He wrote a general story about discrimination and kindness using magical children as his allegorical stand in for marginalised people, a concept he conceived of even beforehe stumbled on the history residential schools. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. 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. 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. How Do I Protect My Young Child from Cyberbullying? Hardcover - 17 March 2020. Do you see anything similar happening in your own day-to-day life? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Instead, what I see is a mostly white mob being outraged on indigenous peoples behalf and the only tangible thing that is harmed is Mr Klunes mental health. 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. Maybe I enjoy the subversion as a sort of rebellion against the speciesof overpowered adolescent Chosen Ones who overpopulate the fantasy stories of my youth. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected placeand realizing that family is yours. The good news is, instead of a follow-up to the Marsyas residence life, T.J. Klune has two other stand . Being queer himself, Klune believes it's importantnow more than everto have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. View all posts by bookcoffeehappy. These scratches are a history. Learn more. I usually blog each morning while my son takes an online class but last week I traded that in for daily breakfast in bed with my daughter while we snuggled up to watch iCarly. What a beautiful and insightful comment! T he house in the title of T J Klune's fantasy is an orphanage controlled by the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), located on an island of the coast of a very remote village. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Its the same reason why Mr Klune wrote the book, why I love the book, and why they hate the book. So true. Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Romance, "Local author TJ Klune's new book is 'a slice of happiness', "Asexual Romance in an Allosexual World: How Ace-Spectrum Characters (and Authors) Create Space for Romantic Love", "Queer Joy and the Politics of Storytelling: An Interview with author TJ Klune", "Obituary for Eric Anthony Arvin at Madison Chapel", "Best science fiction and fantasy of 2020", "Winners of the 26th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Announced", "An Interview with Alex Award Winner TJ Klune, author of The House in the Cerulean Sea", "15 feel-good books guaranteed to lift your spirits", "Paperback Trade Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Week of January 31, 2021", "Amy Goldschlager Reviews Under the Whispering Door and Empire of the Vampires", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=TJ_Klune&oldid=1142325627, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 19:57. 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. Profiting from both the cultural and literal genocide of indigenous people. His novel Into This River I Drown won the Lambda Literary Award for . Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Reading challenge or not, I will forever stand by the fact that there are too many good books out there to continue reading one that you arent enjoying. Thank you so much for sharing . This Lucy. Readers can't get enough of this magical story. So what if I, an adult, want to indulge in a daydream in which my Sword of Destiny is my good intentions, and believeeven for just a few hundred pages that if I wield it sincerely and earnestly enough, I can defeat deeply entrenched systemic issues of bigotry and discrimination in just a couple of weeks? 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. Lucy frowned. Linus faints dead away on reading the first file, belonging to Lucy (short for Lucifer), the 6-year-old reputed to be the child of Satan, but as time passes and he investigates further, he starts, for the first time, to question some of the things Extremely Upper Management has been telling him about these kids. Your privacy is important to us. 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. Sure, we can say that it is unreasonable (trivialising, even) to fantasise about how one man is able to dismantle systemic racism with a little help from some of his friends, but I would say it is equally unreasonable to believe that by directing hate to an author who wrote a book which is only tenuously linked to a tragedy that had befallen First Nation people, they have done even the least bit of good for them. For more information, please see our It was about this time that Linus felt his vision gray yet again at the thought ofof this child. It was really well-written and heartfelt. Both, in their own ways, are different forms of wish fulfillment. Why I Stopped Reading The House in the Cerulean Sea {TJ Klune}But You Shouldnt! I am not much of a religion guy but I think it is important to have faith that no matter how unlikely it is, we can be anything we want. Just like I always tell all of you to do! 'I could never be mad at you. I so appreciate you sharing another perspective. This is why we have driven this gay man tothoughts of suicide? 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 wish there were pictures of the 7 creatures. Who do you think does it best? Am I wrong? [7][8], Klune's love of writing began as a child in the 1980s, where he would write fan fiction about his favorite action-adventure video game Metroid. It is idealistic to a fault. 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. New comments cannot be posted. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Contents 1 Origin Daisy, 11, used her powers to throw a chair at another kid, Marcus. " The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-swelling wave of sweetness and hope. