Another great TJK book that tugs at the heart strings and gets you feeling *all* the emotions 😭. Although not my favourite TJK book, there is just something about the way he can create these magical worlds and such diverse fantastic characters. Highly recommend!

Another cosy fantasy by the king of cosy fantasies!
This time a retelling of the tale of Pinocchio, a unique story full of heart and wonder.
What's not to love.

I spent 5 weeks trying to read this and just couldn’t get past 30%. I decided to DNF this book as I really wasn’t enjoying the story
I loved the prologue but the rest of the book felt very different.
I didn’t like any of the characters, in fact I quite disliked them. They felt one dimensional and there was nothing to make me root for them. Other than Rambo who was adorable but a cute sidekick isn’t enough to carry a 400+ page book.
This book felt as if another person had written it, there was no heart or warmth or whimsy that I’d grown to expect from the author. I thought the best plan was to stop reading rather than force myself to continue with a book and story I really wasn’t loving

In The Lives Of Puppets is a retelling of the story of Pinocchio but it’s also a lot more than that. The story centres around Vic, who is a boy that was created by his android father in his cabin in the middle of the woods, which exists in a post-apocalytic environment. Vic and several robot friends then have to embark on a quest through the fantasy world to try to put right a terrible event that occured.


I thought this story was good without being exceptional. I think TJ Clune’s previous book, The House on the Cerelean Sea, explored the idea of a found family better than this book. I didn’t really connect with the main character, Vic, so found it hard to really care enopugh about the events of hte story because he didn’t feel like a fully fleshed out person. And I felt the story plodded at times. On the positive side, I liked the supporting characters that went along with Vic on his quest and the dialogue between them was often funny and lightened the mood of the story.


I enjoyed reading this book but it wasn’t a classic. It felt like it was a bit too long for the story it was telling, the central character felt a bit underdeveloped and I didn’t have a great deal of enthusiasm to get to the end of the story. But the fact I did go all the way to the end is proof that it was a decent enough read, as I would abandoned it if it was bad. I just wasn’t blown away. Having said that, I think the intended audience for this book is a good deal younger than me, so maybe I’m just the wrong person to read this sort of book.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Publisher for letting me read this. Tj Klune definitely knows how to pull on your heart strings. Each of his books have been nothing but perfection and this was no different. He can do no wrong.

This book broke my heart and put it back together in the way that only TJ Klune can, and the characters are some of the most endearing I've ever met (how can you resist a talking vacuum called Rambo?) Suffice to say, it was a five star read and has leapt up to a spot on my favourites list.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy for review.

Like The House in the Cerulean Sea, this is another highly imaginative book with love (in many forms at its core)

Once again Klune has created a memorable cast of characters from loving Gio, human Victor (nods to Frankenstein) the attention seeking childlike Rambo and the sinister Nurse Ratchet who has to activate an Empathy Protocol/mode. A lot of humour arises from her .

It's an empathetic riff on Pinocchio/Frankenstein with themes of love, responsibility of creators, friendship and courage.

Absolutely loved it. Klune's writing is so nuanced showing compassion one moment, to comedy and tragedy . That's a rare skill, but what stands out most is the warm feelings that he evokes in his writing

Extraordinarily good. Absolutely loved it.

In the Lives of Puppets is a retelling of Pinocchio focused on the importance of found family.

We join three robots who live in the trees - Giovanni (the dad of the family), a sadistic nurse machine (Nurse Ratched) and Rambo - a vacuum. They live with a human - Victor.
They are all safe and happy until HAP, an android, is discovered and then some dark truths start to become revealed.
Giovanni gets kidnapped and then the rest of the family set out on an adventure to bring their family back together.

I'm really divided with how I feel about this book. I loved the relationships between the characters. Nurse Ratched and Rambo were really funny and I could have read a book of just conversation between the two. Unfortunately the plot for me was a bit too predictable and was just missing something. However - it was still a good read.

TJ Klune has such a unique talent for writing books filled with the most lovable characters which makes it impossible not to smile while reading the book! This is a loose retelling of Pinocchio, full of magic, love and friendship that will make any reader feel cosy! Absolutely recommend and I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

I absolutely loved this book! It's so beautifully written and I loved the fairytale aspect of it. This book was just wonderful

In this story we meet some amazing characters, an inventor named Victor, a mysterious android called Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet), an anxiety-riddled Roomba vacuum named Rambo, and a sociopathic nursing machine Nurse Ratched. We follow them as they are trying to save Victors Dad while making lots of friends along the way!
This amazing sci fi experience was a phenomenal and heart working book! As you follow through this story you can picture the world around you so easily in your head and escape from reality. The world building was amazing and wasn’t over the top as it was merged in with the characterisation throughout.
This amazing book gives you all the feels with its amazing writing and character building. If you love a cosy sci-fi this is 100% the book for you
Thank you netgalley for giving me the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou so much for a copy of this E-Arc.

