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A review by colbymandell
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
1.0
The dialogue in this book was really similar to dialogue in Disney movies, which gave the book a nostalgic feeling and made it really fun and lighthearted. The ending felt a little too convenient and quickly wrapped up, and I feel like there should have been way more of the children’s backstories and experiences included. It would have been really cool to get more details about DICOMY and it’s history of mistreating the magical children. There were so many ways that the story could have been more complex, and so many important topics that could have been explored that just fell flat for me.
I probably would have given at least 2.5 stars had I not found out half-way through the book that the author used inspiration from Canada’s Sixties Scoop.
“It remained fuzzy until I stumbled across the Sixties Scoop, something I’d never heard of before, something I’d never been taught in school (I’m American, by the way). In Canada, beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the 1980s, indigenous children were taken from their homes and families and placed into government-sanctioned facilities, such as residential schools. The goal was for primarily white, middle-class families across Canada, the US, and even Europe—to adopt these children. It’s estimated that over 20,000 indigenous children were taken, and it wasn’t until 2017 that the families of those affected reached a financial settlement with the Canadian government totaling over eight hundred million dollars” - TJ Klune
I almost dnfed after finding this out, but I wanted to see what all the hype and discussion was about for myself, and be able to form my own opinion (and it was too late to un-purchase the book). This could have honestly so easily just been a book about prejudice, love, acceptance and family. I don’t understand how the comparison of this orphanage to Residential Schools is at all necessary or appropriate. That is such a gross and disturbing comparison, and completely undermines the traumas of so many indigenous families. The worst part of this book is that IT IS NOT EVEN ABOUT THE CHILDREN. It’s not about what they went through, or even the orphanage itself. It’s about LINUS BAKER (the social worker) learning to love and accept himself and finding chosen family. It’s about HIM being a hero. HIM saving the day. So then, what exactly was it about the Sixties Scoop that “inspired” TJ Klune to write this cozy fantasy? I question the authors intentions with this novel, and his take-aways on the history of Residential Schools in Canada are incredibly disturbing.
I probably would have given at least 2.5 stars had I not found out half-way through the book that the author used inspiration from Canada’s Sixties Scoop.
“It remained fuzzy until I stumbled across the Sixties Scoop, something I’d never heard of before, something I’d never been taught in school (I’m American, by the way). In Canada, beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the 1980s, indigenous children were taken from their homes and families and placed into government-sanctioned facilities, such as residential schools. The goal was for primarily white, middle-class families across Canada, the US, and even Europe—to adopt these children. It’s estimated that over 20,000 indigenous children were taken, and it wasn’t until 2017 that the families of those affected reached a financial settlement with the Canadian government totaling over eight hundred million dollars” - TJ Klune
I almost dnfed after finding this out, but I wanted to see what all the hype and discussion was about for myself, and be able to form my own opinion (and it was too late to un-purchase the book). This could have honestly so easily just been a book about prejudice, love, acceptance and family. I don’t understand how the comparison of this orphanage to Residential Schools is at all necessary or appropriate. That is such a gross and disturbing comparison, and completely undermines the traumas of so many indigenous families. The worst part of this book is that IT IS NOT EVEN ABOUT THE CHILDREN. It’s not about what they went through, or even the orphanage itself. It’s about LINUS BAKER (the social worker) learning to love and accept himself and finding chosen family. It’s about HIM being a hero. HIM saving the day. So then, what exactly was it about the Sixties Scoop that “inspired” TJ Klune to write this cozy fantasy? I question the authors intentions with this novel, and his take-aways on the history of Residential Schools in Canada are incredibly disturbing.