Somewhere Beyond the Sea

What makes Linus and Arthur great parents? How does their love for each other enhance their ability to love their children? How does their approach to parenting compare to your experiences when you were growing up?

As you watched Jeanine Rowder grilling Arthur during the hearing, spurred by the dissolution of Extremely Upper Management, did any of her arguments sound familiar? When have you heard someone in power claim to be protecting children while they’re actually harming kids? What’s the real motivation that keeps Rowder and Harriet Marblemaw so hellbent on their mission?

Being magical often means being messy, from Chauncey’s inky mishaps to Theodore’s occasional bursts of green fire. As the eldest child, Sal is the old soul who keeps things from getting too messy. How does their family manage to stay playful while they’re facing so many serious problems?

In chapter 9, Arthur and Lucy discuss the unfairness of being labeled a monster and the murkiness of trying to find a truly objective understanding of morality. Without Arthur’s healing love, would Lucy have grown into someone who was harmful to others? What does Arthur teach us about breaking the cycle of trauma?

David excels at costumes and disguise. Which version of him is your favorite? Would you let him officiate at your wedding?

Rowder and Marblemaw’s rules are designed to keep others subservient and obedient. What does it take to overturn a system like that one?

The magic of Phee, as a forest sprite, and Talia, as a garden gnome, is rooted in the earth. How does their presence balance the household?

TJ Klune writes beautifully about transformations. As you watched Marsyas being transformed at the end of the novel (transforming even the sea itself, as a peninsula is formed), how did this reflect the new energy within each of the characters? In the closing pages of chapter 15, each member of the family receives a glowing orb of light in a color that displays their true self. Which color would suit you the best?

If you’ve read the first book in the Cerulean Chronicles, The House in the Cerulean Sea, what was it like to see Linus in his new life, with Arthur leading the charge once again to fight the DICOMY? How did you react to Zoe’s new role, with Helen at her side?

Hope is the thing with feathers, yes, and hope is the thing with fire. This luminous closing line captures the spirit of the phoenix, which provides an outlet for Arthur’s righteous anger. Which of your emotions would you most want to express through magic? What would that magic look like?