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A review by dearhaleynicole
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
After reading "In the Lives of Puppets." I'm convinced TJ Klune is one of my all-time favorite authors. I will read anything this man writes, at this point. I have SOBBED my eyes out at the now three books I've read by him (The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, and now this one). The House in the Cerulean Sea is actually my favorite book I've read to date, but I'm just such a fan of the way TJ writes his characters. They feel so real and flawed and broken and beautiful all at once. And somehow the characters work to lift each other up in such caring ways that feel so raw and genuine I think it takes me off guard most of the time. He'll sneak up with something profound and stunning like...
"What if I wish for impossible things?" "Then you're doing it right. It always seems impossible when you first start.", or
"I’ve never been more human." "Why?" Dad asked. "Because I breathe, but I can’t catch my breath."
...that just stops you in your tracks and you're like wow. Yeah. I just had a lot of moments reading this book and feeling that. The tone for In the Lives of Puppets is definitely a darker one but still finds pockets or joy and humor in the uncertainty.
I loved the observations on life, emotions and relationships TJ chose to depict amongst this odd, sweet found family group. Very heartwarming moments to read about self-discovery and purpose from not only the perspective of a human in a android society, but androids learning to feel human emotions. Such a strangely weird but amazing concept! I was surprised that this one got me so emotional. Thought this one wouldn't get me in my feels quite as much as the other books I've read from his back stock, but boy was I wrong.
Note: I listened to the audio book for the first two parts of the book and then finished off reading Part 3 from my physical copy of the book and I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook if you are able to snag a copy of it1 It was a phenomenal listen! I only switched over to my physical copy because my Libby loan ran out and I already owned the book because I'm a huge TJ Klune fan already.
"What if I wish for impossible things?" "Then you're doing it right. It always seems impossible when you first start.", or
"I’ve never been more human." "Why?" Dad asked. "Because I breathe, but I can’t catch my breath."
...that just stops you in your tracks and you're like wow. Yeah. I just had a lot of moments reading this book and feeling that. The tone for In the Lives of Puppets is definitely a darker one but still finds pockets or joy and humor in the uncertainty.
I loved the observations on life, emotions and relationships TJ chose to depict amongst this odd, sweet found family group. Very heartwarming moments to read about self-discovery and purpose from not only the perspective of a human in a android society, but androids learning to feel human emotions. Such a strangely weird but amazing concept! I was surprised that this one got me so emotional. Thought this one wouldn't get me in my feels quite as much as the other books I've read from his back stock, but boy was I wrong.
Note: I listened to the audio book for the first two parts of the book and then finished off reading Part 3 from my physical copy of the book and I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook if you are able to snag a copy of it1 It was a phenomenal listen! I only switched over to my physical copy because my Libby loan ran out and I already owned the book because I'm a huge TJ Klune fan already.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders