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chellyfish 's review for:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
by TJ Klune
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I think this book was a nice conclusion to the story established in the previous installment, though it might be slightly less compelling than the subsequent book. All of the characters are charming. Is it on the nose? Yeah. But quite frankly, who cares. We deserve something heart warming and on the nose and unflinchingly pro-trans and queer kids. I don't need that message to be occluded by symbolism. It can just be. Klune's afterword establishing his desire to be the "anti-JK Rowling" is also amazing.
While all of that remains true, the narration by Daniel Henning was sometimes cringe and hard to listen to. I don't remember having a visceral reaction to his narration in the Atlas Six series, so there must have been something specific going on about the choices here. It often sounded overwrought and on the verge of tears, and a couple of the character voices very strongly invoked a watered down Moira Rose and Vizzini from the Princess Bride. I stuck with it because I care about these characters and their story but oof.
While all of that remains true, the narration by Daniel Henning was sometimes cringe and hard to listen to. I don't remember having a visceral reaction to his narration in the Atlas Six series, so there must have been something specific going on about the choices here. It often sounded overwrought and on the verge of tears, and a couple of the character voices very strongly invoked a watered down Moira Rose and Vizzini from the Princess Bride. I stuck with it because I care about these characters and their story but oof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Abandonment