Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

T.J. Klune has become a must-read author for me, so when I saw this older novel had been re-released I was intrigued to read it. The plot and subject matter are fairly different from his other novels but the underpinning ideas of love, found family and acceptance are ever-present. I'd be interested to see where the writing of this fell in relation to Stranger Things, as Artemis has very Eleven vibes, but that doesn't hinder your enjoyment.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for providing me with this book in exchange of an honest review*


I could read TJ Klune's grocery store list and cry my eyes out. He's the master of found family, emotionally wrecked characters that feel 3 dimensional and never fall flat. The world-building is amazing and I couldn't put it down. Artemis Darth Vader reminded me a lot of Lucy from The House in the Cerulean Sea but she, like Lucy managed to capture my heart. If only I could re-read it for the first time!

The Bones Beneath My Skin is only my second read from TJ Klune, with the first being In The Lives of Puppets, so it's safe to say his more sci-fi leaning work is definitely the area which I'm familiar with. This novel though, was truly genre bending, with those classical sci-fi elements being strongly supported by bucketfuls of mystery, tense action, and slower, poignant moments exploring humanity, sexuality, grief and identity.

The characters were three dimensional, nuanced and real, with their relationships unfolding slowly on the page as the found family vibes stitched together in the best way. What's more, the writing was hilarious. I'm a sucker for stories about isolated / otherworldly creatures learning about the everyday nuances and objects of the world (when done right), so the jokes really landed for me here.

All in all, a great reading experience that just fell short of hitting that 5 star high for me, though Artemis Darth Vader will always hold a special place in my heart.

Another 5 star read from TJ Klune. I love that all his books are amazing and can settle down from page one in the knowledge I am going to love this book!
There was so much in this book which was full of emotion but not the usual intense romance narrative as it was more packed with suspense, mystery, supernatural and sci-fi elements. The action scenes with the helicopters was insane. I love Klune's style of writing and loved reading this book from a different genre style. I love watching Nate's opinion of Alex and Artemis change so drastically throughout the story and the bonding between Alex and Nate, and the three of them in their 'found family' trope. I loved the ending and really love it when authors do an epilogue showing whats happened so many years later.

I wanted to love this so much!!!! Absolutely gutted it just didn't hit for me. I have had some 5 star reads with this author but for some reason I just found this a bit slow-paced in places and then really rushed in others.
I liked the relationship build and the premise itself but it was just missing something for me.

We join Nate who has gone through a rough time and he seeks some escapism in his family's cabin. However the cabin isn't empty on his arrival. He meets a man called Alex and a little girl called Artemis Darth Vader. There's more to the little girl and other people know this and are looking for her.

It won't put me off picking up the author's next release!

A heart pounding thriller from TJ Clune. Unlike his previous works, this gritty, fast-paced sci-fi will have you laughing, blushing, crying and biting your nails. A masterful blend of sweet and suspense, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a great read!

A word of caution: this book is graphic! There are very detailed, maybe even gruesome depictions of gun violence, domestic violence, torture of people of a tender age, and institutional malfeasance by the government and of people in power. Proceed at your own risk

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC!

TJ Klune will always warm my soul with his books. Such a beautiful blend of the fantastic and reality. Just a high recommendation for anyone needing to have their heart touched deeply and their mind set free

Absolutely loved this book, which gripped me from the very first page to the last. I completely fell in love with the characters and adored the slowburn queer romance. TJ Klune is a master.

This was another hit from Klune. Alex was everything you wanted throughout the story. i was swept away with this one as usual and adored every moment.

This was such an enjoyable story! It was very strange, to say the least, but I feel that in itself was the charm of this book. The characters were likable, and the setting was interesting and immersive. From the very beginning I was compelled to keep on reading, and at a certain point the pages were just flying through my fingers! Definitely a book I can recommend.

Another wonderful book by TJ Klune. Nate,in an attempt to sort out his life , goes to the remote cabin which he has inherited from his estranged parents where he meets an extraordinary little girl and a man named Alex who are hiding in the cabin. However everything is not as it seems and we are taken on a rollercoaster ride of a journey across America as secrets and stories are discovered as the group tries to escape from those who are tracking them down No more spoilers! This genre of science fiction is not my usual read but the compassion and love that TJ Klune writes into his books had me hooked. I will remember Artemis Darth Vader and her quirky view on humanity and the world we live in for a long time. . Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Fans of Stranger Things and E.T.- style alien movies will get lost in this adventure novel about the family we choose and the wonders of being different.

It follows Nate, a recently-fired and lonely journalist with nowhere to go but his family’s cabin. When he gets there and finds he’s not alone - a strange little girl and her bodyguard are hiding there, armed and on the run - he’s swept up into an action-packed quest involving telekinesis, bacon-loving aliens, threatening servicemen and a grumpy soldier he has a soft spot for.

