From New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, In the Lives of Puppets is a queer retelling of the Pinocchio tale, inviting you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.
‘A deeply stirring journey through a world of extraordinary robots’ – Chuck Tingle, Hugo-shortlisted author of Camp Damascus
*A New York Times, Sunday Times and Indie Bestseller* *Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction*
In a small home, built into the branches of a tree, live a human named Victor and three robots. These are a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum desperate for love and attention, and a fatherly inventor-android named Giovanni Lawson. Together they’re a family, hidden and safe.
Then Vic salvages an unfamiliar android labelled ‘HAP’. He learns that Hap and Gio share a dark past, where they hunted humans. And Hap unwittingly gives away Gio’s location. Before they know it, robots from Gio’s former life arrive – to capture and return the android to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams.
The rest of the unconventional family must travel across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommissioning. Or worse, reprogramming. Along the way, Vic must decide if he can handle his feelings for Hap – even if they come with strings attached.
Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful standalone fantasy adventure from the author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.
In the Lives of Puppets was a No. 1 Sunday Times HB Bestseller w/c 24/04/2023.
© 2023 Tor (Audiobook): 9781529088069
Release date
Audiobook: 25 April 2023
From New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, In the Lives of Puppets is a queer retelling of the Pinocchio tale, inviting you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.
‘A deeply stirring journey through a world of extraordinary robots’ – Chuck Tingle, Hugo-shortlisted author of Camp Damascus
*A New York Times, Sunday Times and Indie Bestseller* *Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction*
In a small home, built into the branches of a tree, live a human named Victor and three robots. These are a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum desperate for love and attention, and a fatherly inventor-android named Giovanni Lawson. Together they’re a family, hidden and safe.
Then Vic salvages an unfamiliar android labelled ‘HAP’. He learns that Hap and Gio share a dark past, where they hunted humans. And Hap unwittingly gives away Gio’s location. Before they know it, robots from Gio’s former life arrive – to capture and return the android to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams.
The rest of the unconventional family must travel across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommissioning. Or worse, reprogramming. Along the way, Vic must decide if he can handle his feelings for Hap – even if they come with strings attached.
Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful standalone fantasy adventure from the author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.
In the Lives of Puppets was a No. 1 Sunday Times HB Bestseller w/c 24/04/2023.
© 2023 Tor (Audiobook): 9781529088069
Release date
Audiobook: 25 April 2023
Step into an infinite world of stories
Overall rating based on 347 ratings
Heartwarming
Cozy
Page-turner
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Avani
29 Sept 2023
Lovely
Yash
28 Apr 2023
Tj klune does it again! Lovely read. Just surrender to the storyteller and he will transport to a beautiful story
Anushka Reddy
29 Jun 2023
I REALLY WANTED TO LOVE THE BOOK.The premise is amazing, the characters are brilliant, and I went with the audiobook on storytel where the narrator did such a brilliant job with the characters. My favorite was Rambo. I loved the equation the characters share and Nurse Ratched is my robotic alter ego.All these things aside, I did not see a resemblance to Pinocchio as much as I thought I would. While some parts of the story warmed my heart and made it ache for the characters, it just lacked something. I cannot quite put a pin on it. It could probably be because of how beautiful the other stories were and this was not on par with those. Nevertheless, this is a good read. I may not re-read it but I will carry Nurse Ratched and Rambo with me for a while. I may or may not have adopted Nurse Ratched's personality, lol.
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