In the Lives of Puppets, TJ Klune
In the Lives of Puppets, TJ Klune
3 Rating(s)
List: $32.99 | Sale: $23.10
Club: $16.49

In the Lives of Puppets

Bestseller

Author: TJ Klune

Narrator: Daniel Henning

Unabridged: 15 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/25/2023


Synopsis

"[Narrator] Daniel Henning revels in a cornucopia of characters, diving into nuanced voices and colorful moments with accents and growls, tone shifts and whispers...This is definitely a title for those who enjoy fantasy stories replete with gnomes and witches and all in between." —AudioFile on The House in the Cerulean Sea

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.

Most Anticipated from BookPage • Goodreads • The Nerd Daily • Paste Magazine • LitReactor • OverDrive • LGBTQ Reads • Tor.com • more

“An enchanting tale of Pinocchio in the end times.” —P. Djeli 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, TJ Klune's In the Lives of Puppets audiobook 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

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

About TJ Klune

TJ KLUNE is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Yun on December 23, 2024

You are a dream. A hope. A remembrance of what we once were. Of course this story completely slayed me. I should've known better than to doubt. I thought I'd already found a favorite from T.J. Klune in The House in the Cerulean Sea and it would have been impossible to top that. But here comes a s......more

Goodreads review by Nilufer on February 23, 2025

Oh my goodness! Mentioning this book as masterpiece is not enough for me to express how much I adored this FREAKING FANTASTIC sci-fi experience, the mind bending, intelligent world building and perfectly crafted characterization blew my mind! It’s lovely combination of Swiss Robinson family meets Wa......more

Goodreads review by The Speculative Shelf on August 01, 2023

I wish I could embrace this book with as much warmth and kindness as T.J. Klune imbues into his writing, but I felt that this book missed the mark much more than Klune’s previous two novels, unfortunately. Apart from one compelling twist, the emotional beats of this tale fell flat for me, as Klune’s......more

Goodreads review by Noah on February 06, 2025

I’m crying everyone’s tears, I’m the King of Sorrow (King of Sorrow - Sade). Great song, one of my favorites. Also my way of saying this book made me really emotional! A new favorite… again! Hooray! This book is wonderful, and I think at the end of the day, I really did love it. But I think I should......more

Goodreads review by Melissa (Semi-hiatus for Work) on April 25, 2023

4.5 stars Klune's writing is so full of nuance, yet also compulsively readable. And the narrator for this audiobook is AMAZING. I adore found family stories and this one is touching and totally believable--a family consisting of an inventor robot, a human, a sadistic nurse robot, a Roomba, and a new......more


Quotes

“Readers who loved Klune’s previous works will find plenty of the author’s trademark charm, heart, and bittersweet.” —Library Journal, starred review

"In The Lives of Puppets is glorious, a thoroughly entertaining and deeply stirring journey through a world of extraordinary robots. The characters here are so vibrant, and the story proves that love stretches well beyond the world of humans." —Chuck Tingle, Hugo Award finalist and author of Camp Damascus

"In the Lives of Puppets is a powerful story of humanity and what survives after we're gone. Do the new inheritors of this earth forge a new path? Or are they destined to repeat the mistakes of their makers? TJ Klune has created an enchanting tale of Pinocchio in the end times, offering up hard truths alongside humor, kindness, love and, most important, hope." —P. Djèlí Clark

"I dare say I am yet to read more humane robots than I've encountered in In the Lives of Puppets. This kind, caring, hopeful humanity that Klune weaves into his work tugs at the heartstrings. There are passages so affecting within, I had to pause. This was brilliantly offset by moments of levity. Literature at its very best opens up the potential of a better world than the one we're currently in. Klune's vision of a more considerate and compassionate society is immensely powerful. One can't help but fall in love with this book." —T.L. Huchu

For The House in the Cerulean Sea
A New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post Bestseller!
An Indie Next Pick!
An Alex Award-Winner


"I loved it. It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect." —V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

“This book is very close to perfect.” —Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a Doorway

“An utterly absorbing story of tolerance, found family, and defeating bureaucracy.” —Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless

“A modern fairy tale about learning your true nature and what you love and will protect. It's a beautiful book.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"It will renew your faith in humanity.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara series

“It’s a witty, wholesome fantasy that’s likely to cause heart-swelling.” —The Washington Post

"Readers will revel in Klune’s wit and ingenuity." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Remarkable.” —Amazon Book Review

For Under the Whispering Door
A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller!
An Indie Next Pick!

Under the Whispering Door is a kind book. It broke my heart with its unflinching understanding that grief never goes away. And then it healed me in the next breath.” —Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth

“There is so much to enjoy in Under the Whispering Door, but what I cherish the most is its compassion for the little things—a touch, a glance, a precious piece of dialogue—healing me, telling me that for all the strangenesses I hold, I am valued, valid—and maybe even worthy of love.” —Ryka Aoki author of Light from Uncommon Stars

“Klune's latest is a sweet tale of grief and second chances, and a ghost story about not giving up on even the most lost of souls.” —Booklist

“Tenderness, wit, and skillful worldbuilding elevate this delightful tale. Fans of queer fantasy won’t want to miss this.” —Publishers Weekly


Awards

  • Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year