Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. In your own life, have you experienced a contrast between settings like the book’s contrast of the gray, depressing city and the sunny, joyous Marsyas? How much does this contrast have to do with external factors in the physical environment, and how much does it have to do with internal emotional factors?

2. Do you personally relate more to Arthur or Linus? Which of the children in the story are you most drawn to, and why? How much of your answer is influenced by your own personality and values, and how much is influenced by T. J. Klune’s authorial choices?

3. What causes would you be willing to fight for as passionately as Arthur and Linus fight for the rights of the children? Do you think that they ever go too far in their resistance to the government, or that they do not go far enough?

4. Do you believe that joy can be a form of resistance? What real-world examples—from your own experience or the experience of others—support your perspective? 

5. Which aspects of your own identity fit within prevailing social norms and gain you social privileges? Which do not? How does this balance impact your reaction to Somewhere Beyond the Sea?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. This book explores tensions between a government agency and a home for children in government care. How does it relate to the real-world foster care system or the juvenile detention system? 

2. Can you name any real-world figures like Arthur, who “burn” with a passion to right injustices? Are they usually portrayed as complex figures, as T. J. Klune portrays Arthur, or are portraits of these people usually more simplistic? What are the purposes of these various depictions?

3. In the Cerulean Chronicles, “magic” is used to allegorically represent those whose identities lie outside of society’s norms. Which identities are marginalized in contemporary society? How have the rights and recognition afforded to various marginalized groups changed in recent years?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How is color used to contrast the two main settings in this novel? How does it contribute to characterizations?

2. The government believes that the children on Marsyas are to be feared. How does Klune use the children’s behavior and dialogue to dispute this idea? How do Arthur, Linus, and Zoe react to the children?

3. How is the refrain “Don’t You Wish You Were Here?” used to create a kind of moving goalpost for the characters? Which characters are closest to reaching this goal, and which are farthest away?

4. The story is as much about Arthur’s transformation as it is about saving the children from DICOMY. How does Arthur change over the course of the novel? How is Arthur’s status as a dynamic character related to his identity as a phoenix?