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supernumeraryemily 's review for:
The House in the Cerulean Sea
by TJ Klune
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a sweet YA story about a grumpy average government inspector whose world opens up when he visits a top-secret orphanage for magical youth. The book is heartwarming overall, with themes of celebrating difference and finding chosen family.
The novel brings up and fictionalizes issues that are present in our real world: discrimination against those who are undocumented and violence in residential schools in North America that forced [native] youth to conform. I think this book could have benefitted from more seriously exploring these themes, though its focus was pretty tight around the characters and their relationships rather than looking too deeply at the systems of power in the fictional society.
The novel brings up and fictionalizes issues that are present in our real world: discrimination against those who are undocumented and violence in residential schools in North America that forced [native] youth to conform. I think this book could have benefitted from more seriously exploring these themes, though its focus was pretty tight around the characters and their relationships rather than looking too deeply at the systems of power in the fictional society.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia