In the Lives of Puppets (edition 2023)

by TJ Klune (Author)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
1,524	50	12,748	(3.88)	24
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots, fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe. The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio, a past spent hunting humans. When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming. Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?… (more)

▾Book information

Member:	madamsandler
Title:	In the Lives of Puppets
Authors:	TJ Klune (Author)
Info:	Tor Books (2023), 432 pages
Collections:	Read in 2023, Currently reading, To read, Read but unowned
Rating:
Tags:	to-read

Work Information

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

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Showing 1-5 of 46 (next | show all)

DNF. Two stars for the author. I was unable to really care about these characters, unlike the two previous books. (

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empman74 | Nov 16, 2024 |

I absolutely love this author and the other works. This one just wasn't my favorite (and that's okay). there were so many reasons to love this one - and it really should have worked for me. But I didn't love the banter of the machines and never felt pulled into the story. I still love this author and will look for other works! And Everyone should try to read this one - the writing is still lovely. (

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Trisha_Thomas | Nov 14, 2024 |

DNF at about 20%. I am just entirely not the _target audience for this book. The didactic tone has me non-stop cringing, and none of the humor is landing with me at all. I'm just finding it so tedious.

spoko | Oct 24, 2024 |

July 2024. Got to p. 54. Nurse Ratched was far too annoying. The world-building didn't make sense. Victor's father should have told him the secret years ago. Read the last few pages; wasn't particularly surprised. Don't feel the need to read all the middle.

Cheryl_in_CC_NV | Oct 18, 2024 |

I will read anything and everything that this man puts out. I adored this book so much. I knew that since TJ Klune wrote this, I would probably cry while reading this. But I didn't expect to be as affected by this story as I was. The story was so breathtaking and compelling that I couldn't put down the book. Also the CHARACTERS!!! I loved them so much like I can't explain. Rambo has to be protected at all costs, he also deserves all of the hugs. Nurse Ratched is my spirit animal. She was hilarious. hap is 10/10. I adored him and Victor was just lovely. Like, I can't even begin to explain how much I relate to certain things about Victor. The ending though really really hurt my feelings. I highly highly highly recommend this book. (

)

mythical_library | Oct 1, 2024 |

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▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Goodreads Choice Awards (Winner – Science Fiction – 2023)

Notable Lists

The Best Books: Book Recommendations from the Multnomah County Library (Adults – 2023)

LibraryReads (Monthly Top Pick – Top Ten – April 2023)

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Canonical title

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet)

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

FOR HUMANITY: You kinda suck, but you invented books and music, so the universe will probably keep you around for a little bit longer. You got lucky. This time.

First words

In an old and lonely forest, far away from almost everything, sat a curious dwelling.

At the base of a grove of massive trees was a small, square building made of brick, overtaken by ivy and moss. Who it belonged to was anyone's guess, but from the looks of it, it had been abandoned long ago. It wasn't until a man named Giovanni Lawson (who wasn't actually a man at all) came across it while making his way through the forest that it was remembered with any purpose.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

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Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

813.6

Canonical LCC

PS3611.L86

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▾Book descriptions

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots, fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe. The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio, a past spent hunting humans. When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming. Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

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