Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

10 reviews

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Dementia, Death, Self harm, Blood, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Sexual harassment, Excrement, Outing, and Gore

handful_of_frogs's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

2.0

A huge disappointment, Klune seems to be regressing as a writer- this is coming from someone who loved Under the Whispering Door and The House in the Cerulean Sea. If he wants to write an asexual character accurately maybe he should find a premise for them that doesn't involve being attracted to androids. This entire book is a mix of material stolen from Spielberg's AI film, Pinocchio (of course), and a bland d&d campaign. The most interesting character is an anxious Roomba but even a quipping vacuum can't make this novel worth the time it took to read it.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Police brutality, War, Violence, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

starsnstitchin's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

This book was different than his other books, and had more (for lack of ability to think of a more clear word choice) "adult content," talking about genitals, pooping, and sex more than expected (and more than necessary or comfortable). The world building didn't make sense in some parts, which made it hard to get immersed in the story. It's painfully clear that the ace character was written from the perspective of a non-ace author. It's not the worst rep I've read, but it didn't feel like an actually ace character. The whole book was a bit of a let down, and the ending feels a bit loose and lacks a lot of desired closure, with some story elements that had been built up left hanging and anticlimatically unaddressed. It felt like the story was building up around something, but the something never arrived or got explained. The acknowledgements at the end by the author sounded very bitter, but made me wonder if the slightly out of tune feel to the book as well as the loose ending was because there's supposed to be something more to the book than we're given. Not his best work, but it did make me laugh at times, and it was enjoyable in parts.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment

Moderate: Self harm, Animal death, Death, Excrement, Police brutality, Cursing, Bullying, Terminal illness, and War

throwback682's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad

• 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Confinement, Blood, Abandonment, Xenophobia, War, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Medical content, Suicide, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Excrement, Sexual content, Dementia, and Animal death

Proceed with caution if you have experience with loved ones with dementia. This book also has a “sociopathic” character and I personally think handles cluster B disorders insensitively.

keya_caivalur's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Dementia, and Murder

Moderate: War, Slavery, Abandonment, and Animal death

Minor: Police brutality, Cancer, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Death, Genocide, Chronic illness, Confinement, Torture, Excrement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

lastsilversunset's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Minor: Confinement and Medical content

ohmage_resistance's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, and Sexual content

Minor: Excrement, Addiction, and Blood

iane_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Deportation, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Dementia

Moderate: Excrement, Sexual content, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Colonisation, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Drug use

kenzieburns'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? No

4.0

As soon as I saw this book was coming out, I reserved a copy from my local library. Normally, Klune is an auto-buy author for me, but I am glad I got this one from the library. I found the characters lovable, for sure, and we definitely got some of Klune's characteristic sass and humor, but overall I wasn't in love with the premise of the plot. I liked the found family and adventurer's guild aspects, but there was a lot about what seemed to be forgiveness for the past. I found it really hard to believe that

Victor would forgive both Hap and Gio for their literal crimes against humanity. I enjoyed the intense monologue about it not being his (Victor's) place to forgive them, but he could choose to move on, which was moving, but the aspect of condoning literal genocide was not okay to me.

Also, there was just a bit too much borderline robot-porn for my tastes? Don't get me wrong, I found the jokes quite funny, but the whole "in-love-with-a-robot" thing was very weird. Might just be my somewhat PG tastes though. On a separate note, I really loved Nurse Rached and Rambo as the comedic relief and best friends/sidekicks. I grew very attached to them and their relationships with VIc and Gio. I'm knocking off a star mainly because this wasn't "House" level for me, and I really wanted it to be. Also, the title could have been more descriptive/relevant to the plot. Perhaps I'm just a bit dense, but the title didn't draw me in, I was mainly reading this because it's Klune. Fingers crossed for an extension on the Torr deal and a "House" sequel!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and Dementia

Moderate: Body horror, Animal death, Blood, and Excrement

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I do love a science fantasy! (Monk and Robot love forever!) And I probably had oversized hopes for this particular one. It ended up being an enjoyable read that was somewhat marred by bouts of oddly ribald humor and the weight of expectations.

The humor, which was admittedly funny in the author's Extraordinaries books (and, to a lesser degree, in some previous humorous fantasies and contemporaries) felt out of place here. Not all of the humor, of course — there's plenty of Klune's other trademark brands of humor, including a very needy and lovable sentient Roomba with ADHD and a kind-hearted and terrifying caretaker robot who issues threats of pain while displaying pithy remarks. Both hilarious. 

As for the unmet expectations, that's mostly on me, but I'm also not sure the story manages to communicate the big truths at its core — the ones about humanity, time, forgiveness, loyalty, hope. It felt a little flat — the characters and plot needed to be rounded out, plumped up, given a few more emotional beats and a few less repetitive gags. 

Still... any day reading a robot fantasy by T.J. Klune is a good day. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Excrement, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, and Sexual content

crude, sophomoric humor