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Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'
La casa en el mar más azul. Edición especial: Edición especial con cantos tintados by TJ Klune, Carlos Abreu Fetter
352 reviews
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:
Yes
Since reading this book, I have had multiple conversations with other readers, trying to comprehend my own thoughts about the story.
First and foremost: what age range is this book intended for? As I was reading the book, I felt as if I was reading middle-grade. The writing is quite light and juvenile (and I don't mean this in a negative way, just that it felt geared toward a younger audience). However, there were sexual references and heavier themes thrown in that felt more like something I'd find in YA. In fact, I was under the impression prior to reading that the book was, in fact, a YA novel. But of course, we have to take into account the fact that the protagonist is in his late 30s or early 40s (I don't know if his age is ever mentioned, but the love interest's is, and he's in his 40s). So, if we go by those standards, the book is adult. All of this kind of messed with my mind?!
If we go by the standards that this is an adult novel, it is good but not great. The maturity level is quite low and the decisions the protagonist makes feel a bit rash and unnecessary. I didn't find him to be particularly likable.
The children, however, were wonderful. I loved each of their personalities and hilarious quirks. I also appreciated the way the book begged us to think more about accepting people and standing up for those who are part of minorities or who aren't treated with kindness and respect. It definitely spoke to that very well.
In all, I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. I felt a bit confused by the age thing and maturity level but I also really liked the representation and message. It was a solid like.
First and foremost: what age range is this book intended for? As I was reading the book, I felt as if I was reading middle-grade. The writing is quite light and juvenile (and I don't mean this in a negative way, just that it felt geared toward a younger audience). However, there were sexual references and heavier themes thrown in that felt more like something I'd find in YA. In fact, I was under the impression prior to reading that the book was, in fact, a YA novel. But of course, we have to take into account the fact that the protagonist is in his late 30s or early 40s (I don't know if his age is ever mentioned, but the love interest's is, and he's in his 40s). So, if we go by those standards, the book is adult. All of this kind of messed with my mind?!
If we go by the standards that this is an adult novel, it is good but not great. The maturity level is quite low and the decisions the protagonist makes feel a bit rash and unnecessary. I didn't find him to be particularly likable.
The children, however, were wonderful. I loved each of their personalities and hilarious quirks. I also appreciated the way the book begged us to think more about accepting people and standing up for those who are part of minorities or who aren't treated with kindness and respect. It definitely spoke to that very well.
In all, I enjoyed the book but I didn't love it. I felt a bit confused by the age thing and maturity level but I also really liked the representation and message. It was a solid like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Hate crime
funny
lighthearted
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
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming
adventurous
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
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Xenophobia
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death of parent
Any violence/horror type stuff is entirely just threats/jokes made by a child—nothing actually happens.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
So I gave this a 4,5 when I originally read it.
But I have since then v much changed my mind about TJ Klune and whether I condone him taking the Sixties Scoop as a form of inspiration.
So now it's 2 stars.
But I have since then v much changed my mind about TJ Klune and whether I condone him taking the Sixties Scoop as a form of inspiration.
So now it's 2 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a cute, fluffy, whimsical story that was fairly enjoyable to read, however I felt that it was quite over-hyped. Please take this review with a grain of salt because many other people really loved it; I just didn't.
From what I've seen, this book is marketed mainly as an adult fantasy, though I feel that it reads as middle-grade. And for a MG book, I felt that there was a lot more 'tell' than 'show', particularly when it came to relationship building and character development. There were many instances of one character or document explaining the personality/traits of another, rather than allowing us readers to see those things for ourselves. I also felt that the MC Linus didn't have much of an arc. He loosened up a bit, but he was visibly a kind, caring person at the beginning, and ended the same way. I wasn't thrilled with the romance either. I was okay with it not being the main focus, but what we did get felt blunt and shallow to me. Linus repeatedly told us that he liked Arthur, yet never really showed us why/how.
I also wished that the children had appeared more dangerous in the beginning. We were told they were, but the moment we meet them, it's clear they're not. I felt that this left the story with nowhere to go.
Toward the end, most of the problems I had with this story improved slightly, but it just wasn't enough for me to say I absolutely loved it. Still a cute story that I'm glad I read, and I plan on giving T.J. Klune another try in the future.
From what I've seen, this book is marketed mainly as an adult fantasy, though I feel that it reads as middle-grade. And for a MG book, I felt that there was a lot more 'tell' than 'show', particularly when it came to relationship building and character development. There were many instances of one character or document explaining the personality/traits of another, rather than allowing us readers to see those things for ourselves. I also felt that the MC Linus didn't have much of an arc. He loosened up a bit, but he was visibly a kind, caring person at the beginning, and ended the same way. I wasn't thrilled with the romance either. I was okay with it not being the main focus, but what we did get felt blunt and shallow to me. Linus repeatedly told us that he liked Arthur, yet never really showed us why/how.
