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Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'
La casa en el mar más azul. Edición especial: Edición especial con cantos tintados by TJ Klune, Carlos Abreu Fetter
122 reviews
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book truly deserves all the praise it gets and more. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would because it was truly that perfect of a book. It has definitely become one of my top favorite books ever now and is probably tied for number one if I'm being honest.
I have never read any of TJ Klune's books before this one, but now I intend on reading many of them, but his style of writing is just so good and enjoyable. I could easily see him becoming my favorite author if all his books are written this way and contain such lovely stories.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was just so good. There were so many sweet moments in it and it was just such a comforting and relaxing read. I found the book hard to put down especially in the second half and I hated whenever I had to stop reading it.
The characters were all amazing and what made the book so perfect.
All the children were so adorable and charming in their own ways and were very memorable to me. I really enjoyed getting to know all of them throughout the book. Especially Lucy, I loved his character so much. He was so overdramatic and created so many funny moments (but also emotional ones as well).
Linus I grew to love so much and really care about his character. His development was great throughout the book, his interactions with the children were super sweet and it was cute to see him grow to care about them, and his interactions with Arthur were perfect as well. Speaking of Arthur I also loved him so much as well. He was the perfect father and caregiver to his little found family.
I am a huge fan of found family and this was honestly the sweetest example of found family. They started out so sweet already and seeing Linus find his place in this family was just such a beautiful thing to read.
I do wish there had been more romance in the book. I would love to have seen more of Linus and Arthur after they got together but that's really the only criticism I have.
Overall this book is just such a lovely and entertaining read. It will definitely be a story I reread in the future because I already find myself missing all these characters so much.
I have never read any of TJ Klune's books before this one, but now I intend on reading many of them, but his style of writing is just so good and enjoyable. I could easily see him becoming my favorite author if all his books are written this way and contain such lovely stories.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was just so good. There were so many sweet moments in it and it was just such a comforting and relaxing read. I found the book hard to put down especially in the second half and I hated whenever I had to stop reading it.
The characters were all amazing and what made the book so perfect.
All the children were so adorable and charming in their own ways and were very memorable to me. I really enjoyed getting to know all of them throughout the book. Especially Lucy, I loved his character so much. He was so overdramatic and created so many funny moments (but also emotional ones as well).
Linus I grew to love so much and really care about his character. His development was great throughout the book, his interactions with the children were super sweet and it was cute to see him grow to care about them, and his interactions with Arthur were perfect as well. Speaking of Arthur I also loved him so much as well. He was the perfect father and caregiver to his little found family.
I am a huge fan of found family and this was honestly the sweetest example of found family. They started out so sweet already and seeing Linus find his place in this family was just such a beautiful thing to read.
I do wish there had been more romance in the book. I would love to have seen more of Linus and Arthur after they got together but that's really the only criticism I have.
Overall this book is just such a lovely and entertaining read. It will definitely be a story I reread in the future because I already find myself missing all these characters so much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry
All the abuse tags I added are mentioned in passing. There is no "on screen" abuse but many of the characters have backgrounds that feature abuse and these are addressed in the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
“I am but paper. Brittle and thin. I am held up to the sun, and it shines right through me. I get written on, and I can never be used again. These scratches are a history. They’re a story. They tell things for others to read, but they only see the words, and not what the words are written upon. I am but paper, and though there are many like me, none are exactly the same. I am parched parchment. I have lines. I have holes. Get me wet, and I melt. Light me on fire, and I burn. Take me in hardened hands, and I crumple. I tear. I am but paper. Brittle and thin.”
What a ride... I did not expect this to have such an impact on me. The premise was interesting enough for me to read, but I thought that it would be the usual 3-4 star reads. This book was absolutely beautiful. From the moment I began reading, it had this whimsical feeling. With every word and action done by each character, I had this animated style of enactment in my brain. Or perhaps, a live-action enactment in the style of "A Series of Unfortunate Events". I would love for this book to be adapted into a film :)
My heart was in a constant state of awe as I read this book due to how pure and wonderfully written it was. The dialogue, the actions, and how the characters were portrayed were perfectly splendid and nuanced. I have categorized this as an adult book due to the main character's age, however I believe that this is suitable for all ages. The messages in this book are ones that all ages may relate to and carry as tools in their daily lives. They don't sound pretentious and were written in such a simple way for all ages to understand while also giving that sparkle, that impact. Each character, all of which had made permanent homes in my heart, were also given the right amount of attention and loving by the author. I understood why Linus did what he did, and I would have done the same. Those kids deserve good things, no matter their differences or qualities.
This book is different from what I would usually read. I mostly look for action, thrill, and mystery. Despite my preferences, I still absolutely loved this. I found no faults in this book and would be glad to say that it is now one of my favorites of all time. TJ Klune, I'll be looking out for your other novels ;)
In one sentence: A comforting and feel-good book to read with valuable lessons to carry for life.
Rating: 5 stars, chef's kiss
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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: Ableism, Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Violence
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
IT was a bit of a slow start for me but a very endearing book. once you get to know the characters the charm takes over and you're pulled into the world just like Linus. The message is a bit light and the story a bit saccharine but an enjoyable read. the romance is adorable and the characters very endearing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry
Minor: Suicide
Disturbing images, monsters, prejudice, "See something say something"
There is something about the way the magical youth are homed that reminds me of (indigenous) residential schools.
I found the fatphobia extremely upsetting and ruined the overall mood of this book for me.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Minor: Religious bigotry
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
New favorite book???? New favorite book!!! Like maybe this is actually my new reread and Red White & Royal Blue can take at least a short break (we'll see though, I have already read it three times this year). This book was just so joyful, so sweet, so full of hope and so relatable in its journey from sadness to a life of color. I want that for myself. This book gives me something to dream about.
See content warnings for discussion of fatphobia in this book, though.
See content warnings for discussion of fatphobia in this book, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
bigotry against magical beings, internalized shame for same, abusive group homes/orphanages.
I will say that although I absolutely adored this book essentially from page one... I was and still am frustrated about the fat rep. The blurb on the top of one of the copies (the one showing on storygraph) quotes Seanan McGuire saying, "This book is very close to perfect" and IMO the thing keeping it from perfection is the amount of body shaming happening with Linus. Most of it comes from himself, but in my view it doesn't get checked enough outside of the (appreciated) pushback from Talia and the appreciation from Arthur. Like. The growth around this came too little too late for me, although it did happen. I still wholeheartedly recommend this book, I'd just say be wary around this and don't let yourself internalize it. Again, a disappointing part of an otherwise perfect book.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Racism, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Misogyny
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book was really cute. it had a major whimsical vibe, and i absolutely ADORED all of the kids. i was a bit disappointed by linus & arthurs' characters though. i just kinda found linus annoying and arthur bland.
edit: going back and changing my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 bc this book just really didn’t leave an impression
edit: going back and changing my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 bc this book just really didn’t leave an impression
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence