Member Reviews
This first pages of this novel has me eager to read the rest. It feels like coming home returning to Marsyas Island! I already like the shift in tone that this novel has compared to the first in the series. Since this one is from Arthur Parnassus' perspective, it feels like instead of an outsider looking in the way we had with Linus, we are not only getting the viewpoint from someone who is an orphan, we are seeing how the magical house came to be. It's beautiful that we are getting to see the backstory of a man Linus (and us) grew to adore in the first novel.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favorite books in 2021, and so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the sequel. TJ Klune is a master at crafting characters that are emotionally deep and complex, but also so relatable. I really love this series with my whole heart. And I will read literally anything he puts out.
I've been struggling with how to write this review for a while now. TJ Klune is a fantastic author, there's no doubt about that. However, with the knowledge that I have now that TJ Klune's first book "The House in the Cerulean Sea" was based on the Indigenous schools and the Sixties Scoop, I can not recommend it nor the sequel. I do not think that a non-indigenous person should get to write about and profit off the pain of indigenous people. After doing a lot of reading up on this, and seeing no action made by TJ Klune to rectify anything, I can not in good conscience give a review.
Everything TJ Klune writes is so cozy and magical. His writing is the emotional equivalent of curling up on your favorite chair with a mug of tea on a rainy day, I was so excited to read this except and absolutely cannot wait to read the whole thing!!
This 4 chapter tease is giving me all the feels…I can’t wait for more of Marsyas Island adventures!!
Thank Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for a quick sample of this highly anticipated story.
I immediately pre-ordered the full book after reading this excerpt! I love TJ Klune's books but The House in the Cerulean Sea had some fatphobic language that really bothered me. At least in these first four chapters, that doesn't really come up and I hope that holds through this new adventure. You're plunged right into the action and I'm excited to see where this story goes!
Wow - I am already loving this book and NEED more! I was gifted this ARC copy of an excerpt of the book & the way TJ Klune continues to write lures me in! I cannot wait to finish and see where the rest of the book goes Beyond the Sea!
Was very happy to get a preview of Somewhere Beyond the Sea. I loved the first book and always hoped we get to see more of these characters.
Jumping back into life on Marsyas Island, we reconnect with Linus, Arthur and all of the kids. They each hold a special place in my heart. With just this sneak peak I can already see how these characters have grown and can’t wait to learn more about David.
With this excerpt I can already tell that this is going to be heartwarming, full of laughs, and a fun ride.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this excerpt! I was so excited to get a sneak peek of a few chapters of this! I think this is my most anticipated book of the fall and cannot wait to grab a copy next week. These characters have my whole heart and I cannot wait to read the entire book!
I absolutely loved this sneak peek of TJ Klune's newest novel. The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favorite novels and this except made me so eager to finish and get the whole story! I'm so glad to be back in one of my favorite worlds on another heartwarming adventure.
If T.J. Klune’s “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” is as compelling as the "sneak peek" I sampled, it will be my Christmas gift of the year. Why not? It picks up after “House in the Cerulean Sea,” my best-novel of 2020.
Premise: Arthur Parnassas, the magical head of a foster home for magical children (who are hated by average humans) is called to the Departments in Charge of Magical Youth and Magical Adults for a hearing. After he and his boyfriend, Linus Baker, a “normal” who once worked there, helped take down the bigoted Extremely Upper Management, it is expected to be a friendly audience. But we know this cannot end well.
As usual, Klune’s subplot is bigotry, how it is groomed and fought. With delightfully original characters, a true feel for children and adult’s different viewpoints, and exquisite language, I was sucked right in!
Discussing intergenerational trauma with their magical charges, Arthur notes, “I wasn’t treated right when I was a child, but I was far from the only one. You have all experienced it for yourself, in one form or another. I wish I could take that from you, but I can’t. And I don’t know if I would have the right, even if I could. You are more than the sum of your parts, but your past is still that: yours. I wouldn’t presume to take something that you might not want to give up, even if it’s painful to think about. I want to do the next best thing: use my voice to bring attention to not only this island, but to others who might not have found their home yet.” Sigh!
While Klune does a masterful job of catching readers up to speed, and the new novel might work as a standalone, why miss the insane goodness of “House in the Cerulean Sea?”
Klune’s gentle generosity towards all outcasts graces the toughest moments in his novels with assurance that it is okay to be ourselves, regardless of others’ disapproval, that living authentically is the most difficult and powerful way to honor humanity. As a parable for today’s climate of hatred, I cannot wait to see Klune’s conclusions in “Somewhere Beyond the Sea,” to swim in its warm embrace. Get it September 10th.
This was an excerpt of the book and I will say I cannot wait to read the whole thing! The first few chapters are full of the love and magic that The House in the Cerulean Sea captured so very beautifully. We are brought back to the beloved characters of the island, including Arthur and the children. The same feeling of acceptance and unwavering, unconditional love are felt from the very beginning. With this start, and knowing where Arthur and Linus are headed to on their trip, makes me eager to read more of the story of these magical, unique and wonderful beings.
Advance reader copy provided by Tor Books and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
As always, another incredible one from TJ Klune!! I was so excited to see this sequel and this excerpt makes me even more excited to read the whole thing!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Listen I only got the first four chapters, and it’s all I needed to know that this book is going to be amazing. It has just enough of those beautiful children we love, and the wonderful familial bonds they’ve made. I don’t always love a sequel, but the plot I know so far feels like further development of Arthur, instead of rehashing an issue we’ve already seen our characters work through. I can’t wait for the rest of it!
As someone who read Klune's previous novels and loved them, I was very excited for this novel. I was a little bummed that it was only a sample, but it just made me more excited to read the full novel when it comes out. Amazing setting, characters who I loved before and am excited to see again, and the start of a wonderful story.
The first few chapters are just as magical and charming as it's predecessor. Can't wait to pick this up on publication day. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a sneak peek.
So far, I loved that the book provided a glimpse into Arthur’s past. The kids are just as hilarious and heartwarming as they were in the first book, of course. Chapter four was such a cliffhanger, so I will be picking up my copy asap after its release on September 10th!!!
Five stars for what I have read so far, but I can't wait to see how the rest of the book goes.
At some point this title stopped saying Excerpt or Sneak Peek and I jumped in, it still was the first few chapters though and while I devoured them, I'll just have to be patient for the excellent writing from Klune.
I was graciously granted a sneak preview ARC copy by NetGalley and Tor. From the first few chapters, this promises to have the same cozy, magic as the first book, and I can't wait to dive in!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an early electronic copy of the first five chapters in exchange for an honest review
I purposely waited to read this because I KNEW I WOULD BE SAD THAT I CAN'T READ THE REST OF THE BOOK RIGHT AWAY...
Okay, now that's out of the way. I absolutely loved this preview and I can't wait to read it. Only one more week and I already pre-ordered my copy. I will be consuming this book once it is delivered. I hope you didn't make plans with me because plans are canceled.
Read The House on the Cerulean Sea if you haven't yet. You still have time to become obsess with it before this book comes out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for an early electronic copy of the first five chapters in exchange for an honest review
I purposely waited to read this because I wanted minimal time between reading this preview and consuming the final copy. I loved the Easter eggs from the first book and I think this is going to be another amazing book.