DO NOT SUPPORT TJ KLUNE
I read a lot of LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 books and I remembering reading his “Under the Whispering Tree” and it was beautiful. So when he released the “House in the Cerulean Sea” and it was labeled like a Harry Potter -esque book, I bought it and read it. (No, I don’t support Jk Rowling at all and her transphobic ass, but I did read HP growing up and have been looking for a LGBTQ magical book without the shit Rowling stands for).
Was his book good? Yes, but i noticed some weird insinuations and stereotypes in his book. When I looked at his IG, I expected to see other queer authors I follow following him. Not a single one does. That should’ve been my red flag. I felt kinda curious so my gf and I went in book tok and thank gawd I did cuz holy shit this little duology he created is SO PROBLEMATIC!
RED FLAGS 🚩
“draws inspiration from the traumatic reality of Canadian residential schools for Indigenous children, portraying the experience as a lighthearted fantasy story.” BIG YIKES 🚩
Appropriation of Indigenous trauma
Glamorizing abuse for the “white savior” storyline
All white washed LGBTQ lead characters. No or very few black or brown LGBTQ diversity in his repertoire
When people called him out on his insensitivity to writing about indigenous trauma and a few indigenous people offered their help to share their experiences to make his story not so insensitive, HE REFUSED AND MADE ANOTHER SEQUEL!
Yet, so many yt readers LOVE his books despite all the red flags. Why? Racism and the need for a white savior storyline even in the queer community.
At the end of the day, there is still racism even in the queer community. They would rather support a clearly problematic author when there are TONS of other LGBTQIA authors of all different backgrounds and races that create amazing work that isn’t filled with harmful stereotypes (shoutout to Aidan Thomas’s Sunbearer Trials).
If you want recommendations, I’ll give them to you. But like JK Rowling, if you’re going to support an author who is full of red flags and purposefully creates stories that harms minority groups for profit, you just value white queer voices and don’t give a shit about black brown queer voices at all.
I said what I said.