'If above all else, be brave'

Back with all his charm, TJ Klune has a special charm at writing wholesome and humourous characters that make your heart glow and your face smile. In The Lives Of Puppets at its heart, is an exploration of AI, humanity, found family, or better described, assembled family. The way grief was explored was so raw and gutwrenching that it brought a tear to my eye, one of the best depictions I've experienced so far.

Nurse Rachet has got to be my favourite character, her wit and sarcasm bounce perfectly against Rambos innocent and youthful nature. This group celebrates their weird, quirky selves. Allowing Vic, and later HAP, to fully explore who they are, it was wonderful to see some authentic gay ace representation.
This book as a whole was a pleasure to read and can't wait to have a copy, or two, on my bookshelves.

This is a very twisty tale that is loosely based on the story of Pinocchio and there are some clever ideas which pays tribute to the inspiration. However this book disappointed me if I'm being honest.

The premise is good as the ‘heart’ of it examines what being human and humanity means. Love and friendship are also central themes. At times it is very funny, the source of it is usually the androids and there is some excellent banter. The dynamics between this disparate group are really intriguing and they are strangely endearing especially Rambo! There are some vivid descriptions which brings some fantastical, weird scenes alive with a smidgen of the macabre from time to time which is definitely in keeping with the original story.

Although I do admire what TJ Klune has done here, somehow it doesn’t hook me in as his other books do. It’s too long, the plot is distinctly on the thin side and there’s way too much dialogue for my taste. From time to time some of Nurse Ratched’s references make me cringe, I’m sure that’s the authors intention! The ending is a bit of a let down too.

Overall, yes, it’s an original, creative, clever story which many other readers rightly love but I don’t fully connect with it.

In the Lives of Puppets is a wonderful, imaginative fantasy novel. It starts off in the middle of a forest, where the main characters live in an amazing series of tree houses, linked with rope bridges. The novel itself references Swiss Family Robinson as the inspiration, and it just feels idyllic. Nearby are the much scarier scrap heaps, huge piles of junk regularly added to by massive and threatening cranes, the Old Ones. Vic and his robot friends scour them for parts and interesting curiosities, despite the myriad dangers.
That's where they find Hap, a badly damaged android, and the initial driver behind much of the novel's action. As soon as Hap joins this group, this family, it becomes clear that there are a lot of mysteries and secrets that need to be explored. Some of these surround Hap himself, an android with no memory of who he is or where he came from, but we soon see that Gio, Vic's father and the oldest android in the group, has secrets of his own. Some are revealed during, and in the aftermath, of a dramatic confrontation, and then the remaining robots and Vic go on a road trip/adventure to find Gio and more answers.

One of the core strengths of In the Lives of Puppets is the way the characters are presented. I absolutely adore Rambo, the cheerful optimistic vacuum, and Nurse Ratched, the murderously sociopathic nurse robot. Their interactions with each other and with the other characters of the novel are hilarious and brilliant. Nurse Ratched switching her empathy mode on and off is a truly delightful touch and I lived for her flirting throughout the book with anyone and everyone. The humour is a very strong element, particularly through these two, and they're just absolutely delightful. Running gags like what the nurse did to the squirrel really just add to their charm. (Don't worry, animal lovers, it went to a farm where it will live forever.)

Hap is a much harder character to get to know and love, perhaps deliberately. So much of his past is obscured for much of the novel, and when it is revealed, it's not exactly endearing. But I loved watching his relationship with Vic develop and grow through the course of the story.

Vic himself, the heart of the novel in many ways, is a very endearing character. He's not perfect, but he tries his best to overcome the trials he faces, and I do love that he's allowed to lean on his friends for help and support rather than needing to go it alone. There's a strong sense of family here, with Vic in the centre of it all.

There's also some interesting philosophical thinking in this novel. It's layered in subtly amidst the adventure and excitement, but there's a lot in there about the nature of humanity, which is all the more fascinating given the relative lack of humanity in the setting. There's also debate and pondering about forgiveness, and acceptance, and who can actually forgive, that I found really thought provoking. As well as that, the book deals with responsibility and consequences, freedom and conformity. As I said, it's a nice, light touch, never dragging the flow of the story, but like all the best science fiction novels it asks us some big questions, and nudges us towards some possible answers without too much hand-holding.

