Question about a bookstore display in Boise

I was at the big used bookstore on State Street last weekend and they had a whole shelf labeled 'Found Family' with books like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and The House in the Cerulean Sea. I always thought that theme was just for kids' shows, but seeing it all laid out like that made me want to give one a try. Which book from that kind of shelf would be a good first pick for someone new to the idea?

3 comments

3 Comments

marymorgan28d ago

Pick up The House in the Cerulean Sea first. I've been reading found family books for years and that one is like a warm blanket, it just scoops you right up. It's about a caseworker who goes to check on a strange orphanage and ends up finding his whole world, you know? @tyler614 is right that you can't go wrong with either option, but Cerulean Sea has a slower, softer pace that really lets the relationships breathe. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is more of a spaceship adventure with a bigger cast, so save that one for when you want something a little faster. Either way you're going to end up crying happy tears, just a heads up.

tyler6143mo ago

Found family is definitely not just for kids, it's basically the best part of most good stories. You already named the two perfect starter books right there. Just close your eyes and grab one, you really can't go wrong with either.

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the_nina3mo agoTop Commenter

Honestly used to think found family was just a cute thing for younger books, but you're totally right. It hits way harder in stories for grown ups, when people choose each other after life has been rough. That feeling of building your own home with friends is maybe the realest thing out there. Both those books are a master class in making you care about a makeshift crew.