A review by jessie_cobb
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

4.0

In the remote wilderness of Oregon, Victor (Vic) Lawson has created a quiet life with his found family - literally found in a few cases.

His two best friends are bots he found in a scrapyard: a skittish vacuum named Rambo and a somewhat sadistic nursing bot named Nurse Ratchet. His father, Giovanni, is an android who built their home and took Vic in as an infant.

One day, Vic finds another android in the scrapyard, a machine who pulls Giovanni’s dark past into the light and sends Vic and his family on a journey to the City of Electric Dreams.

Heartwarming and humorous, In the Lives of Puppets infuses the complexity of humanity into its mechanical backdrop. Touching on topics of identity and forgiveness while still finding moments of levity.

This is the third book of Klune’s that I’ve read, and they are always a fun departure from my normal genres. Klune creates characters you can’t help feeling fondness for, and I often find myself smiling or chuckling as I’m reading.

This book and his others (House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door) would be great for anyone looking for a feel-good story that tackles tough topics. You just have to be willing to embrace a little quickness, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable in my opinion.