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sammirosewater's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
A real life plane crash is discussed in one scene. There are a few uncomfortable jokes made about child characters.Not sure how to tag it, but the fact that the fantasy oppression narrative was partially inspired by the Sixties Scoop is very much something to be aware of.
scarredman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book is worth reading, I would encourage everyone to give it a chance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
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
accovino's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.5
A book to fill your heart up. I don't know much about the foster system, and obviously this isn't meant to be a direct commentary on that, but I would be careful of it if you have experience there, it may come off white savior-y? Maybe not, but something to be aware of.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
theromanticace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide
rotatinglibrary's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Violence and Religious bigotry
Minor: Suicide
Disturbing images, monsters, prejudice, "See something say something" There is something about the way the magical youth are homed that reminds me of (indigenous) residential schools. I found the fatphobia extremely upsetting and ruined the overall mood of this book for me.