Week 44 Review: In the Lives of Puppets

From Goodreads:

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?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful stand-alone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! I've really enjoyed each T.J. Klune book, and I was excited to pick this one up, of this world with robots that have hunted humans to extinction. I adored this family, they were such vibrant characters! Like how murderous Nurse Ratched was. They were so much fun to read on this adventure! 

There are some things that don't make sense, like the origins of Vic and how that all worked. But it's not the type of story to make perfect sense, so if that's something that you need in stories then this one might be a pass. But if you don't mind, or prefer that kind of story, then this one is an option. 

Watching as they go on this quest to reclaim his dad, I loved following along. I was rooting for these characters, their interactions were so much fun. Plus the big of romance between Vic and HAP, and how Vic was embarrassed by Rambo and Nurse Ratched. I just adored them! 

That ending, man, it was so bittersweet! Just that these memories might not be there, yeah, that was sad. But there was hope, that the future would be better then it was, and that possibility was enough to make up for what they'd lost. 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by T.J. Klune! 

Author: T.J. Klune 
Read: October 30th, 2024
Source: Library
Reason Why: Love his writing and it sounded great, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: April 25th 2023 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars