The Cerulean, Book 1
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
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What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Cerulean is the first volume of a fantasy adventure by Amy Ewing (The Jewel). To save her home, the City Above the Sky, 18-year-old Sera survives a huge fall from her planet (which is all-female and lesbian) to another (which is male and female and homophobic), only to be captured and put on display. There's infrequent strong language ("damn," "hell," "bastard," "s--t," and "a--hole") and same-sex and opposite-sex feelings of attraction and fantasizing.
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What's the story?
As THE CERULEAN begins, Sera Lighthaven learns she must make a personal sacrifice to save her home, the City Above the Sky. She must sever the tether that binds her world to the one below. To do so, she must jump from the edge of the city and spill her blood when she lands. Somehow, Sera survives and gets captured by a family of theatrical entrepreneurs. Will her magical blood remain a curse, or does it offer the possibility of rescue?
Is it any good?
Finding a new kind of magic is a boost for any fantasy novel, and this opening volume of a new series offers a predicament unusual for this kind of literary venture. In The Cerulean, it's possible to drop from one planet to another, and Sera Lighthaven's story of survival is full of originality, emotion, and suspense. Author Amy Ewing does a good job of setting the scene and introducing the characters, including a highly dislikable villain. The Cerulean soars just as the book ends on a cliffhanger. Readers of high-quality fantasy will be primed for the second installment.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how The Cerulean depicts a character willing to make a huge sacrifice for the good of her friends and family. Can you think of public figures who've put their lives on the line for others?
Sera is captured and forced to perform in a stage show. Are there real-life instances of minorities and people of color forced to entertain members of the majority?
Do you think the light-skinned people of Sera's planet are portrayed more positively than the brown-skinned people on the planet she falls to?
Book details
- Author: Amy Ewing
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models, Misfits and Underdogs, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperTeen
- Publication date: January 29, 2019
- Number of pages: 496
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: November 22, 2020
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