This week we are discussing The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Chapters 11-15.
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, child abuse, and magical violence.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Welcome to discussion three of The House in the Cerulean Sea! This section beat the record for making me tear up, I think. It was beautiful, sad, sweet… so many feelings! It’s been such a joy coming along for the ride as Linus gets to know each of the children, and Arthur, more and more. My heart just about burst when Sal came and asked Linus if he would like to see his room. I also greatly appreciate that Linus checked with him first, to be sure that no one put him up to it - that he was making the decision of his own free will. I think it’s all too common for adults to make decisions for children and teens, without their consent, but it’s so important for kids to learn that their feelings and opinions matter and if someone was trying to convince Sal to do this before he was ready, it was going to be nothing but harmful.
Michaela: I loved this section of the book so much. It was so good and so full of emotion for me. I laughed and teared up during multiple parts. Sal is the sweetest kid I have ever read about. He is so precious and so strong. I appreciate Linus so much with how he treats the children but especially Sal. When Sal said, “I wasn’t ready to be bigger yet” (pg. 214), my whole heart broke for him. He has been abused for so long, I’m so glad he has Arthur and the other children and now Linus as well. I think Linus truly understands how to help these children and he’s so good at it. He understands that children need respect, they need consent, they need love, and he follows through with it too. But he also can comprehend that each child requires they’re own special brand of attention; Theodore’s buttons, Sal’s writing, Chauncey wants to help others, Talia’s gardening, Phee’s power exploration, and Lucy’s music. My heart is so full in this book.
Jacilyn: Sal is so loved. I think he feels that, and he’s starting to feel more comfortable setting down roots. I can empathize, to an extent. As a child, I moved around a lot, and didn’t really have a lot of stable housing. I never got to decorate a room and have my own space. I never got the opportunity to grow up with the same friends and make those life-long connections. I have a few friendships that I’ve been able to hold onto, but the majority of them began when I was a teenager. It’s hard to let yourself get close to people, and feel attached to the physical space around you, when you expect to be uprooted at any moment.
Sal’s writing must be very cathartic to him. I love that Linus helped him feel comfortable enough to move his writing desk in front of the window and out of the closet. It’s another step closer to sharing himself with others. And his bravery is incredible. It must have taken a lot to talk about “the incident” with Linus, but I understand Sal’s desire to make sure Linus knew he didn’t do it on purpose. My heart is full just writing about it.
Michaela: I didn’t move around as much as Sal or you, Jac, but I did still move around a lot and often right before friendships were truly solidified. Then being a shy, self-conscious kid anyways I just never had a lot of friends and I’ve never had a childhood home or anything like that. So I never had long lasting friendships until high school, one of those friendships being you, Jac. I can relate to Sal a lot more than the other characters and I just love him so much. Being moved around as a child is traumatic in itself, then add the abuse and the whole DICOMY orphanage system into it as well. It would be too much for any adult to handle. Where Sal has writing, I had reading and playing musical instruments. A child having an outlet like that is so important. Everything with Sal makes me so emotional.
Then Linus’ love for Lucy when he was so reluctant to it. My heart can’t handle this book, I swear. Again Lucy steals my heart with his love for music. Same buddy, same. I also love “dead people” music, it’s one of my favorite ways to relax and regroup or sing to. I was really surprised by the gift from Lucy and Sal. It was so sweet and so insightful. A beautiful example of how children see and understand more than adults give them credit for. Lucy and Sal have been through and see such horrible things and yet contain so much kindness in their souls. I could talk about them forever honestly (but I won’t, promise!). Then just after this sweet gift, Lucy experiences a horrible nightmare episode. I won’t lie that I cried a little during this scene. The children being so protective of Lucy and then seeing what Lucy was going through, even just from the outside was heartbreaking.
Jacilyn: I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if Lucy asked Arthur to deliver the gift himself, because the children are picking up on the obvious attraction and appreciation that Linus and Arthur have towards each other. When Arthur asked Linus if he liked to dance… I was so hoping they would start dancing together right then and there. They both deserve that happiness. The whole scene was such a special moment between the two of them.
