A review by amy_holden23
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

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

3.5

I need to sit on my rating, but for now I'll put that. 

I really wanted to love this, and I'd like to think it was just a matter of personal taste. I have to think I just don't enjoy cozy fantasy without high stakes, or at least I wasn't in the mood for it right now. I love all the characters from the first book (especially Talia ), but even they couldn't save this for me. I think the main issue I had was the writing style, which is quite surface-level with its themes, rather than threading them throughout with nuance. I love books with political themes, so I think it was just the style. I found the good v bad dichotomy to be very archetypal on the bad side, and the ending didn't really resolve it, just bringing in a new plot point with its own political parallel. 

I did however think the discussions around trauma were really important and well-considered.