Another gorgeous, heartwarming book from T.J. Klune. A weird and wonderful sci-fi romp with tons of action and unforgettable characters. Highly recommended.

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune and narrated by: Kirt Graves was one audiobook that will stick with me for a long time, it just took my breath away. The way this author writes is so magical and such a powerful book especially as I had to reach for my tissues. Just beautiful from start to finish.

Set in the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright, has lost everything, he is a man weighed down by grief and loss. With the death of his parents, and his older brother wants nothing to do with him and now he has been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. Nate's life is at a standstill with nothing to loose he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction.
When he reaches the cabin it should be empty. It's not. Inside is a man called Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.

Nate must make a big choice:

does he let himself drown in the memories of his past,
or
Does he fight for a future he never thought possible. Because this girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

What ever make decisions he will make, will alter his life forever.

WoW, this book was ExCeLlEnT. . . . . . .

The narrator Kirt Graves was superb.

I highly recommend this audiobook/book. It was so magical. I just have to have the hardback on my book shelf, the cover is so beautiful.

Wow! What can I say. This is my first time reading in of T J Klunes books and it was a masterpiece. At the beginning I wasn't to sure about where it was going but by the end let me tell you I was hooked.

This book is in its essence a love story and a story of hope and loss and how we as humans deal with that. You have the two main characters Nate and Alex, then we are introduced to Art. At first you think it's going to be a sappy love story but this book is so much more than that. It reaches into a part of your soul and captures it and you are silently egging the main characters on.

There is lots of action some steamy scenes but that's doesn't take away from the beautiful story.

There are some unexpected twists and turns along the way and the ending is beautifully done and even possibly (maybe I'm being hopeful) sets it up nicely for a second book.

Go get this book and read it as it's beautiful.

Drop everything! If you know me, you know that I adore TJ Klune, but The Bones Beneath My Skin has completely wrecked me—in the best way possible.

Klune is the master of found family, and this book proves it yet again. It has everything I love in a story: painful loneliness, a protagonist searching for a purpose in life, and an unlikely trio that will steal your heart.

Nate Cartwright has been abandoned by those who were meant to love him unconditionally. But when he meets tough guy Alex and the utterly extraordinary Artemis Darth Vader, his world shifts forever.

And let’s talk about Art for a second... Artemis. Darth. Vader. I dare you to read this book and not fall hopelessly in love with this sharp, quirky, fiercely brilliant little girl. She’s the heart of this story, and every scene with her is pure magic.

This book leans more into sci-fi than Klune’s usual fantasy, but rest assured, the emotional depth and warmth of his writing remain. There’s government secrets hidden beneath the mountain, a relentless “who can you trust?” element, and tension that will have you flipping pages like your life depends on it. But beneath all the intrigue and danger, this is a story about choosing love, even when the world tells you not to.

Nate, Alex, and Art—they mean everything. To each other and to the reader. Their connection forms in the most unexpected way, and against all odds, they create something unbreakable. And that ending? I’ll be thinking about it forever.

Once again, TJ Klune has outdone himself. I laughed, I cried, and I’ll be treasuring this book forever, like a (space) princess with a growing pile of cosy, metaphorical blankets that Klune keeps writing for me. If you love found family, heart-stopping thrills, and characters that get under your skin, The Bones Beneath My Skin is an absolute must-read.

Woahhhhh this book was an absolute tornado of craziness and love and heartbreak! If you love a good road trip story with found family and some out-of-this-world mystery, conspiracy theory galore and two broken guys healing from their grief, this one is for you!

Nate Cartwright has wrecked his life; estranged from his family and fired from his job, he just wants to go off-grid and try to find himself… instead he finds a mysterious man and a strange little girl squatting in his cabin. Alex and Artemis Darth Vader are strange people, and they only get stranger the more Nate learns. But it quickly becomes apparent that people are after Art and Alex would do anything to save her. Despite wanting nothing to do with them, Nate finds himself wrapped up in their chaos as they careen across the USA, trying to stay one step ahead from their shadowy pursuers, forging their own tight-knit family as they go.

I loved the fierce protectiveness that builds between the three runaways. It’s a story about humanity, as observed from the outside, its positives and its failings, as well as healing from grief and building your own family.

I also love the subtle hints that TJK drops from his other books - with the gang passing through Green Creek and meeting Big Eddie and Benji in Roseland! All I wanted was for a big ol’ wolf to stumble into the path of their truck (stupid Carter) but alas, we can’t always have what we want 😹

Read The Bones Beneath My Skin for:
✨ Found family
✨ Love, heartbreak and healing
✨ Roadtrip, but hunted by the government
✨ Nothing is as it seems
✨ Protecting your definitely-human kid
✨ Area 51 is the least of your worries
✨ What truly makes us human?
✨ Cults are always bad news
✨ Fuck the government, amirite?

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book (although I waited to get my physical copy to post my review 😻)

This book is delightfully weird in the best way. TJ Klune’s unique writing style is perfectly represented in this novel.
A great sci-fi novel about found family, loyalty; love and connections.

Although I didn't expect this story to be cosy and romantic, I had not anticipated how serious and action packed the novel would be throughout its plot.

I'm trying to keep this spoiler free.

Nate, Alex and Art meet in Nate's cabin in the mountains of Oregon. Nate recently inherited the cabin after a family tragedy, he was also fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. Alex and Art are on the run and hiding in the cabin. Art is a ten year old girl who likes to read her way through the books in Nate's cabin and ask lots of questions about the books and the world around her. Alex seems to be her bodyguard. Soon the three of them have to flee from the cabin and their road trip/flight brings them to the East Coast of the USA.

This "road trip" brings them together and also changes them from being strangers to each other to being that beloved found family Klune writes so well.

It took me about a third into the book to really get invested in the story. At first I thought it was so un-Klune-like, it was more Sci-Fi and Thriller heavy than anything I have read by Klune before. I was missing the humour, but then it hooked me with the unique Klune writing style, the found family vibes, and the feels that made me blubber more than once. I'm glad I gave this book a chance.

Oh my goodness TJ Klune has done it again. What a book! The characters have my heart and they have well no truly shattered it into pieces and then slowly put it back together. Artemis Darin Vader <3 honestly the complexity of these characters are just fantastic and no words can do them justice. No author will ever be able to perfect the found family trope like TJ Klune … never!

I also love how imaginative the plot for this book is, just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I couldn’t be more wrong. I was hooked from part one.

I would love to read this book for the first time all over again and I am jealous of anyone that now has the opportunity to do that. I will recommend this to everyone and thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book early.

This book is not my typical genre, with it being more sci-fi rather than fantasy. However, I found this to be a very enjoyable read. TJ Klune’s writing style had me hooked on the story and invested in the characters. I particularly enjoyed the discussion around LGBT discrimination being a part of the community myself.
I was unsure what direction the plot was going to go in, but remained engaged in the story throughout.

TJ Klune has to be one of the greatest authors of our time. Incorporating the weird and wonderful into the most beautiful stories is a talent that I don't think many other authors have.

I fell in love with this book almost immediately. I loved a found family story, it warms my heart in ways that nothing else can. Nate, Alex and Artemis are a trio from heaven (or maybe a galaxy far, far away). There were moments that I laughed, moments I couldn't blink because of the action and moments that I cried.

Immediately buying this book and treasuring it forever. I cannot fault a single thing.

I would read anything this man wrote. Everything I've read of his so far has been a heart wrenching, hilarious, beautifully written gem! This is no exception!

I loved the characters, they couldn't have been any more different than each other and yet so well matched. Knitting together a group of weird and wonderful characters each and every single time he writes and forcing you to fall in love with them.

As always Klune has a way of reaching in and plucking at your heartstrings at the same time as making you howl with laughter at the characters wit. The stories are always interesting and thought provoking and stay with me long after I've stopped reading.

Klune is the absolute King of the weird, found families. Long may he reign!

When I was asked if I'd like to read this book, I jumped at the chance. Klune creates such wonderful characters and this was no different.

They are three main characters, two men and a young girl; or is she? Artemis is about ten, precocious and wonderfully enchanting. Alex is her bodyguard; ex military and a big toughie except when he's plaiting hair. And then Nate, he's kinda lost himself.

