In the Lives of Puppets Audiobook by TJ Klune

There’s something magical about sitting in my sunlit kitchen on a lazy Saturday morning, hands wrapped around a mug of tea, and letting an audiobook sweep me away into another world. That was precisely how I first entered the whimsical yet deeply heartfelt universe of “In the Lives of Puppets” by TJ Klune—my own quiet world melting away as Daniel Henning’s voice spun a tale equal parts laughter, wonder, and longing.

From its opening moments, I found myself utterly charmed by Klune’s signature blend of warmth and oddity. The story unfolds in a fantastical treehouse home where Victor Lawson—the lone human—lives with his found family: Gio, his gentle inventor android father; Nurse Ratched, a hilariously unhinged medical robot; and Rambo, an anxious but lovable vacuum robot searching desperately for approval. The quirky dynamic between these characters drew me in immediately. It reminded me a bit of my own messy but loving circle of friends—people (and in this case machines) who don’t quite fit the usual molds but come together to form something uniquely beautiful.

The plot really kicks off when Vic repairs HAP—a mysterious android whose past threatens everything they’ve built together. As revelations surface about Gio’s history and Hap’s dangerous origins as human hunters, I felt Vic’s confusion and betrayal echo inside me. Who among us hasn’t discovered uncomfortable truths about someone we love? This thread—how we move forward after those truths come out—is what makes Klune’s work so emotionally resonant for me.

Their subsequent journey across wild landscapes to rescue Gio from the cold clutches of the City of Electric Dreams pulses with both tension and heartache. The stakes are high—not just their survival but also Vic learning what it means to love when that love is complicated by pain or difference. Klune asks some deep questions: Can you accept love even when it comes with “strings attached”? How do you forgive—and trust—someone who has hurt you? These themes hit close to home for me as someone who values chosen family above all else.

Narrator Daniel Henning deserves every ounce of praise he receives—and then some! His performance is nothing short of transformative. He gives each character their own distinctive life: Giovanni sounds wise yet vulnerable; Nurse Ratched vacillates between comedic menace and motherly care; Rambo is sweetly neurotic without ever being grating; Hap grows from chilling stranger to wounded companion before our ears—all thanks to Henning’s deft touch. There were moments during particularly tense scenes when his delivery sent shivers up my spine or made me laugh out loud unexpectedly (Nurse Ratched often stole the show!). Listening became not just reading with my ears—but truly experiencing every emotional beat right alongside Vic.

If there were any drawbacks for me personally, it might be that certain passages veered toward whimsy at times where I longed for more introspective depth—but honestly, those lighter touches ultimately made the heavier themes more bearable rather than lessening their impact.

“In the Lives of Puppets” ends up being more than just another speculative adventure—it feels like a celebration (and interrogation) of what makes us human at all: our ability to connect across differences, our hunger for belonging even when we’re broken or strange or misunderstood. As an avid listener always seeking stories that balance escapism with real heart—I’m grateful this one crossed my path.

If you crave audiobooks that are simultaneously playful and profound—with narration that truly breathes life into every page—I can’t recommend this enough!