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A review by mariebrunelm
La Maison au milieu de la mer Céruléenne by TJ Klune
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
This queer, inclusive novel was just a big bear hug. The characters are so sweet and trying to do their best. I thought it was quite interesting to have as a main character someone who is part of the oppressive system, who realises what's wrong and who tries to do better without necessarily bringing said system down in a revolution because he's just one person. There's a lot of Hobbit vibes and I'm here for it - not everyone can be a superhero and endanger one's life for the greater good. Sometimes you have to work with what you have and bring along a quiet revolution.
TW: residential schools
One thing has to be acknowledged when reading this book though, and that it the horrific events that have inspired it. The orphanages for magical children are directly inspired by Canadian residential schools in which Indigenous children were taken from their families and brought up, enduring unspeakable hardships there. You may have heard about the graves discovered in such locations. There has been an uproar in the First Nations communities of Northern America around this book which took a situation that still causes trauma for these people and turned it into a heart-warming story. Before picking this book, I listened to First Nation people's reactions. For many, it was another layer of trauma. For some, it was the opportunity to acknowledge the hurt but also sublimate it in a way, to imagine a world in which things hadn't gone so bad.
Further reading: Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq, This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Rep: gay MC, queer secondary characters (they're not defined but it's pretty clear).
TW: residential schools
One thing has to be acknowledged when reading this book though, and that it the horrific events that have inspired it. The orphanages for magical children are directly inspired by Canadian residential schools in which Indigenous children were taken from their families and brought up, enduring unspeakable hardships there. You may have heard about the graves discovered in such locations. There has been an uproar in the First Nations communities of Northern America around this book which took a situation that still causes trauma for these people and turned it into a heart-warming story. Before picking this book, I listened to First Nation people's reactions. For many, it was another layer of trauma. For some, it was the opportunity to acknowledge the hurt but also sublimate it in a way, to imagine a world in which things hadn't gone so bad.
Further reading: Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq, This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Rep: gay MC, queer secondary characters (they're not defined but it's pretty clear).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Homophobia