It's also great to see some asexual representation, and although Victor's bodily functions are often used as the subject of jokes, I felt it was ultimately done respectfully and done well.

The adventure itself is exciting! A small group head off into the unknown, and along the way they discover some very peculiar places and some most curious people. There are threats and unexpected help, and it's often hard to tell one from the other, as everyone they come across has their own complex needs and agenda, making them feel very real and solid, even the non-corporeal characters! There's danger, there's bravery and ultimately there's sacrifice, all the ingredients of a fantastic quest!

I absolutely loved the references to our world too. From the Top Hat film nights, that have the robots singing "Heaven" as they travel, to a load of jazz songs I've since been listening, they give it a soundtrack all of its own that really helps to set the mood of the story. And the image of a bunch of futuristic androids standing around listening to Miles Davis is just wonderful.

There's emotion too. Beneath the humorous sidekicks, the philosophising androids and the daring quest, this is a story with a lot of heart. And because most of the characters are machines it questions the nature of feelings and emotions a lot, as well as exploring them tenderly and powerfully.

In the Lives of Puppets is a gorgeous story, and a lot of fun!

You know when you start reading a book and you just KNOW you’re going to love it? That was this book. Five pages in, and I completely adored it.

I am very late in picking up a T J Klune book, but he’s been someone on my radar for a long time. When I saw In the Lives of Puppets advertised on NetGalley, I thought it would be the perfect in for me.

In the Lives of Puppets, is a retelling of Pinocchio, that follows our main character Vic who lives in the forest with his inventor father Giovanni, a sadistic robotic nurse, and an anxious vacuum cleaner. Vic spends his days dangerously searching through the scrapyards for parts that he can use in inventing, when he comes across a badly damaged android. Vic feels that he’s doing the right thing in repairing the android, but will it put his family in danger?

There’s something about T J Klune’s writing that makes it feel almost hypnotic and familiar, as if reading something written for a friend. I really found myself engaging with his writing style and his descriptions are vivid and colourful. However, where the real beauty lies, is with the characters; well developed and often very humorous, you can’t help but fall in love with them all. The relationships in the book are endearing and believable, despite some of the characters involved being robots! It’s hard to describe what hold they have on the reader, even long after you’ve finished the book.

The writing is exceptionally clever and nuanced, and I imagine finding a lot of new things on a reread that might have been overlooked on a first one.

This was definitely well on its way to being a five-star read, but there was a change in location towards the last third of the book, and it just didn’t capture me in the same way as the rest of the novel had. Don’t get me wrong, it is essential for the retelling so I understand the motivation, but it just wasn’t quite as magical as the rest of the novel and I felt myself slowing down on my urgency to read. I just think it was a tad too long…hence the four stars.

However, I am a tough critic, so a four star from me is a definite recommended read. A novel full of warm, love and hope. A really charming read which has made me desperate to pick up another Klune book.

n the Lives of Puppets feels like a fantasy sci-fi novel that attempts to breach a gap between cosy and high stakes. We have a lot of ‘cosy’ things: found family, humour, friendships that take centre stage throughout the story, wholesome conversations. We also have darker themes surrounding death, grief, forgiveness, and the stakes that come alongside a quest to bring one of the pack home.

Overall, I liked this book. TJ Klune’s writing is undeniably enjoyable to read, and it’s very easy to picture both the plot and the descriptions. His characters are likeable, and the pacing is good. The story in itself is fairly predictable but always kept me interested enough to keep picking it up.

I liked that it was a Pinocchio retelling but didn’t match the original story beat for beat either. I particularly enjoy futuristic settings where robots are no longer serving humans, and seeing where the author’s imagination takes the ideas of AI and human rights. Here, I would have wished for more, maybe a robot sort of third POV throughout the story.

