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ashylibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I read the first half from the physical book. I listen to the second half on audio. I wish I would have started this on audio from the start...
I adore the children in this book.
I adore the children in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
veronyqueso's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is such a cute story! The magical children are so charming and the main character grew immensely throughout the story. The humor is endearing and there are so many life lessons about kindness, friendship, and being yourself. The first half of the novel is kinda cheesy and slow, but I became more invested as I read on. Very wholesome read :’)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Abandonment
brianna_soto's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A sweet story with loveable characters. Found some moments between Linus and Arthur sappy, but that’s just me (I’m not really a romantic person). Themes of acceptance, speaking up against unfairness/injustice, and the journey of discovering where one belongs were expressed beautifully through this unique and wholesome story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Confinement and Death of parent
bugle's review against another edition
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this book did not live up to the hype for me. in fact, I really disliked reading most of it. there was a lot of repetition in ways that felt lazy instead of emphatic, and I found pretty much every character to be either two-dimensional or inconsistent. Linus in particular was unrelatable and often unlikable. very different characters used very similar phrasing when they spoke, the same pieces of dialogue and setting descriptors were used repeatedly, and having a character who only cared about one thing and was always doing that thing with almost no variation was frustrating. parts of the story that were clearly meant to reflect reality in this world of (imo) mediocre fantasy we so divorced from it that it left me feeling ungrounded and annoyed. in what world would one woman mayor be able to get an entire village of xenophobic shit stains to heel? the reason for her influence was inadequately explained. and the fact that Lucy assaulted someone, regardless of the reason or outcome, would never have been brushed off so easily. sal, a teenager, in the van after the outing reverently sharing the life lesson Linus taught him that day with little prompting was clearly written by an adult who has forgotten what it's like to be a child. one word was highlighted as a slur (or a word otherwise unacceptable to use in the house) early on by one of the adult MCs, but it was used after that point in the narration and in the dialogue of both adult MCs. the conflicts and resolutions felt like they were written by a white liberal for preteens (which I say judgmentally as a queer trans anarchist, not as a conservative). some things were mentioned like they were important and never brought up again, like the fact that the orphanage received no funding. the only character whose race was mentioned was the Black one (and Black wasn't even capitalized), setting whiteness as the baseline. and I still don't understand 1) how a person is supposed to be a phoenix, and 2) what TF "classified level 4" is even supposed to mean if Linus received no conseqences for having the photo on his desk. and how does this organization even have a classification tier that high if they can't even catch an employee at high risk of stealing and sharing org secrets of doing just that? lastly, I absolutely hate that Linus co-opted Sal's writing like he did, and it makes no sense that he was able to memorize that entire poem to recite it back to him weeks later. Three stars instead of two because part of the reason I'm so annoyed is because of how hyped this book was, which is not the author's fault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Xenophobia
loriley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Cute! A cozy feel good read, which is surprising given that the majority of the book feels like a clear allegory to residential schools for indigenous children in the Americas. It however, focuses less on the major issues of the institution of the magical orphanages and more on the individual characters for this particular story.
Loved the kids characters and the style of magical powers in a mundane and prejudiced world. Klune does a wonderful job of creating vibrant lovable characters. This is definitely a character driven story more than a plot driven story. Most of the story movement being Linus the MC’s change in his perception of magical people and his job at DICOMY.
My main issue for this book was the plot resolution felt very grade school fiction book-esque. There was a problem, then with little work it’s resolved. It felt anti-climactic.
Additionally, I wish the setting was a little more flushed out. What was the history of DICOMY/DICOMA and how it started. The vague history between Arthur and Mr. Handsome seemed like it was going to be super important to the plot but then wasn’t (or was, I’m unclear).
I did love the relationships that Linus developed with each of the children; especially his relationship with Lucy as his fear turns to love and indulgence.
Loved the kids characters and the style of magical powers in a mundane and prejudiced world. Klune does a wonderful job of creating vibrant lovable characters. This is definitely a character driven story more than a plot driven story. Most of the story movement being Linus the MC’s change in his perception of magical people and his job at DICOMY.
