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Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'
La casa en el mar más azul. Edición especial: Edición especial con cantos tintados by T.J. Klune, Carlos Abreu Fetter
228 reviews
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:
Complicated
I can't wait to also devour the sequel!!! This was truly such a lovely, enjoyable read. I adored all the children, Linus's character arc, the (mostly) pleasant plot twists, and last but not least - queer love written so tenderly and lovingly.
Content Warnings
Minor: Physical abuse, Car accident, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Wholesome and easy to follow, I found it to be predictable and unsubtle with its allegories (and at times a bit reductive) but most of the time I didn't mind that too much, I knew what I was in for with a YA found family story. Overall a comforting read, exactly the vibe I was after, left feeling warm and fuzzy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror, Mental illness, Blood, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
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
I'm very conflicted. I read this book as a queer person who has struggled with self-love and self-image, and I absolutely loved the story because of that. A review from V.E. Schwab on the cover of the copy I own reads "It is like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket." and that couldn't be more accurate. All the characters are wonderful, and I fell in love with each of them as they grew and changed. They are all unique but support each other, and there are constant affirmations of how perfect, and loved each child in the orphanage is. There are strong themes of chosen family, self-love, healing through trauma, following your passions, and finding a community who loves you for you and nothing else. There are also definite themes of discrimination in the book, and based on the protagonists, I got the impression it was against queer or disabled people who are often 'othered' in society. Linus also stumbles into the most wholesome romance with the master of the orphanage, and watching their romance blossom while also challenging each other's worldviews was wonderful. I found the unconditional love in an otherwise cruel, grey world to be beautiful. The House in the Cerulean Sea is very different from anything I've ready in quite a while.
All that being said, I've also been informed that Klune was drawing inspiration from the Sixties Scoop to write this book. (The Sixties Scoop was a period from the mid- 1950s to 1980s in Canada where a series of policies were enacted that enabled child welfare authorities to take indigenous children from their families for placement in foster homes. It's estimated that about 20,000 children were taken from the communities and birth families during this time.) I did not see this while reading, though if it is a comparison Klune meant to make, it's a distasteful one. The overall tone is a self-love & acceptance fantasy, which I know does not mirror the reality so many children and families faced during that time. As a non-indigenous person I cannot speak more to this issue, so I'd highly recommend looking into those implications and reading/hearing indigenous perspectives on this book.
Based on the above fact, I have a hard time recommending this book to others. I enjoyed it immensely while reading, but find discomfort in Klune's inspirations and the possible effects, hurt, and misrepresentation there.
All that being said, I've also been informed that Klune was drawing inspiration from the Sixties Scoop to write this book. (The Sixties Scoop was a period from the mid- 1950s to 1980s in Canada where a series of policies were enacted that enabled child welfare authorities to take indigenous children from their families for placement in foster homes. It's estimated that about 20,000 children were taken from the communities and birth families during this time.) I did not see this while reading, though if it is a comparison Klune meant to make, it's a distasteful one. The overall tone is a self-love & acceptance fantasy, which I know does not mirror the reality so many children and families faced during that time. As a non-indigenous person I cannot speak more to this issue, so I'd highly recommend looking into those implications and reading/hearing indigenous perspectives on this book.
Based on the above fact, I have a hard time recommending this book to others. I enjoyed it immensely while reading, but find discomfort in Klune's inspirations and the possible effects, hurt, and misrepresentation there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
*clapping hands with every other word* i don't know where to begin with praising this booook. i love this book SO muuuuuch.
the prose is excellent and brimming with personality. there are so many little word choices or details i adore, or descriptions of a character's mannerisms that made me grin or giggle or just kind of wiggle around in my chair. the dialogue between characters throughout is so enjoyable.
i love the island. i love linus. i love zoe so much. i love arthur and i love all the kids;i'd sell a man's soul to lucy for one corn chip . they each have their own voice and presence throughout the book, and i love the gentle changes and shifts in how linus responds to and approaches them.
i'd go into "things i liked" and "things that didn't jive", but i'm not sure that i can with this book. i'd have to thoroughly comb through it again to find the latter, and i feel even those would be more in the realm of nit-picking. and for the "thinks i liked" list, you may as well just rewrite the book in bullet-list form. i genuinely enjoyed this book so much, and i'll be excited to return to it in the future.
yeah, i really do wish i was there.
the prose is excellent and brimming with personality. there are so many little word choices or details i adore, or descriptions of a character's mannerisms that made me grin or giggle or just kind of wiggle around in my chair. the dialogue between characters throughout is so enjoyable.
i love the island. i love linus. i love zoe so much. i love arthur and i love all the kids;
i'd go into "things i liked" and "things that didn't jive", but i'm not sure that i can with this book. i'd have to thoroughly comb through it again to find the latter, and i feel even those would be more in the realm of nit-picking. and for the "thinks i liked" list, you may as well just rewrite the book in bullet-list form. i genuinely enjoyed this book so much, and i'll be excited to return to it in the future.
yeah, i really do wish i was there.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Racism
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Physical abuse
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Stunning book! Need to comb through again to find my favorite passages! Loved it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Minor: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
CRIED
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Classism
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book a bit grating and trite. It had a plot that I thought I would enjoy but I didn't.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Violence