Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

A Five-Star Book Review

Falling in love with TJ Klune’s writing was easy. When I first discovered The House in the Cerulean Sea, it was a gift of delightful characters wrapped in beautiful prose wrapped in joy and tied with a bow of love. So, when it was an obvious choice to read Klune’s sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, and I am just as in love with this book as I am his first.

Summary of Somewhere Beyond the Sea (No Spoilers)

Somewhere Beyond the Sea brings us back to the island of Marsyas, where magic is the norm and Arthur Parnassus and Linus Baker are raising their brood of orphans: Lucy, Talia, Phee, Theodore, Sal, and Chauncey. These children are more than average: Lucy is the 7-year-old AntiChrist, Talia is a gnome, Phee is a powerful woodland sprite, Theodore is a wyvern, Sal is a Pomeranian shifter, and Chauncey is the best green, gooey bellhop around. But, their idyllic world is about to be disrupted as Arthur bravely takes the stand against the Department in Charge of Magical Youth to share his own story and his fight to have all magical youth treated fairly.

With an unwanted DICOMY visitor arriving on the island and a welcomed new friend, David the yeti, the family pulls together and discovers that love creates more than magic.

What I Enjoyed about Somewhere Beyond the Sea

I loved Somewhere Beyond the Sea for so many reasons. Here are a few:

• The children: Each child is unique in their magic and their personality. They’re also hilarious. I love how they interact with each other and fight for what they want. They bring snark and love at the same time.

• Arthur and Linus: The couple’s love is delicate but iron-strong. Arthur is the central protagonist in Somewhere Beyond the Sea, but Linus is there to support him in every way. They are a realistic couple.
• The messages: I highlighted so many passages in this book because Klune writes with passion and conviction. Arthur urges his children to embrace who they are and love themselves, and to fight for their own rights, and that is clearly the message of the novel.

My Final Thoughts about Somewhere Beyond the Sea

If my review doesn’t demonstrate my love for this book, then I don’t know what else to say, except please read it for yourself (but first read The House in the Cerulean Sea if you haven’t yet). 

Lucy tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling. ‘It’s hard.’

‘What is?’

‘Being alive.’

‘It is,’ Arthur agreed. ‘But perhaps that’s the point: the trials and tribulations of life weigh heavily upon us, but we find people to help lighten the load.’

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (Page 192)