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allypricee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this book was sooo weird to me bc i think the author said something about this being based on the canadian residential school program and in that way i feel like it’s weird to turn it into an inspiring light-hearted story where the guy in charge of the school is some good guy who just wants to help? but also i can see like wanting something like that to have a happy ending instead of what actually happened but idk. to me it seemed like it minimized a tragedy in that way. the book itself felt almost like a children’s book at times ( im sorry but calling anything “extremely upper management” and acting like it’s a book for adults is crazy to me idc) so when the characters said mature stuff i was really off put bc it didn’t sound right/ authentic. also im gay so i feel like i can say this without ppl being like oh it’s so homophobic of u but linus baker had 0 appeal and having him end up w the teacher just felt weird to me bc i felt like he was written to be sooo undesirable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
m0usey's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
A really cute and fun read. There are some darker themes but it’s not tragic, and it feels good to read. Also, the world building is so good!! The picture the author paints of the world and of the characters jumps off the page and is totally immersive.
Overall it’s a lovely little love story about found family, finding happiness, and just a little bit of magic.
Overall it’s a lovely little love story about found family, finding happiness, and just a little bit of magic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
nae20's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another engaging read from TJ Klune! I, like many others, loved The House in the Cerulean Sea. Be warned: This is not quite the same type of heartwarming story.
Wallace is a partner at a big-city law firm and not a great guy. When he drops dead in his office, he's in complete denial. He is taken by a reaper from his funeral and ends up at a tea shop in the woods - a waystation run by the ferryman who will shepherd him on to what's next, whenever he's ready. There, he gets the time to come to terms with what's happened. With the help of the strange and lovely inhabitants of the tea shop, Wallace finally figures out what life is all about.
This is a lovely story, by turns gut-wrenching and charming. I loved the character growth and the atmosphere. It is also quite sad. It deals with death - of a parent, a child, a pet, a partner - and the grief left behind when they go. In this world, we see the grief of both the deceased and the loved ones, and it can almost be overwhelming. This is somewhat balanced by the charm and humor inherent in Klune's writing. At the core, this is a love story. Wallace meets Hugo, the ferryman, and the two grow to care about each other over the course of the book. There were some aspect of the end that I didn't love, but they were not enough to change my opinion of the book.
All in all, a beautiful story about life, death, and what we leave behind.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC for review.
Wallace is a partner at a big-city law firm and not a great guy. When he drops dead in his office, he's in complete denial. He is taken by a reaper from his funeral and ends up at a tea shop in the woods - a waystation run by the ferryman who will shepherd him on to what's next, whenever he's ready. There, he gets the time to come to terms with what's happened. With the help of the strange and lovely inhabitants of the tea shop, Wallace finally figures out what life is all about.
This is a lovely story, by turns gut-wrenching and charming. I loved the character growth and the atmosphere. It is also quite sad. It deals with death - of a parent, a child, a pet, a partner - and the grief left behind when they go. In this world, we see the grief of both the deceased and the loved ones, and it can almost be overwhelming. This is somewhat balanced by the charm and humor inherent in Klune's writing. At the core, this is a love story. Wallace meets Hugo, the ferryman, and the two grow to care about each other over the course of the book. There were some aspect of the end that I didn't love, but they were not enough to change my opinion of the book.
All in all, a beautiful story about life, death, and what we leave behind.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC for review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Suicide
jehansflowers's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book was really cute. it had a major whimsical vibe, and i absolutely ADORED all of the kids. i was a bit disappointed by linus & arthurs' characters though. i just kinda found linus annoying and arthur bland.
edit: going back and changing my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 bc this book just really didn’t leave an impression
edit: going back and changing my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 bc this book just really didn’t leave an impression
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence