Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Reflect on the note from the author at the end of the book. Did the note and the book’s messages about inclusion, tolerance, and justice resonate with you? Why or why not?

2. How would you rank the book’s characters, setting, plot, and tone? If Klune continues this series, what would make the next book just as or more enjoyable than the sequel?

3. Consider T. J. Klune’s other works, such as The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is the first book in this series, or Under the Whispering Door, which contains similar themes. How would you compare the tone and voice of these other works to 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?