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

emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"And what a party it was. There was food—so much so that Linus thought the table would collapse under the weight of it. There was roast and hot rolls and salad with cucumbers that crunched between their teeth. There was cake and pie and bowls of tart raspberries they could dip in cream.

And music! All kinds of music. There was a record player sitting on the counter, and the day the music died was bright and loud with Ritchie and Buddy and the Big Bopper singing from beyond. Lucy was in charge, and he never failed to disappoint.

They laughed on this day. Oh, how they laughed. Even though Linus thought his heart was breaking, he laughed until there were tears in his eyes, until he was sure his sides would split. As the sun began to set and the lanterns grew brighter, they laughed and laughed and laughed."
• • •

On paper, this book was right up my alley: gay romance, misfit children, magical beings, a home on the sea, a small town, outdoor adventures, cynicism becoming optimism, confronting discrimination, sticking it to the man... And the truth is, I liked it! Bit I didn't love it. It didn't blow me away. As heartwarming as it was, I felt that the world-building was lacking, some of the character development was lackluster, and the writing was littered with clichés—and that really reduced the impact of the story for me. Nevertheless, we love gay happy endings!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings