The Bones Beneath My Skin

This book has unavoidable “Firestarter” vibes on occasion, but deep characterization and imaginative story keep it unique. The exploration of romantic and familial love and tragedy is beautifully written. There is one sex scene which is well-telegraphed and can be skipped, as the details of which are not essential to the plot. (It’s tender yet spicy and well-written!). This is a real page-turner, and as a result, I aim to read Klune’s entire back catalog! (CW: violence, homophobia, murder-suicide)

In THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN, T. J. Klune once again delivers a powerful story that tears you apart but builds you back up with its messaging. Artemis Darth Vader, "Art" to her friends, is a darling. You can't help but fall in love with her the minute she introduces herself. Nate is equally lovable, but a much messier character, as he deals with family issues. All of Mr. Klune's novels incorporate found family, sacrifice for the sake of love, and what it means to be human. In THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN, it is the nonhuman who best understands what that means and who teaches it to the boring humans. And with this book, Mr. Klune is in one of the top spots on my auto-read list. There is not a single story of his that has not caused me to show more shed tears of joy and sadness. Given how rarely I do that for any book, an author who does that is special indeed. show less

“We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars.”

First self-published in 2018, this edition of The Bones Beneath My Skin is a commercial re-issue. It’s the first book I’ve read authored by T.J. Klune but it definitely won’t be my last.

Inheriting his estranged family’s summer cabin in the mountains of Oregon couldn’t come at a better time for Washington DC journalist Nate Cartwright. Having been fired after a scandal involving a relationship with a married junior senator he needs some time out to recharge and reconsider his future. But when Nate arrives at his lakeside retreat he is shocked to find it occupied by a taciturn man named Alex with a show more gunshot wound and an extraordinary little girl with a love of western dime novels and bacon, who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

I absolutely adored this emotional, funny, thrilling novel about grief, hope, belonging, and redemption. It’s one of those rare story’s able to evoke both laughter and tears, sometimes on the same page.

Artemis Darth Vader will steal your heart, but it’s Nate who will earn it as he finds himself, much to his own bewilderment, joining the two enigmatic fugitives in a road trip across the country to take Artemis home.

There is romance (and one quite explicit sex scene) as Nate and Alex, both haunted by loss and failure, bond during the journey. However it is the relationship between Artemis and the two men that is the heart of this novel. And there is so much heart.

The need for the trio to keep moving provides momentum but it’s complemented by sustained emotional tension and the occasional action packed scene.

With its mix of contemporary sci-fi fantasy, action thriller, suspense, and romance this wonderful genre defying novel offers something for everyone willing to believe. show less

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he lost his journalist job in Washington DC. The only thing he has left is his dad’s old truck, and the family’s empty summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon. So he decides to go there to be alone - except, the cabin isn’t empty. A big gruff of a man named Alex is there. And with him is a young girl, who’s not really young, but oh is she extraordinary. She calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

It becomes clear to Nate that he has two choices. One is to wallow in the memories of his past and drown. Two is the fight for a future he never thought possible. Because it wasn’t by show more chance Nate met this duo in his cabin, he doesn’t really believe is fate or destiny either - but they’re special, and Nate will do what it takes to keep them free.

Oh I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! As always, I was not disappointed by anything TJ Klune writes; there’s found family, gayness, witty humor, and this time, bacon (all the bacon), conspiracy theories, and running from bad men!

I don’t know how Klune is able to write such realistic, multilayered characters that always end up stealing pieces of my heart and never letting it go, but he does so every single time. The little found family of Nate, Alex, and Art will live on forever in my head by the phrase, “How would Art experience this?” when going through life.

This book is more science fiction over Klune’s usual (recent) releases of fantasy, and there is a small spice scene, but I wouldn’t classify this as a sole romance. There’s more focus on the found family portion as well as Nate coming to terms with his past.

Overall, this is a wonderful, thrilling, fast pace, page turner filled with a blend of the supernatural and of the human experience that is a must-read for all.

*Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Nate has lost his journalist job at the Washington Post, lost his estranged parents to a murder/suicide, and is taking the beat-up old truck he inherited from his father up to the cabin in the woods his parents left him to try to rest and reset and figure out what’s next. But when he gets there, he finds a man with a gun and a strange little girl who isn’t exactly what she seems, and his life changes forever.

Klune being Klune, which means this is another fabulous, funny, heartbreaking, heart-mending, weird, absolute blast of a story.

**received as an ARC from the publisher

Books about extraterrestrials and their interactions with the government/military aRe totally not my normal reading jam, but I’ll give anything TJ Klune has written a chance. By the first few chapters I could already see myself getting involved with the three main characters - cynical and grieving Nate, a reporter on the lam from being fired for scandal from being a high-stakes Washington journalist (NOT reporter, thank you very much), who unexpectedly encounters Alex and Artemis who are on the actual run from a secret government base where the later was held captive for decades. Technically, none of these characters are anything extraordinary (ooh, a stoic ex-military drone, ground breaking show more [read in the tone of Miranda Priestly]), but the three of them put together with the expected drama of a high-stakes military escape still makes for a fun read. I doubt that I would have liked this book much if it had been written by anyone other than Klune, since his way with words makes even the most predictable parts of this story believable and engaging, so good for him for getting me out of my comfort zone. And the relatively light queer romance aspects of the story (that we’ve also completely come to expect from this author) is a nice little icing on the cake of a fun read. show less

This book was different from the Extraordinaries series and the House on the Cerulean Sea series, but I loved it. Artemis Darth Vader is fantastic! I love how she looks at the world, and while I don't share her love for bacon, I understand it. Alex and Nate are super cute; both checking each other out and taking their sweet time acting on their feelings. I am glad that TJ Klune believed in the power of his story enough to self publish it the first time and I am extra happy that Tor saw how awesome this book was and gave it a second publishing.