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In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune (Paperback, March 12, 2024): A Heart-First Review, Themes, and Buying Guide

ByInnoVirtuoso

If you’ve been craving a novel that feels like a hug and a gut-punch at the same time, you’re in the right forest. TJ Klune’s In the Lives of Puppets is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller for a reason—it’s a queer, hopeful, and delightfully offbeat reimagining of Pinocchio set at the edge of the end times. Think Swiss Family Robinson meets WALL-E, but with more soul-searching, sharper humor, and a nurse robot who might threaten to “medicate” you with a chainsaw (lovingly).

With the paperback now out (March 12, 2024), a new wave of readers is stepping into Klune’s grove of misfit machines and one very human heart. Maybe you’re wondering if this is the next book to move to the top of your TBR. Maybe you adored The House in the Cerulean Sea and want to know how this one compares. Or maybe you just want a hopeful story that asks big questions about love, identity, and the difference between being built and being born. Let’s dive in—spoiler-free.

A Quick Synopsis (No Spoilers)

Inside the limbs of a sprawling forest, a human named Victor Lawson lives with Giovanni (Gio), a fatherly android who tinkers, teaches, and loves; Nurse Ratched, a medically inclined menace with a dark sense of humor; and Rambo, a small vacuum who just wants approval (and possibly to collect spare bolts like treasure). They are a family, assembled from found parts and fierce devotion—and they’re hidden, for reasons Vic doesn’t fully understand.

Then Vic discovers and repairs a discarded android with a shadowy past: HAP. Hap is tied to Gio’s previous life—one Vic never knew existed. When their hiding place is compromised, Gio is captured and taken back to the City of Electric Dreams. The family’s peaceful grove is gone, and in its wake is a quest that will test loyalty, forgiveness, and the strings we accept in the name of love.

What follows is a road-trip rescue through a metallic wonderland that’s equal parts charming and unnerving. Klune balances whimsy and dread with laser precision: one page you’re giggling at a vacuum’s dramatic flair; the next, you’re holding your breath as the characters face the cold calculus of machine logic.

If this premise already has your heart whirring like a little vacuum, Check it on Amazon to see formats and reader reviews.

Why This Story Works: Themes That Stick

Klune writes with a warmth that’s earnest but never saccharine, and that’s his secret sauce. He invites big questions into the room, then hands you a mug of tea and a seat by the window while you think them over.

Found Family and Chosen Bonds

At its core, In the Lives of Puppets is about the family you build when the world can’t hold you as you are. Gio’s paternal tenderness, Vic’s growing courage, and the hilariously intense loyalty of Nurse Ratched and Rambo capture the beauty of showing up for each other—especially when the past tries to write your future. If “found family” is a trope you love, this novel lands it with heart and humor.

What Makes Us Human (and Why That Matters)

The book borrows the skeleton of Pinocchio—crafted being longs to be “real”—and expands it for the AI age. But it’s not just a thought experiment about consciousness; it’s a meditation on choice, consent, and the ethics of programming, especially when emotional attachment enters the mix. For readers curious about the moral questions behind artificial intelligence, this is a compassionate, narrative-first way to explore them. If you want a more academic companion to your reading, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s entry on AI ethics is a helpful primer.

Want to start reading before spoilers find you? Buy on Amazon and queue it up for your next weekend.

Humor, Bittersweetness, and Heart

Klune’s humor disarms you so the tenderness hits deeper. Rambo’s anxious monologues, Nurse Ratched’s macabre bedside manner, and Hap’s hungry search for identity bring levity to a story that, at times, wrestles with grief and betrayal. Here’s why that matters: laughter makes the vulnerability feel earned, not forced. When the novel asks Vic to decide whether love can come with “strings,” you feel the stakes rather than just understanding them.

Characters You’ll Fall For (And Why)

  • Victor Lawson: He’s the human heart in a mechanical world, torn between loyalty to the man who raised him and a future he’s not sure he wants. Vic is practical, brave, and beautifully flawed.
  • Giovanni Lawson: Part Geppetto, part scientist-philosopher, Gio represents a complicated kind of love—a caregiver who must let the child choose their own life, even if it hurts.
  • HAP: Hap is the emotional wildcard. He has a past that can’t be neatly erased, a present that demands accountability, and a future that might hinge on Vic’s forgiveness.
  • Rambo and Nurse Ratched: A neurotic vacuum and a hilariously threatening medical unit steal scenes with banter that occasionally turns into wisdom. They are the book’s comedic relief and, surprisingly, its moral compass.

If you loved the ensemble warmth of The House in the Cerulean Sea or the gentle metaphysics of Under the Whispering Door, you’ll recognize Klune’s fingerprints here—affectionate dialogue, tight-knit dynamics, and characters who insist on joy. It’s easy to see why this book has charmed readers across platforms like Goodreads and why Klune continues to dominate bestseller lists like the New York Times Best Sellers.

When you’re ready to meet Hap, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched for yourself, View on Amazon and preview a sample.

Worldbuilding: The City of Electric Dreams

The forest home is all wood, wind, and warm light—so when the story moves toward the City of Electric Dreams, the contrast is stark. Klune conjures a neon labyrinth where efficiency trumps empathy, where the architecture itself suggests that memory can be edited at scale. It’s a clever mirror to our own world: a reminder that progress without compassion can feel like a kind of decommissioning.

The novel nods to its inspiration without leaning on it. If you want to explore the source material, here’s Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio. Klune picks up the idea of being “real” and retools it for a time when identity is a negotiation between code and choice. He also blends tones—part road-trip caper, part found-family drama, part speculative fable—resulting in an atmosphere that feels both classic and contemporary.

For readers who track author journeys, Klune discusses craft and community on his official website, and Tor’s coverage often frames his books within the modern SFF canon—see this Tor.com feature on the book’s cover reveal to get a feel for its visual identity.

Paperback Edition: Details, Buying Tips, and Formats

So, should you get the paperback? If you’re a frequent annotator or a book club reader, the trade paperback format hits a sweet spot: it’s usually lighter than hardcover, more flexible in hand, and friendly on the wallet. This March 12, 2024 edition is designed for portability—toss it in a tote and you’re set for a weekend escape to the grove. Page count varies by edition, but plan on “long enough to be immersive, short enough to keep momentum”; Klune’s pacing carries you swiftly from cozy mornings to high-stakes nights.

Prefer to mix formats? The ebook edition is great for highlighting and quick searching (especially useful if you’re leading a discussion), and the audiobook adds a cinematic quality to Rambo and Nurse Ratched’s banter. If you tend to DNF books with heavy jargon, rest easy—this is story-first sci-fi, accessible even if you don’t read much in the genre.

If you’re debating between paperback, ebook, or audio, See price on Amazon and compare edition details in one place.

Buying tips: – Gifting: This is an easy win for fans of gentle, hopeful speculative fiction. If your friend cried at the end of The House in the Cerulean Sea, you know what to do. – Book clubs: The moral questions and character arcs spark lively discussions—great for groups that love empathy-forward reads. – Content notes: Expect references to past violence, peril, and themes of autonomy and consent. Nothing gratuitous, but the stakes are real.

If you like to contextualize reading within broader LGBTQ+ literature, resources like LGBTQ Reads are excellent for finding adjacent titles with similar vibes—Queer joy, found family, and stories that champion chosen identities.

How It Compares to The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door

  • Tone: Cerulean Sea is warm pastel; Puppets is warm neon. Both are hopeful, but Puppets explores moral gray areas more explicitly, especially around accountability and forgiveness. Under the Whispering Door is Klune’s most grief-forward novel; Puppets shares its compassion but swaps the afterlife for a mechanical near-future.
  • Structure: Cerulean Sea builds a home and defends it; Puppets builds a home, loses it, and journeys to reclaim what it means. That change in motion amps the adventure without sacrificing heart.
  • Humor: All three books are funny, but Puppets goes biggest with comedic sidekicks: Rambo and Nurse Ratched are instant fandom favorites.

