— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: In The Lives of Puppets
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): TJ Klune
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Sci Fi
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 25th April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

“What humans failed to understand is that by making us in their image, we wanted to become more than them. How could we not?”

When I found out that TJ Klune was doing a Science fiction Pinocchio retelling I was VERY excited.

Now that I have read his science fiction Pinocchio retelling I am ecstatic! It was so much more than I thought it was going to be.

“And so there they stood, one man and one machine under an infinite field of stars, the desert flying by in front of them as they flew toward the unknown. Behind them, the road led back into darkness, the ashes of their home.
But home didn’t have to be a place.”

Klune’s typically wistful writing blended with a sociopathic robot nurse, an over enthusiastic hoover, a killing machine that doesn’t want to kill, a human who’s very existence needs protecting, and an inventor who gave them all a choice and a home, makes for a wildly heartwarming, funny, and entertaining story.

Nobody does found family like TJ Klune does.

The dynamics between the characters are my favourite part of this story, they could all be going to the supermarket and I’d have the best time simply because I was reading about them. Klune has created a cast of characters that are compelling, unwittingly hilarious, exasperating, and above all, lovable.

The plot itself was good, but I have to say it really is the characters that make this story shine.

“This is yours. You can do with it whatever you want. Make whatever you wish.”
“Whatever I wish?” He glanced over his shoulder at Victor, and for a moment, it was as if his father was with him again, whole. “What if I wish for impossible things?”
“Then you’re doing it right. It always seems impossible when you first start.”

𝑲𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉 @ 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒉 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚
🧚‍♀️🤍

In the Lives of Puppets is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of acceptance, forgiveness and humanity. I laughed and I cried, feeling every emotion from shame to wonder. I adored it.

The story follows Victor, a man raised by his surrogate father, Gio in a world populated with robots. When Victor finds and fixes a robot designed to destroy humans, it triggers a train of events that leads Victor and his companions to the City of Electric Dreams and the mysterious Blue Fairy, Victor's companions were such incredible characters - Nurse Ratched, the psychopathic nurse robot, and Rambo, the delightfully naive vacuum. I don't want to reveal too much about the comparisons and links to Pinocchio for fear of giving spoilers but they are wonderfully clever.

I heard about T.J.Klune's book, The House in the Cerulean Sea, when it came out to rave reviews but this is the first book by the author I have read. I am now desperate to read the others they have written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance read of this glorious story.

If you want a book with strong characters and laugh out loud moments then TJ Klune is the author for you. If you read any of his other work such as the house on the cerulean sea, then you'll be familiar with his writing style. Klune makes captivating stories that challenge many human issues we have today, but does it in a delicate, emotive way. This story was at times tragic, sad but absolutely hilarious throughout, with Rambo being the best character. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read an advanced review copy of this book, and it's definitely one I'll be purchasing.

My review is not for the book itself but the format it came in! As I only read on my kindle, the book was unreadable for me as the layout was all over the place. Only read a chapter or so but DNF since hard to read down to the poor layout.

“I think you’re full of garbage, Rambo said, beeping mournfully. Like me."

3 5 stars rounded up to 4. I love TJ Klune's writing and have really enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door and the Green Creek saga. This sci-fi Pinnochio retelling certainly has the usual Klune blend of unusual, charming, and loveable characters.

I think where this book fell a little bit flatter for me in contrast to some of Klune's other work is that it felt very plot driven, with an adventure style quest, rather than a stronger focus on character growth (with the exception of Hap) or quieter moments once we're out of the first third.

Part of that might be due to the fact that in this story we're not really inside the head of the character who has the most growth or is finding a new family, but rather Victor who has already found the family he wants, whom he is now trying very much to keep. The ending also wraps up a little too quickly and neatly for my liking. Still very much enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who wants a faster paced light sci-fi read.

Also 10/10 would die for Rambo :)

Another amazing story from TJ Klune. The found family trope is one this he writes fantastically. This book made me feel a whole range on emotions. I found it’s hilarious at times, devastating at other times. And even though it’s a Pinocchio retelling, this story feels so unique to me. I hope TJ Klune writes many more books like this!

