This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I’ve read a few of T. J. Klunes previous books, and while I really enjoyed some (Cerulean series), others I just didn’t get on with, and I’m afraid this one falls into the latter category. I wasn’t a fan of Nate. I found it hard to want to pick this book up because his character just really grated on me. Alex and Art were much the same as well, which is a pity because I did want to enjoy this book! I’m sure die hard Klune fans will enjoy it, but it missed the mark for me!

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of TJ Klune, I'm always super excited to see what he writes next, and The Bones Of My Skin didn't disappoint at all.
No one writes cosy, often high stakes fantasy like him, which have the found family trope in abundance.
I don't read a ton of Sci fi, and this is very different to a lot of TJ's books. It's definitely more action-packed and often reads like a movie, but it's just as gorgeous as the others.
Artemis will be a character I think about for a long time. Along with Nate and Alex.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot as I recommend going in completely blind and just trusting the process, but I love when an author takes flawed characters and explores humanity, love and acceptance through them and this is the case here.
Although The Bones Beneath My Skin felt quite dark in some places, it also has so much warmth and heart.
I'm honestly in awe of TJ's imagination and the worlds he creates and will forever read whatever he writes.

Hardback bought by myself but ebook previously provided by NetGalley. Thank you.

Nate has lost his parents in a murder/suicide. Not that he's had much to do with them since they basically disowned him for being gay. Now he's also lost his job so he decides to use his only inheritance from his parents - his dad's truck and their holiday cabin in the mountains - and get away for a while.

When he gets there however he finds the cabin occupied by a giant hulking army guy and a little girl around 9 years old. Alex, who prefers to shoot first and ask questions later, and Artemis Darth Vader, who is not quite normal, however she is obsessed with western novels and bacon.

Yet another stunning novel by TJ. Tightly plotted with characters that are so easy to love and to root for and yet another brilliant example of found family! This was so visually written I can imagine being a fantastic movie, hey Hollywood can you get on that?

I really loved this book. As always with TJ Klune it was the characters that really drew me into this book and I loved the dynamic between the 3 leads and how it developed throughout. As they grew to love each other more I was loving their relationships more and more. I found myself laughing and crying at various points as Art was navigating her way through the world. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
I wasn’t too sure about this book until I finished it - I found the pacing initially to be quite slow, and was a bit frustrated with how long the so-called mystery was dragged out. I say so-called as I thought it was fairly obvious - so obvious in fact that I’m not sure it was ever meant to be a mystery, and therefore the prolonged “what’s going on here” line of questioning was even more frustrating.
That said, as the plot and more importantly the characters develop and grow with each other, the more invested I became. The themes of found family are strong and will appeal to a lot of people.

Nate is a journalist who has become estranged from his family. he inherits a truck and a hut in the woods- the hut where he used to vacation with his family when he was young.

He thinks he's getting away from everything and all his problems when he heads off to the hut. However when he arrives he finds he is not alone...

Enter darkly mysterious Alex who has a gun and a young girl. in his company. She says her name is Artemis Darth Vader. He says very little.

Nate wants to escape from this dangerous situation , but then also thinks it's their "responsibility" to go. or should he turn them in? A night leads into a day and then Nate finds himself more involved with this odd pairing.

Eventually he finds out what their past is. By then it's too late for him to disentangle himself from developing bonds.

This is darker than most of Kune's writing that I have read. There are comedy elements in what Artemis Darth Vader says, but it doesn't have the "cosy" comedy feel of the House in The Cerulean sea and Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

It asks important questions about loyalty, fatherhood and what it means to be human.

As an enormous TJ Klune fan, I was apprehensive before reading this, just in case it didn't meet my ridiculously high expectations.
It didn't. It exceeded them.

What a wonderful homage to the 90's, to found family, to being different, to being brave and above all, to love, in all its forms. TJ took a subject that I would never normally read about, and wrote a book that I simply couldn't put down.

Huge thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

Thank you Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, Black Crow and TJ Klune for this fantastic reading experience and for the ARC copy!

Set in 1995, we meet Nate who inherits his parents' cabin and their truck when they died, and after losing his job he decides to retreat to the cabin to "find himself"/sort his life how. But when he arrives, the cabin is not empty! There he meets Alex and a girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. They’re on the run. From who or what? That’s the mystery.

This was such a enjoyable read and it feels like a perfect 1990s/early 200s sci-fi. It captured my full attention and brought me off the dredges of a massive reading slump. I confess I wasn't even fully aware of what this book was about before I started, but I always say yes to a TJ Klune book. This is a perfect found family book !

To be completely honest, I started this book with absolutely no idea what it was about. I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was knowing who the author was. A new TJ Klune book? Yes, please!

Nate is a journalist who, after the death of his parents and a work-related scandal, retreats to his childhood summer home, hidden deep in the mountains and forests. But instead of the solitude he craves, he finds intruders—an intensely curious little girl with an unusual name and a skeptical, battle-scarred soldier. They’re on the run. From who or what? That’s the mystery. Nate’s first instinct is to flee, but something keeps him rooted in place. Calling the police doesn’t feel right either. Despite being trespassers, Art and Alex intrigue him, and a fragile trust quickly begins to form. But why are they really there? What are they running from? And seriously—who on earth names their child Artemis Darth Vader?

