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Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Author: T.J. Klune
Series: Cerulean Chronicles #2
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: September 10, 2024
T H R E E • W O R D S
Magical • Wholesome • Repetitive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.
He's the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.
Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.
But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.
And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they're at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'll admit I was absolutely shocked when T.J. Klune announced Somewhere Beyond the Sea, the sequel to the much beloved House in the Cerulean Sea. I honestly didn't think it needed a follow up, yet I was definitely curious. My curiosity made it an easy add to my TBR and landed on my 2024 most anticipated releases list.
This follow up is Arthur's story and at times really read like a long monologue, which often took me out of the story itself. I'll admit is was like coming home to be back on Marsyas Island and I still absolutely loved all the characters. However, I felt like there was too much backtracking to the previous book and lots of things felt the same as in the first book. Additionally, I thought the narrative lagged as it veered into the preachy lane.
Yes it had the same whimsical and happy tone, yet sadly for me, Somewhere Beyond the Sea felt entirely unnecessary. The book isn't bad it just isn't the same and didn't feel as refreshing as I would have wanted it too. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe it just didn't need to be written. It was worth the read, but could also easily be read as a standalone without reading book one.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• good people doing good things
• the characters from The House in the Ceulean Sea
⚠️ CW: child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting, bullying, confinement, abandonment, xenophobia, racism, homophobia, transphobia, death, death of parent, grief, forced institutionalization, hate crime, violence, body shaming, religious bigotry, cursing
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But I believe the greatest weapon we have at our disposal is our voices. And I am going to use my voice for you, and for me. Hate is loud. We are louder."
"There is magic in the ordinary, magic that has the power to change the world."
"Even the smallest of things can change the world, if only one is brave enough to try."
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Cursing
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, War
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation