I was very happy to receive an ARC of Klune’s new book from NetGalley. I loved his last two books, The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. I didn’t like this one quite as much, but the bar was really high, and I enjoyed the mix of humor, adventure, and heart. This felt pretty different from the last two, in that’s it’s got more science fiction and adventure.
There are a ton of literary references in this book, which at times I enjoyed and at times felt distracting. Besides the references to Pinocchio, there are also references to Frankenstein (Victor brings robot Hap to life in his lab), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Nurse Ratched), The Wizard of Oz (robots with artificial hearts, and four friends traveling to the Electric City), and Wall-E (a cute robot who loves an old-time romantic movie). There were also elements that reminded me of Wrinkle in Time and Howl’s Moving Castle.
The story begins with Gio, a robot inventor on the run from civilization, who builds a home in the forest and is handed a baby, Victor, to raise. Victor grows up knowing only his life in the forest with Gio and the robot friends they bring to life, until Gio’s past catches up with him. Victor is forced to set out with robots Hap, Rambo and Nurse Ratched on a nearly impossible quest. There’s part of the book that takes place in a creepy flying museum, and that was easily the most vivid and terrifying part of the story.
It’s a science fiction novel about a future where robots have destroyed humanity, before humans can destroy the planet. As with most dystopian stories, the robots aren’t any better at running things than the humans were, though I found it pretty hard to sympathize with the humans. It’s also a story of Victor’s coming of age, discovering who he is and what it means to be human and to love. What resonated with me was the theme of overcoming one’s programming and forgiving yourself for your past.
Klune is never subtle, but he does bring the heart you’d expect to this story. However, I struggled a little with the pacing – it felt long, and I think he relies a little too much on the Rambo and Nurse Ratched humor, which was clever and funny at first but felt a little tired after a while. I think some editing was needed. I did enjoy the development of Victor and Hap’s friendship, and Victor’s relationship with his father, but I also thought Hap and Gio needed more development beyond their guilt and their devotion to Vic.
So I had mixed feelings about this book, mainly because I loved Klune’s last two so much. I enjoyed the reminders of other favorite stories and the world Klune creates in which robots have taken over. But some of the humor and dialog felt quite repetitive, leaving me feeling the book was a bit slow compared to his others. Klune remains a must-read author for me though.
Note: I received a complimentary review copy from NetGalley and publisher Tor Books. This book published April 25, 2023.
