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A review by malaikawrites
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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 want to start off this review by mentioning that there are tragic events that inspired this novel which are the main reason why I will not be giving this novel an official star rating. The Sixties Scoop was a traumatic, unbelievably painful reality for many Indigenous families and children that suffered at the hands of the Canadian government. A fantasy book where Indigenous children are equated to "monsters" from the start to allow space for the author to prove their humanity within the text is questionable at the very best and does a major disservice to the real people that suffered unimaginable trauma from the original events. Equating what was essentially genocide to a feel-good fantasy novel with a heartwarming "love conquers all" message is just so... wrong.
The book, and the controversy around it, has managed to push important conversations into the spotlight. The inspirations for the book paired with the story the book told allowed for many conversations within the bookish community around white saviourism, the historical and current mistreatment of Indigenous people as well as a vast amount of other linked topics. Though I find myself disappointed in Klune, I do think that it's long overdue for the conversations his book brought to the spotlight to be taken as seriously as it recently has been.
While writing this review I would also like to make it clear that my moral compass is anything but perfect. The controversy around this book only further sparked my interest to read the book myself. I have seen many opinions on the book and the less than savoury inspirations for it, having read up on the topic on multiple occasions, and I have wanted to read the source material for myself to gain a more solidified understanding of how not just the concept, but the book itself, managed to spark major conversation in a book world where both authors and books can be truly diabolical at times with little effect to a books overall image. What made public reactions so different this time around? I know it's not right, but curiosity got the better of me by far with this one and the book quickly became a "must read" in my lifetime BECAUSE of the messed up origins and the conversations surrounding it.
I won't sit here and lie to you all, I really did love this book. Klune's writing style is lovely and easy to work through (if not a bit repetitive), the characters and their dynamics and interactions were thoroughly enjoyable and the story itself is sweet and totally worth the read despite being a tad bit cliche. What so many people have said is right: the book is fantastic. I could easily see myself rating this book 4-5 stars in a different world where Klune wrote a sweet fantasy novel about monsters deserving love too inspired by a cute children's book or movie... and but that's not reality. In the real world Indigenous people who went through horrendous physical, emotional and psychological abuse were used to make a cute little fantasy about how monsters, specifically the literal devil's child, have feelings too... it's easy to see why the reality of the situation is unsavoury, exploitative and inexcusable. Though this book is wonderful, the harsh realities of the story behind it cannot simply disappear due to it being a great body of literature. Every positive thing I have to say about the novel should forever be taken with a grain of salt because of the truly disgusting connotations the author's inspiration implies about Indigenous people, the author and the story itself.
The idea of separating the art from the artist is an idea that allows us to consume content guilt free. This time it's different. You cannot separate this book from the events that the author said inspired it. Despite how great this book may be, there's no clear divide here that allows for readers to put enough distance between their morality and the books shortcomings. The major issues with this book cannot easily be put in the backseat. No matter how in love I am with this story, I could never in good conscious take this book seriously enough to give it a legitimate rating. The realities behind this novel weren't the authors story to tell and the author shouldn't be given any legitimacy for telling it.
The book, and the controversy around it, has managed to push important conversations into the spotlight. The inspirations for the book paired with the story the book told allowed for many conversations within the bookish community around white saviourism, the historical and current mistreatment of Indigenous people as well as a vast amount of other linked topics. Though I find myself disappointed in Klune, I do think that it's long overdue for the conversations his book brought to the spotlight to be taken as seriously as it recently has been.
While writing this review I would also like to make it clear that my moral compass is anything but perfect. The controversy around this book only further sparked my interest to read the book myself. I have seen many opinions on the book and the less than savoury inspirations for it, having read up on the topic on multiple occasions, and I have wanted to read the source material for myself to gain a more solidified understanding of how not just the concept, but the book itself, managed to spark major conversation in a book world where both authors and books can be truly diabolical at times with little effect to a books overall image. What made public reactions so different this time around? I know it's not right, but curiosity got the better of me by far with this one and the book quickly became a "must read" in my lifetime BECAUSE of the messed up origins and the conversations surrounding it.
I won't sit here and lie to you all, I really did love this book. Klune's writing style is lovely and easy to work through (if not a bit repetitive), the characters and their dynamics and interactions were thoroughly enjoyable and the story itself is sweet and totally worth the read despite being a tad bit cliche. What so many people have said is right: the book is fantastic. I could easily see myself rating this book 4-5 stars in a different world where Klune wrote a sweet fantasy novel about monsters deserving love too inspired by a cute children's book or movie... and but that's not reality. In the real world Indigenous people who went through horrendous physical, emotional and psychological abuse were used to make a cute little fantasy about how monsters, specifically the literal devil's child, have feelings too... it's easy to see why the reality of the situation is unsavoury, exploitative and inexcusable. Though this book is wonderful, the harsh realities of the story behind it cannot simply disappear due to it being a great body of literature. Every positive thing I have to say about the novel should forever be taken with a grain of salt because of the truly disgusting connotations the author's inspiration implies about Indigenous people, the author and the story itself.
The idea of separating the art from the artist is an idea that allows us to consume content guilt free. This time it's different. You cannot separate this book from the events that the author said inspired it. Despite how great this book may be, there's no clear divide here that allows for readers to put enough distance between their morality and the books shortcomings. The major issues with this book cannot easily be put in the backseat. No matter how in love I am with this story, I could never in good conscious take this book seriously enough to give it a legitimate rating. The realities behind this novel weren't the authors story to tell and the author shouldn't be given any legitimacy for telling it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, and Fatphobia