Reviews

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Only show reviews with written explanations

gwendolyn_kensinger's review against another edition

3.0

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a stand-alone fantasy adventure. An android named Giovanni Lawson builds a home and raises Victor, a human child, in an uninhabited forest. Victor Lawson grows into an inventor like his father. His two best friends, Rambo and Nurse Ratched, are decommissioned robots that he rebuilt. In secret, Victor works on a mechanical, replacement heart for his aging father, who worries about his son’s dangerous visits to the Scrap Yards, which are guarded by machines called Old Ones.

I absolutely ADORED Rambo and Nurse Ratched, but the story itself was written very heavily in the author’s message and I was smart enough to figure out what they were saying in the first couple chapters. I didn't need to be hit in the face again, again and again with it. It needed more awww moments and it needed more adventure, but it just felt repetitive and was too long for what we got. The story gets ⅖ stars but because of the my fav characters it gets an additional star!

alina_hnb's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

emreads97's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wolfeeyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

TJ Klune has a way with words and characters that just speak to my soul. I may not have loved this as much as Under the Whispering Door or House in the Cerulean Sea but I still loved it. Such a wholesome story of humanity and love.
“happiness comes not from bodily pleasures or wealth or power, but from living a life that’s right for your soul.”