Four stars for this tale of extra terrestrials, high octane action and what it means to be human.
Nate had lost everything, personally and professionally, except for a cabin in the woods. When he returns for the first time in years, he encounters an adult male and a little girl and a gun to his head. So why is Nate about to get everything he wants and needs?
This book is grittier and darker than TJ Klune’s other books so don’t pick it up expecting another House in the Cerulean Sea. The writing brilliant and the author still does what he does really well; found family. I can take or leave storylines about UFOs normally but I really liked how Artemis was like a mirror, reflecting all the nuances of what it means to be human. I was invested in the book by the fantastic characters. Who wouldn’t find themselves becoming fond and protective over Artemis? Or in the changing relationship between Nate and Alex and the changes in themselves as people. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the author’s other books, the sci fi genre and books about found family.

The narration of the good, keeping you engaged with the story. However, it’s a real personal bug bear of mine when male narrators attempt female voices. For me it sounds inauthentic and disengages me from the audiobook. I would really welcome dual narrators going forward.

Thanks for the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange of an honest review.

This book was such a beautifully unexpected mix of heartbreak, hope, and quiet brilliance. The Bones Beneath My Skin gave me serious Stranger Things vibes with its mix of mystery, danger, and an extraordinary little girl with secrets that will steal your heart.

The story starts with Nate, who’s down on his luck and dragging around his personal baggage like it’s an Olympic sport. When he stumbles upon Alex and Artemis (yes, Artemis Darth Vader), the tension builds almost immediately. Why are they hiding? What’s so dangerous about this little girl? TJ Klune lets the mystery unfold slowly, and I was hooked.

Artemis is pure magic. She’s this wonderful mix of childlike innocence and unimaginable power, and the way the adults in her life react to her is so deeply human. Nate’s journey from someone barely surviving to a man willing to risk everything for the people he loves is emotional and raw, and Alex? His quiet strength and loyalty were the glue holding it all together.

The themes of found family and redemption hit me hard, as they always do with TJ Klune’s books. The writing has that perfect mix of heart and humor, with just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

If you love character-driven stories with a touch of sci-fi, complex relationships, and a ton of heart, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a must-read. It’s one of those books that sticks with you long after you finish it, and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.



The narrator of The Bones Beneath My Skin did an incredible job bringing the story to life. Each character had a distinct voice, with Artemis’ innocence and mystery shining through, and Nate’s emotional journey felt raw and authentic. The pacing was perfect, balancing tense moments with heartfelt ones, making the audiobook an engaging and immersive experience

What starts off as a slow come to the boil cup of smooth coffee ups its pace dramatically when the mysterious element takes off.
A story of what it means to be human and all the good and bad that’s go with it.
The narrator brings a warmth to this unusual story. The characters become so distinctive and real the more into the story you get.
A story that keeps you thinking long after you finish listening.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

4⭐️
Okay I love Artemis 🥺 and love her relationships with Alex and Nate (found family arc spot hit). Don’t go in to this expecting whimsical and magical, it’s definitely heavier in it’s themes and I felt like it did take a while for the story to actually get moving - I was a *lil* bored the first 50% but after that it was great. I’ve seen a lot of people saying it gives Stranger Things vibes which I get from the Sci-fi point of view but I could also see similarities between Art and Alex’s relationship and Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us (the ‘babygirl’ quote especially, IYKYK 😭). Also felt like the 1 spicy scene was a bit random but it’s the TJ way.

I love some of Klune's books, but others are a struggle. Unfortunately, this was the former. The story was very slow, and by the time it got going I wasn't very interested in the characters. It's a shame though, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would love it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I really want to like Klune's books more than I do. They are always beautifully written, original and poignant abd yet something doesn't quite connect for me. Really enjoyed the concept here and had a good time reading this. Just not a favourite

The review is going to be the same as I also received the ebook version of this book. This review also includes an opinion about the narrator.

After hearing so many good opinions about this author I thought I'll give it a try. And as much as I love found family tropes, I just didn't feel it here. The characters were not loveable, the pace was so slow my mind was wandering a lot.