In stark contrast to that was Lucy’s nightmare. It broke my heart that although all of the children are clearly starting to trust Linus, they still immediately assumed he would get them taken away due to Lucy’s nightmare and the havoc it causes. The first thing they did when Linus came into the house was defend Lucy and make sure Linus knew none of them were hurt. They were just so worried about their brother. Then the scene with Arthur trying to bring Lucy back, telling him that he’s loved and worthy and in safe hands, and Lucy’s sobbing when he woke up… I’m tearing up just writing about it. How traumatizing to experience the “spiders on the brain” and other horrors like that. It’s no wonder Lucy loses control during the nightmares! He’s only six, after all. He’s just a child, and he’s terrified. His reaction to breaking his records just killed me, and knowing he feels so much guilt for what happens during the nightmares makes it even worse. He carries so much on those tiny little shoulders of his.
I really enjoyed the way that Linus answered DICOMY’s request for more information on Arthur. Instead of focusing on details about his behavior and trying to get to know his past more, Linus uses examples of each of the children to illustrate the kind of man Arthur is. How each child is flourishing and receiving the unique kind of care they need and deserve says more about Arthur than anything else could, but of course, Mr. Handsome and the rest of Extremely Upper Management wanted more than that. I’m convinced that Mr. Handsome is trying to cause even more trouble at Marsyas Island than he already has, in sending Linus there. I think he wants to shut it all down, and get rid of Arthur in the process. I’m surprised that they thought giving Linus the key to the cellar was going to convince him that Arthur was a liar… how could you see that place and feel anything but horror at what had been done to him as a child? But, we’ll talk about that more a bit later.
Michaela: What kills me is that we know that Mr. Handsome (Mr. Werner) literally has a romantic past with Arthur, so he knows what he’s like. Yet they’re still trying to weedle information out of Linus about him. Like why though? Then they forbid Arthur from showing who he is but then claim to Linus that Arthur’s lying…...like what? They’re so twisted and out of touch I think. Whatever tactics they’re trying just aren’t working how they wanted. But I also don’t understand why they want to close this place down. By closing it they then have to find somewhere else for these children to be...unless they plan to do something worse than an orphanage, which would not surprise me.
I have really enjoyed how brave Linus has been with his letters to DICOMY. He throws a lot of shade in those letters and I’m really surprised by it. Linus might seem scared but he will stand up for what he thinks is right. They chose Linus because he was “unattached” and he was very thorough, but also because he cares about the children he works with. So why would they choose to show him the cellar where Arthur, as a child, was kept in isolation and abused? They’re literally flying right over the point. The logic of Extremely Upper Management just is not there for me, maybe it’ll make more sense later but right now I’m not convinced they understand human emotions.
I wonder, could the motivation for shutting down Marsyas Island be the government putting pressure on DICOMY, so that they don’t have to pay the town anymore? Or maybe that’s a stretch. I’m really so lost on why they’re on this mission. But clearly the town is paid very well for everyone to keep quiet about the children but honestly they hardly know anything. Even Helen, the Mayor who we met on their trip to the village, didn’t know what the children were like or what they even were. Which, we have to talk about this village field trip now. Helen and J-Bone were such amazing characters to add to this story. J-Bone was my absolute favorite, the way he and Lucy completely connected was incredible. He was so accepting and without question, what an amazing person. Then contrast to him was Marty, he can go straight in the trash, throw the whole man away. After Marty verbally attacked Lucy and shoved a cross in his face, J-Bone didn’t even hesitate to fire him. The whole scene in the record store filled me with so much joy and I laughed out loud a couple of times. The back and forth between Lucy and J-Bone and Linus, perfection.
Jacilyn: I’m also confused on the exact motivation of DICOMY. I think it’s safe to bet that Mr. Werner has some sort of grudge against Arthur, but I can’t imagine why. After all, he chose to leave the island and rise in the ranks of DICOMY. I also can’t exactly figure out why they made Arthur agree not to tell anyone about his true identity. I can’t figure out how that benefits them, honestly.
Speaking of Arthur’s identity, knowing he grew up in Marsyas makes a lot of sense. His friendship with Zoe and how much she trusts him both on her island and in her home, and his fear of the villagers and their reaction to the children. I was pleasantly surprised by Helen. She seemed startled at first, but quickly gained her composure and left Talia in absolute adoration. I thought Talia’s reaction to Linus paying for her tools was so, so sweet too. He even used his only-for-emergencies credit card. What a guy.
