What to say about this book? I adored Artemis Darth Vader. She's cheeky, clever, meddling, funny, curious, and thoroughly obsessed with bacon (I can relate). I thought her character really made this book. It was interesting to see her discovering more of the world, gaining more of an understanding of humanity, but also revealing her not-human powers. Sometimes it's easy to forget Art isn't simply a sheltered little girl and that this book has a Sci-Fi element. There's a mix of action and adventure in this book to keep us on our toes, and some great and some awful characters along the way. It was also frighteningly believable. Yes, the government would probably do something sinister and appalling if the situation were real. While I did enjoy the story overall, it's actually my least favourite TJ Klune book so far. I couldn't get myself to like Nate, I found him a little bland and whiny, and though I felt like Alex's character had more potential and enjoyed seeing his interactions with Art, but also how he changed with Nate through the story. He has some great character traits, as well as a lot of feelings on the inside, but I wanted his character to be developed a little more. I didn't feel I connected with either him or Nate in the book, which was such a shame and a first for a TJ Klune book but on the flip side, there were scenes with their characters which I did enjoy so it wasn't all like that!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This is a story about found family and it's done well, as you'd expect from this author. It was entertaining but predictable, I didn't find it as heartwarming as I've found god previous novels.
TJ Klune certainly has a formula for his books - found family, justice and gay men. I think you either love or hate it - I'm somewhere in the middle and look forward to him writing something different.
Overall this was enjoyable

Thank you to @blackcrow_pr for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved TJ Klune since reading The House In The Curelean Sea and have all the newest re-releases (I won’t say I’ve read them all as I haven’t yet lol) but as soon as I started this one, I knew I was going to love it. And I did.

Who isn’t going to love a MC called Artemis Darth Vader! She’s one of the best MC’s I’ve read in ages and just amazing. She loves cowboy books and movies, and bacon! She’s hiding in Nate’s cabin with Alex and there’s something about them that Nate isn’t sure about but can’t seem to let them go. As the danger closes in, they form an unlikely alliance, and fight like they’ve never fought for someone before.

This whole book is just brilliant - fun, serious, laugh out loud and full of howdy’s! If you’re a fan of TJ Klune and bacon, this book is definitely for you.

TJ Klune's writing always hot me on my heart and this book is no different. Another emotive and inspiring piece.

Possibly my favourite TJ Klune book I've read so far. I really love the found family trope which is strong in this book. It was an interesting exploration of what it means to be human with a whole lot of adventure and a sideline of sweet queer love. Would recommend to anyone who loves TJ Klune's other books and anyone who enjoys the gentler side of speculative fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

T.J. Klune has become a must-read author for me, so when I saw this older novel had been re-released I was intrigued to read it. The plot and subject matter are fairly different from his other novels but the underpinning ideas of love, found family and acceptance are ever-present. I'd be interested to see where the writing of this fell in relation to Stranger Things, as Artemis has very Eleven vibes, but that doesn't hinder your enjoyment.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for providing me with this book in exchange of an honest review*


I could read TJ Klune's grocery store list and cry my eyes out. He's the master of found family, emotionally wrecked characters that feel 3 dimensional and never fall flat. The world-building is amazing and I couldn't put it down. Artemis Darth Vader reminded me a lot of Lucy from The House in the Cerulean Sea but she, like Lucy managed to capture my heart. If only I could re-read it for the first time!

The Bones Beneath My Skin is only my second read from TJ Klune, with the first being In The Lives of Puppets, so it's safe to say his more sci-fi leaning work is definitely the area which I'm familiar with. This novel though, was truly genre bending, with those classical sci-fi elements being strongly supported by bucketfuls of mystery, tense action, and slower, poignant moments exploring humanity, sexuality, grief and identity.

The characters were three dimensional, nuanced and real, with their relationships unfolding slowly on the page as the found family vibes stitched together in the best way. What's more, the writing was hilarious. I'm a sucker for stories about isolated / otherworldly creatures learning about the everyday nuances and objects of the world (when done right), so the jokes really landed for me here.

All in all, a great reading experience that just fell short of hitting that 5 star high for me, though Artemis Darth Vader will always hold a special place in my heart.

Another 5 star read from TJ Klune. I love that all his books are amazing and can settle down from page one in the knowledge I am going to love this book!
There was so much in this book which was full of emotion but not the usual intense romance narrative as it was more packed with suspense, mystery, supernatural and sci-fi elements. The action scenes with the helicopters was insane. I love Klune's style of writing and loved reading this book from a different genre style. I love watching Nate's opinion of Alex and Artemis change so drastically throughout the story and the bonding between Alex and Nate, and the three of them in their 'found family' trope. I loved the ending and really love it when authors do an epilogue showing whats happened so many years later.

I wanted to love this so much!!!! Absolutely gutted it just didn't hit for me. I have had some 5 star reads with this author but for some reason I just found this a bit slow-paced in places and then really rushed in others.
I liked the relationship build and the premise itself but it was just missing something for me.

