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A review by thebooknookgroup
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.0
Summary:
Victor Lawson has always known he was adopted. Quite immediately after birth, actually, his parents were on the run from government authorities and left Victor with his adopted father, Giovanni, in a remote forest. Victor didn't need the story to know he was adopted though, because his father is in fact a robot.
A long time before Victor was born, humans created robots, and those robots created a world without humans. Despite never meeting another of his kind, Victor has never felt alone. He belongs to a family of robots he and his dad have helped repair in their home among the tops of trees.
Shortly after their family grows by one more, tragedy strikes, and they must set off into the unfamiliar world to save one of their own. Together, they must discover if a robot can overwrite its central programming to acknowledge past wrongs and hope for a better future.
--
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall I thought this world and its characters were adorable, amusing, and entertaining. However, I think my opinion of this is affected by my having read House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune before this one. These two books are so similar that I can't resist not comparing them.
Similarities:
- Imaginative world written like a children's story for adults
- Characters are different species/beings
- Found family theme
- Queer romance subplot
- Threat of family separation
- Nature vs. nurture theme
In my opinion, The House in The Cerulean Sea was just all around better. I actually don't think you need to read this one if you've read that. I ran into a big issue with pacing about halfway through (around when the group sets out on a quest), when I felt like I could space out for 5 minutes, come back, and nothing really happened (even on 1.5x speed). I thought I was on a path to a 4-star rating, but my interest never really recovered.
Klune is such a great writer, I just wish this was more unique when compared to his other works. I'm still excited to read Under the Whispering Door and anything else he writes, but this one just fell flat for me.
Victor Lawson has always known he was adopted. Quite immediately after birth, actually, his parents were on the run from government authorities and left Victor with his adopted father, Giovanni, in a remote forest. Victor didn't need the story to know he was adopted though, because his father is in fact a robot.
A long time before Victor was born, humans created robots, and those robots created a world without humans. Despite never meeting another of his kind, Victor has never felt alone. He belongs to a family of robots he and his dad have helped repair in their home among the tops of trees.
Shortly after their family grows by one more, tragedy strikes, and they must set off into the unfamiliar world to save one of their own. Together, they must discover if a robot can overwrite its central programming to acknowledge past wrongs and hope for a better future.
--
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall I thought this world and its characters were adorable, amusing, and entertaining. However, I think my opinion of this is affected by my having read House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune before this one. These two books are so similar that I can't resist not comparing them.
Similarities:
- Imaginative world written like a children's story for adults
- Characters are different species/beings
- Found family theme
- Queer romance subplot
- Threat of family separation
- Nature vs. nurture theme
In my opinion, The House in The Cerulean Sea was just all around better. I actually don't think you need to read this one if you've read that. I ran into a big issue with pacing about halfway through (around when the group sets out on a quest), when I felt like I could space out for 5 minutes, come back, and nothing really happened (even on 1.5x speed). I thought I was on a path to a 4-star rating, but my interest never really recovered.
Klune is such a great writer, I just wish this was more unique when compared to his other works. I'm still excited to read Under the Whispering Door and anything else he writes, but this one just fell flat for me.