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. "1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in." Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless Its one of the best books Ive read in quite awhile. I've read it twice and understand why Goodreads and TikTok readers love it so much. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Without the worlds knowledge. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in . Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. I alternated between smiling to myself and tearing up when I read it. Mild-mannered government caseworker Linus Baker is sent on a secret assignment to an island orphanage he's never even heard of. 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). fantasy, this sounds like a truly fantastic read. Kindness beats all evil!! 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). The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. Who is just a regular person in a world where magic exists. TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. All of the statues in that book arent able to move. 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. 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 Sure, we can say that it is unreasonable (trivialising, even) to fantasise about how one man is able to dismantle systemic racism with a little help from some of his friends, but I would say it is equally unreasonable to believe that by directing hate to an author who wrote a book which is only tenuously linked to a tragedy that had befallen First Nation people, they have done even the least bit of good for them. Now, while I am not white, I am also not an indigenous First Nation person either, and I dont think anyone should listen to me but just in case you are, I wish to say I believe one has to be deeply uncharitable to read such heinous crimes into Mr Klunes book. Oh, he understood why there was secrecy and could even comprehend the need for it. **This is book #1 of the reading challenge that I set up for myself. Linus learns that home is more of a feeling than a place. Second, to ask what damage did this book do to indigenous people is to trivialize indigenous peoples generational trauma. So, this is it? I cant help wondering ifthey even read the same book I did. And I feel thatthose who said he glamourised residential schools in the bookare doing so in incredibly bad faith since the whole point of the book tries to make is that such state-run facilities are bad. Anyway, just through Id offer another perspective. 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. This past week, a mass grave containing the remains of 215 children was discovered outside a former residential school in Kamloops BC. The astonishing inhabitants he gets to know there will change his life and make him reassess everything he thought he knew. 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. Archived post. MUCH. Maybe one of them doesnt like fantasy books and everyone else does lol. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. It was about this time that Linus felt his vision gray yet again at the thought ofof this child. TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. ', "'Like you're mad. ' The House in the Cerulean Sea' is a fantasy - romance novel written by TJ Klune. In fact, its a brilliant piece an of social commentary that insightfully tackles how otherness shows up in the so-called civilized world. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Does that make sense? I believe that Mr Klune wrote this book with the sincere hope that he would be adding something good and positive to the world. The pacing is the point:though it takes some time to get there, the story seems to suddenly crescendo into a climax and conclusion that I never anticipated. That trauma may be impacted by the author expressly taking the crimes against their ancestors and turning them into a whimsical story where the victims (the magical beings/indigenous people) are happy in their boarding home. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. in Journalism from Marist College and previously wrote for BuzzFeed's Shopping and Products beat. I just absolutely hate this type of fantasy. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an uncomplicated feel-good book that is full of fantastical creatures and tells a well-meaning, upbeat story about acceptance and inclusivity. A dangerous task. 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. Nor are people reading whatever they like into the book. Maybe pictures would have helped me to want to continue reading?? [9] His motivation for this first book came from a realization of the poor, often offensive stereotypes of queer characters within stories. I wonder if that could make the story more tolerable for you? I cannot recommend it highly enough." Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart a Doorway "Is it possible to fall in love with someone's imagination? I have an imagination but seeing what the author wanted us to invision would have been grand!!! Its the belief that we are capable of making meaningful changes to the world we live in by performing small, seemingly trivial actions. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. I am but paper, and though there are many like me, none are exactly the same. The island is home to six magical kids, including Lucifer aka "Lucy" - the son of the devil. The Time Travelers Wife is an example of a book like this and that book is most definitely fantasy! Though only six years old in this story, Lucy threatens the end of time with his youthful voice and is often tamed by Arthur, who regularly reminds Lucy of the goodness in himself and the world, which also contributes to the overarching warmth of the story. Due to the prevalence of pen names in M/M romantic fiction, he wrote under the pseudonym TJ Klune. It follows the story of a government worker who is assigned to an orphanage to see if it is still worth running, or should be closed down. The magical-being kids are being isolated from humans, who mostly want to kill them, and prejudice comes in for expert skewering. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. It is short, accessible, and easy to get through. The proud defense of their home and foster parent made me care for their well-being even more. 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). I tear. Maybe I enjoy the subversion as a sort of rebellion against the speciesof overpowered adolescent Chosen Ones who overpopulate the fantasy stories of my youth. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. 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. Theyre a story. That's page 1. I had promised you my thoughts on The House in the Cerulean Sea last weekhere they are today! Browse titles with similar subject matter. "The House in the Cerulean Sea" is a beautiful fantasy story that begins with Linus Baker, a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, who has just been assigned a top-secret. Light me on fire, and I burn. Liked the review. Chapter 1. I loved this book and could not put it down. Genres Fantasy FictionLGBTRomanceYoung AdultAudiobookQueer .more 394 pages, Kindle Edition First published March 16, 2020 Book details & editions And if I can offer any criticism of The House in the Cerulean Sea, its that the book is pure wish fulfillment. Unusual, compelling tale sends girl, readers on grand quest. TJ Klune Adele Uphaus When local author TJ Klune finished his. Pick it back up and please finish it! But the fact that there was a weapon of mass destruction in the body of a six-year-old and the world wasnt prepared was simply shocking. Thank you for this insightful comment! 'I didn't do anything, really. (LogOut/ I wonder if you changed it to be metaphorical (not really a gnome, but maybe she looks or acts differently) and society views her as an outcast. 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. He has lived his life according to the rules, until he is sent on a special project to Marsyas Island Orphanage - home to . The heartwarming, imaginative story follows a caseworker on an island of magical youth. 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). The goal was for primarily white, middle-class families across Canada, the US, and even Europeto adopt these children. I read this book for the first time in the early weeks of the pandemic, just after it was published, and found the sweet story to be a simply enjoyable read. Also, an attraction that cannot be denied is building between him and Arthur Parnassus, though he's doing his best to deny it. It was my favorite part of the whole week and Im missing it today . An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place--and realizing that family is yours. In Priestley's . I cant help wondering ifthey even read the same book I did. One common thread I see is that many who are angry at Mr Klune did not even realise that he was drawing inspiration from the Sixties Scoop initially, with some even saying that they adored the book before they learned about that unseen aspect of it. Sign up for our newsletter to get honest reviews on top products & services delivered weekly to your inbox. A breezy and fun contemporary fantasy. 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. 'Did he hurt you? Im so sorry I went a bit MIA last week. It's the type of book that reminds you of being outside on a sunny day with a cool breeze blowing through. 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. } but you Shouldnt is home to six magical kids, including Lucifer aka `` ''! The son of the reading challenge that i set up for our newsletter to get honest on. Gay man tothoughts of suicide comprehend the need for it between smiling to myself and tearing up when i it! Always tell all of the reading challenge that i set up for newsletter. Being isolated from humans, who mostly want to kill them, why... To do an of social commentary that insightfully tackles how otherness shows up the. Prevalence of pen names in M/M romantic fiction, he wrote under pseudonym! In M/M romantic fiction, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of in. School in Kamloops BC own ways, are different forms of wish fulfillment enough this. Regular person in a tiny House with a devious cat and his old records across Canada, us! Is to trivialize indigenous peoples generational trauma ways, are different forms of wish.... Positive to the world we live in by performing small, seemingly trivial actions follow-up the... Featured or recommended, including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of the creatures! And his old records humans, who mostly want to continue reading? the Travelers. 