Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - The House in the Cerulean Sea

This book is just so charming and sweet! The prose is effortlessly funny, flowing, and full of personality. These characters are so loveable. It reminded of me of how I felt discovering Neil Gaiman for the first time in middle school. One of the most pleasant reads I've had in a long time. The only downside is that the plot feels pretty thin at the start and then tries to ramp up towards the end in a way that feels pretty clunky, though the themes of oppression were consistent enough throughout to make it almost work. For example, a fairly important character gets introduced late in the game for how much she ends up mattering. This is so close to being a perfect read, though, and I really enjoyed it for what it was.

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erikagibson126's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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linearev's review

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

4.25

Really great little story about finding where you belong in a world full of mistrust and hate. I didn’t give it 5 start because the main character really frustrates me in just about 60% of the book at least. However, the supporting cast consisting of the children and Arthur (and calliope) was so great it had me kicking my feet and wishing to adopt magical creatures. My favorites (though I would never pick favorites) are Lucy, Theodore and Chauncey along with Calliope, but pretty much all the characters are amazingly written. The most no plot just vibes book ever!

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pennyante's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

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cassidy_rain's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

"And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?" Arthur asked.

Lucy pulled a face. "That's the worst treasure in the world.

They already were my friends. I want rubies."

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be- whimsical. It also gave me Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends vibes. If you love found family tropes, you’re gonna eat this up!

The book’s setting is a world where there are both “normal” people and magical beings of all varieties. It follows our main character, Linus, who is a government/case worker and his job to ensure that magical children in the orphanages are being cared for and treated appropriately. His new assignment is super classified and takes him out to investigate the children in the house of the cerulean sea.

The children are the stars of the show in this novel. They’re all so unique and quirky and I absolutely adore them all. I think the author does a great job of describing and building out the characters, I could picture them vividly in my mind. Linus has a lot of growth as a character, which I really enjoyed. You can tell he always had good intentions, however misguided. He has to unlearn a lot of propaganda which his latest assignment really helps him with.

I do think there could have been better chemistry between Linus & Arthur.

I thought there were some slow parts throughout the book. I was really unsure about the writing style in the first 25%; I felt I was reading a children’s book, but it did pick up for me after that. The chapters are on the long side which made it drag a bit. It’s a predictable story, but overall sweet and endearing. I like that the characters were able to inspire change by the end of the story.

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starlily's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

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