I also wished that the children had appeared more dangerous in the beginning. We were told they were, but the moment we meet them, it's clear they're not. I felt that this left the story with nowhere to go.
Toward the end, most of the problems I had with this story improved slightly, but it just wasn't enough for me to say I absolutely loved it. Still a cute story that I'm glad I read, and I plan on giving T.J. Klune another try in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Abandonment
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
So many people loved this book, and although I can understand why, I didn’t fall in love with this in the same way for reasons I will state below. Nonetheless, this is a charming and heartwarming story that teaches us life-lessons pertaining to prejudice, discrimination, empathy, kindness, acceptance, unconditional love, and so on.
“The things we fear the most are often the things we should fear the least. It’s irrational, but it’s what makes us human. And if we’re able to conquer those fears, then there is nothing we’re not capable of.”
Writing
I must admit that the prose is lackluster, and there was a lot of “telling” rather than “showing.” Instead of being immersed in the story, I found my mind wandering many times as I read. The writing style couldn’t hold my attention long enough, and I had to keep taking breaks in-between reading. The positive side is that I found the children’s dialogues quite engaging. The interactions between Linus Baker and the children were witty and humorous, and it did a splendid job at highlighting their different personalities. However, there were conversations between other characters which felt unnatural and forced for the sake of telling a narrative.
Characters
Linus Baker is a lonely caseworker who lives a boring, routined life. He’s awkward, by-the-book, lacks humor, and is overall just dull and ordinary; he follows the same routine everyday and doesn’t try to find pleasures outside of his job. In contrast, the island and its inhabitants are bright and full of life. We are introduced to a charming cast of characters with colorful personalities, each of them loveable for their own reasons.
Worldbuilding
Sadly, the worldbuilding was severely lacking. There were many plot details left out—many aspects left unexplored—and that made the story feel hallow and lacking. It doesn't feel complete.
Some parts of the book felt inconsistent. For example: Linus Baker was assigned to investigate the island, because he is a professional caseworker who is known to be good at what he does and has plenty of experience with magical children. Yet upon arriving at the island, he was completely at a loss. And the part where he refused to read the rest of the files because he was overwhelmed seemed unprofessional and inexperienced to me.
Story
● This book is light, wholesome, and charming. I liked the moral lessons presented in the book; although they were very simplistic, it’s not a bad thing to be reminded of these good messages every once in a while: Our differences need to be celebrated. Be kind to others, and love yourself just the way you are.
● The romance felt underdeveloped. Although romance isn’t the main focus of this story, I still think it should have been executed better. It would have been nice if we got more meaningful interactions between Linus and Arthur, which would convince us why they would fall in love. Honestly, the romance just happened out of the blue. There was no build-up leading to it, and their love story felt unconvincing to me. I also felt that they lacked chemistry. At the very least, I like how Arthur loves and accepts Linus just the way he is.
● I did find some parts of the book saccharine and convenient. Such as the part where Arthur and Linus made a speech to quell the hatred of the villagers who wanted to attack the island, and the part where Upper Management resigned after Linus stood up for the children. In real life, these things wouldn't be realistic at all, but I understand why the author decided to wrap things up that way—the book would otherwise take a much darker tone—but this made the story feel too simplistic, like it is aimed at children instead of adults. Since the author based this on real, tragic events, I felt this story deserved to be written with some tones of realism.
Conclusion:
I thought I was heartless for not emotionally connecting with this book the same way most people have, but I realized—after reading other reviews—that it wasn't just me. This book lacked depth and complexity, and it felt like I was reading a children’s story.
"I wanted to write a story that reminded me of the cozy fantasies I read as a kid, books that not only made me happy, but allowed me to believe everything could be okay." -- T.J. Klune.
From my understanding, the author wanted to write a "happy" fantasy. That said, the simplistic and sentimental tones of this book would have been fine if it were marketed for children, but the fact that this is aimed at adults makes this story feel too oversimplified. Then again, this is a fantasy escapist story, and that’s exactly what most people want to do: escape from the unpleasant realities of life.
To be fair, it isn't a crime to write a feel-good story that brings in some fairytale-like optimism in the face of life's crushing afflictions. I just wasn't the target audience for this one.
TD;LR: I think this would make a great fantasy book for children, but as an adult reading this, the story is way too oversimplified for the sake of making a clear narrative. Since this book is aimed at an adult audience, I was expecting something deeper and more complex, but I was left disappointed. Nevertheless, I still think this book is worth a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
I found the first half of this book incredibly slow and it did (as I was told) feel like a middle grade book. I’m not a massive middle grade book person so the first half was not fun for me. The second half was so good, fun, heartwarming, lovely. Maybe it’s just me but the start of it really dragged it down for me. If the whole book was like the second half it would be a 5 star. Also I know he came to terms with it in the end and kids are cruel but the comments about his weight, from himself and others, made me feel a bit icky.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse