Imprint Publisher Tor Books ISBN 9781250217318 Reading Guide Organize a Book Club In The News A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! Kids with emotional needs are treated the same way. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. AvaChannary. They tell things for others to read, but they only see the words, and not what the words are written upon. Its estimated that over 20,000 indigenous children were taken, and it wasnt until 2017 that the families of those affected reached a financial settlement with the Canadian government totaling over eight hundred million dollars. *Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends! Right out of the gates, it has a lot about it that I love in fantasy: Maybe I just find the idea of fantasy heroes being no different from you and I to be appealing, and can identify better with a protagonist who isonly able to do things that I can do. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. One of Publishers Weekly's "Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2020" I put to you that not even Mr Klunes harshest critics believe that a reasonable person reading this book would come away with the idea that indigenous children should be forcibly adopted by white parents or placed in residential schools. And it isnt even a particularly original idea (I mean, its practically just X-Men) and if he didnt talk about his inspirations, no one could even tell. I tear. And if I can offer any criticism of The House in the Cerulean Sea, its that the book is pure wish fulfillment. Kindness beats all evil!! As far as I can tell, Mr Klune is not fronting a specific story about First Nation people and neither is it marketed that way at all. The characters include an amorphous blob who aspires to be a bellhop, a wyvern who adores buttons, a gnome who loves gardening, and other delightful and distinct personalities. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As James Baldwin wisely noted "Children have never been very good at . As the narrative utilizes a limited third-person perspective, the reader's understanding of the world of the novel is filtered through him. Linus is charged with a special assignment by Extremely Upper Management. And I understand why they did it. So I am going to say something nice (and true) about Mr Klunes book because I think we can be kinder to this paper man. Klune has spoken about how his asexuality influences his writing. Whatever it is, I find it amusing that when I was younger, heroes are the people I want to be and now, in my thirties, I want heroes to be like me. He was breathing. Linus Baker is a man leading an ordinary, boring life slaving away at his job as a case worker for orphanages under the care of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. I cant help wondering ifthey even read the same book I did. Why I Stopped Reading The House in the Cerulean Sea {TJ Klune}But You Shouldnt! In fact, its a brilliant piece an of social commentary that insightfully tackles how otherness shows up in the so-called civilized world. Btw, I also really enjoyed Midnight Library. Not that that makes it any less fantastical. This is why we have driven this gay man tothoughts of suicide? I am but paper. They only knew because he informed them, and I daresay some of his haters only learned about the Sixties Scoop and residential schools because he chose to use his platform to talk about it. And then around page 70ish there was a statue. Later in his childhood, he began writing original stories. Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected placeand realizing that family is yours. Pub Date: March 17, 2020. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. Published on Feb 13, 2023. Klune is signed with the Macmillan Tor imprint, Tor Teen, for two more stand-alone Young Adult novels and the completion of his Extraordinaries trilogy. Without spoiling anything, it's so tremendously written that you don't realize small hints had been left throughout the story until all the pieces harmoniously come together. Not only is the young adult novel a bestseller in the New York Times, USA Today and Washington Post, it also won the 2021 Alex Award and 2021 RUSA Reading list. to read? At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. Thank you so much for sharing . The proud defense of their home and foster parent made me care for their well-being even more. Fuck realism. People say that this book is WONDERFUL! The House in the Cerulean Sea is a work of classic children's literature written for adults and children alike, with the perspective and delicacy of the modern day. I believe that Mr Klune wrote this book with the sincere hope that he would be adding something good and positive to the world. This story is adorable and quirky and heartfelt. A great story on so many levels and so right for the time that we are living in. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Take me in hardened hands, and I crumple. This book . As Linus's adventures at The House in the Cerulean Sea continue, both he and the reader are drawn into its world, delighted by its residents, and more and more inclined to doubt the prejudice that finds them so dangerous. It comes from a place of anger and an unhappiness at the state of the world, and a sincere wish to right the wrongs we see. MUCH. We used to have a rescue, a Siberian husky, whom we named Lucy. It is a power fantasy birthed by our own sense of powerlessness. The Nusantara is made up of nusa (island) and antara (between) and describes the Southeast Asian archipelago that includes Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Linus himself is a lovable protagonist despite his prickliness, and Klune aptly handles his evolving feelings and morals. Poignant, funny medieval tale skewers ignorance, bigotry. What damage had The House in the Cerulean Sea done to indigenous people? Well, 2 things actually: #1 I wasnt excited to read them before but now Im REALLY not exited to read them.but I will! Coincidentally, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about found families and islands, and it features someplace called the Marsyas Island Orphanage which is the home of an orphan named Lucyshort for Lucifer, for he is the Antichristwhere he lived with five other dangerous children: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, and a bellhop (which is just about the only aspect of Chaunceys identity that is clear to us). His fantasy novel The House in the Cerulean Sea is a New York Times best seller and winner of the 2021 Alex and Mythopoeic Awards.Klune has spoken about how his asexuality influences his writing. And Mr Klunes detractors believe they are combating some harm that he is doing with his little fantasy novel. We welcome your feedback. Cookie Notice Not to mention that a reveal in the story directly contradicts the core principle of the Sixties Scoop (which is based on the belief that these kids should be removed from their own people). "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune Courtesy of MacMillan Publishers Jolie Hughes of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, N.H. has a recommendation for people who want a summer read that . Linus is the protagonist of this novel. Both, in their own ways, are different forms of wish fulfillment. This ultimately resulted in T. J. Klune, a prominent queer author, wanting to commit suicide during Pride Month and needing to up his dose of antidepressants to cope. Learn more. I think it is also important to believe that no matter how imperfect or flawed we are, we are still capable of making meaningful changes to the world we live in. A breezy and fun contemporary fantasy. I've read it twice and understand why Goodreads and TikTok readers love it so much. "1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless ISBN: 978-1-250-21728-8. It wasnt easy to say goodbye to Lucy and leaving him with his newfound family when we moved our entire household from one island to another last year, and I cannot help but think of him as I read the explanation for Lucys name in T. J. Klunes The House in the Cerulean Sea. 'I loved it. Take me in hardened hands, and I crumple. ', "Lucy looked up from the Chuck Berry record. Pick it back up and please finish it! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, If you like what you are reading, maybe you can, The Grandaddy of Vampire Stories: a Review of Bram StokersDracula, A Malaysian-Chinese Immigrant Speculative Fiction Story: a Review of Elizabeth Wongs We Could Not See theStars, The Controversial Politics of Fantastical Wish Fulfillment: a Review of T. J. Klunes The House in the CeruleanSea, the discovery of the remains of 215 First Nation children near Kamloops Indian Residential School, the subsequent discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the Marieval Indian Residential School, The House in the Cerulean Sea T.J. Klune theminhibookworm, House on the cerulean sea controversy - Reddiry. Fantasy and sci-fi reviews by a Malaysian book wyrm. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not theyre likely to bring about the end of days. fantasy, this sounds like a truly fantastic read. the other 2 fantasy books that I will be (forcing myself?) It is a power fantasy birthed by our own sense of powerlessness. It is wish-fulfillment. In the words of Helen, "A house isn't always the house we live in. These scratches are a history. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. There's some building, subtly expressed sexual tension between the two middle-aged male main characters, similarly subtle suggestive humor and innuendo on occasion, and they eventually share one kiss. Hardcover - 17 March 2020. As it should be. I so appreciate you sharing another perspective. You can like the book and the author and still feel uneasy about the inspiration. As for the charge of trivialising an actual tragedy, I think one has to decide for themselves if a story can trivialise something it literally does not reference in the text at all, even though the author may have drawn inspiration from it. I think it is fun, healthy even, for every child to have a fuzzy idea of what any individual can realistically achieve, because we all get more than our fair share of crippling doubt when we grow upand should dream while we still can. As far as I can tell, Mr Klune is not fronting a specific story about First Nation people and neither is it marketed that way at all. Now, I shant go too deeply into the history of it all because there have been reams enough written about it but basically, Mr Klune said that while he already figured out the general plot about an Orwellian world where magical children face bigotry and discrimination just for merely existing, the story didnt become clear to him until he learned about the Sixties Scoop in Canada: beginning in the 1950s and continuing through the 1980s, indigenous children were taken from their homes and families and placed into government-sanctioned facilities, such as residential schools. He loves reading and hoarding books, and enjoys bothering humans with what he thinks of them. His young work in poetry and short stories were the first to be published. It was my favorite part of the whole week and Im missing it today . A burning secret. A magical island. Oh, he understood why there was secrecy and could even comprehend the need for it. As for the charge of trivialising an actual tragedy, I think one has to decide for themselves if a story can trivialise something it literally does not reference in the text at all, even though the author may have drawn inspiration from it. [10], Klune was nominated as an all-time favourite M/M author on the book review website Goodreads in 2017. I recently picked it up again to revisit the comfort of the magical house in the Cerulean Sea and fondly discovered once more why it comes so highly recommended by readers on TikTok. Include how some of the characters would have been discovered to be sentient. If you can get past the weirdness, its such a cute story of found family and love. The argument for that accusation, if I follow their logic correctly, is that since Linus is a regular human interacting with an underclass of magic beings, he is a stand-in for white people (even though he has as much a chance of being white as Talia or Lucy, who are magical children). Linus Baker This character is the main character; he is a caseworker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. ', "Linus shook his head. I hope youll like the other two. What honesty! So I stopped reading. A burning secret.Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. [2] The book is about a man named Linus Baker who travels to Marsyas Island as a representative of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. It was a little gnome girl named Talia that he mistook for a lawn ornament. Same spirit, new stories. Yes I went in with a nervous energy but I really dont think that hindered my acceptance of any of it. . And it was quite apparent to all who met him that Lucy is a boy and because we live in a deeply gendered society, people naturally wondered why we named him thatand I, naturally a troll, enjoyed everyones bafflement so much that I was not always forthright with the explanation. Already I wasnt into it but I decided to keep reading. I am but paper. 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