In the Lives of Puppets

A NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES AND INDIE BESTSELLER!

New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

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"An enchanting tale of Pinocchio in the end times." --P. Djèlí Clark

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?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful stand-alone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

★ "An epic quest of rescue and discovery [with] the author's trademark charm, heart, and bittersweetness." --Library Journal, starred review

Praise for TJ Klune's previous work: "Like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket." --V.E. SCHWAB - "Very close to perfect." --SEANAN McGUIRE - "Utterly absorbing." --GAIL CARRIGER - "It will renew your faith in humanity." --TERRY BROOKS - "It healed me." --CASSANDRA KHAW - "Compassionate." --RYKA AOKI

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432 pages

Average rating: 7.66

67 RATINGS

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4 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Nov 03, 2023
10/10 stars
In the Lives of Puppets (5/5)
by TJ Klune
Date Finished: 7/2/23
Writing: 5
Characters: 6
Storyline: 5
Pacing: 5
Average: 5.25

The rating says it all. I literally love this book so much
Rayna
Jun 24, 2023
10/10 stars
Stunning. You know what is coming and how things will unfold, for the most part, but the characters TJ Klune has created and the words and feelings that flow from them is an experience no one should miss out on.
Tpratt
May 18, 2023
9/10 stars
Another TJ Klune book full of downright lovable characters, laughter and tears. This one took me longer to get into but I’ll say this, once you’re hooked, you’re never putting this down. Rambo = all time favorite.
rdmoreland0801
May 16, 2023
10/10 stars
This was an interesting take on Pinocchio, begging the question - what does it mean to be human? Victor, a human, is accompanied by his robot companions. His father, Giovanni Lawson, is an android and inventor. Nurse RATCHED is a somewhat sociopathic medical nurse robot, with wit and humor that make you laugh out loud. Then there’s Rambo, a neurotic vacuum cleaner with a childlike personality. Along the way, we meet HAP and watch as he learns what it means to have free will. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Vic and HAP blossom as they learned more about each other. TJ Klune remains an automatic read, and In the Lives of Puppets did not disappoint.

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