This last year, I have been listening to audiobooks consistently, through Libby through the local library. I have listened to some really great ones, and some that I haven’t been able to finish. A few because I just didn’t have time, and wasn’t that into them. A few because I couldn’t stand the reader’s voice, at least in the moment. Some I have come back around to. Most of the books I haven’t wanted to stop listening to!
With my ADHD, I usually listen at a 1.25x speed. The regular speed is kind of slow, because I could read faster myself, but since I can’t keep myself focused on print long enough lately, depending on the book, a slight increase in speed is perfect.
Last night I finished listening to Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune, which I got in one hold earlier than I thought I would. The book was published earlier this month, and initially Libby told me I was 264th in line for the audiobook. Behold my surprised when it became available to me this soon! As I knew it would, this book made me laugh and cry. The first book, House in the Cerulean Sea, was from Linus’s point of view, while this book is from his partner’s point of view. Arthur Parnassus has so much anger that he has buried, and this comes out in the course of this book. I resonated most with Arthur making realizations about his parenting. The oldest, Sal, has to point out to Arthur that yes, he (Sal) is still a child at 15, but he also needs room to grow and explore, not only as someone who has gone through losing his family, experiencing abuse, and other traumatic things related to being a non-human, but also his skin color and other ways he is perceived by the world at large. Sal needs to feel safe, now, yes, but he also needs room to grow. All the children in their family do. Arthur cannot just hide them away and protect them forever, as much as he may want to.
As a parent of a teen, I feel this so much.
Another of the children, Lucy, as the youngest, says he “has spiders” in his head. As someone who is neurodivergent, I totally feel this, too. I think that’s why multitasking while listening to audiobooks helps me so much. It helps the feelings in my head telling me all the anxiety worry things much of the time. It’s why I’ve always liked to read, particularly fiction. Too get rid of the spiders in my head, to borrow the term.
I read a review that called this book bittersweet. I cannot agree more! Definitely bittersweet in that there were so many emotions with a mostly happy ending, and space for more stories in this universe. Some things are solved, but like our own world, there are still a lot of known and unknown variables in play.
I cannot recommend this book enough! Yes, read the first book first, or listen to the audiobook. You won’t be sorry.
Read the author’s note at the end. Or listen to it. TJ Klune had previously said that he did not want to be remembered for anything, but in this note, he now knows what he wants his legacy to be. He wants to be the ‘Anti-JK Rowling.’ And I think he could be!
Leisl Jaberg 