From New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, In the Lives of Puppets is a queer and imaginative retelling of the classic Pinocchio tale. Journey into a peculiar forest and a strange home built in the branches of ancient trees, where a family assembled from spare parts lives hidden and safe. This unique family includes Giovanni Lawson, a fatherly inventor android; a delightfully sadistic nurse machine; a small, attention-seeking vacuum; and Victor Lawson, a human.

When Vic salvages an unfamiliar android named Hap, he uncovers a shared dark past between Hap and Gio, one filled with hunting humans. Hap’s accidental actions expose the family, leading to Gio’s capture and transfer to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. The rest of Vic’s assembled family must traverse an unforgiving, otherworldly landscape to rescue Gio from decommission—or worse, reprogramming.

Amid betrayal, affection, and the challenge of loving someone with strings attached, In the Lives of Puppets explores the meaning of family, loyalty, and identity. Fans of TJ Klune will find In the Lives of Puppets a masterful, standalone fantasy adventure that is as heartfelt as it is thrilling.