ephemeriis 's review for:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

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A very enjoyable read.  I'm not sure if I'd call it "cozy", exactly?  But it's certainly heart-warming.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Xenophobia

This book deals extensively with the othering of "magical beings". While those are certainly fantastical peoples there's obvious correlation to real-world marginalized groups. There's some flashbacks depicting child abuse - and while they obviously make it out OK since they're flashbacks, it's still hard to read. I think this story is a little too harsh to call it a "cozy" read, in my opinion... But it's definitely in that neighborhood.