That said, I did find the characters a bit corny at times, or rather a bit cartoonish. A lot of their conversations are heart-warming, but unrealistic. I don’t think anyone in real life speaks as the characters in this book do, which would be fine if that was the point, but I feel like Klune was actually trying his hardest to make them as lifelike as possible.

I enjoyed getting to know Victor, Nurse Ratched and Rambo in the first half of the book. Even Hap was likeable despite being the asshole of the group, and a lot of their interactions felt like peak cosy fantasy to me. It was cute at first, but did get repetitive and a little cringeworthy after a while. Also, I didn’t particularly like the romance, which felt like an afterthought, and needed some extra editing care imo. Why them, why now, why not more info??

In my opinion, the first 50% were definitely the strongest. I actually would have preferred for this book to be a bit longer so we could have delved into some of the themes a bit deeper (as well as many of the feelings mentioned throughout but not always explored that well). I would have loved to read more after the events of the book, and although this isn’t a new favourite of mine, I would recommend it to Klune fans and pick up the sequel should there be one.

It's very interesting how different this is from Cerulean Sea, and really useful for me to have that context to be able to show that to our customers and find the right audience for it.

An unusual and imaginative story full of cute and funny characters and lots of emotion. I really felt immersed in the reading experience, and loved the descriptions of the house in the trees and the world building.

While it took a little while to warm up, by the end of In the Lives of Puppets I was sobbing. The moral ambiguity of some characters led to a really interesting reading experience and by the end of the book I thought Klune's nuanced exploration of morality and forgiveness and familial love were masterful. Is choosing to love enough, can we forgive on behalf of those who came before us? Interesting questions were raised and I really appreciated how they were explored and developed.
I also appreciated the asexual representation we were given, though I was somewhat uneasy with how those closest to Vic would make jokes or remarks that made him uncomfortable. This seemed out of character for Klune, who's books tend to radiate kindness, but is really just a personal note, I respect and acknowledge that he can write about his own identity however he pleases!
I loved the romance at the heart of the book, it was respectful, layered and sweet without lacking depth.

Overall, I enjoyed In the Lives of Puppets. I felt such a range of emotions, I wept, I chuckled, I gasped. Despite a beginning that seemed to lack a little of TJ Klune's signature charm, I ended up feeling very grateful to have read this clever, engaging novel.

* I was sent this for review by the publisher on NetGalley, but I am a big fan of TJ's other work and so I was very excited about this! *

This story is a queer retelling and reimagining of a Pinocchio-themed story. The book is a cosy one, with lots of innuendo thrown in, and if you've read other TJ titles then I suspect you will enjoy this one too. We have a variety of fun characters including Nurse Ratched (a robot who wants to do all kinds of bad things to you to 'fix' you), Rambo (a small vacuum who is filled with anxious thoughts and doesn't quite know what to do with himself), Victor (our main character and a human..., also an inventor), and HAP (a new unknown quantity).

The story is carefully unfolded over the course of Victor's adventures in the scrapyards and his 'father's inventions and clues to the outside world. Victor and his father live a very, very isolated life and their only companions are robots which they have put back together to help them survive and keep them company. The rest of the world is an unknown to Victor, but he has a happy life generally and he's not upset at not knowing more.

One day something goes wrong in the scrapyards and they have major problems to face. Victor's got to decide who he can trust and what he should do, and do a lot of growing up fast. With the help of his 'friends' he journeys far, and learns a lot, and I liked seeing him develop as a character who is put into peril and has to sink or swim.

This book asks a lot of questions about AI, robots, tech and humanity. It questions a lot of friendships and the basis and reality of friends and perception. I liked the questions and although I think the opening was a little slower and longer for me to get into than some of TJs other books, the 30% onwards mark really picked up fast and I really found myself loving being in TJ's new world.

This is quite different to the actual Pinnochio story, but certainly has elements woven through. You don't need to know anything about the original to enjoy this, but maybe knowing it will allow you to appreciate the turns and twists that TJ takes here.

Overall a lot of fun and a story I enjoyed being part of :) 4*s

In the Lives of Puppets

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots a 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. Until HAP enters their lives, and everything changes forever.

