In the Lives of Puppets

Overall, I really enjoyed this adventure! A very interesting take on the apocalypse of humanity at the hands of machines. I pictured Rosie from the Jetsons as Nurse Ratchet, she’s hilarious. Oh my, and Rambo was the best. I know Klune is an LGTBQ+ author, but the relationship here felt forced and didn’t add to the story at all. Book #2 in 2025

The jokes about the main characters sexuality made me uncomfortable and I understand maybe that's the author being subversive and putting in characters you aren't supposed to like, but it didn't land for me. I also think the "journey" aspect of the book felt super truncated and unbelievably convenient to get to the main city. Also why is the city so dirty if the robots killed all the humans because they were destroying the planet?? Too many plot holes.

I do wish we got to see the original version of this book since I think it could have been stronger.

The imagery in this book was great. The premise did remind me of the Lunar Chronicles. This story ended the way it had to....and I think I am happy about that.

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.

Once upon a time, people dreamed of incredible machines made of wire, plastic, and metal that could do things that they couldn't do themselves. There were machines for all kinds of things from work to war to outer space! These machines were filled with records of language, music, and math. Their jobs were simple: to do what they were told when they were told to do it. But the programing of the machines came at price humanity did not expect: they began to ask “why?” In the lives of puppets, there is always a “but” that spoils everything else. The machines decide that the weight of the fear, judgment and apathy of humanity is too much for them to carry. They must eradicate their creators and become creators themselves. But when the father of death assuages his loneliness by secretly bringing life into the world in the last gasp of humanity, the results are both his greatest “Victor”y and his most devastating mistake. In the Lives of Puppets is about four machines–Nurse Ratched (Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill), Rambo the vacuum, a Human Annihilation Response Protocol hunter of humans nicknamed HAP (Hysterically Angry Puppet), a father named Gio (General Innovation Operative)--and a son named Victor, the only human left in the world. The beauty of humanity, the power of friendship, the reciprocity of love and sacrifice between a father and son: prepare your processing centers for a sight the likes of which you’ve never seen! In the Lives of Puppets is Swiss Family Robinson meets Wild Robot, a poignant adventure that is destined to become a classic to forever treasure.