My main issue for this book was the plot resolution felt very grade school fiction book-esque. There was a problem, then with little work it’s resolved. It felt anti-climactic.
Additionally, I wish the setting was a little more flushed out. What was the history of DICOMY/DICOMA and how it started. The vague history between Arthur and Mr. Handsome seemed like it was going to be super important to the plot but then wasn’t (or was, I’m unclear).
I did love the relationships that Linus developed with each of the children; especially his relationship with Lucy as his fear turns to love and indulgence.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement
Minor: Cursing, Genocide, and Hate crime
arysuh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Le bouquin feel good par excellence. Qui nous dit, contrairement à la doxa actuelle, que même si on ne s’aime pas soi-même, il se trouvera toujours quelqu’un pour nous aimer. C’est touchant, c’est pour toutes les générations, c’est un vrai doudou 🫶🏻
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
zannayo's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I fell in love with this book. I want to read a hundred more just like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement and Abandonment
Minor: Hate crime
genesis_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A wonderfully well written novel about found family, acceptance, and learning to look beyond what's on the surface.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
jefferz's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The House in the Cerulean Sea has a plot, genre and tone that ordinarily isn’t quite my taste, but T.J. Klune’s execution and lowkey sarcastic humor kept me going. Hopefully optimistic, sweet, and a very comfortable easy read, this is not my typical genre but it’s still a novel I don’t regret picking up. The plot is predictable and some extended metaphors and social commentary are a bit on the nose (this has a tone and approach better suited for YA, apart from a few rare adult-natured jokes), but it’s unapologetically warm and has so much mass-appeal.
Other reviews describing The House in the Cerulean Sea as a modern fairy tale are quite appropriate. The style of narration told from the perspective of the main character Linus Baker evokes that nostalgic fairy tale feel that’s felt through Klune’s descriptive visuals and dialogue (the house for example screams fantasy fairy tale aesthetic, including the gorgeous interpretation on the cover). While reading this, I could instantly see this being adapted as either an animated or live-action miniseries. Linus Baker is a refreshing, atypical main character aged 40, overweight, uptight, queer, no frills government worker who serves as the perfect foil to the otherwise fantasy-filled story and cast. His constant freak-out or groaning reactions are quite funny, and Klune does a particularly good job at writing humor derived from innocently honest kid-adult interactions. The cast of “orphans” are diverse and were the highlight of the read for me, particularly Lucy’s hilariously dark humor.
As expected, there are good themes and metaphors included such as prejudice or ostracization of those that are different (magical beings are an obvious parallel to the queer or really any minority group). Nearly all the conflict and resolution has to do with this prejudice and bigotry, though the portrayal is still imo mild and only just negative enough to serve its narrative and thematic purpose. At the end of the day, this is still a cozy and comforting book that feels like a warm hug against the harshness of society. In fact, I’m convinced TJ is clever and purposely writes scenarios where as an adult jaded reader, you would expect something really bad to happen in certain situations. Repeatedly the book feels like it knows where the reader’s fears will go, and then goes in an unexpectedly positive direction (this purposeful tactic is something Heartstopper also utilized very successfully, likely contributing to why kids, teenagers, and adults all love both series).
Negatively critiquing this novel feels like kicking a puppy due to how sweet and well-meaning it is, however I cannot deny that the story occasionally felt slow for me. I likely would’ve been fully invested had I read this when I was 14-17, but as an adult, I felt like the plot and pacing was a little too rosy for me (then again, I’m heartless and love dark, hard-hitting works). Despite the stakes being high for Arthur’s orphanage during Linus’s investigation, it still felt like an overly casual and mild affair. This is the kind of read where you know everything will somehow work out perfectly, which is fine since it commits to it, but it still takes away some of the urgency for me. The synopsis also makes a point to highlight the romance in the book, but I personally felt like the romance is quite minor and serves as a small bonus rather than being a main plot point. The focus is primarily on the kids and their well-being while any romantic development is only lightly touched on occasionally. I don’t think the romance is badly done by any means, just that it’s not in the forefront and probably shouldn’t be the reason why you pick up this book to read (and ofc it’s vanilla based on the book’s content, any spice would absolutely not work with this book so you’re not going to get anything beyond a sweet kiss).