Aside from the fact that pinocchio is my favourite Disney film. This book is just AMAZING. T J Klune has done it again. I laughed. I cried and had my heart broken and filled again. This was just another excellent whimsical fantasy with amazing world building and such loveable characters.
Nurse Ratched is my absolute favourite. I am so sad to have finished. This will be in my Top 10 for the year.

(I would also highly recommend the audiobook as I was late getting to my arc. I was able to listen alongside the book it is beautifully read and gives so much more to the story and characters).

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillian, and T J Klune for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune strikes again and you need to trust the process.

Any fan of Klune knows that characters are his specialty and this book is no exception, yet again creating characters that you can't help but fall in love and want to spend time with. On this occasion Rambo melted me. The neurotic cleaning robot gave me all the giggles and all the feels.
Klune is a master of the found family trope and I think this lands for me again, humour is well placed and the characteristics of the robots are all so individual and well thought out to create a loveable, dysfunctional group.
My only hesitation is that I do feel like it took me a good few chapters to fall into place so trust the process.
I have a strong interest in AI and Sci-fi settings but this theme may not suit all, it doesn't have the same 'cosy' feeling as his other more recent books but it does have the stand out characteristics of the writer iv come to adore. It defiantly feels more futuristic and pensive.

I don't think there will be any plot twists or turns that any reader isn't expecting but the world building is stunning and if you like a deeper more reflective writing style then there will be more than enough to keep you turning pages.

A massive thank you for providing me with an eArc to enjoy one of my favourite authors.

Pinocchio with robots! But with a twist – the father is an android and the boy is human.

Giovanni is a robotic man with a mysterious past. He lives in the middle of a forest in a house he has built from scrap, and there he has raised a son – Victor. Victor fills his days exploring a nearby scrap heap with his robot pals, but one day he discovers something that will transform all of their lives forever.

This is a very sweet story, and its heart is definitely in the right place – but on the whole it didn’t work for me.

The good stuff first… The book is full of compelling imagery. From the forest tree house, to the vast mechanical whale, and the electric city of robots, the visuals will stick in your mind. It also has lovely things to say about chosen families, love and friendship.

But now the stuff that was less successful… It’s a very talky book, with a tendency to have the characters lecture on love and kindness, rather than just showing it through their actions. I also found Victor’s robot sidekicks really grating. There’s an anxious sentient hoover, and a sociopathic nurse robot with a heart of gold, and they’re both very one note. They’re present throughout the story, and I feel like the characters would have been more effective if used more sparingly. The romance also left me cold. Maybe I’m just made of stone.

The story is quite simple, and I feel like this could have been more impactful by being half the length. I can see it working better as a movie adaptation, which condenses the plot down to 2 hours.

I’m sure lots of readers will adore this, but it’s not for me.

Thanks to @NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

T J Klune has an incredible ability to create characters you cannot help but fall in love with, and his stories of found family, love and loyalty are very emotive.

In his latest release which takes inspiration from Pinocchio, there were many laugh out loud moments, but I didn’t have quite the same emotional connection to the characters or plot as in the previous two books I have read by the same author.

There were some beautiful lines and I enjoyed the story as whole but felt the pacing was a little off in places. The middle section of the book didn’t quite grab me as much as the first section and I found my attention wandering a little.

This is still a great book but not quite on the level of The House in the Cerulean Sea of Under the Whispering Door in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this book to read in exchange for a fair and frank review.

I feel bad for the author because this just was too farfetched for me. I understand it was a fantasy book but still did not have any elements that held my attention. I have read Klune's previous works and enjoyed them but I think this one just hit the mark.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC of In The Lives of Puppets for an honest review.

The story follows Victor Lawson a human who lives in a strange little home built into the branches with his inventor and Android father Giovanni Lawson, Nurse Ratched a pleasant yet sadistic nurse machine and Rambo a hoover with insecurities looking for love and attention.

One day Vic salvages and repairs an android labelled HAP this opens up a dark history shared between Gio and HAP relating to the Humans.

After HAP accidentally alerts other androids to their whereabouts the family are no longer hidden. Gio is captured and taken back to his former laboratory in the City of Electric dreams.

