Review By: Anonymous
Published: 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, LGBTQ+ Fiction
Audience: Grade 11, Adult
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Content Warnings: Discrimination, government oppression, injustice, and emotional trauma.
Publisher’s Summary
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there. Arthur works hard so none of the children ever feel the neglect he once felt as an orphan on that very same island.
He is joined by the love of his life, Linus Baker, and the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that all magical people deserve. When a new magical child—one who finds power in calling himself a “monster”—hopes to join them, Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart. Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.
Review
Somewhere Beyond the Sea continues the gentle, emotionally rich world T.J. Klune created in The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it does so with a darker tone. The story follows Linus Baker, now living with Arthur Parnassus and their created family, as they face a new threat that endangers the magical children and the sanctuary they have built. The plot is driven by the growing tension between a society that fears difference and the people who fiercely protect those who are vulnerable. Linus is pushed into a position where he must decide how far he is willing to go to keep his family safe. This book becomes a story of courage, resistance, and a beautiful love that refuses to be silenced.
Reading it felt like sitting with a student who is struggling to feel safe in the world. The emotional honesty of the characters is one of the book’s greatest strengths, and as a school counselor, I found myself thinking about how often children and teens must navigate systems that are meant to help them but end up harming them. Questions about belonging, identity, and what it means to be brave when you are afraid are central to the narrative. I appreciated that the book does not shy away from the reality that even a loving community can be threatened by outside forces, and that resistance can require sacrifice.
The themes are strongly centered on found family, acceptance, and standing up against discrimination. There is also a clear focus on the importance of creating safe spaces for those who are marginalized. While there are no illustrations, the creative descriptions create a clear picture of the settings and characters, and the cover itself is likely to attract older middle school and high school readers who enjoy fantasy with emotional depth.
🛡️ Resilience and Found Family
The novel explores the psychological concept of Found Family (or “Families of Choice”), which is often vital for marginalized individuals who may not find safety or acceptance in their biological families or systemic institutions.
🎒 Counseling & Classroom Applications
As a counselor-reviewed title, this book offers several avenues for student engagement and emotional growth:
- Empathy & Resilience: Use Arthur’s backstory to discuss how past trauma can be transformed into a drive to protect others (post-traumatic growth).
- Safe Space Mapping: A suggested activity where students map their school or community to identify where they feel most supported.
- Civics & Social Studies: Connect the treatment of “magical youth” to historical and contemporary civil rights movements and the importance of advocacy.
- Community Building Circles: Use the book’s dialogue as a springboard for exploring how language can either build walls or bridges of belonging.