Oh, how I loved reading this book! The characters, the humor, the deep bond of love and loyalty between them—it was impossible to put down. As the story progressed, I found myself completely hooked, until I reached the climax and had no choice but to devour the rest in one sitting. I haven’t read much about aliens recently, so this book was an especially delightful surprise. Yes, I’ll admit that the ending leaned a bit too heavily into classic American sci-fi tropes—cults, secret military operatives, destruction, helicopters, the whole works—but overall, it didn’t take away from the experience. This is a sci-fi novel, after all, where anything is possible. Klune’s imagination knows no bounds, and if you’re a fan of his writing style, you’ll welcome it with open arms.

The heart of this book, its biggest strength, is the dynamic between the three main characters. Their interactions are pure joy to read. The cinematic storytelling keeps you completely engaged—there’s never a dull moment. Drama, action, love, heartbreak—it’s all there. I also found the author’s afterword fascinating, where he shared how this book was initially rejected by his first publisher for being “too weird” and having “not enough sex.” Of course, every reader has their own preferences, and not every book is for everyone. But let’s be clear—while the novel is brimming with emotions so palpable you can almost touch them (thankfully leading to a well-earned resolution), this isn’t a smutty romance. It’s a love story between souls. And I absolutely recommend it! 😊

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, for this fantastic reading experience and for the ARC copy!

Review in Estonian: https://brixieblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/20/the-bones-beneath-my-skin-tj-klune/

Set in 1995, we meet Nate who inherits his parents' cabin and their truck when they died, but when he arrives he meets Alex and a girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. She is special and though Nate is worried about their plans, he falls in love with them both and wants to help, despite not knowing who they really are and what they plan to do.

As all Klune novels, this is all about acceptance and love. We can't choose our blood family, and Nate has his fair share of trauma caused by his parents and his abandonment by his brother, but we can choose who we love and this is "found family" at its purest.

Loved it ❤️

I initially started this as an audiobook, but I had to switch to an ebook at around 20%. This was mainly because I felt like I couldn’t connect with the narrator’s voices and the 45 minute chapters felt more like a chore to complete, even listening to them on 2x speed. I started to like it more after the 40% mark, but I feel like the beginning section could’ve been a bit shorter. My favourite part was in the middle where the action scenes felt like something from a movie. The ending seemed quite cliché and too easy for me. I also didn’t feel like I had that much connection to Alex and Art throughout the story so I was a bit surprised that I got a bit emotional near the end of the book

Overall, I think this book is 3.5 stars for me. As much as I enjoyed the middle part between 50% and 85%, I don’t think it’s enough to balance out how I struggled through the first 50%. That being said, this was the first book I have read by T.J. Klune and I’m looking forward to reading more by him in the future.

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an audio arc. My review is left voluntarily and all thoughts expressed are my own.

Absolutely loved reading this novel, I got hooked straight away. I was so intrigued by Artemis Darth Vader and Alex, their interactions were different to say the least. I loved how Nate became entangled with all and all three characters were great bouncing off each other. They were created with a realism and I loved how they developed. The storyline itself I found fascinating, I was eager to find out what was going on, I had all sorts of wild reasons floating around. The writing was captivating, the descriptions made me feel like I was there with the characters... This novel would be fantastic made into a movie or a mini series. I just loved everything about it.
I also went out and bought the hardback version which has stunning sprayed edges.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune in exchange for an honest review.

This is a re-release of one of TJ Klune's earlier books, one that I had not read before. Told in TJ Klune's now familiar writing style, we follow a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader, her protector Alex and Nate who accidentally becomes their friend. This is a book about love, friendship, grief and loss but ultimately found family, family that can be found in the most unlikeliest of circumstances. It is packed with action, humour and drama- but don't forget the bacon!  4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune is an absolutely breathtaking story—heartfelt, thrilling, and deeply human. From the very first page, I was drawn into Nate’s journey, a man at rock bottom who stumbles upon something extraordinary: Alex, a mysterious stranger, and Artemis Darth Vader, a little girl unlike any other.

The bond that forms between these three is beautifully written, full of warmth, vulnerability, and quiet moments of connection. Klune masterfully balances the emotional depth of the story with gripping suspense, as powerful forces close in on Art, making their journey both urgent and deeply personal.

The writing is immersive, the characters are unforgettable, and the themes of love, found family, and sacrifice linger long after the final page. This book is an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way—moving, hopeful, and utterly spellbinding. I loved every moment.

I feel like I really need time to get to explain how much I liked this book, it’s just that TJ Klune’s books are always so enjoyable and nostalgic and just so perfect. I have no more words, just know that I loved it.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley.

T J Klune is one of my favorite authors. This book will not be one of my favorites of his, yet that doesnt mean that it was bad. the book has this "wierd" Klune charme that i appreciate and Kirt Graves does a marvellous job in bringing the characters and the story to live.

I mean, it's no surprise that it's a great book, loved it as much as the author's other books and will be buying a copy for my shelves. An easy 5 strar.

If T J Klune writes it I will read it, no questions asked.

This did not disappoint, I got the same feeling as I did The house in the cerulean sea. A book full of found family. As always the story is character driven and so immersive that I struggled to put the book down but also forced myself too as I didn’t want it to be over.

I am going to be thinking about these characters for a long time. Loved it.

There is just something so whimsical and enthralling about a t.j. Klune book and this was truly no exception. I was absolutely captivated from the very beginning and fell in love with Nate, Alex and Artemis along the way.
The found family trope was woven so deeply into this story, with Alex and Art already having become so important to each other it upends their situation when Nate walks into their lives. I loved Artemis, she is so curious and trusting and accepts Nate straight away while Alex is grumpy and cautious and is less willing to let Nate into their circle.
This story was honestly so beautiful and I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend if you like sci-fi, adventure and heartfelt stories.