When I started reading this book and I saw that the main character was asexual... I was so happy to have representation! However, the plot itself and sci-fi is not my thing, so unfortunately I didn't love it as I thought I would. I think it is longer than it should be. Loved the humour, though! The nurse was my favourite! For me it doesn't have the magic that Under The Whispeirng Door has (one of my favourite books).

Another lovely read from TJ Klune that makes you feel all the feelings. Don't be mistaken into thinking that this is a cosy fanstasy romance like previous books though. This is instead a sci-fi adventure quest inhabited by robots. Somehow, despite all the robots, it was a very human story, filled with love, forgiveness and family. Klune's usual magical storytelling is out in full-force, with laugh-out-loud banter, endearing and fully realised characters and evocative worldbuilding. There is also darkness and I always enjoy the way that Klune manages to flip you from feeling happy and excited, to exploring difficult and deep topics without derailing the story or your attention.

Some minor niggles for me: the pacing wasn't quite there, and I wasn't massively fond of how it ended (though I am not sure what I would have wanted instead), but none of those things were anywhere near enough to halt my enjoyment at all.

ARC provided by Pan MacMillan and Netgalleyin exchange for an honest review - thank you.

'In the Lives of Puppets' is a re-telling of Pinocchio, set in a future where machines rule the earth. Victor Lawson is a human who lives with his adoptive robot father Gio, plus an anxious vacuum cleaner robot and a cheerfully sadistic medical robot appropriately named Nurse Ratched. Victor and his friends risk their lives to search for new parts at the nearby scrapyards, and one day discover a discarded humanoid robot they name Hap. Soon after reviving him, their peaceful lives are shattered when Gio's past catches up with him and he is taken away to the 'City of Electric Dreams' by menacing robots from the Authority. Victor sets off on a rescue attempt, accompanied by his friends, but soon discovers he knows very little about the wider world or who he can trust.

If the blurb hadn't told me it was a retelling of Pinocchio, I don't think I'd have realised it on my own. There doesn't seem to be a lot of resemblance between them although some elements are obvious once you know that's the basis. I'm not even entirely sure which character would be Pinocchio - Victor presumably - but he lacks the mischief and selfishness that motivated the puppet in the original classic. However I don't think it really matters whether it is close to or far from the original - it's a good story that can be judged entirely on its own merits.

The novel is told from Victor's perspective, but is very much an ensemble piece with him and his three robot friends present for most of the scenes. Although the little vacuum cleaner Rambo is endearing, and Hap intriguing, every scene is stolen by the brilliant Nurse Ratched. It's rare a book makes me laugh out loud but some of her utterances managed it. The comedic elements make this the best of Klune's works by far in my opinion. Whilst he is gifted at making you care deeply about characters, sometimes that is overplayed to the extent some of his other novels feel melodramatic and overwrought. Whereas although I did care about these characters and found the story moving, the humour cut through and balanced it out, making it overall a more satisfying read.

If you are looking for a quirky, well written and genuinely funny fantasy/science-fiction novel, you won't find many better than this. The combination of a story that is both tear inducing and hilarious is not something you come across in any genre, and it's to be treasured. Definitely Klune's best work to date - and given how well loved his previous novels have been, I think this one will be hit too.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. I've tried to read a few books by TJ Klune before and haven't particularly got along with them, but for some reason, this book had something unique and intriguing about it from the get-go.

This story is one of found family, love, warmth and hope, spurred on by a desire for the freedom to make your own choices in life.

Dubbed as "a queer retelling of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio" if that alone isn't enough to pique your interests, I'd be surprised. Of course I'm not the biggest fan where it comes to Pinocchio and I feel like it's more "inspired by it" than a like-for-like in similarity. But I did prefer that, since I think this book has something special about it, and I'd have happily read it for longer. I'd say to me it gave off Swiss Family Robinson / Wall-E specific themes too, especially leaning towards Wall-E with a sci-fi kind of setting. The world building itself was incredible, and the words TJK wrote would paint such a remarkable picture within the most intriguing setting.