I was incredibly impressed with the way Talia handled her interaction with the young girl and her mother while they were in the record store. When Linus tried to explain why the adult was so horrible, Talia interrupted with “I know what she was or wasn’t….. It’s awful, but it’s not anything I haven’t dealt with.” And then, on top of that, she says “...there’s so much hope even when it doesn’t seem like it….. The little girl. She wasn’t scared of me. She was nice. She didn’t care what I looked like. That means she can make up her own mind…… Arthur told me that in order to change the minds of many, you have to first start with the minds of few.” So poignant.
How awful of a person do you have to be to try to exorcise a 6 year old boy!? J-Bone, in his stoned glory, clicked with Lucy right away. I love that Lucy is saying “righteous” all the time. Clearly, J-Bone appreciates music in a deep way, with the cannabis use and all, and it’s so cool that Lucy appreciates it in the same way…. Much like Linus, too! Marty absolutely deserved to be thrown against the wall. And I find the thought of Helen reading Marty the riot act to be a very satisfying thought, indeed.
Michaela: DICOMY is the most confusing thing in this novel for me. What are they up to, man? I’m so confused and so concerned all at once.
Arthur having grown up on Marsyas does make a lot of sense. But it worries me that he lives in the same place he was abused. The saying “you can’t heal in the same environment that made you sick” really sticks with me. However, this time Arthur has an entire family that he is protecting that love and protects him back. So maybe the physical environment is the same but the mental/emotional environment is what can heal him. I think the same applies to Linus in a way. He has to leave the city, the place where he was emotionally abused by his work and clearly his mother as well as we read some of Linus’ flashbacks (I do not like that woman!). He needs to leave that place so that he can grow and heal. It’s already started happening for Linus. My favorite quote from this section was when the narrator said about Linus, “it felt like he was seeing in color for the first time”. What a beautiful way to show and describe what healing feels like.
Linus and Arthur in the cellar was one of the most beautiful and emotional scenes I have read in a while. They may not have admitted their feelings completely yet but they truly feel for each other and this scene shows it so much, as well as when Linus called Arthur down in the ice cream shop.. Arthur saying, “you make me feel like I’m burning from the inside out” (pg. 303) and “you’re too precious to put into words” (pg. 306). My heart exploded.
Jacilyn: Arthur’s backstory was a bit triggering for me, not going to lie, but that just made me feel more strongly about the scene in the cellar. When I was younger, I reported my mother to child protective services for the abuse that myself and younger siblings were being put through. An adult I thought I could trust told my mother that it was me who made the complaint, and I was punished severely for it, for a very, very long time. So hearing that Arthur was brave enough to send a letter to DICOMY to report the awful treatment he and the other children were experiencing hit me really deeply. Especially knowing he was punished for it in such an awful way. He was tortured, pure and simple. I believe Linus is correct in telling Arthur that he should be honest with the children about the fact that he’s a phoenix. Not only a phoenix, but perhaps the very last one in existence. I think the children deserve to know, but I’m also terrified of the consequences. Without knowing what DICOMY’s motivations are in requiring him to keep it a secret… I just don’t know. But I do have to wonder if the children suspect something. When Arthur quite literally lost his cool in the ice cream shop, I’m sure Linus wasn’t the only one to notice that something was going on. I’m grateful that Linus and Helen intervened, because the orphanage definitely would have been shut down, and who knows what would have happened to Arthur, had he done something to that horrible man behind the counter.
I thought that Helen’s reflections on her bubble being burst by the children’s visit to the village was such an important life lesson. All throughout this book, we’re being shown how our biases and perceptions impact the way that we see the world and people in it. Everyone has these prejudices and biases, but what makes you a good person is recognizing it and not only making changes to your own behavior, but working to make changes in the behavior of others as well. That’s how you make the world a better place. Like Linus said, “hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as you remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.”
And with that, my friends, we have reached the end of our third discussion. I hope you all are enjoying this book as much as Michaela and I are. I know I’m not only speaking for myself when I say that this book already means so much to me, and we haven’t even finished reading it yet. I look forward to our final discussion next week!