We join Nate who has gone through a rough time and he seeks some escapism in his family's cabin. However the cabin isn't empty on his arrival. He meets a man called Alex and a little girl called Artemis Darth Vader. There's more to the little girl and other people know this and are looking for her.

It won't put me off picking up the author's next release!

A heart pounding thriller from TJ Clune. Unlike his previous works, this gritty, fast-paced sci-fi will have you laughing, blushing, crying and biting your nails. A masterful blend of sweet and suspense, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a great read!

A word of caution: this book is graphic! There are very detailed, maybe even gruesome depictions of gun violence, domestic violence, torture of people of a tender age, and institutional malfeasance by the government and of people in power. Proceed at your own risk

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC!

TJ Klune will always warm my soul with his books. Such a beautiful blend of the fantastic and reality. Just a high recommendation for anyone needing to have their heart touched deeply and their mind set free

Absolutely loved this book, which gripped me from the very first page to the last. I completely fell in love with the characters and adored the slowburn queer romance. TJ Klune is a master.

This was another hit from Klune. Alex was everything you wanted throughout the story. i was swept away with this one as usual and adored every moment.

This was such an enjoyable story! It was very strange, to say the least, but I feel that in itself was the charm of this book. The characters were likable, and the setting was interesting and immersive. From the very beginning I was compelled to keep on reading, and at a certain point the pages were just flying through my fingers! Definitely a book I can recommend.

Another wonderful book by TJ Klune. Nate,in an attempt to sort out his life , goes to the remote cabin which he has inherited from his estranged parents where he meets an extraordinary little girl and a man named Alex who are hiding in the cabin. However everything is not as it seems and we are taken on a rollercoaster ride of a journey across America as secrets and stories are discovered as the group tries to escape from those who are tracking them down No more spoilers! This genre of science fiction is not my usual read but the compassion and love that TJ Klune writes into his books had me hooked. I will remember Artemis Darth Vader and her quirky view on humanity and the world we live in for a long time. . Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Fans of Stranger Things and E.T.- style alien movies will get lost in this adventure novel about the family we choose and the wonders of being different.

It follows Nate, a recently-fired and lonely journalist with nowhere to go but his family’s cabin. When he gets there and finds he’s not alone - a strange little girl and her bodyguard are hiding there, armed and on the run - he’s swept up into an action-packed quest involving telekinesis, bacon-loving aliens, threatening servicemen and a grumpy soldier he has a soft spot for.

Told with the author’s signature sweetness and awe at the brilliance of human companionship, it draws you into the characters’ lives and gives you a front seat as they learn to trust each other. It switches between brutal, funny and gentle scenes, combining a whole ton of different genres, which can be jarring at times but fits the overall pace and plot line well.

I think my expectations were set unfairly high for this book as I’ve only read (and LOVED) the author’s more recent work, and this was written back in 2017, so if I enjoyed it a little less, that might just be because the author has honed his style since. Still, I’m so pleased T. J. Klune had a chance to publish this as he originally hoped - complete with all the ‘weirdness’ the world previously tried to cut or change. The result is a whole lot of action and tenderness, an authentic voice and memorable characters.

Few authors can write found family stories like TJ Klune can. Very few.

And that's essentially what this is. It´s the story about how a man with no direction in life, a gruff ex marine and a wonderful little girl (who may not be a little girl) end up becoming family.

The first few chapters before Nate meets Art and Alex are a little slow, but after that there's humor and bacon, western books and space princesses, blooming flowers and exploding helicopters. And it's so so wholesome. I love Art so very much.

I maybe could have gone without the whole cult situation but other than that it was all epic and awesome.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and TJ Klune for the advanced copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
In true TJ Klune fashion, this is another sci fi/fantasy masterpiece full of imagination-stretching topics and adventure. From the first to the last page, the action doesn’t let up, and the story was perfectly paced to keep my interest throughout.
I’m a character reader and what I appreciate about Klune’s writing is that the characters are usually richly fleshed out and described, and really come to life on the page. Their emotions are compelling and suck you in, and I found myself tearing up at the climactic ending.
Queer fiction is so important, but finding LGBTQIA fiction that isn’t full of the same tired tropes being trooped out over and over is almost impossible. Thankfully this book isn’t one of them and it was a joy to read something fresh and different. Yes, it was a romance, yes it was enemies-to-lovers, but it wasn’t tropey or cliched.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Moods: adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, funny, hopeful, mysterious, sad, tense
Tropes: enemies/friends to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, loveable rogue, widow/widower
Pace: medium-fast
Character development: strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Spice: 4/5
Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Grief, Guns/weapons, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, PTSD, Sexual content, Torture, Violence
Rating: 4.5/5

It was a very beautiful book. We return to the reflections on what it means to be human, love and family, but now from a perspective that is more science fiction than fantasy.
I really enjoyed the setting of the book, the reflections on feelings and of course, as always, the trope of the found family that this author's books always bring us. Heartwarming and sweet.