensive review of the quality of representation, though just generally I didn’t find any overt issues.

Quite literally my only issue was the multiple uses of ‘minutes that felt like hours’ and ‘hours that felt like minutes’. I could excuse the cliche once, but coming up on five or six times made me take notice of it.

All in all, this was a wonderful, emotional rollercoaster of a book that ends in happy and hopeful tears. I’ve read almost 2,000 books in my life and this has instantly broken into my top five favourites of all time. I am much more motivated to read my physical copies of Wolfsong (I know it’s completely different vibes, but I’m willing to be convinced to be into werewolves) and the other whisper(?) something (I never remember the title) TJ Klune book that I’ve owned for over a year and have been putting off since being disappointed by The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Another great story from one of my favourite authors. Wonderful characters, a great plot and so well written. I can't think of another author who writes emotions and feelings quite so well. And I spotted loads of movie references in this one. Not sure if that was deliberate but it added to my enjoyment. Nurse Ratched and Rambo were a great double act. With thank to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

This book is like a cross between Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I must admit it is a long book and I found the middle section started to lose me however it does pick up and turns into a very thought provoking book that looks at humanity and machines. With the current rise in AI and the worried about this this book is very topical.
This is certainly a book that will stay with you long after you have read it and will make you ask questions about humanity and machines. A must read from one of my favourite authors.

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackcrowpr for my advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of TJ Klune’s previous books, The House In The Curelean Sea and Under The Whispering Door, and was so excited to get an arc of this one.

I loved it just as much as the others soon as I started reading, the characters coming to life almost instantly through the writing. My favourite was Rambo, so sweet and nervous to begin, he developed so much throughout the story. Nurse Ratched is hilarious, so sarcastic and humorous - just brilliant.

It’s a long story with many new characters being introduced along the way, another favourite was The Coachman. However, I felt a bit let down at the end. It just seemed to peter out and didn’t end the way I was envisioning. There seemed to be lots of build up then done, no big finale like you normally get, no tears. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t measure my ratings of his books on whether there are tears or not, but you do kind of expect happy tears at least.

Still a great story from an amazing writer, just a little behind the others in my favourites.

Giovanni has built a home for himself and son Victor in the Forest. Nurse Ratched and Rambo live with them too.
They live an isolated existence, until Victor meddles, and the ripples of events that this causes will change things considerably.

I wanted to read this book for a few reasons. One being that I have heard so many good things written about the authors previous books, the other is that this is a different genre of book for me, sci-fi fantasy fiction, so I wanted to try it out.
The first couple of pages I was slightly uncertain of my choice of this book, but then it absolutely clicked with me.
I found myself racing through the pages, completely hooked, wanting to know what happened next, and reading well into the wee small hours.
I found the book funny, sad, and a whole host of feelings and emotions were there.
A great book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

What to say....It took me a few chapters to settle in to the book. Its certainly unique just like all his others. Its not my favourite book by TJ, i just couldn't connect to the characters and it felt a bit flat, not quite the emotional punch he usually has. Also it felt quite rushed towards the end and questions unanswered.

He does have some beautiful ideas and its certainly a different retelling of 'Pinicchio" I adored Rambo and aptly named Nurse Ratched

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the arc.

Mix robots with classic tales of love and family and you get in the lives of puppets.

I found this difficult to read, not because of the story but because of the writing style but that’s my own personal preference. The character are very lovable, but I found it difficult to keep track of what was going on.

Such a fun and thought provoking read. What is love? What is family? This feels like an homage to Pinocchio and Frankenstein with strong Wizard of Oz vibes. Can the tin man feel love? Does he need a heart?
My favourite thing about this book is the humour, it elevates the whole story into something really special. Rambo and Nurse Ratched have both earned their place in my heart with their very unique personalities.
A definite recommend.

This book! It’s a rich tableau of quirky characters, humanity in all its forms, and a dystopian android world. It questions what makes a human different from a machine, what happens if machines had a conscience and a heart? Is that what makes us human or is it more? Is it a soul that cannot be seen? I’m officially questioning everything and I’m obsessed with it.
I adored the characters in this book. They all had their own distinct personalities and were incredibly charming in their own ways. Humour is woven throughout this book and it kept me laughing throughout but it also had me crying and I never expect anything else from T.J. Klune. The world building was incredible and the imagination vivid. I devoured this book in a day and soaked up all the love from this unconventional found family of blood and wires, jumping into their adventures and anxiously waiting to see what happened next. There were plot twists and action, heartache and happiness, and everything balanced out so beautifully. It’s the best book I’ve read this year!

I am a huge fan of Klune and have loved every book I've read so far. In the Lives of Puppets wasn't quite on the same level as Cerulean or Whispering Door for me but I did thoroughly enjoy it!

Nurse Ratched is a peach! She was by far and away my favourite character, she was hilarious and most of my highlights were hers. She was simply excellent. Rambo was notable also as the slightly adorable, at times slightly dimwitted, fiercely loyal, bouncy spaniel of the group, the perfect balance to Ratched's fiery, blunt, sociopathic nature.

There was, as always, the trademarks I have come to expect with Klunes work, the things that make me love them. Soft, sweet moments, hilarious one liners, a deep undertone, and found family (of sorts) This work was slightly different, it had a dystopian theme about it and, at times, dark and brutal moments.

Despite it not being my favourite Klune, it still holds a place in my heart and on my shelves, I look forward to reading it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the early access

Overall I really enjoyed this book! I think T J Klune just has a way of writing such lovable characters, my favourite was definitely Rambo, and he’s just good at really showing you the bond that the characters have with each other. I loved how he didn’t just tell you that these characters had a strong family bond but actually showed you that they did through his writing and how the characters interacted with each other.

