In the Lives of Puppets invites readers into the heart of a peculiar forest in which three robots live—a fatherly inventor named Giovanni Lawson, a somewhat sadistic yet kind nurse machine and a small Roomba vacuum desperate for love. Together with a human, Victor Lawson, they make a family, hidden and safe from the outside world.
When Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled HAP, however, he learns of his father’s dark past— a past that was spent hunting down humans and eradicating them.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots to their whereabouts, the family is no longer safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory, all memory of his loved ones wiped clean. So together, Vic and his family must journey across the dangerous country and rescue Gio before he is reprogrammed. Along the way to save his father, Vic has to deal with conflicted emotions, betrayal and fear, blossoming affection and more for Hap. In the end, Vic must decide: can he accept love with all its strings attached?
One of these days I will finish a book by TJ Klune and not scream “emotional damage” at the top of my lungs for the next hour but this is not that day.
This man has made me care about many a thing over the past few years (including but not limited to wolves, bellhops, dead dogs and odd houses in the middle of the forest) and now he’s added machines to the list. That’s right, after reading In the Lives of Puppets, one of my new favourite characters is a Roomba vacuum called Rambo. A Roomba made me tear up. Made me laugh. Made me feel for him. You can’t make this stuff up.
Of course, this story has a fantastic cast of characters. From Victor’s father Giovanni that I just want to hug for eternity to Victor himself (asexual rep for the win!) to Victor’s best friends Nurse RATCHED and Rambo and of course, our fearsome, angry and hysterical puppet Hap, each character is as vivid as if they’re standing right next to you. Hilarious dialogue surrounding being human and…having human needs to what makes you truly feel alive, this story oscillates between hysterically funny and utterly heartbreaking—you know, the trademark Klune mix. Wouldn’t be a Klune book if you don’t need tissues for both your tears of pain and of laughter.
Also, the plot twists in this story. Listen, I have seen the Disney adaptation of Pinocchio maybe twice in my life as a kid so I don’t know if these plot twists are still as shocking if you know the original story but let me tell you, I was flabbergasted. Flabbergasted, I tell you, at some of these twists that wreak absolute havoc on Victor and his gang. From unexpected characters popping up to unlikely allies and…other events that make you question your own definition of humanity and machines, there’s just no dull moment in In The Lives of Puppets.
For the sake of spoilers, I won’t talk more about the plot but what I will say is that I am forever confused by how TJ Klune gets better with every single book. Yes, he was already fantastic but with every book I pick up, I keep subconsciously waiting for me to say “Okay, this was great, but not as great as…” and it just—never happens? I was SURE that nothing could beat my love for Wolfsong (and then the entirety of Green Creek happened). I was CERTAIN nothing could beat The House in the Cerulean Sea. And then this book happened. Man, whatever you’re doing, TJ, please keep doing it. I will never not need the boost of straight-up serotonin your books release in my body, mind and soul.
Anyways, long story short, if you’re a long-time fan of Klune’s trademark ridiculously funny humour, facepalm-inducing secondhand embarrassment, characters that will grip your heart and rip it out of your chest (only to then help you patch it up and make it better than ever before) and subtle yet insightful commentary on the human race and how love is the best thing we do, then you need to pick this book up immediately.
And if you’re new to this author, let me just say: In The Lives of Puppets is the perfect place to start. I promise it’ll be worth it (it being the trauma you’ll go through reading about your favourites having to face hell). But also, please be ready with tissues for the final chapters. You’ll need them.
Combining a queer retelling of Pinocchio with Klune’s trademark humour and tendency to both break and mend hearts in the same story, In The Lives of Puppets is a masterpiece that will make you question what it means to be human.
In The Lives of Puppets is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 25th.
Will you be picking up In The Lives of Puppets? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
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?
