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A review by espiargrant
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a cute, fluffy, whimsical story that was fairly enjoyable to read, however I felt that it was quite over-hyped. Please take this review with a grain of salt because many other people really loved it; I just didn't.
From what I've seen, this book is marketed mainly as an adult fantasy, though I feel that it reads as middle-grade. And for a MG book, I felt that there was a lot more 'tell' than 'show', particularly when it came to relationship building and character development. There were many instances of one character or document explaining the personality/traits of another, rather than allowing us readers to see those things for ourselves. I also felt that the MC Linus didn't have much of an arc. He loosened up a bit, but he was visibly a kind, caring person at the beginning, and ended the same way. I wasn't thrilled with the romance either. I was okay with it not being the main focus, but what we did get felt blunt and shallow to me. Linus repeatedly told us that he liked Arthur, yet never really showed us why/how.
I also wished that the children had appeared more dangerous in the beginning. We were told they were, but the moment we meet them, it's clear they're not. I felt that this left the story with nowhere to go.
Toward the end, most of the problems I had with this story improved slightly, but it just wasn't enough for me to say I absolutely loved it. Still a cute story that I'm glad I read, and I plan on giving T.J. Klune another try in the future.
From what I've seen, this book is marketed mainly as an adult fantasy, though I feel that it reads as middle-grade. And for a MG book, I felt that there was a lot more 'tell' than 'show', particularly when it came to relationship building and character development. There were many instances of one character or document explaining the personality/traits of another, rather than allowing us readers to see those things for ourselves. I also felt that the MC Linus didn't have much of an arc. He loosened up a bit, but he was visibly a kind, caring person at the beginning, and ended the same way. I wasn't thrilled with the romance either. I was okay with it not being the main focus, but what we did get felt blunt and shallow to me. Linus repeatedly told us that he liked Arthur, yet never really showed us why/how.
I also wished that the children had appeared more dangerous in the beginning. We were told they were, but the moment we meet them, it's clear they're not. I felt that this left the story with nowhere to go.
Toward the end, most of the problems I had with this story improved slightly, but it just wasn't enough for me to say I absolutely loved it. Still a cute story that I'm glad I read, and I plan on giving T.J. Klune another try in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Violence, and Body shaming
Minor: Abandonment