In general the narrator was good however when he was voicing Art it was very off putting. This might be the main reason I disliked the book, although to be honest I didn't like Art in general anyway and the voicing didn't help.

I went into this book with high hopes, but it quickly became clear it wasn’t my cup of tea.

I listened to the audiobook, and it honestly felt like a test of patience I hadn’t signed up for.

The story meandered endlessly, with nothing to draw me in or make me care about what was happening.

Not for me, but hey, it might be just your cup of tea; stranger things have happened!

Artemis Darth Vader is EVERYTHING!

Everything I tell you!

This review is going to be so hard to write without spoilers, so I'm going to be vague...and probably a bit gushy!

Nate's life has imploded, so he high tails it off to his parent's cabin to get some perspective. There, he finds a man called Alex and a little girl called Artemis Darth Vader, who have basically broken into his cabin......

This book, this story, was everything. It had everything, a crooked government project, a cult, the hardened protector, small town vibes, found family and love. And Artemis.  Totally loveable Art.

It was weird, it was adorable and it was EVERYTHING (I might have said that before!)

Oh, and I did see mention of Green Creek, woohoo!

Probably my favourite TJ Klune so far. I pretty much loved everything about this story. The only thing that marred it slightly was the graphic sex scene at around 80% through, which I’m learning is almost a signature thing in Klune’s adult fiction. The rest of the story is so heartfelt and gentle that it feels out of place and (imo) a ‘fade to black’ would have fitted the tone of the story better.
Having said that - what a great story. It’s packed with fascinating characters, each with a rich history and distinct personality.
Artemis Darth Vader steals the show, but she has a superb supporting cast.
There’s plenty of action, tension and ALL the feels. You’ll need a box of tissues handy as you get to the end. The audio narration is chock-full of emotion, so maybe read the ebook if you don’t want to turn into quite so much of a melting mess! (You’re still gonna need those tissues.)
💯 recommend, with five stars from me.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan Tor for the chance to read an ARC. The Bones Beneath My Skin publishes on 6 February.

Not my usual genre/themes of book. But I enjoyed this. Klune definitely has a way of writing about characters that make you really care about them, without overloading you with backstory. Everything is just enough.
Will be exploring Kluned back catalogue after this.
Audiobook flowed really well. Overall really enjoyed this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of the audiobook, all opinions are my own.

The story gives a 1990s, "stranger things" vibe - Nate is headed to his parents cabin in the woods to try and work out what to do with his life, but when he gets there he finds Alex and Art squatting there, and neither of them are quite what they seem. It's tense, a little bit spooky and the mystery holds out long enough to be intriguing without being irritating. It is impossible to say much more without giving the story away but this was surprisingly action packed (police chases, guns, helicopters, cults - oh my!) whilst still giving me the soft, big feels and quick witted humour TJ Klune is known for. The romance isn't the primary focus but it is integral to the story and to the characters, and I really enjoyed listening to it develop.

This was a <I>great</I> audiobook. The narrator did a wonderful job of Nate, Alex and especially Art's voice. TJ Klune excels at writing the voices of young children, and the narrator really brought her to life.

I received an audiobook ARC of this from Netgalley and Macmillan for Tor books in exchange for an honest review.

The author mentions in his authors note that the original indie publisher he used called this story "weird." And weird it most definitely is, but in the most wonderful way!

Klune has such a unique ability at writing children. Especially children filled with foibles and quirks that, rather than irritate (although they often irritate one of the main characters at the start), just endear the reader towards them. Art, Artemis Darth Vader, is no different. I adored her and charm before Nate did.

There's also his special trait at writing found families and love in a way that is believable and wonderful to see. I want to find myself accepted and loved by these characters because I love and accept them for who they are. It's a special quality for an author to achieve, especially over so many uniquely different characters.

This story is action packed, and often felt like a rollercoaster. I never knew what to expect next. It was fun, as well as hilariously funny, ditsy and cute, paranormal and human, and as I said, weird in the most wonderful way.

That closing paragraph tore at my heartstrings, not with sorrow but pride. So much pride for these characters and all they achieved together. They will live in my heart for a long time to come.

The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator perfectly captured every character, ever emotion, every reaction better than I could have imagined! I implore everyone to listen to this audiobook for extra charm, humour and immersion into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio for the ARC

Honestly, TJ Klune can do no wrong! I absolutely loved this! The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my most memorable reads of last year and I dare say The Bones Beneath My Skin surpass it! The found family and queer love was as always perfection. It's about friendship, love and being an outsider. I loved every minute I spent on the story and highly, highly, highly recommend it!

"The Bones Beneath My Skin" is a phenomenally great, heartwarming (and heartbreaking) book about the relationship between Nate, Alex, and Artemis Darth Vader. The dynamics between the trio are fantastic from the very beginning, and it was a joy to follow the characters from start to finish.

Although the story might seem a bit far-out, it doesn't feel strange at all when you read it. The story is about love, friendship, belonging, and togetherness, and it was incredibly touching and beautiful to read about everything the characters go through together.

There were several touching scenes, but also scenes that made me chuckle. This book is warm, cozy, sad, and action-packed—all at once. The epilogue made me unbearably happy. I am so incredibly glad I read this book!

The story is beautifully narrated and works very well as an audiobook. Kirt Graves has a very pleasant voice and reads the lines with great expression and well-done voices that are not over the top.

TJ Klune is a master at pulling off high stakes, yet cozy storylines.

Don’t read the summary. Don’t read other reviews if they give you a summary, just know that this is, at its basics, about a quirky young girl, a man who would protect her with his life, and a man who is looking for quiet after a personal tragedy who finds them living in his cabin.

Still reading?
Okay, so Artemis Darth Vader and Alex seem odd. First of all, Art is curious about everything. She asks about everything. She has weird mannerisms. Alex is cold and his answer to everything is to point a gun in your face.

There is more to the plot, but I don’t want to give anything else away. Especially as it takes a good chunk of the book to get to the meat of it.

This still had humour, but less so than Klune’s other books. This was more action-packed and almost like a movie playing out.

I loved Art. Klune is great at writing hopeful characters who see the best in the world despite their circumstances.
Also, she loves bacon. An unhealthy amount.

<b>"I don't... know?"
"Oh. That's okay. You know how to make toast. That's good enough for me."
Nate didn't think he'd ever received such simple validation in his life.
The toast popped up.
</b>
Big red flag for me: a random very intense sec scene. The romance was introduced in the last 100 pages and this sex scene felt so forced in and out of tone for the rest of this book.
I would recommend it to a wide range of readers had it not been for this. I don’t want my gran on my friend’s younger sister reading something quite as graphic as that in a book otherwise so sweet and lighthearted.

The ending was good but didn’t fully satisfy me, but I won’t go into details here!!!
First half was definitely four stars.🌟

Physical Arc gifted by Tor books.

SSDBook

I did not realize until now that the first publication date of The Bones Beneath My Skin was in 2018. After reading few books by T.J. Klune, I've come to the conclusion that they share many similarities. If you like his style, you will find this is a good book. I’m also pleased to see that Klune's writing and twists in stories have improved in his newer works.

Thanks to Macmillan UK Audio and NetGalley for ARC, I have given my honest review.

It goes without saying that I loved this as TJ Klune can do no wrong in my eyes! I’d say this is probably the darkest story of his which I’ve read, but it still has that classic TJ humanity and heart that I adore.

I don’t want to give too much away, because whilst you might guess what’s going on fairly early on in the story, I loved the element of surprise to it all - to begin with I almost thought it was going to be a totally different story and a bit of a murder mystery! What I will say is that it’s quite a slow build up in getting to know our core characters, and the early interactions between Nate, Alex and Artemis were some of my favourite moments in the story - there’s all of that classic TJ humour and a bit of grumpy/sunshine going on with Alex and Art that’s very entertaining! But then after all this slow build up, there’s suddenly all this action and violence that’ll have you blitzing through to see what happens!

As with all of his novels, it’s a story about acceptance, love, kindness and not being afraid of those who are ‘other’. There’s a queer love story and bit of spiciness, but mostly it feels like a story of found family and friendship, and it shares so many important messages about what it is to be human. Whilst it would probably come last in my rankings of his books (purely because it had more of a sci-fi than fantasy feel), I still absolutely adored it and it’s still getting all the five star treatment - make this man president please!!

Thank you macmillan uk audio and netgalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

The Bones Beneath My Skin is a novel apparently taking place in the same universe as the Green Creek series, but instead of being a supernatural fantasy, I think it can be considered more of a scifi book.
In its essence though, it's a story about found family, diversity, discrimination and love in all its forms, like all the author's work.

I was hoping for the narrator to be the same as the Green Creek series and it is in fact the same so if you, like me, enjoyed the Green Creek audiobooks, you will probably enjoy this one too.

Overall the book was good and it has some very nice moments, I do recommend you give it a chance especially if you are a fan of Klune's, but for me it is not as good as some of his other novels, personally I couldn't connect with story and characters the same way.

Story: 3.5/5
Audioobook: 4/5

This will be a very long review—half of it will be me singing endless praises for TJ Klune. So buckle up, and thank you for reading! If you make it to the end, applause to you! 🎉👏

The Bones Beneath My Skin is the latest masterpiece from TJ Klune, releasing on February 4, 2025—mark your calendars! 📅✨ I am in absolute awe.
I’ve been a devoted TJ Klune fan since 2020, the year I rediscovered the joy of reading, and no author has impacted me the way he has. He hasn’t just entered my top three authors—he’s dethroned every other one, and I am not ashamed to say it. 💖

I tandem-read this book using both an ARC and the ALC provided by Pan Macmillan (thank you for making my year!). It was the perfect way to kickstart 2025, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

The story begins with Nate—a man who is jobless, parentless, friendless, and overwhelmingly lonely. Deciding he needs some time to reflect, he heads to his family’s mountain cottage, the only possession he has left aside from his truck. He’s hoping the isolation will help him figure out what to do next.

But life has other plans. When he arrives, he finds a brooding, quiet (and admittedly attractive) man pointing a gun at him... along with a child. This isn’t just any child—she’s precocious, eloquent, and undeniably weird. And in that moment, Nate can’t help but wonder what he did to deserve this mess of a life.

This book is perfection. 🌟

From the unforgettable characters to Klune’s signature writing style and the emotional depth of the plot, everything was pure magic.

🎧 Kirt Graves delivers a performance that’s nothing short of extraordinary. His voice captivated me during the Green Creek series, and once again, it creates the safe, magical space that only the combination of his narration and Klune’s words can achieve.

Klune’s writing is, without question, one of my favorite styles. I don’t typically enjoy third-person narration, but he makes it so personal, sweet, and entertaining that I couldn’t critique it even if I tried.

The plot unfolds beautifully. The fantasy elements emerge gradually, and while you can sense where the magic might lie, you’re never prepared for the emotional bombshell Klune will drop. As always, his writing is infused with reflective, profound, and jaw-dropping dialogues that feel like revelations.

The characters, though—they’re the true heart of this story.

Nate is all of us. He’s confused, messy, and clueless, but also curious, kind, and endearingly human.
Alex starts as the archetypal brooding, quiet MMC. But as the story progresses, Klune masterfully peels back his layers, revealing a man fiercely devoted to protecting those he loves.
Artemis Dark Vader. Oh, Artemis. She’s easily one of the best characters ever written. A 10-year-old girl who is witty, innocent, and curious, but also wise, perceptive, and incredibly powerful.

When this book is finally out in the world, I hope everyone will embrace it as much as I did. This is a masterpiece. 🖤✨ No one can—or ever will—convince me otherwise.