I loved the story from start to finish. Typically there’s always one character that you don’t like as much as the others. However I think every character in The Lives of Puppets brought their own story and characteristics that I loved.

Overall a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

4.5 stars

For me, TJ Klune never misses. His writing is emotive and really brings his characters to life, and he has this amazing ability to inject real humour into his stories, and this book was no exception. I was laughing so much at so many lines throughout this - Rambo and Nurse Ratched are two of my favourite characters ever now; they were both hilarious in their own way and I would honestly die for Rambo.

That being said, I did struggle to root for the romance within this book - I just didn't feel the chemistry necessarily between Victor and Hap, but I did still really love both characters, and I didn't want to leave this world when I finished the book. It's a little strange but in the best way, and I just couldn't get enough. TJ Klune just has a way of making you FEEL deeply, and I think that it is the best thing about his books. You can't help but feel for his characters, and the worlds they live in.

I have to admit that one thing that is bringing my rating down was the scene in 'Heaven' with the Blue Fairy. I just don't see what the need was for a robot brothel to be included in the story? It felt quite jarring, and really discordant with the cosiness that had been present in the book beforehand.

I can't wait to see what the author brings out next, I will of course be reading it as soon as it comes out!

Gio, the General Innovation Operative, is a humanoid android living in the middle of the forest in an expansive treehouse that he's self-built. He has a human son, Victor, whose existence has a mythical quality, he was apparently left with Gio by a couple in trouble. Then there are the robots that Victor has found in the Scrap Yards: Rambo, an anxious and excitable robot vacuum who is obsessed with vintage movie Top Hat; and Nurse Ratched, a medical robot with sociopathic tendencies and a fondness for drilling.

Life is good but then one day they discover another humanoid android in the Scrap Yards. It has residual power in its battery and they decide to take it home to repair and save. They succeed in awakening the robot and christen him Hap for Hysterically Angry Puppet. It soon transpires that Hap's original designation was something drastically different and his discovery is about to change everything and send them on a treacherous journey...

Once again TJ Klune shows us that he is the master of found family stories. Everyone is so well defined and quirky and fit together perfectly. I love Rambo and he had so many great moments! Victor was lovely in his worry for everyone and it's always nice to see asexual representation. He also gave me a lot of autistic vibes reading him and if he was I'm surprised that Nurse Ratched didn't have the necessary diagnostic capabilities.

I did feel that I had to knock off a star for world building and the ending. I just wanted more of both. The ending felt very abrupt and I wanted to know more about how it all became machines and what happened to the humans.

In the Lives of Puppets is filled with a quirky collection of characters: Nurse Ratched and her macabre fascination with all things medical, gentle Rambo who is desperate to love and then Victor who holds the entire group together as one unit.
This reminded me so much of Pinocchio but from a dystopian view point. It was Not my usual reading style at all and made a refreshing and enjoyable change. I will certainly keep an eye out for other books by this author.

I have loved every book I have read by TJ Klune so far and this is no exception! This is a story filled with love, humour and adventure and it all comes together to create a wonderful novel inspired by Pinocchio. Victor knows nothing of the outside world but when he has to leave his home to search for what has been taken he realises just how much was kept from him and the reality of his existence. Accompanied by a vacuum, a nurse and Hap, this is an exciting expedition to save those he loves before it's too late.

The Lives of Puppets is a charming and whimsical retelling of the Pinocchio tale, with a queer twist and a lot of heart. The story follows Victor Lawson, a human boy who lives with his adoptive father Giovanni, a robot inventor, and their quirky family of machines in a hidden home in the forest. When Victor rescues and repairs a mysterious android named Hap, he unwittingly triggers a chain of events that puts their family in danger and reveals secrets from their past. The author creates a fascinating and imaginative world where robots have personalities, emotions, and dreams, and where humans are not always the heroes. The characters are lovable and endearing, each with their own flaws and strengths. The plot is adventurous and emotional, with moments of humor and suspense. The writing is lyrical and witty, with references to classic literature and pop culture. The Lives of Puppets is a delightful and touching story that fans of fairy tales, sci-fi, and family drama will enjoy.

In the Lives of Puppets was a wonderful read. A modern retelling of the tale of Pinocchio, that's heart-warming, lovely and soulful. A book that is filled with pure love, and is about family, friends, and what it means to be a human. A human, with a heart!

A delightful book that's a must-read!

What a wonderful book! I can’t even put into words how this book has made me feel. T J Klune has such a way with words, this is the second book I’ve read by this author and both have left me pretty speechless afterwards. What a way of looking at humanity and the world we live in.
Just go read it!

I started reading this book in January.

It’s now mid-May.

I’m so conflicted and torn. I obviously want to love this book, to cherish it and love forever. But it just didn’t fit.

It didn’t fit perfectly into the space moulded for it in my heart.

The writing felt off, the dialogue slapstick and silly. I didn’t feel any love or connection to the robots and our human, only ever slightly.

This book lacks a spark.