shelleyreadsbooks 's review for:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

4.75

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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: No

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It took me a little to get into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. This book speaks on so many levels! On a surface read, it's a delightful "collection of misunderstood children" and the grown-ups who love them. Digging deeper, it becomes a biting commentary about the society that we are on the edge of creating, where everything that has color becomes othered. "If you see something, say something" sounds very Orwellian without being heavy-handed. The play of Lucy being who he is and being so delightfully playful and loving is a story in itself. They grey at the beginning, which made it hard for me to connect to the book, was the necessary foil to everything that was to come. I am so glad that I hung in there!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Body shaming