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A review by luckykosmos
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Books don't always have to have big twists - sometimes you see the twists coming from a mile away, but the joy comes from how it stirs something in your chest. This was absolutely a book about finding a place of belonging, about being given a chance, and about someone on the outside fighting for you. You don't need to tear yourself open again for a book to be good.
Brought down a few points because knowing that Klune took inspiration from the 60's Scoop in Canada soured my reaction. This book isn't written to be from an Indigenous perspective, and feels very much more like an allegory for being LGBTQ+ in a day and age where it's considered a danger to others. It's nonetheless important to keep that context in mind when reading, and I hope Klune learns to think harder about his source material.
Brought down a few points because knowing that Klune took inspiration from the 60's Scoop in Canada soured my reaction. This book isn't written to be from an Indigenous perspective, and feels very much more like an allegory for being LGBTQ+ in a day and age where it's considered a danger to others. It's nonetheless important to keep that context in mind when reading, and I hope Klune learns to think harder about his source material.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia