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atlas_shruggs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
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
5.0
V. E. Schwab described this book like getting wrapped in a warm, gay blanket, and going into this book it was exactly what I needed. It was warm, it was comforting, it was jarring, it was uncomfortable, it was like lying on a cloud or dancing with rainbows. It was so vibrant. The shift from the scenes in the city to the scenes in Marsyas felt like switching from black and white to a world of technicolour. The character creation was beautiful, and watching them blossom over the course of the book felt like I was watching something wonderful happening before my very eyes.
I don’t feel like I can give this book a more solid review. It was perfect. It was a feeling more than a thought. I loved every moment of it.
I don’t feel like I can give this book a more solid review. It was perfect. It was a feeling more than a thought. I loved every moment of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Abandonment
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime
aymyoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Child abuse
leonormsousa's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
I once read (I don’t remember where so I’m sorry to the person who wrote it for not tagging them) that reading The House in the Cerulean Sea is like being wrapped in a cosy blanket and I honestly can’t think of a better way to describe this book.
Although it is an adult book, it almost has this fairy-tale aspect to it and I believe it could actually be read by children with no problem whatsoever. It tells a beautiful story with so many important messages of acceptance and diversity, of standing up against what’s wrong, of stopping violence, of following your dreams, of “it’s never too late to change your life”... And through this tale of a found family, a dash of a beautiful BEAUTIFUL queer romance (not I didn’t make a mistake: it’s so beautiful, it deserves the repetition!).
I wouldn’t say it is a sad book at all. It’s also not a violent book (at least not in the main meaning of the word). But it’s an extremely emotional one that just makes you want to give happiness and more happiness to these characters, with which it’s impossible not to fall in love.
Writing children is something that I believe to be extremely complicated. Yes, we’ve all been kids and we can even remember some of our childhood moments (some more than others) but going back to the mindset we had back then is not something easy at all. That’s maybe one of the biggest accomplishments of The House in the Cerulean Sea: it gives us six wonderful kids that despite all their peculiarity, are as real as it gets. Their insecurities, fears and dreams might be taken to a fantastic level, but on their basis, they’re the insecurities, fears and dreams of any kid out there (and even of some adults 😉).
The House in the Cerulean Sea is the kind of book that makes you want to restore your confidence in humanity but also the kind that makes you believe that we can do better! And that “we” begins with “I”. Choosing Linus to be our eye into the world was I believe another very clever option that is meant to show us the importance of critically evaluating the rules and traditions and preconceptions that rule the world. To challenge them, even when we have lived under them our whole lives. But also to allow ourselves to find our own happiness.
An extraordinary book, marvellously written, that I consider to be absolutely worth the hype. Needless to say that I 100 per cent recommend this book and it makes me incredibly happy to see it being published in Portugal this month by a publisher that is equally challenging the routine: Desrotina (totally feeling like a genius after writing this basic pun 😝). As for me, I already have the same-style book “Under the Whispering Door” on my shelf waiting to be read, but I’m very much curious to see how T. J. Klune has delved into other genres.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Racism, Hate crime, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Xenophobia
tomesandtash's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read and I am so sad that I didnt pick it up sooner because I have been missing out. I don't want to describe the plot because I think this book is better if you go into it with the bare bones. Linus is a case worker charged with investigating an orphanage looking after extremely special magical youth to determine if it should stay open. I loved every single character (other than the management etc) and I think I could read several more books just about their life on the island just to spend more time with them. I love that this is a standalone and wasn't stretched out to be a series because it was the perfect length to do everything it wanted to without feeling bloated or stretched out. I already miss these characters and this world and would give anything to read this again for the first time. Please read this book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Child abuse
jfield351's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.75
This was truly a wonderful, lovely, heartwarming book and I did shed a few tears at the end! I read it from the 23rd-26th of Feb and was instantly amazed and relieved that the author - TJ Klune - can write. As in, can write wonderfully. This book is going in my dymocks challenge checklist for ‘book with 5+ words in the title’. The title was perfect and somehow summed up the whole book very well. I was reading the book right up until I had to leave home and I had about 10 pages left, and when i got home i immediately finished it because I had to know what happened. I absolutely loved all the main characters, they were written so well with so much depth and I rooted for them a lot. It was just so well written, I felt what Linus felt. It’s one of the only books I’ve ever read where I didn’t care that the ending was predictable. I was also gripped when tense moments came about such as arthur taking linus down to the cellar, linus fighting with Upper management and linus returning to the island . The twist that arthur was a phoenix that had abused in this orphanage was sad and interesting but wasn’t as shocking as some other twists i’ve read. Obviously loved the epilogue that was super cute. None of the book was cheesy at all, it was genuinely so wonderful. This book was all over booktok and so it was really hyped up for me and it was well worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing, Death, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Confinement
elbe1's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
ashmknow's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Child abuse
artemis_rose_reads's review against another edition
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
4.0
Read this if:
You are looking for something heartwarming about found family, celebrating bodily differences, with a gay romance between middle age men. It also shows that a mediocre person with privilege has the power and a responsibility to stand up for those harmed by institutions and racism.
You are looking for something heartwarming about found family, celebrating bodily differences, with a gay romance between middle age men. It also shows that a mediocre person with privilege has the power and a responsibility to stand up for those harmed by institutions and racism.
Don’t read this if:
You are looking for a story that completely and satisfactorily addresses the many ways that the Sixties Scoop harmed indigenous peoples, look elsewhere. It does put the responsibilities of fixing the problems onto the privileged, however they are made into a hero because their efforts are sadly rare.
You are looking for a story that completely and satisfactorily addresses the many ways that the Sixties Scoop harmed indigenous peoples, look elsewhere. It does put the responsibilities of fixing the problems onto the privileged, however they are made into a hero because their efforts are sadly rare.
With that it mind:
If you can understand that this book is unsatisfactory when it comes to properly addressing the many horrors of stealing and institutionalizing peoples because the people in power have decided that their birth families cannot care properly for their children. However it does a fairly decent job in showing the long term emotional and mental damage that this clauses in the children, but also the adults who have also had to live through this situation.
Does it solve everything and puts all the appropriate blame on the system and then fixes the problem? Nope, not even close. This is basically a love letter to the average person who does what is in their personal power to improve and protect the happiness of those who have been hurt by government and biases against the “other”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
There is a lot of mentioning of potential triggers as it talks a lot about the traumas of foster care and a system purposely controlling underprivileged bodies and their rights. The current environment is safe, however all the children are battling the trauma from previous placements and this home is still under the control of the system. There is current bully and hate from the locals. Children also acting menacing/threatening death as a response to their previous traumas.bailey_sawka's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
oliverreeds's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
if i could rate this book higher than a five, i would do it. everything about this is incredible. i am crying from happiness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Bullying, Hate crime, Racism, and Religious bigotry