Told with the author’s signature sweetness and awe at the brilliance of human companionship, it draws you into the characters’ lives and gives you a front seat as they learn to trust each other. It switches between brutal, funny and gentle scenes, combining a whole ton of different genres, which can be jarring at times but fits the overall pace and plot line well.

I think my expectations were set unfairly high for this book as I’ve only read (and LOVED) the author’s more recent work, and this was written back in 2017, so if I enjoyed it a little less, that might just be because the author has honed his style since. Still, I’m so pleased T. J. Klune had a chance to publish this as he originally hoped - complete with all the ‘weirdness’ the world previously tried to cut or change. The result is a whole lot of action and tenderness, an authentic voice and memorable characters.

Few authors can write found family stories like TJ Klune can. Very few.

And that's essentially what this is. It´s the story about how a man with no direction in life, a gruff ex marine and a wonderful little girl (who may not be a little girl) end up becoming family.

The first few chapters before Nate meets Art and Alex are a little slow, but after that there's humor and bacon, western books and space princesses, blooming flowers and exploding helicopters. And it's so so wholesome. I love Art so very much.

I maybe could have gone without the whole cult situation but other than that it was all epic and awesome.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and TJ Klune for the advanced copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
In true TJ Klune fashion, this is another sci fi/fantasy masterpiece full of imagination-stretching topics and adventure. From the first to the last page, the action doesn’t let up, and the story was perfectly paced to keep my interest throughout.
I’m a character reader and what I appreciate about Klune’s writing is that the characters are usually richly fleshed out and described, and really come to life on the page. Their emotions are compelling and suck you in, and I found myself tearing up at the climactic ending.
Queer fiction is so important, but finding LGBTQIA fiction that isn’t full of the same tired tropes being trooped out over and over is almost impossible. Thankfully this book isn’t one of them and it was a joy to read something fresh and different. Yes, it was a romance, yes it was enemies-to-lovers, but it wasn’t tropey or cliched.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Moods: adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, funny, hopeful, mysterious, sad, tense
Tropes: enemies/friends to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, loveable rogue, widow/widower
Pace: medium-fast
Character development: strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Spice: 4/5
Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Grief, Guns/weapons, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, PTSD, Sexual content, Torture, Violence
Rating: 4.5/5

It was a very beautiful book. We return to the reflections on what it means to be human, love and family, but now from a perspective that is more science fiction than fantasy.
I really enjoyed the setting of the book, the reflections on feelings and of course, as always, the trope of the found family that this author's books always bring us. Heartwarming and sweet.

If you ever want to know how to write with heart, how to make readers really feel emotions and a lesson in expert storytelling then read any book by TJ Klune, he is my go to author for wanting to feel hope, love and family in its best and truest forms.

The Bones Beneath My Skin is another fantastic and beautiful story from the master craftsman of spinning yarns. Yes I am completely biased and a thoroughly besotted fangirl. I think this might be his best yet, but then I think I say that with each new book he publishes and I hope to the universe that I never stop saying it.

Nate and Alex I absolutely loved the bones of them, but for me Art thoroughly stole the show. Art is such a wonderful little girl, quirky, unique, quick witted, she just stole every page she was on. This story is full of scifi, fantasy, mystery and intrigue but most of all found family and choosing to love.

5 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The fun thing about TJ Klune books is that you never know how they will break your heart - just that they will. Don't worry, though, also in true Klune fashion, hearts get broken and mended in this story and I for one feel wholly like I went through a cathartic experience. The outset of this novel is tragic and painful - being left something in your parents' will when you know that they did not agree with you being queer yet also being so devastated by life and all its horrors that you do end up going to that cabin is one thing - finding the love of your life there in the strangest meet-cute of all time is quite another.
I recommend going into this without knowing the synopsis because it certainly adds a bit more magic to the story. And I promise you, the happy ending is worth all the pain, confusion and working through trauma that Klune does so exceptionally well.

3.5 rounded down. This didn't grab me the way the other books I've read by TJ Klune have. There is a heartfelt story about love and family and lost but the other books have made me cry. This didn't. I spent a good portion of the book not liking the characters which is a real shame.

This is a great bridge between the vintage Klune of Bear Otter and The Kid and the modern Klune of Whispering Door and Puppets.

Acting as a bridge there’s the flippancy and camp, but also some of his later trademark darker moments as the bond between the main characters.

Funny where it needs to be, poignant in others this little road trip is a treat to keep us going till more new Klune. And the cover redesign is excellent.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

T.J. Klune’s The Bones Beneath My Skin is a beautifully crafted blend of science fiction and heartfelt storytelling. At its core, it’s a story about love, found family, and acceptance. I wouldn’t say it is his best work but definitely better than Somewhere Beyond the Sea. So, worth a one time read definitely.