Scan barcode
A review by calicos
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
This book was a delightful, warm read. It was an enjoyable listen and the audiobook was engaging with different voices for all the characters. My rating is a bit inflated because I simply had fun listening.
However I did feel at times this book tried too hard to be tooth-rottingly ✨wholesome✨ (and succeeded) in a way that veered into being corny. There were a fair number of heavy-handed life lessons that gave more of a YA vibe. There were conflicts but nothing really felt high stakes, maybe due to some lack of world building so it was a bit predictable. Still quite enjoyable but a bit flat at times due to no real danger and knowing there wouldn’t be any due to the nature of the book.
However I did feel at times this book tried too hard to be tooth-rottingly ✨wholesome✨ (and succeeded) in a way that veered into being corny. There were a fair number of heavy-handed life lessons that gave more of a YA vibe. There were conflicts but nothing really felt high stakes, maybe due to some lack of world building so it was a bit predictable. Still quite enjoyable but a bit flat at times due to no real danger and knowing there wouldn’t be any due to the nature of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, and Fatphobia