Bookseller Reviews
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Another triumph from T J Klune
An asexual human, Vic, an android with an attitude problem, a sociopathic robonurse and an anxious vacuum cleaner set out to find Vic's kidnapped father. A... READ MORE
Humanity, being human and what defines emotion in a world full of machines!
With this being my first T.J. Klune, I initially had no idea what this book was going to be like... but I LOVED it!
This is the epitome of cosy fantasy/sc... READ MORE
An empathetic riff on Pinocchio and Frankenstein . Extraordinarily good.
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... READ MORE
I give this book permission to break my heart
What an emotional ride this book was! 'In The Lives Of Puppets' follows the story of our protagonist Vic and his family of ragtag dysfunctional robots: his... READ MORE
Klune's best yet
Having read and loved both Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door, I went into this one with high expectations - and boy, did Klune deliver.
This is Pinnochio t... READ MORE
My favourite TJ Klune novel yet!
I really, really enjoyed this novel! It's genuinely funny, but with a real emotional centre and I couldn't put it down once I started reading!
There's a l... READ MORE
“It’s the smallest things that can change everything when you least expect it.”
Oh, where to start… Every single one of T.J Klune’s books become a favourite and if you haven’t read anything by him yet, you are in for a treat. If you ar... READ MORE
Crying in the club once more over Klune’s love letter to humanity
If you loved House in the Cerulean Sea and Under The Whipsering Door, and you’re considering reading any book this year, please make it this one -
Cryi... READ MORE
Sheer escapism
Such a fun and thought provoking read. What is love? What is family? This feels like an homage to Pinocchio and Frankenstein with strong Wizard of Oz vibes... READ MORE
Lizzo was right when she said humans are inherently good, and T J Klune gives us those reminders in his books.
T J Klune has become one of my auto-buy/read authors, so I was over the moon to be able to read this before publication. This reimagining of Pinocchio with... READ MORE
Masterful & Beautiful
TJ Klune has an incredible talent. This book is a beautiful story of found family and deep humanity, and no one does it better. You will not be dissapointe... READ MORE
Another instant favourite from Klune
Let me preface this by saying, I had no doubts I would love this book, I have loved everything I’ve read by this author. But I didn’t know the depths of ad... READ MORE
Incredibly insightful, powerfully funny
In the Lives of Puppets is a Pinocchio meets The Wizard of Oz tale about the human experience. Starring a found family of sentient robots including: Gio, ... READ MORE
I now need a Roomba
The worlds that Klune creates are often volatile and harsh but the pockets and characters he creates within those worlds always bring me a sense of home. T... READ MORE
Pinocchio meets the robot apocalypse
I loved everything about this. The characters were hilarious and deep despite being mostly robots. The concept was fresh, and the story was engaging.
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author T J Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots - 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.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio - a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Pan Macmillan
- ISBN: 9781529088021
- Number of pages: 432
- Dimensions: 242 x 162 x 42 mm
- Weight: 660g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View all“What a strange existence we find ourselves in. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world”
The second I see there is a new T J Klune book on the horizon I just KNOW that:
(1) I will absolutely adore it, and
(2) I will probably cry my way through... READ MORE
A queer retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio
"There's nothing wrong with you, you're just... unique! Like the rest of us"
Today I want to share with you all the review of a highly anticipated book th... READ MORE
Wonderful writing
The author never fails to deliver wonderful, empathetic characters wrapped up in heart-warming, humorous prose whilst at the same time delivering an import... READ MORE
Above all else, be brave.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy.
Three words to describe this book: hopeful, emotional, whimsical
The writing - Klune has a mastery over writi... READ MORE
What makes a human…?
Review - puppets
In the Lives of Puppets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Deep in the forest lives a boy with his father Gio, Nurse Ratched and Rambo… Rambo is a robot bursting... READ MORE
A heart-warming and hilarious tale of acceptance, forgiveness and humanity
In the Lives of Puppets is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of acceptance, forgiveness and humanity. I laughed and I cried, feeling every emotion from sh... READ MORE
beautiful
I haven't read yet but if it's as good as authors other books I will love it it's a beautiful book to look at
A great read makes you question AI
This book is like a cross between Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I must admit it is a long book and I found the middl... READ MORE
not what i expected
When I started reading this book and I saw that the main character was asexual... I was so happy to have representation! However, the plot itself and sci-f... READ MORE
A great book
Giovanni has built a home for himself and son Victor in the Forest. Nurse Ratched and Rambo live with them too.
They live an isolated existence, until Vict... READ MORE
Gorgeous rewrite
I am a huge fan of TJ Klune’s previous books, The House In The Curelean Sea and Under The Whispering Door, and was so excited to get an arc of this one.
... READ MORE
The way T.J. Klune writes characters is like no other
This is such a unique story and it’s unlike any other Pinocchio retelling you will ever see or read. I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end.
Thi... READ MORE
Amazing.
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 n... READ MORE
So many robots, but all the feels!
A book mostly about robots, but such a wholesome message about what it means to be human. A Pinocchio retelling with elements of Wall-e and somewhat a wiza... READ MORE
Uplifting and joyous!
I have just read In The Lives Of Puppets and have to say, it did not disappoint. Having read many TJ Klune books, it was once again slightly surreal at th... READ MORE
A Futuristic retelling of Pinocchio
TJ Klune is all about writing heart-warming stories and In The Lives of Puppets is no different. A Futuristic retelling of Pinocchio in a dystopian world f... READ MORE
A heart-warming Pinocchio retelling with Wall-E and Wizard of Oz vibes mixed in
In the Lives of Puppets is an emotional story of self-discovery and an exploration of identity with beautiful world building.
There were parts of the story... READ MORE
Original and creative
3.5
Android inventor Giovanni Lawson finds an abandoned building in a remote, old forest and transforms it into somewhere to live but being so isolated h... READ MORE
Found Family Adventure
The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune
I give this book 4.5 stars
TJ Klune has done it again!
I’m not a huge fan of sci fi but the author has managed to creat... READ MORE
But it wasn't Cerulean
I enjoyed this book but it wasn't 'the house on the cerulean sea' and I compared it all the way through.
TJ Klune is very talented. He creates wonderful ... READ MORE
'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 L... READ MORE
Great Retelling
I am a huge fan of TJ Klune’s previous books, The House In The Curelean Sea and Under The Whispering Door, and was so excited to get an arc of this one.
... READ MORE
What I love about Klune’s books are they are so full of love and full of being comfortable about love
I didn’t get the Pinocchio connection at first, it thought it was going to be a tenuous link made for the blurb. But then you get it. Little things that al... READ MORE
Delightfully wholesome!
Delightfully wholesome!
10/10
It's fantastic, get it and read it!!!
A far better Pinocchio than I ever anticipated
I was never a fan of Pinocchio, at least not the Disney film. I know that this is, in many ways a retelling of the original on which that film is based, an... READ MORE
Incredible Story & Characters Youll Love
An absolutely beautiful book with wonderful characters. TJ Klune has a real gift for writing stories that really suck you in and wrap you up to make you a ... READ MORE
An excellent story full of love and loyalty
Blog Tour Review
The writing pulled me in and kept my interest from the beginning right through to the end. Whilst I did take little breaks, I looked fo... READ MORE
Full of heart
I marvel at the power of words to evoke so much. I possibly will not stop humming Heaven for a while. Rambo is a new favourite, and I just loved the dynami... READ MORE
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