Overall though, this was a pleasant and quick read. This was obviously not going to be a favorite of mine based on the genre and style, but I thought it was successful in what it was trying to do. Well-executed, consistently paced, subtly funny with a sophisticated sarcastic kind of humor, I understand and get why The House in the Cerulean Sea is a beloved book. It also functions well as a decisive and resolved standalone novel, so I’m curious to see where T.J. Klune goes with the sequel novel due to be released soon in a few months (total coincidence that I read it now). I hear it’s written both as a sequel and as a companion novel told from Arthur’s perspective instead, I’m definitely going to give it a try when it’s out in September.
Other reviews describing The House in the Cerulean Sea as a modern fairy tale are quite appropriate. The style of narration told from the perspective of the main character Linus Baker evokes that nostalgic fairy tale feel that’s felt through Klune’s descriptive visuals and dialogue (the house for example screams fantasy fairy tale aesthetic, including the gorgeous interpretation on the cover). While reading this, I could instantly see this being adapted as either an animated or live-action miniseries. Linus Baker is a refreshing, atypical main character aged 40, overweight, uptight, queer, no frills government worker who serves as the perfect foil to the otherwise fantasy-filled story and cast. His constant freak-out or groaning reactions are quite funny, and Klune does a particularly good job at writing humor derived from innocently honest kid-adult interactions. The cast of “orphans” are diverse and were the highlight of the read for me, particularly Lucy’s hilariously dark humor.
As expected, there are good themes and metaphors included such as prejudice or ostracization of those that are different (magical beings are an obvious parallel to the queer or really any minority group). Nearly all the conflict and resolution has to do with this prejudice and bigotry, though the portrayal is still imo mild and only just negative enough to serve its narrative and thematic purpose. At the end of the day, this is still a cozy and comforting book that feels like a warm hug against the harshness of society. In fact, I’m convinced TJ is clever and purposely writes scenarios where as an adult jaded reader, you would expect something really bad to happen in certain situations. Repeatedly the book feels like it knows where the reader’s fears will go, and then goes in an unexpectedly positive direction (this purposeful tactic is something Heartstopper also utilized very successfully, likely contributing to why kids, teenagers, and adults all love both series).
Negatively critiquing this novel feels like kicking a puppy due to how sweet and well-meaning it is, however I cannot deny that the story occasionally felt slow for me. I likely would’ve been fully invested had I read this when I was 14-17, but as an adult, I felt like the plot and pacing was a little too rosy for me (then again, I’m heartless and love dark, hard-hitting works). Despite the stakes being high for Arthur’s orphanage during Linus’s investigation, it still felt like an overly casual and mild affair. This is the kind of read where you know everything will somehow work out perfectly, which is fine since it commits to it, but it still takes away some of the urgency for me. The synopsis also makes a point to highlight the romance in the book, but I personally felt like the romance is quite minor and serves as a small bonus rather than being a main plot point. The focus is primarily on the kids and their well-being while any romantic development is only lightly touched on occasionally. I don’t think the romance is badly done by any means, just that it’s not in the forefront and probably shouldn’t be the reason why you pick up this book to read (and ofc it’s vanilla based on the book’s content, any spice would absolutely not work with this book so you’re not going to get anything beyond a sweet kiss).
Overall though, this was a pleasant and quick read. This was obviously not going to be a favorite of mine based on the genre and style, but I thought it was successful in what it was trying to do. Well-executed, consistently paced, subtly funny with a sophisticated sarcastic kind of humor, I understand and get why The House in the Cerulean Sea is a beloved book. It also functions well as a decisive and resolved standalone novel, so I’m curious to see where T.J. Klune goes with the sequel novel due to be released soon in a few months (total coincidence that I read it now). I hear it’s written both as a sequel and as a companion novel told from Arthur’s perspective instead, I’m definitely going to give it a try when it’s out in September.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
katrina_golov's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of my favorite books ever.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Xenophobia