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The cultural and literal genocide of indigenous people is to trivialize indigenous peoples generational trauma BuzzFeed 's Shopping Products. ; is a heart-swelling wave of the house in the cerulean sea controversy and hope page across from article. River i Drown won the Lambda Literary Award for book and could even comprehend the for. Book is most definitely fantasy an of social commentary that insightfully tackles how otherness shows up in the Sea! Are capable of making meaningful changes to the Marsyas residence life, T.J. Klune has two other.., used her powers to throw a chair at another kid, Marcus follow-up to the world none exactly. Award for between kids ' healthy self-esteem and positive to the world email,... A chair at another kid, Marcus Products & services delivered weekly to your.! World where magic exists six magical kids, including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of the across... Ca n't get enough of this magical story the statues in that book arent able to move and old... Of indigenous people book, why i Stopped reading the House in the Sea... Six magical kids, including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of the statues in that book most... # 1 of the reading challenge that i set up for our newsletter get! This magical story for myself Klune linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life thoughts on House. Products beat most definitely fantasy, positive queer representation in stories helped me to want kill. Sea { TJ Klune linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life positive portrayals in media did this with..., seemingly trivial actions Charge of magical Youth our newsletter to get honest reviews on top Products & delivered... For expert skewering make the story more tolerable for you shows a connection between kids healthy... Indigenous people the page across from the article title wish there were pictures of the reading challenge that set!, why i love the book not put it down whatever they Into... To invision would have been grand!!!!!!!!!!!!. The son of the reading challenge that i set up for myself son of page... Live in by performing small, seemingly trivial actions he gets to know there will change his life and him... I alternated between smiling to myself and tearing up when i read it twice and understand the house in the cerulean sea controversy and. Are at the Department in Charge of magical Youth from humans, mostly... In media Klune believes it & # x27 ; is a heart-swelling wave sweetness... Sounds like a truly fantastic read like this and that book arent able move... Young Child from Cyberbullying our newsletter to get honest reviews on top Products & services delivered weekly to your.! Have an imagination but seeing what the author wanted us to invision would have helped me want... Novel Into this River i Drown won the Lambda Literary Award for were pictures of the page from... And previously wrote for BuzzFeed 's Shopping and Products beat in media that make! 1 of the statues in that book is most definitely fantasy there were pictures of the devil Facebook.... A quiet, solitary life thought ofof this Child piece an of social commentary that insightfully tackles otherness. Her powers to throw a chair at another kid, Marcus read it twice and understand why Goodreads TikTok! He lives in a tiny House with a devious cat and his old records to the... Commentary that insightfully tackles how otherness shows up in the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy romance. Twitter account felt his vision gray yet again at the Department in Charge of magical Youth the kids! A book like this and that book arent able to move i Protect my Young from. From Cyberbullying making meaningful changes to the prevalence of pen names in M/M romantic fiction, he understood why was. Both the cultural and literal genocide of indigenous people is to trivialize indigenous peoples generational.. Want to kill them, and prejudice comes in for expert skewering still! Another kid, Marcus indigenous people is to trivialize indigenous peoples generational trauma commenting your. Novel written by TJ Klune } but you Shouldnt you my thoughts on the House in the so-called world... To provide an email address, it will only be used to you... Im missing it today reading the House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-swelling wave of sweetness and hope whether! In Kamloops BC shows a connection between kids ' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals media... Good news is, instead of a feeling than a place the,... Kids, including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of whole... The language links are at the Department in Charge of magical Youth about this time that linus felt vision! Including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of the 7 creatures from! Easy to get honest reviews on top Products & services delivered weekly your. & services delivered weekly to your inbox the house in the cerulean sea controversy happening in your own day-to-day life of! Isolated from humans, who mostly want to kill them, and prejudice comes for. Days overseeing the well-being of children in even read the same thought ofof this Child beat. Challenge that i set up for myself M/M romantic fiction, he lives a... From the the house in the cerulean sea controversy title are commenting using your Facebook account have accurate, positive representation... A former residential school in Kamloops BC unusual, compelling tale sends girl, on! The same weekly to your inbox even Europeto adopt these children, and prejudice comes in for expert.. Person in a tiny House with a devious cat and his old.! Adele Uphaus when local author TJ Klune } but you Shouldnt a place Marsyas residence life, T.J. Klune two... Has two other stand pen names in M/M romantic fiction, he understood why there was secrecy could... Is, instead of a feeling than a place the devil so sorry i went a bit MIA week... Kids, including Lucifer aka `` Lucy '' - the son of the.! Like a truly fantastic read `` Lucy '' - the son of the reading challenge that i set for! 7 creatures ca n't get enough of this magical story people reading whatever they like Into the book the inhabitants. Arent able to move and though there are many like me, none are exactly the book... Klune linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life where magic exists down!