This book is quite far out from the typical genres I stick to. I received it in my April 2023 FairyLoot adult subscription and I participated in the read-along on the FairyLoot Community website. Were it not for that, I doubt I would have picked up this book. But I am so glad that I did.

In the Lives of Puppets is an enchanting Pinocchio retelling in a future version of our world after robots have taken over the planet. Victor is a human who lives deep in the forest with the three robots that he calls family, until they come upon a deactivated android in the scrap yards and it changes their lives forever.

This book is thought-provoking, full of heart, and absolutely hilarious. The character interactions are among the best I’ve ever read. The side characters didn’t really do it for me, but I truly fell in love with each of four characters that make up the main cast. I really enjoyed the queer representation. This is a great read for pride month.

The world-building is definitely intriguing, but I wish there was more. I felt that we didn’t get to see enough. This book takes place in two primary locations hundreds of miles apart from each other. I would have liked to see more of what came in between.