This week we are discussing The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Chapters 6-10.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
Trigger/Content Warning!!! This book has scenes and discussion of such themes as: prejudice, fatphobia, and magical violence.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends! Welcome to the second discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea. This week, we’ve read about Linus getting to know the inhabitants of Marsyas Island, and he’s finally starting to see the light about how the world really works. I had a hard time putting the book down after I finished this section. At one point, I even happy cried while reading! But I digress.
I find every single inhabitant of this island so charming. Arthur and Zoe are great guardians, and the children are all so unique and kind and incredibly intelligent in their own ways. I’m having a hard time deciding who is my favorite… but I think it’s a tie between Sal and Phee. I love that Sal has so much fear, but he’s brave when people he cares about are threatened. This poor little boy has been through some awful things, from the sounds of it, and the fact that he’s starting to feel comfortable around Linus is so heartwarming.
And then Phee is a child after my own heart. I love the way she communicates with the earth, and the appreciation she has for beautiful things. The way she speaks about the earth reminds me of how I feel when I’m in Oregon. And of course, the way Zoe helps mentor her - it’s so cute! I also adore her.
Michaela: This island sounds so magical which of course it is because of Zoe. I love how the magic in this world works. This island belongs to Zoe and she has the power to allow or banish anyone from the island that she does not welcome there. That is such a beautiful concept to me. Only those that I love, trust, or deem worthy to be here can do so and anyone who endangers me or my loved ones will not be able to stay because of my power. The most magical form of consent I have ever heard. Then not only does Zoe share her island but also her house which is the heart of her island home. I almost cried when she invited all the kids in and then Linus. My whole heart was bursting.
Out of the children, though I love all of them, Sal and Chauncey have stolen my heart and run away with it. Sal has been through so much and then his poetry...there are no words for the beauty of it. Chauncey’s unwavering dedication to his dream of being a bellhop, it’s so innocent and he does it so well while still battling understanding that he doesn’t have to be the monster everyone told him he was. When he surprised Linus by being under the bed just to notify him of an everyday mundane event, I literally had to set the book down to laugh for a second. So adorable and heartwarming and I think this book will smother me to death with warmth and love honestly. There’s only ever been one other book that ever had this feeling of being hugged and in safe space while reading it and I can’t get over how great that feeling is.
I find Linus to also be such an amazing person hidden under all that systemic prejudice that has been forced down his throat. He is finally able to start shedding those parts of himself away and become who he truly is. The way he thinks about the ocean and his sunflowers and his cat...he is so full of love and I don’t think he realizes it yet. I don’t think that Linus truly knows himself right now but this island and these people are helping him find himself. It’s so beautiful, I’m getting misty.
Jacilyn: I want to be a sprite! I love how Zoe protects the children and Arthur, and the island as a whole. It was a good idea to bring Linus to the beach to see the raft. I think that really made him start to grasp just how severe the prejudice against magical folks is. I also agree that the island and the people are helping him learn who he is. It’s been lovely seeing his behaviors and his thought process change so naturally. He doesn’t even really think about the implications until he’s blushing at something Arthur says, or one of the children does something particularly affectionate. It’s like he’s learning that he’s allowed to be happy and be himself. He doesn’t have to dedicate his entire existence to his work to be compassionate and help these children, which is really all he’s ever wanted to do. He’s so charming.
This book has made me laugh out loud more than once. My particular favorite from this section is when Linus sits in on Lucy and Arthur’s one-on-one session and Lucy answers the question “where did you come from?” with “A vagina after it was penetrated by a penis.” It killed me. He is so funny, even his darkest threats. Just the mental image of a six year old boy saying these things and then being told he has to go take a bath… it’s great. I also really enjoy that Lucy and Linus both share a love of the same music. Even Lucy’s reasoning for loving those particular artists is strangely beautiful.
Speaking of beautiful, Sal’s poem was stunning, and sad, and beautiful. Each time he starts to trust Linus more my heart grows and grows. That poor child is so traumatized by his experiences. And at only 12! But he’s incredibly mature because of it. Arthur is right, he certainly picks up on more than someone might think.
Michaela: The more I learn about all of these characters the more I fall in love with them. Oh also Theodore with his buttons and how Linus just sacrificed a shirt to keep giving him buttons. I can’t handle it, so cute! They’re all just adorable and beautiful and magical.