Also really enjoyed how the ending wasn’t super neat and tidy and everything was 100% fixed with the world. I think he gave it a realistic ending given what’s happened with these characters, which made me love the book even more.

I do, however, wish that the book was slightly longer just so we got more of a chance to learn more about the world and the aftermath of the key events in the book. I did feel that after the main event in the book, the ending seemed a bit rushed and I wish we had had an extra 50 or so pages to really explore the aftermath for the characters more.

But overall, really enjoyed this!

Having read this authors previous works I was interested to see what he would do with an adult retelling of Pinocchio.
I think he did the fairytale justice as it is retold with machines in place of humans and a human in place of the puppet. It was a tad slow to start with and I didn't feel myself engaged until around 40% but after that I really got into the book. I throloughy enjoyed the way the author played on aspects of humanity and how machines/robots don't have them, thus the MCs friends are constantly learning and adapting around his human self.
Around the last 20% it felt like it was coming to a close all too soon, I'd just gotten attached to all of the characters and it was quite an emotional ending.
I would read this again for sure and recommend to anyone else looking for a good retelling.

In the Lives of Puppets is a strange sci fi story that follows Victor, a human who lives secluded in the forest, and the ragtag group of robots that make up his family.

At its core it is a story about love, friendship and humanity, loosely inspired by Pinocchio. Unfortunately it did not hook me in, and I think the main reason was that I did not connect with the characters. Victor is interesting enough, but I was not enchanted by his trio of companions. I think their quirks were meant to be endearing and humorous, but honestly, most of the time I found them confusing and weird. T. J. Klune has had plenty of 'weird' characters in his other books that I have found charming in their own unique way, but for some reason that just didn't happen for me this time.

If you do connect with the characters, then I'm convinced this would be a beautiful, emotionally impactful book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to read and arc of this book.

TJ Klune is a favourite author of mine and I enjoy his books so much, so I was so excited to get a chance to read In The Lives Of Puppets a month early.

I went in to this book not knowing much about the plot, just that it was a queer Pinocchio retelling. I wasn’t expecting the futuristic setting and apocalyptic feel, but it added a very cool element to the story and I really enjoyed it.

At first I did find a couple of the characters a bit annoying, but by the end of the story, they’d grown on me and I really liked the part they played in the adventure and journey.

Hap was my favourite character and I really loved the slow build of his and Victor’s relationship.

If you’re a Green Creek fan, like myself, you might spot a Joe and Ox reference thrown in the mix too.

I love T J Klune writing and this did not disappoint. A very loose retelling of Pinocchio that I enjoyed from start to finish. If you have read any of his previous books then I am sure this will hit the spot.
The characters are written so well and I felt like I was in the story with them. 100% recommend.

As always with Klune's books there is a whimsical edge to the writing and the characters are full of heart and so earnest and engaging. However, there was something lacking in this book compared to several others by Klune that I have read.

The main cast of characters was excellent, as was the plot and it moved along reasonably steadily. It's an engaging book and it flows along well.

This was a weird book but an endearing one and I enjoyed my time with Victor, Hap, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. Some of the dialogue was truly amusing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Wolfsong last year, TJ Klune jumped up my list as one of my all time favourite authors, so naturally I’ve been very excited for this! I’m also a big fan of retellings and have yet to read a Pinocchio retelling, so I was so intrigued by this story!

We started off strong, I fell in love with the characters and the story immediately and wanted only the best for Vic, Nurse Ratched, Rambo and the others. Nurse Ratched and Rambo’s mannerisms and responses had me cackling, I love how much personality these little androids had.

I did find around the 50% mark it started to lose my attention a little bit. What I initially found endearing about Nurse Ratched and Rambo became a little repetitive and the journey to finding Gio got a little tedious.

The ending definitely pulled it back for me and I ended up enjoying it overall, but it’s not my favourite TJ Klune book. It has the quirkiness and found family of his other books, but the overall plot lacked a little bit for me.

TJ Klune is a master craftsman when it comes to creating unique, loveable characters ~(Please see Lucy et al in The House in the Cerulean Sea) and he's done it again with The Lives of Puppets.

A Sociopathic nurse robot and a neurotic vacuum cleaner called Rambo? What's not to love?

Together with Gio, the father figure and Vic, his son, they live an idyllic, sheltered lifestyle in the forest, residing high about the trees in a network of treehouses connected by bridges. One day something happens that forces them out of their home and out into the world to try to save Gio from a colony of robots whose sole mission is to rid the planet of humanity.

Ok, that sounds a bit bleak, but it isn't, I swear! I laughed my way through this book and loved every minute of it. There is definitely an element of social commentary about how we treat the planet, but essentially it is a fun, dystopian science fiction novel that had m wanting more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was weird and wonderful and i honestly do not know what I was expecting before going into this book because I didn’t even read the synopsis I just saw tj klune had a new book and knew I needed to read it, but it wasn’t robots and machines and yet I loved every second.

This story is full of whimsy and delightful characters that are chaotic, unique and full of heart. It’s thoughtful, full of love and family, much like Klunes other books, and is a great read!

Unfortunately upon learning T.J. Klune appropriated the sixties scoop and erased the history of natives I have a sour taste in my mouth regarding this book. I’m a true believer in people being able to be reformed and sometimes just need to be educated to then move forward. However Klune’s reluctance to acknowledge this is not okay.