Set in 1995, a comet is sweeping past Earth and theories abound about alien ships hidden in the tail. Nate has lost his parents, his job and intends to runaway and hide in the family cabin in Oregon. When he arrives, he faces the end of a gun. Who is this strange child and fierce man hiding in his cabin?

What ensues is typical Klune: thought provoking events that make you question what makes a family, can you choose your family? How do we decide who is a worthy person? All set against government cover ups, possible alien sightings and a road trip. I pretty much read this over a few days. Lovely....

Thanks to Pan MacMillan Tor and Netgalley for an e-arc, all comments are my own.

TJ Klune will always be one of my favourite authors and each book he writes solidifies that sentiment. Klune manages to make the fantastical feel real, so much so that a little girl name Artemis Darth Vader will be etched in my mind for a long time to come.
This is a truly wonderful story about connection and found family and will leave you wondering if any of us are truly alone?
This book of perfect for sci-fi lovers and those who are looking to find an easy way into the genre.

4.5 stars
This feels like the perfect intersection of Klune’s writing in The House in the Cerulean Sea and the Green Creek series. As Klune says in the author note, The Bones Beneath My Skin is weird, but in the best way, filled with heart and found family and hope.

If you’ve read Klune’s books before, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, then prepare for a delightful blend of found family, queer romance, a touch of spice (it made me blush!), and a protagonist who starts as a skeptic and eventually believes.

TBBMS is Klune through and through. And that’s not a bad thing at all. I absolutely adore his books and writing. They may take a bit of time to get going, but once they do, they don’t stop until the very end.

The only minor critique I have is about the 10-year-old girl. She did get on my nerves a few times, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The action is fast and exciting, and the romance never feels forced or out of place.

TBBMS reads like an action movie, and in the author’s notes, Klune himself admits it. He’s managed to create characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, and that’s what this book is all about: love and heartbreak. Finding love in the darkest of places. Finding love in the most unexpected of places.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Sooooo, what can I possibly say about The Bones Beneath My Skin that can do it justice? This book follows three beautifully flawed and intriguing characters, including the wonderfully named 'Artemis Darth Vader', whilst they're on the run (from who, I'll let you find out yourself).

T.J. Klune's writing is unusual in all the best ways. The way he meshed the fantastical with the romantic gripped me when I read Wolfsong, so I was thrilled to read this one and find an action movie x sci-fi mash-up (with romance embedded, of course!).

If you love conspiracy theories, cults, big fight scenes, and crazy powerful little girls, this book is for you. And, even if you don't, I honestly think there's something in this book for everyone. The Bones Beneath My Skin was released TODAY, so what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself a copy!

Thanks for the ugly crying last night, T.J. Klune!

What a beautiful story. The relationship between Alex, Nate, and Art was both heartwarming and incredibly authentic. While this book was more graphic than others I’ve read by Klune, it never felt excessive or out of place—it all fit naturally within the story.

Some of the plot points were a bit predictable, but in a cozy, relationship-driven book, that can actually be a strength. The real draw is the characters, and the story serves as a perfect backdrop to their journey.

I don’t want to spoil any of the twists and turns, but if you love cozy, queer stories, this one is definitely for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book.

As to be expected, I loved this story. Klune's ability to write great, 3 dimensional characters is unparalleled. All of his stories are both extremely character driven but also have great plots - and this one followed that blueprint to a T.
Despite my love for the characters, I do think the story took a little while to pick up. Whilst this didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book, it did slow down my reading speed and make it a little bit of a slog at times.
Overall, I had a great time with this book and will definitely be rereading in the future!

I love these gay man has a crisis about his lonely boring job and goes somewhere secluded to meet an older man and some form of child and then falls in love with the man and basically adopts the child. This one is alien based and still absolutely delightful. I miss reading it already.

A sci-fi novel about grief, found family and empathy from bestseller TJ Klune. Well written as all of Klune's books are but not particularly interesting to read. Essentially a mashup of ET and Stranger Things, but lacking the nuance and subtlety of his other titles. Not one for me.