Reviews tagging 'Blood'

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

72 reviews

puali's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

5.0

Loved, laughed and cried so hard. I’m not malfunctioning, just being human… 
What a wonderful book! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Murder

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and Blood

jodar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.25

I found this dystopian, science fiction novel of the future disappointing.

It’s a novel of two halves: The first half has a setting of almost Edenic innocence, which the author tries to reinforce through a whimsical tone, rather immature humour and the MC’s crude, adolescent-level sexual attitudes. The first half seems more like a YA rather than adult novel. The second half, which begins with a sort of expulsion from Eden, is much stronger. The MC character learns the truth about the world and his place in it. The tone of the writing is more cutting, albeit lightened from time to time with more of same silly humour. Although in the second part the action is rather melodramatic and the outcomes are quite predictable, it does at least present all the characters with dilemmas to face.

Some interesting themes are explored – friendship, personhood, forgiveness, free will – but for me this is done from a pretty superficial, “progressive” point of view without a lot of nuance. I come away from the story with a feeling of melancholy, moral grubbiness and cosmic brutality.

Addendum: The ebook I read came with a prequel short story, “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!”, which explores many of the same themes and I thought was more compelling than the novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Confinement, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

20sidedbi's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

sophie42's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, and Genocide

Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Body shaming and Animal death

bohemianhermit04's review

adventurous emotional funny 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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Animal death and Blood

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

randeerebecca's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-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

5.0

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did because I felt like this author’s other books were good, but nothing to write home about. But this one. I loved it. So many feelings. Wonderful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Confinement and Blood

Minor: Animal death

pastelmeganes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, and Blood

tamara_joy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Genocide

Minor: Death, Blood, and Sexual content

lonelylooper's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Grief, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Torture, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty