A review by spootilious
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune was a joy to read. That being said there was nothing inherently ‘great’ about it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every second of it! The characters were all loveable and sweet. The plot, while very predictable, was cute and fun.

The book expresses a number of parallels between the segregation of magical creatures and the segregation of race that our own world has presented throughout history. There is a good moral of acceptance in the subtext of the book that a great number of individuals would do well to learn in today’s society (though I doubt those individuals would be reading a book with two gay characters).

All of that being considered, the book feels like a well written fanfiction. Which there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with. More and more I see these writing styles becoming bestsellers and it make me very happy. The truth is however, that I doubt this book will ever earn its place among the ‘great’ books, and that okay.

The language is simplistic but straight forward. The descriptions are adequate and effective. The plot has a traditional flow. The conflict is obvious, and the character development is on par. This book is exactly as it should be nothing more and nothing less.

This is a feel-good fluff story set in a modern fantasy world about two men falling in love with one another and a group of unique children.

I am certainly going to reread every time I need a pick me up!