Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder
emotional
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Xenophobia, Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read For:
Fantasy
Slow Burn
Found Family
Idiots in Love
Happy Ending
Think Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children vibes but kinda queer. I just felt kinda neutral about it. The humor was okay, the characters were okay, and the setting was kinda meh. I just felt like I had to force myself to keep reading and if I didn’t already own the book I would have stopped. Also, I thought there would be more queer rep to be honest so that was kinda disappointing. Not to mention the fatphobia.
I wasn’t going to read this given the reviews I’ve been seeing recently, however, I already own the first two books so I figured I’d see if it was as bad as some of the reviews were saying. And honestly, I just didn’t understand the hype about it. Even not knowing what the book was based on it was barely a 3-star rating for me, it just fell flat to me.
However, learning that this was based on the Sixties Scoop and how the author decided to turn what was a cruel and tragic piece of history he read about on Wikipedia about how the Canadian government removed a bunch of indigenous children from their literal homes and away from their family only to be adopted to white, middle-class families and he then took that information and basically turned it into a happy little fantasy where the kids live not in an “orphanage” but a “home” like, dude, why?
This kind of thing is still something native people are dealing with and as a white person, it should not be something you’re involved in like this. In America the Supreme Court literally is going to be voting soon on overturning ICWA so states can regain control to remove Native children from their homes and families, this isn’t just some fantasy. This story could have been written way better and in a way that did romanticize trauma and make light of a literal genocide.
I just wouldn’t recommend this one. There are some links on where I got my information from if you’re interested along with two reviews I think do a better job of explaining this than I did.
Links:
Source: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A617930246/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=bookmark-ITBC&xid=0efbabda
Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixties_Scoop
Helpful Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4032060130
Another Helpful Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3601407534
Rep: Achillean, Queer MC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
Complicated
What a lovely, lovely book about humanity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
"Don't you wish you were here?"
This question is asked several times throughout the book and each time its asked it becomes more important and the answer becomes stronger. And my answer, every single time it's asked, is yes, more than anything.
I don't exactly know what I was expecting when I started reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, I certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love with it and the characters the way that I have.
Cerulean Sea is an incredibly important narrative. It's not a story about prejudice, and discrimination, and fear, and hate though those are powerful themes within the story. No, it's a story about overcoming all of that, it's a story about strength and how it only takes a few voices at the start to make a real change and difference. This is a story about compassion, empathy, understanding, and most of all, love.
It's a shame that we still live in a time where people can relate to the characters in this book but it's because we live in such times that this story is so vital. Linus, Arthur, Zoe, and the children are symbols of hope when things feel impossible. The world is changing for the better though it can be hard to see that at times.
The story delves into themes that have faced the human race for a very long time. Institutional discrimination, the phrase "See Something, Say Something" a rather stark reminder of the way certain groups have been treated by society for many years, even today. Hatred and fear spurned on by a lack of understanding and a refusal to learn. It even delves into how children are often failed by societies that don't truly accept them, the dangers of treating children like numbers in a system rather than human beings. Yet despite all the hardships, there is hope, because a single, tiny flame can spread. A single person raising their voice can make a huge difference in the long run.
Cerulean Sea, at its core, is a love story. Though romance is part of it, it's more than a romance story. It's love in so many forms. Acceptance, self acceptance, family, compassion, understanding. It's all so important.
Love and education are stronger than prejudice, regardless of how stubborn hate may be. Linus and Arthur are symbols of that in so many ways.
I also admire the representation in this story. A realistic depiction of middle aged gay men as more than just middle aged gay men is fantastic to read about.
We are more than what others think of us and we are more than the factors that make us up. I absolutely adore this book, so deeply.
This question is asked several times throughout the book and each time its asked it becomes more important and the answer becomes stronger. And my answer, every single time it's asked, is yes, more than anything.
I don't exactly know what I was expecting when I started reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, I certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love with it and the characters the way that I have.
Cerulean Sea is an incredibly important narrative. It's not a story about prejudice, and discrimination, and fear, and hate though those are powerful themes within the story. No, it's a story about overcoming all of that, it's a story about strength and how it only takes a few voices at the start to make a real change and difference. This is a story about compassion, empathy, understanding, and most of all, love.
It's a shame that we still live in a time where people can relate to the characters in this book but it's because we live in such times that this story is so vital. Linus, Arthur, Zoe, and the children are symbols of hope when things feel impossible. The world is changing for the better though it can be hard to see that at times.
The story delves into themes that have faced the human race for a very long time. Institutional discrimination, the phrase "See Something, Say Something" a rather stark reminder of the way certain groups have been treated by society for many years, even today. Hatred and fear spurned on by a lack of understanding and a refusal to learn. It even delves into how children are often failed by societies that don't truly accept them, the dangers of treating children like numbers in a system rather than human beings. Yet despite all the hardships, there is hope, because a single, tiny flame can spread. A single person raising their voice can make a huge difference in the long run.
Cerulean Sea, at its core, is a love story. Though romance is part of it, it's more than a romance story. It's love in so many forms. Acceptance, self acceptance, family, compassion, understanding. It's all so important.
Love and education are stronger than prejudice, regardless of how stubborn hate may be. Linus and Arthur are symbols of that in so many ways.
I also admire the representation in this story. A realistic depiction of middle aged gay men as more than just middle aged gay men is fantastic to read about.
We are more than what others think of us and we are more than the factors that make us up. I absolutely adore this book, so deeply.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved the personalities in this story and the palpable familial love. Everyone was very charming and it was delightful and charming to follow their stories. My only complaint is that the actual core story of the book, about the rip-off Harry Potter ministry and the backstory at the end blah blah, was quite boring to me and took up far too much time in the book. I wish there had been a more original and more enticing foundation of logic/exposition for the story’s characters to work off of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia
Moderate: Xenophobia, Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent
I really liked this book but, until the very end, the main character is very frequently described as fat in a demeaning/self-hating way (from his own POV), until the VERY end when the author very briefly mentions that maybe now he doesn’t mind his extra fat so much because now he has found love/confidence (basically). In the end, I guess that’s technically a win, but the whole narrative is extremely negative toward fat bodies for the entire book, literally for no reason at all. It didn’t need to be in the story at all.