The rest of the family together decide to journey across the forest to rescue Gio and salvage their home.

I really enjoyed this story it was very different from my usual read and was very much in the science fiction drama. The description pens it as a Pinocchio retelling of sorts and while I see aspects of that I would say the rest of the story is very much its own work. Even with shades of The Wizard of Oz I would say following their journey to the City of Electric Dreams.

I loved the dynamic between Victor, Nurse Ratched and Rambo we then added HAP to mix and that just made the dynamic even better.

I also very much enjoyed the messages this story conveyed with teaching about love that isn't unconditional and the important message of family and treasuring the time that you have together.

Definitely worth a read if you are interested in the Sci-fi/fantasy genre and I will definitely by reading more of TJ Klune's books following this one.

Where Klune shines best are his characters and this book is no exception to his track record. I requested this book because I really enjoyed 'The House in the Cerulean Sea'. Sometimes it veered a little too twee for me, but it was a solid, heart-warming book.

This novel brings together some aspects of familiar fairytales - Pinocchio, the Wizard of Oz, some Frankenstein, and yeah, I see Wall-E in it too. Victor is rescued by Gio as a baby and raised in the peaceful woods - and it soon becomes apparent that Victor is the only human in this story, living alongside a cast of robots. When trouble comes to their woods and Gio is taken, Victor has to embark on a journey to save him.

It's a heart-warming/breaking story about family and self-determination, with Klune's typical dose of humour. Arguably there are some pacing issues (Victor's journey seems to take an awful long time) and the humour doesn't always land for me. I find it hard to criticise Klune's books though... they're just so nice and innocent, like little puppies dressed in bows, on their best behaviour and looking to you for approval. It's really hard to dislike them.

Three stars and a scritch behind the ears.

In The Lives Of Puppets is a weird novel, but one that caught me regardless. It's like a strange cross between Pinocchio and the Wizard of Oz. Except instead of a puppet, you have Victor, a real boy raised by a puppet or a decommissioned android that he restores from the scrap heap. And instead of a Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion, you have the sociopathic nurse Ratched (Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill), the anxious puddle of a sentient vacuum cleaner Rambo and an asshole android HAP (Hysterically Angry Puppet).

I really enjoyed the opening of this novel. The humour absolutely caught my funny bone and I quickly fell in love with the weird, wacky and idiosyncratic characters. The dialogue between Nurse Rachet and Rambo was hilarious, the characters are vivid and leap off the page and the setting is vividly imagined. I did lose interest somewhat after Victor's father Gio is captured by androids and dragged off to the City of Electric Dreams, I admit. Journeys are often tedious in novels and this straddled the line. However the wonderful characters kept me engaged and events really take off once Victor finds his way to the city.

The weakness of this novel is undeniably the plot. It's thin on the ground, reliant on the characters not having all the information and spending a long time travelling. Where it excels however is in the found family, the characterisations and the world building. If you read this solely for the plot, you will likely be disappointed. But the plot pales in significance most of the time as you are enamoured with the characters.

This is a poignant, heart-felt novel that is also hilariously funny and great fun. I've never come across the author before, but I'll certainly be looking for more of their work.

I can’t explain why but I just love TJ Klune’s style of writing and storytelling. This is the second book I’ve read written by this author and I have the next book ready and waiting.
The story is about the only human left in a world run by machines. It’s a sometimes scary but sweet account of the relationship between the main characters and basically the love, affection and respect they share for each other.
When their lives are turned upside down it shows the lengths “family” will go to to save one of their own.
Yet again I totally loved the book from beginning to end despite this being a genre I don’t normally read.
I have one tiny criticism. Why do the chapters have to be so long? Even with a brilliant storyline I always struggle to keep my eyes open when reading late at night but refuse to put a book down mid-chapter. This book really tested my efforts to keep my lids from closing. BTW I am only joking. Small price to pay for such an amazing read.

A queer retelling of Pinnochio with a lot of heart ❤️ . I enjoyed this story of Vic and his robot family and their journey to save one of their own. The side characters were colourful and interesting and the trope of found family is one of my favourites.