A review by erika_winters
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Wow, what a sequel! TJ Klune does it again with this one. Although this book is thematically different from the first, both can be read as two sides of the same coin. Told from Arthur’s perspective this time around, we get to hear how he thinks and feels being the last phoenix on Earth, and what it has meant to him over the years to shoulder the weight of everyone’s trauma, including his own. The way this book handles trauma makes it special because it doesn’t provide a cure for it; but rather a way to live through it and piece yourself together from the trauma. Arthur has found his family and beloved, and has to learn how to combat the hateful people in the world beyond Marsyas Island—including the hateful Harriet Marblemaw inspecting the home and his behavior toward the children—while also allowing the children to find themselves in the world and learning from it themselves instead of having Arthur shelter them away from it. Overall, I thought the conversation around this, and the looming fear of the government (including one Jeanine Rowder, who is probably based on a certain bigoted author of a popular fantasy series) taking the children away from Arthur and Linus. I cried 5 or 6 times from pure joy and from the emotional speeches shared between Arthur and Linus, so be prepared for tears here! This is now up there in my favorite books, along with the first book. Impeccable series (and I hope more is to come!)
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