In the Lives of Puppets – T.J. Klune

Hidden in a home built among the branches of a secluded grove, human Victor Lawson lives with an extraordinary robot family: fatherly inventor android Giovanni, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention.

When Vic repairs an unfamiliar android labelled HAP, he uncovers a dark shared history between Hap and Gio. Their safe existence collapses when Gio is captured and taken to the City of Electric Dreams. Vic and his eccentric companions must cross an unforgiving, otherworldly landscape to save him from decommissioning or reprogramming, while Vic wrestles with betrayal, affection, and whether love can ever come without strings attached.

Inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, with the adventurous spirit of Swiss Family Robinson and WALL-E, this standalone fantasy blends cosy science fiction, queer representation, sentient robots, and T.J. Klune’s signature exploration of belonging and found family.

Rated 3.89/5 on Goodreads from more than 100,000 ratings. Readers praise its warmth, humour, heartfelt ideas about humanity, and memorable robot characters. Some found it slower paced than The House in the Cerulean Sea, but still moving and imaginative.

Perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

Popular with readers who love:

• Found family and queer representation
• Human × android romance
• Sentient robots with big personalities
• Cosy science-fiction fantasy
• Pinocchio-inspired storytelling
• Emotional healing and belonging

A trade paperback (2023) in Like New condition, appearing unread with crisp pages.