Jessica
Every time I read this book, I hear the song Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin. I think the song fits perfectly with the book. The sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea is told from the perspective of Arthur Parnassus. Like in the song, Arthur finally has everything he wants: his children (Lucy, Chauncy, Talia, Phee, Theodore, and Sal), his fiancée Linus Baker, and his friends Zoe and Helen. He has a place that is safe that he can call his own with the people he loves and cares about the most. Not only that, but the village beside the island seems to be more accepting of magical creatures. All the See Something, Say Something posters have been taken down throughout the village, and magical creatures can roam the village without being marginalized.
Everything seems to be going great. However, there is a storm brewing. Arthur has been called to testify before government officials about his dark times in the orphanage as a child. However, the government officials are not holding back on their hesitation and doubts about Arthur’s story. After Arthur loses his temper and brings out the phoenix in front of the government, his parenting is now called into question. Now, DICOMY wants to send a case worker to observe Arthur and his children to see if they are safe with him. Also, throughout this, Arthur and Linus take in another kid to the house, David, who has alternative views of their family dynamics. Will Arthur be able to keep his family together with so many forces against him?
There are several things that I like about this book. In the first book of the series, Arthur is often portrayed as very knowledgeable and calm. Nothing seems to really rattle him to make him lose his cool. However, we get to see a new side of Arthur in this book. The abuse he received as a child still haunts him and affects his decision. He feels like he has to be the bright light in the room for everyone so that everyone can survive and be happy. However, he soon discovers that he can’t take on the world’s problems by himself and that he has to work on fixing himself before he can help others.
I also like how the children progressed in the story. Not only are they thriving with their new powers, but they also work together to make their voices known. They have calm and productive conversations with Linus and Arthur to make them see their point of view. It was very refreshing to see the kids voice their opinions on things, and that they don’t back down. Sal, in particular, has become the leader among the kids and helps to make sure all of their voices are heard.
The one concept that I am glad that they focused on is the definition of “monster”. Despite the government saying that they are trying to do the best for magical children, they still use the propaganda of See Something, Say Something to instill fear of the magical community and that humans need to be separated from them for their own safety. However, the new character, David, brings his own definition of monster to the island. He thinks that it is great to be a monster because he knows that people sometimes like to be scared for fun. He doesn’t think of being a monster as negative, but as a service to provide people. It is interesting to see him reclaim a word that has caused so many problems on Marsyas Island, and allows the inhabitants to have a new perspective on the word.
Overall, I really liked the book because it illustrates how a family will fight with everything they have to protect one another. I also like how it exposes how governments try to keep certain groups of people marginalized. It illustrates that we as a society have to fight for those who are marginalized to make the world a better place. In the spirit of the book, I ask the following question: How far would you go to protect those that you love?
Originally posted at jdavismallory.substack.com.
Every time I read this book, I hear the song Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin. I think the song fits perfectly with the book. The sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea is told from the perspective of Arthur Parnassus. Like in the song, Arthur finally has everything he wants: his children (Lucy, Chauncy, Talia, Phee, Theodore, and Sal), his fiancée Linus Baker, and his friends Zoe and Helen. He has a place that is safe that he can call his own with the people he loves and cares about the most. Not only that, but the village beside the island seems to be more accepting of magical creatures. All the See Something, Say Something posters have been taken down throughout the village, and magical creatures can roam the village without being marginalized.
Everything seems to be going great. However, there is a storm brewing. Arthur has been called to testify before government officials about his dark times in the orphanage as a child. However, the government officials are not holding back on their hesitation and doubts about Arthur’s story. After Arthur loses his temper and brings out the phoenix in front of the government, his parenting is now called into question. Now, DICOMY wants to send a case worker to observe Arthur and his children to see if they are safe with him. Also, throughout this, Arthur and Linus take in another kid to the house, David, who has alternative views of their family dynamics. Will Arthur be able to keep his family together with so many forces against him?
There are several things that I like about this book. In the first book of the series, Arthur is often portrayed as very knowledgeable and calm. Nothing seems to really rattle him to make him lose his cool. However, we get to see a new side of Arthur in this book. The abuse he received as a child still haunts him and affects his decision. He feels like he has to be the bright light in the room for everyone so that everyone can survive and be happy. However, he soon discovers that he can’t take on the world’s problems by himself and that he has to work on fixing himself before he can help others.
I also like how the children progressed in the story. Not only are they thriving with their new powers, but they also work together to make their voices known. They have calm and productive conversations with Linus and Arthur to make them see their point of view. It was very refreshing to see the kids voice their opinions on things, and that they don’t back down. Sal, in particular, has become the leader among the kids and helps to make sure all of their voices are heard.
The one concept that I am glad that they focused on is the definition of “monster”. Despite the government saying that they are trying to do the best for magical children, they still use the propaganda of See Something, Say Something to instill fear of the magical community and that humans need to be separated from them for their own safety. However, the new character, David, brings his own definition of monster to the island. He thinks that it is great to be a monster because he knows that people sometimes like to be scared for fun. He doesn’t think of being a monster as negative, but as a service to provide people. It is interesting to see him reclaim a word that has caused so many problems on Marsyas Island, and allows the inhabitants to have a new perspective on the word.
Overall, I really liked the book because it illustrates how a family will fight with everything they have to protect one another. I also like how it exposes how governments try to keep certain groups of people marginalized. It illustrates that we as a society have to fight for those who are marginalized to make the world a better place. In the spirit of the book, I ask the following question: How far would you go to protect those that you love?
Originally posted at jdavismallory.substack.com.