Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

13 reviews

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0


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scarlett_f's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

4.0

Recommend for teens+. Pages: P. 156 'A vagina being penetrated by a penis.' P. 263 use of pot/marijuana. PP. 274, 276 'deft little bitch'. P. 363 '...shove demerits up his ass.' The Anti-Christ. Just some items to be aware of that may not be suitable for a younger age. Positive queer representation. Belonging, family, nature vs nurture, inclusion, acceptance.

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fred___'s review against another edition

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sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This was written based on the 60s scoop. Indigenous populations have discussed often that it was not an appropriate thing for a white cis author to cover (and give a happy ending to) because it dismissed the trauma indigenous populations are still living. 

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a_l_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

personal review notes:


C 7/10
A 8/10
W 5/10
P 5/10
I 4/10
L 7/10
E 5/10

-> 5.1/10
-> 3 stars

  • C: the characters were super adorable and diverse, i liked how they were described, i didn' really felt connected though & i personally don't really vibe with linus 
  • W: some feelings and situations felt over-explained, sometimes it left way too hopeful und overly positive, especially towards the end i sometimes cringed at some of the dialogues and writing
  • P: the second half the story kinda dragged on, the over all outcome was very foreseeable 
  • I: at first, i couldn't put it down and towards the end the only motivation to read was to get this book done. 
  • E: in the beginning i really enjoyed it, was alright over all, glad that i read it, wouldn't read again

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keelirae113's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is a love letter to everyone who has ever been made to feel that they don’t belong. You deserve a family who loves you just as you are, even if that means you have to go out and find them for yourself. 

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fraeyalise's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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? No

4.75

What a nice, lighthearted book. I really love this. Sometimes it was a bit heavy handed and slow, but I really loved it. The characters were amazing, and the story unfolded very gently. I could see the twists coming but it did not dampen my enjoyment of the story. 

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litliz's review against another edition

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emotional 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

5.0


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abbiechron's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-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

Seriously cannot recommend this book enough. The audiobook added lots of quirky character building with different voices. There were many smiles, heartaches, and times where I just sat laughing literally out loud. Fantastic comfort book with an undertone of mystery.

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sammirosewater's review

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adventurous emotional funny 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

4.75


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kamiellen's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"And what a party it was. There was food—so much so that Linus thought the table would collapse under the weight of it. There was roast and hot rolls and salad with cucumbers that crunched between their teeth. There was cake and pie and bowls of tart raspberries they could dip in cream.

And music! All kinds of music. There was a record player sitting on the counter, and the day the music died was bright and loud with Ritchie and Buddy and the Big Bopper singing from beyond. Lucy was in charge, and he never failed to disappoint.

They laughed on this day. Oh, how they laughed. Even though Linus thought his heart was breaking, he laughed until there were tears in his eyes, until he was sure his sides would split. As the sun began to set and the lanterns grew brighter, they laughed and laughed and laughed."
• • •

On paper, this book was right up my alley: gay romance, misfit children, magical beings, a home on the sea, a small town, outdoor adventures, cynicism becoming optimism, confronting discrimination, sticking it to the man... And the truth is, I liked it! Bit I didn't love it. It didn't blow me away. As heartwarming as it was, I felt that the world-building was lacking, some of the character development was lackluster, and the writing was littered with clichés—and that really reduced the impact of the story for me. Nevertheless, we love gay happy endings!

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