I hadn’t heard of this book before but can I just say right now that it sounds like one of the most atrociously written things outside of actual hate lit
Like ok there’s a reason the “check your privilege” thing is a thing. Holy shit. I don’t care how queer you are. You being queer doesn’t make you fit to speak for indigenous people who suffered genocide—both cultural and mortal genocide—and pretend you’re doing everyone a favor because ooh look there’s queer representation!
Good fucking lord ok I’ll just quote part of the plot synopsis:
… As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
Don’t worry the idiot gets a boyfriend or whatever
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe.
… The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of
The next lines are “understanding the horrors of government sanctioned genocide and the duty of us all to fight them,” right?
discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
No of course not it’s just a fucking Found Family story with indigenous children used as props for a fucking fantasy novel.
Yeah so what did those props get turned into again:
a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist.
Right.
Someone in the reviews really shredded him. I love this last line of the review:
In part of that podcast episode I posted he says "We have to speak up for those that can’t speak for themselves. And that’s kind of the theme of the whole book is, is to raise your voice for those who don’t have one." You took someone else’s story, and changed it to something more "palatable". You took their voices away. If this really struck a chord with you, you're a talented writer, you could have easily written something else, and still used your platform to elevate and amplify Indigenous voices. Something you can still do, if you choose to.
Honestly just throw the whole man out.
