Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, 2) by TJ Klune. New York: TOR Publishing Group, 2024.405 pages. *****
In this sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea, "
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there.Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children."
I love the House in the Cerulean Sea; the characters and their growth on the island while adapting to being a part of a family are endearing and heartwarming. Somewhere Beyond The Sea surpasses book 1 and is the final one in the series. Klune was interviewed as part of an author series, https://libraryc.org/ccls/64502, Chester County Library System. Klune is sincere, engaging, and a delight . In this second book, David, a yeti joins the family and provides a buddy for Lucy and completes the circle of family. The interactions between Miss Marblemaw, the inspector from DICOM, and the family are amusing and thought provoking. Arthur and Linus let the children take the lead in this book and many lessons on resistance and acceptance are learned.
I definitely recommend this book for Book Clubs and everyone. There are so many topics and situations to discuss, especially in light of today's society. Notable for those YA readers who may not have found a book to turn them on to reading. Klune is a master storyteller, I laughed, shed a tear and cheered, often at the same time. Writing from his heart, Klune has a way with words that will resonate for a long time. I suggest that you read the books in order because they read as a continuation of each other.
TJ KLUNE is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important―now more than ever―to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. To learn more about Klune - https://www.tjklunebooks.com/about
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