If you’re coming from Cerulean Sea, expect familiar comfort with sharper edges; coming from Whispering Door, expect existential tenderness with more swashbuckling.

Who Will Love It—and Who Might Not

You’ll love this book if: – You want optimistic sci-fi that still asks hard questions. – Found-family dynamics make your heart grow three sizes. – You enjoy character-forward storytelling with sharp quips and big feelings.

You might bounce off it if: – You prefer hard sci-fi’s technical detail over emotional arcs. – Quirky humor isn’t your thing. – Reimagined classics (like Pinocchio) aren’t a draw.

No judgment—reading is personal. But if you’re open to a book that leaves you a little softer and a lot more hopeful, this belongs on your nightstand.

Book Club Questions and Conversation Starters

Use these prompts to get your group talking: 1) What does it mean to be “real” in this story—and who gets to decide? 2) Where do you see the line between programming and choice? Which characters cross it, and how? 3) How does humor function in the book? Does it soften or sharpen the serious moments? 4) Compare the family in the forest to the system in the City of Electric Dreams. What do they each optimize for? 5) Hap’s past complicates his present. How does the book explore accountability without erasing a person’s capacity to change? 6) What “strings” do we accept in our own lives—cultural, familial, algorithmic—and when should we cut them? 7) If this is a Pinocchio retelling, what is its Blue Fairy? Where does grace come from?

Thinking of gifting it to a friend who loved The House in the Cerulean Sea? Shop on Amazon for quick delivery options.

Final Takeaway

In the Lives of Puppets is Klune at his most playfully profound. It’s an adventure with heart, a love story with bite, and a found-family tale that refuses to give cynicism the last word. If you’ve been looking for a book that restores your faith in people—yes, even when they’re made of gears and code—this paperback is a beautiful place to land. If you want more reading recs like this, stick around; I share new picks, book club guides, and behind-the-scenes craft notes every week.

FAQ: In the Lives of Puppets (Paperback)

Q: Is the paperback a standalone, or part of a series? A: It’s a standalone novel. You don’t need to read any of Klune’s other books to enjoy it, though fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door will feel right at home with the tone.

Q: How “sci-fi” is it? I’m more of a fantasy reader. A: It’s character-first, accessible sci-fi. You’ll get robots, a futuristic city, and ethical dilemmas, but the focus is on relationships and personal growth. If you enjoy gentle fantasy with emotional depth, you’ll likely click with this.

Q: Are there trigger or content warnings? A: Expect peril, references to past violence, and themes around consent, autonomy, and memory. The book balances heavy moments with humor and warmth, but the stakes can get intense.

Q: Is this a good pick for book clubs? A: Absolutely. The questions around choice vs. programming, found family, and redemption yield rich discussions. The mix of humor and heart keeps meetings lively.

Q: How does it compare to The House in the Cerulean Sea in terms of vibes? A: Both are hopeful and tender. Puppets leans a bit more into moral complexity and adventure, while Cerulean Sea is cozier and more whimsical. If you loved one, there’s a strong chance you’ll appreciate the other.

Q: Where can I learn more about TJ Klune and his work? A: Check out the author’s official site at tjklunebooks.com and publisher coverage on Tor.com. You can also explore reading communities and reviews on platforms like Goodreads.

Q: Is it appropriate for younger readers? A: Thematically, it’s best for older teens and adults due to emotional intensity and mature themes. That said, the prose is clear and approachable, making it a smooth read for a wide audience.

Q: Do I need to know Pinocchio to understand this book? A: Not at all. The story stands on its own. If you know the Pinocchio myth, you’ll enjoy the echoes and inversions, but prior knowledge isn’t required. For context, you can skim The Adventures of Pinocchio overview.

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InnoVirtuoso

Hello there! I'm passionate content writer navigating the digital landscape. With a deep love for words and an insatiable curiosity about technology.

With 10 years of experience in IT field, I write mostly about emerging tech, sharing news, informational articles and covering other topics I find interesting.

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