Scan barcode
A review by loriluo
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
4.0
I was beyond excited to get the ARC of this novel; I've read and loved a number of T.J. Klune's earlier books and knew I was in for a treat.
"In the Lives of Puppets" takes us to an alternate reality in an unknown time period. In a home built in an isolated forest, inventor and android Giovanni Lawson lives with his human son, Victor Lawson, and a family of robots, including Nurse Ratched (Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill) and Rambo, a verbose Roomba. Victor has never questioned his origins and differences, and has lived in the care and company of these machines, learning from his father. Things begin to change though, when he visits the Scrap Yards and finds the remains of a humanoid robot.
Victor brings the robot home to attempt to repair it, giving it replacement parts and inserting a mechanical heart in its cavity; thus, they're introduced to HAP, or Hysterically Angry Puppet. Hap has no recollection of his past or anything before he was discovered in the Scrap Yards, but begins to live with Victor and his family, adjusting to their way of life. Their relative peace is shattered when Gio is suddenly taken by an unknown force, and Victor and his friends make the decision to bring him back - regardless of the dangers they may face.
This novel is beautifully representative of Klune's writing, crafting a brand new world and characters that nonetheless feel real-to-life and relatable for readers. Even though the majority of characters are some form of machine or android, they nonetheless have distinct personalities and mannerisms, many of which develop and change as the story progresses. I would say that this novel is accurately described as a modern retelling of Pinocchio, although I found hints of Wizard of Oz thrown in. Klune also covers a number of pressing and relevant topics - including the complexity and range of sexuality, the rise in AI/ML, mental health, and whether humans and machines can have feelings towards the other - with great care and his signature humor and wit.
I have a few minor, personal quips about this book, however, that make it fall just shy of perfect in my perspective. I found that the dialogue was too drawn out, and at times unnecessary, especially when it came to the banter between Victor, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. Yes, a enjoyed the jokes and jabs about Victor's sexuality (or lack thereof) and the fact that machines do not have reproductive organs, but it felt overdone and at times detracted from the story as a whole.
"In the Lives of Puppets" is nonetheless one of the books I'm most excited for in 2023 and I'm sure readers will love this newest adventure from T.J. Klune!
Thank you Tor for the advance copy of this novel!
"In the Lives of Puppets" takes us to an alternate reality in an unknown time period. In a home built in an isolated forest, inventor and android Giovanni Lawson lives with his human son, Victor Lawson, and a family of robots, including Nurse Ratched (Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill) and Rambo, a verbose Roomba. Victor has never questioned his origins and differences, and has lived in the care and company of these machines, learning from his father. Things begin to change though, when he visits the Scrap Yards and finds the remains of a humanoid robot.
Victor brings the robot home to attempt to repair it, giving it replacement parts and inserting a mechanical heart in its cavity; thus, they're introduced to HAP, or Hysterically Angry Puppet. Hap has no recollection of his past or anything before he was discovered in the Scrap Yards, but begins to live with Victor and his family, adjusting to their way of life. Their relative peace is shattered when Gio is suddenly taken by an unknown force, and Victor and his friends make the decision to bring him back - regardless of the dangers they may face.
This novel is beautifully representative of Klune's writing, crafting a brand new world and characters that nonetheless feel real-to-life and relatable for readers. Even though the majority of characters are some form of machine or android, they nonetheless have distinct personalities and mannerisms, many of which develop and change as the story progresses. I would say that this novel is accurately described as a modern retelling of Pinocchio, although I found hints of Wizard of Oz thrown in. Klune also covers a number of pressing and relevant topics - including the complexity and range of sexuality, the rise in AI/ML, mental health, and whether humans and machines can have feelings towards the other - with great care and his signature humor and wit.
I have a few minor, personal quips about this book, however, that make it fall just shy of perfect in my perspective. I found that the dialogue was too drawn out, and at times unnecessary, especially when it came to the banter between Victor, Nurse Ratched, and Rambo. Yes, a enjoyed the jokes and jabs about Victor's sexuality (or lack thereof) and the fact that machines do not have reproductive organs, but it felt overdone and at times detracted from the story as a whole.
"In the Lives of Puppets" is nonetheless one of the books I'm most excited for in 2023 and I'm sure readers will love this newest adventure from T.J. Klune!
Thank you Tor for the advance copy of this novel!