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A review by bookwitch
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5
I love these characters so much. And TJ Klune and his writing (though, my dude, you can be a bit wordy). It was so easy to drop right back into this world with these hilarious and charming children.
TJ Klune is really good at taking current events and making them approachable in his stories, without too harshly triggering anyone. He took a very current issue, and applied it flawlessly to a fantastical world. It really highlights how WRONG certain points of view are, and how clear and easy it is to identify. These children, because that's what they are, are being scrutinized, judged and controlled because of the things that make them special. What we find out though, is that it is not just that simple, it does also come down to power, and being the person at the controls.
These characters are charming and safe, and just blissfully fun. It was a joy to be back here with them, though, like I mentioned before, these chapters were just too long to thoroughly enjoy. It was hard to get through, especially for someone who can only really handle a chapter or two a night for a typical length; having to stop after just one chapter every night was hard.
TJ Klune is really good at taking current events and making them approachable in his stories, without too harshly triggering anyone. He took a very current issue, and applied it flawlessly to a fantastical world. It really highlights how WRONG certain points of view are, and how clear and easy it is to identify. These children, because that's what they are, are being scrutinized, judged and controlled because of the things that make them special. What we find out though, is that it is not just that simple, it does also come down to power, and being the person at the controls.
These characters are charming and safe, and just blissfully fun. It was a joy to be back here with them, though, like I mentioned before, these chapters were just too long to thoroughly enjoy. It was hard to get through, especially for someone who can only really handle a chapter or two a night for a typical length; having to stop after just one chapter every night was hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Body shaming, Homophobia, Transphobia