We're first introduced to Victor who lives with his robot companions and his father, Giovanni, in a village that had been built within a grove of trees, Victor is a young man, still fresh in his youth, who enjoys exploring and salvaging and repairing old robots he discovers on his daily endeavours. One day he comes across an old broken robot who looks as though he's been discarded, and takes him home in order to restore him to the best of his ability. This robot becomes known as Hap, who we soon discover has a connection to Gio. Although the five of them begin to settle into the daily lives together, it's not long before Giovanni is taken by a shady group known as the Authority, and Vic and his companions don't hesitate for one second in their determination to rescue him and bring him home to where he belongs. Thus begins their journey into the outside world, which Victor has to that point had no experience outside of the area surrounding his home...

Each of the characters in this book had such unique and entertaining personalities, and despite three of the main characters intergral to the story being robots, they really brought a lot of character to the book itself. I LOVED Nurse Ratched and Rambo, who never even considered leaving Victor's side, despite being robots who have no concept of human emotion. I loved the character relationships, the banter and interesting dialogue.. even the side characters had something different to marvel over.

The story itself had such a comforting vibe that made you root for these characters and it would keep me up hours glued and eager to know what was going to happen (which is probably partly why I'm exhausted right now after an hour and a half stint reading until 3.30am lol).

I do feel like the ending was sliiightly rushed, hence the 4.5 stars, mainly because it didn't give me much in the way of closure, but I wasn't completely disappointed in how it wrapped up. Overall, I would definitely recommend this and I'm so glad I gave TJ Klune another chance!

Thank you Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for the arc of In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

There’s no question that this book is inspired by Pinocchio, with characters including the Blue Fairy and the Coachman, references to donkeys and the prodigious application of wood. What TJ Klune does is apply his own style of queer fantasy crossed with sci-fi, psychology and human emotion that soon tells you, “you’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.”

The story takes place in a future Earth, where a young man (Victor) lives with his father (Giovanni) amongst the trees, hidden within a forest far away from ‘civilisation’.

Victor’s only friends are Rambo, a neurotic, anxiety filled Roomba and Nurse RACHED, who could be described as a sociopathic robot nurse (Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill,) until one day all of their lives change when they find the remains of a damaged, strange android that they come to name HAP (Hysterically Angry Puppet).The discovery of HAP leads them on to a number of obstacle pitted, often terrifying adventures to save their family.

Klune’s ability to write a story that can propel you from laugh out loud, banter filled moments to heartbreaking emotional depth is laid to bare in this book. This is a book that questions humanity, emotion and at times pulls so hard on the heart strings, that you’re scared they’ll snap.

The world building takes the bare bones of Pinocchio and rebuilds it as a future based state, managed and controlled by AI for the benefit of AI, distorting expectations of cleanliness and order, and applying human struggles of poverty, societal depravation and struggle to a world of androids and robots.

Klune brings this fairytale to life in a future state world, delivering an onion like story of love, loneliness, home, adventure and found family. If you’re looking for a read that will transport you away but, doesn’t fear to make you feel a gamut of emotions, definitely pick this one up.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Such a fun and beautiful story with the most engaging and unusual characters. Oh how I fell head over heels for a robotic vacuum called Rambo (what has happened to me) such a cute personality, and I even grew to love Old Nurse Ratched in the end!

This was totally not my "normal" type of book.... however I am so pleased I have read it, it really does stir up different emotions throughout and makes you think about the vulnerability of society and the relationships we build along our way.

Thank you so much Pan Macmillan for the chance to read this book and give my honest opinion.

What a beautiful story from start to finish! The dynamic between Victor, Rambo, Nurse Ratched and Hap was delightful and hilarious, I couldn't stop giggling throughout. This is such a unique take on the tale of Pinnochio with the roles reversed and I loved every page.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune is my latest read, and it may be my least favourite so far.

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.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

This is the loosest retelling of Pinocchio, thrown in with some Wizard of Oz and other tales, that feels like more of a tribute. At the base of what TJ Klune has set out for is the premise of what humanity means and the friendships that accompany this. That was the strongest point, the dynamic between these lively characters and what the journey entailed but that's the highest that it got. The dialogue was cringey and some of the "jokes" were over the top. It's a creatively original story that will have a loving fanbase but unfortunately this did not sit well with me.

The writing itself was as vivid as you can imagine. TJ Klune has some amazing descriptions that bring some fantastic scenes, but it was the story and some of the content that distracted me and took me away out of the story to the point where it was a struggle to finish.

This was not as great a hit as Under the Whispering Door. TJ Klune hasn't hooked me in here as much as anything else and the connection was lost with me.

In the Lives of Puppets is a fun, well-written, loose queer retelling of Pinnochio. The characters are well-developed and ones you root for. The setting is vivid and the story has heart. Highly recommended to readers who love fairytale retellings. This is a great one to get your hands on. Highly recommended.

I loved this book which says a lot as i don’t usually like books that are sci-fi or include sci-fi elements. In The Lives of Puppets was my third book by T J Klune and I have loved all of them so far, I cant wait to read more. This was another wholesome and heart warming story, full of adventure, found family and love. The world building was fantastic and I loved the diverse representation of the characters. The blurb said this book was inspired by Pinocchio, which I’m not a fan of, so i was pleased to see that it had only some small references and it was very much its own story. Overall I loved this book and would definitely recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy for review

Thank you so much for the arc copy of this title.

This was my first T J Klune book and I was definitely not disappointed. I laughed, I cried and Al in all I just had a really good time. I tore through this book finishing it in a day.

The side characters made this book for me. I really liked Victor, he was such an intricate character, but I didn’t love him as much as I loved Nurse Ratched and Rambo. They were brilliant! The banter they had was fabulous and I loved that mental health was represented through Rambo.

I would absolutely read a novel/novella based solely on those two characters.

The plot was rich and deep and reminded me of a cross between Pinocchio and I Robot.

All in all a fantastic book!

This is my second book from T J Klune and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the characters, Nurse Ratched had me laughing out loud at multiple points, I loved the conversations between the robots and Victor and the found family elements. The world building was also really interesting and well thought out.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming read, that will having you laughing out loud then this one is for you.

To those who have read TJ Kline's work, this will feel familiar, with its queer, emotional roller coaster of a fantasy and sci-fi thrill ride, inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and littered with references to other literary pieces of fiction. Giovanni Lawson, a robot, builds a hidden house in the branches of trees, living with a baby, wrapped in rags, that he is left by a couple, he brings him up as his human son, VIctor, along with the machines that make up the small family. This includes as Kline puts it, 'an anxiety-riddled Roomba vacuum named Rambo, and a sociopathic nursing machine, the Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill (Nurse Ratched, for short)' and a damaged weird android, HAP (Hysterically Angry Puppet).

Victor grows to find a vocation in fixing robots, including the android, HAP, little comprehending just how this will go on to reveal Gio's past history and endanger their home in the woods and their family. This all culminates in Victor and the machines embarking on a terrifying obstacle ridden adventure to the City of Electric Dreams to save Gio, the father. In a story of machines, this is a narrative that simply overflows with emotional feelings and humanity, it is thought provoking, full of banter and is absolutely irresistible. Kline has succeeding in creating a cast of offbeat characters I could not help but come to care about, there is plenty of banter and wit, shards of light and I adored the satirical Nurse Ratched and Rambo!

Particular highlights in this imaginative, entertaining, multilayered novel are the brilliant world building and Victor facing the challenge of his feelings for Hap. A warm delight of a read, of family, love, adventure and so much more. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I love Klume books. They all have similar themes. Found family, love, friendship, life, hope. I’m a sucker for books with positive messages that ate life affirming and his books deliver every time. He definitely has a formula that works and draws us all in! Giovanni and Vic are such lovable characters and I cared deeply about them. And I loved the side characters, especially the robots whose banter is great and entertaining. I normally don’t like scifi but the world building is amazing and with charming characters, I was all in! Did I love this as much as The Cerulean Sea? Maybe not, but it still is a beautiful story that will make you emotional and is worth a read!