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te_ss_i's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
smleeth93's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Body shaming
Minor: Religious bigotry, Violence, Cannibalism, and Confinement
avciera7's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming and Child abuse
erikagibson126's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
linearev's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Bullying, Abandonment, Confinement, Police brutality, Child abuse, and Body shaming
pennyante's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
cassidy_rain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
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 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.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse, Body shaming, and Confinement
starlily's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Bullying, and Body shaming
Minor: Violence, Torture, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Grief
adrienanthony's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Death, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Animal death, and Death of parent
The main character has internalized fatphobia that is addressed as something to overcome in a route to self-love.mostlymetaphors's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia