Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Another feel-good entry from T.J. Klune.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

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For me, this needed just a little more dark elements to balance out the schmoop, which is a thing I’m still not fully on board with in terms of Klune’s writing, although it hit me less here than it did in Cerulean Sea. But overall this was a lovely read, like a warm hug. While I do have some criticisms, mostly to do with an overdose of earnestness and not enough subtlety (also known as schmoop), I really did enjoy this book. It was an escape […]

“The things we fear the most are often the things we should fear the least. It’s irrational, but it’s what makes us human. And if we’re able to conquer those fears, then there is nothing we’re not capable of.”

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

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In One Word: Joyful Cannonball Read Bingo Square : Home A good friend of mine was reading this book for a friend book club and I nosed my way in with a jolt, “Um, ‘scuse me? Book Club did you say? What book??” That gathering of people has yet to materialize but I am filled with utter glee that this book came into my life. What. A. Delight. If you are looking for something uplifting, fun, and funny, look no further than this charming tale […]

All you need is love?

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

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Linus is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He visits orphanages to make sure everything is in order and that the kids who are staying there are doing ok. His life is monotonous and drab, bureaucratic even. One day, he gets a special assignment by the Department’s Extremely Upper Management. He gets sent to the island of Marsyas, where the orphanage there is home to some very special kids who are cared for by a very special man. One third into […]

Unfortunately shows that the first book might have ben a bit of a Flash in the pan

Flash Fire by T.J. Klune

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Rep: a really great portrayal of ADHD, which is neither glamorized nor stigmatized Spoilers for the first book in the series, . Unfortunately, while I eagerly awaited this book and rushed it to the top of my TBR list, this book did not quite reach the heights of the first. It felt a bit scattered and lacked the narrative cohesion and tension that propelled me through the first book. Not that I didn’t finish this book quickly–I did–but it’s not one a series that I […]

FULL of heart and love

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

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I will say–and this is a big thing–that there’s some jarring tonal issues with our current day given that Nick’s father is a cop. The cops in this story are in the vein of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, full stop, but there’s still something shaky about a book in which the police show up often and are extra super good. This book will definitely loose readers as a result of this, and I think that’s fine. It made me vaguely uncomfortable throughout, but in this way that […]

“But I can have spiders in my head as long as I don’t let them consume me.” #CBRBingo – Happy

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

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This was very sweet and I was extremely charmed by it. I didn’t end up giving it the fifth star, because shmoopsy mostly doesn’t work for me, and this did get a bit shmoopsy there at the end. (Shmoopsy is a technical term.) But overall, this was witty and so sweet and heartwarming, with a light undercurrent of dark humor. I loved the worldbuilding; the gentle bite of the satire combined so well with the big hearts of the main characters. Briefly (because I think […]



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