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In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune book cover
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In the Lives of Puppets

by TJ Klune
400 pages 2023 Science Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Fairy Tale Retelling 🌶️ Clean Standalone
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The Vibe

A Pinocchio retelling set in a world where humans are extinct and robots rule. Vic lives in the forest with his android father and robot companions — and when one of them is taken, they set off to get him back. TJ Klune turns a fairy tale into a meditation on what it means to be real, to be free, and to belong.

Mood Meter

Romance
5/10
Fantasy / Magic
8/10
Pacing
7/10
Darkness
4/10
Humor
7/10
Angst
6/10

Mood Tags

CozyEmotionalAdventurousHeartwarming

Trope Tags

LGBTQ+Found FamilyPinocchio RetellingRobot Companions

Spice Check

🌶️ Clean

Clean — the warmth is emotional, not physical.

Content Heads-Up

Is This Book for You?

Skip if you dislike:

Ending: HEA
Pacing: Medium

What This Book Feels Like

Moods: Cozy Emotional Adventurous Heartwarming

Tropes: LGBTQ+ Found Family Pinocchio Retelling Robot Companions

If You Loved This, Try These

Under the Whispering Door
TJ Klune
Same author, same cozy emotional magic
Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro
Robot consciousness and what it means to love
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Becky Chambers
Quiet hopeful story about robots and purpose

Frequently Asked Questions

Is In the Lives of Puppets connected to Klune's other books?

Same author universe in terms of tone, but a completely separate story.

Is it primarily sci-fi or fantasy?

A blend — robot world with fantasy-adventure structure and fairy tale heart.

Is it sad?

There are emotional moments, but the overall tone is hopeful and warm.

Keep Exploring

Books Like In the Lives of Puppets More by TJ Klune Cozy BooksEmotional BooksAdventurous Books LGBTQ+ BooksFound Family BooksPinocchio Retelling Books All Books Take the Quiz Subscribe

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How this guide was built

Every Sort By Cravings guide is written after a full read-through — not scraped from publisher blurbs or Amazon summaries. We map tropes directly from the text, cross-reference BookTok and Goodreads reader reactions across 500+ community posts, and calibrate heat ratings against reader consensus before publishing. Mood tags, spice numbers, and “skip if” notes reflect actual reading experience. Read our editorial standards.

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