Zoe showing Linus the raft was such a good thing for Linus, he needed to see first hand what the prejudice resulted in and I’m assuming that this threat is not the worst of the prejudice either. I’m afraid of what will happen next with that.
The town is clearly turning against them more and more, this is shown in how they talk about the kids behind their backs and then everyone doubling the prices of necessary things that Zoe needs to pick up in town. The fact that the government or DICOMY (are they the same? I’m still not sure) is paying the town to keep quiet about the children, that just blew my mind. They’re literally funding a town to keep this a secret while also not funding Arthur’s home to help him to afford caring for them. Make it make sense. But what can we expect from people who throw children into reform schools to keep them away from other “normal” children because that doesn’t sound familiar at all to our world…..so much symbolism and parallels in this book which I really appreciate. Also, these people made a whole registration specifically to control magical beings and did not consult magical beings, when Arthur pointed out to Linus how humans can educate, represent, and medically care for magical beings but magical beings never are allowed to do so for humans...oooooooo just like a punch in the gut to the world you thought you understood. “If you see something say something”, the worst possible thing to ask people to do, it just incites more prejudice.
Jacilyn: The townsfolk are awful, and being paid to keep quiet certainly doesn’t help prevent prejudice. I think DICOMY is a department within the government, if I’m understanding it correctly. The blatant bigotry the townsfolk show certainly bothers Linus. He went from being surprised at himself for replying to the raft message with “No, thank you” to telling off the postal worker for giving his unwanted and mean-spirited opinion. The character development is so great. He clearly cares for the kids… and Arthur. Which, can we talk about how Arthur clearly had a relationship with Mr. Handsome AKA Mr. Werner from Extremely Upper Management????? It’s real suspicious that Werner sent Linus to “investigate” this orphanage. I bet Werner is trying to get it shut down. Linus and Arthur should fall in love and live together with the children for the rest of their lives… that would show Werner.
I think Linus was initially somewhat surprised at how well Arthur treats the children. He certainly arrived with a preconceived notion of what he might encounter, in spite of his assertion that he’s entirely impartial. Arthur has the children’s days structured, they learn everything from math to expressing themselves, and the absolute cutest thing - adventure day! It’s so cute that they let each of the children take turns being the leader, and Arthur and Zoe just work with it to make it an exciting experience for the kids, with lessons along the way. My absolute favorite part was when Phee used her powers to grow that flower for Linus. I think Phee and Zoe are so cool and I bet it would be incredible to see flowers grow out of nowhere and trees move to create a path.
Michaela: I distrust Werner and Extremely Upper Management so much more now knowing they had a relationship. Like what is he playing at?
Linus’ character development has been awesome and I’m excited to keep reading to see how much more he changes. He cares so deeply for these children and the children are starting to care for him back. Talia holding his hand, Sal trusting him with hearing his poetry and with their adventure, Phee growing the flower for him, Chauncey caring for his clothing, Lucy bonding with him over “dead people” music, and Theodore with his buttons. They’re such a beautiful found family, I love it so much.
I think Linus went to this home expecting a very stern man who cared for very unhinged magical children but he was met with the opposite. He found a very caring, gentle, and open man caring for very different children but they were still just children acting like children. Arthur is such an interesting character, his whole aura just makes me think he has magical abilities himself. He’s very empathic which aids his care for the children and helping Linus understand the children. At the same time I think he’s kind of a dork, though he doesn’t show it as much as Linus does. Just look at those socks people, absolute dork, I love it.
The whole concept of this adventure day with costumes and everything is amazing and honestly I would like to bring that idea with me into parenthood when I decide to have children. This way of playing allows the children to be truly creative and learn how to cooperate with others while also being incredibly fun. This adventure also allows Linus to exercise his imagination that DICOMY has been making him suppress for 17 years. At the end of the last chapter we read about what Linus feels, “He felt real. He felt present.” I believe that Linus has been on autopilot for a very long time and these people have woken him out of the stupor and he’s beginning to live again.
Jacilyn: And with that, my friends, we come to the end of our second discussion. We’re clearly both enjoying this book so much! I think it’s safe to expect that Mr. Werner is going to be causing some troubles soon, and I’m hoping we get an ending that makes us feel as good as the rest of the book has. Until next time!
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