The House in the Cerulean Sea

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Manufacturer: TJ Klune
Brand: Fantasy Fiction
Brew: Paperback
Steeping Time: 398 pages
Tea Service: Book Club
Strength:

Synopsis: A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management, he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

How does one write a detailed review of a book so wonderfully nuanced and layered?

I don’t know how to write a review that adequately shows how much I loved this book without spoiling any of the beautiful little moments that are so delicious to experience for the first time. But I’m going to try.

I’ve never needed a feel-good story more than I have right now, and The House in the Cerulean Sea was the perfect remedy. I’ve always read to escape. And with the way things are in the world right now, disappearing into the pages of a book for a few hours is what’s keeping me sane. I had no idea how much hope and love I’d find in The House in the Cerulean Sea, and it was the most beautiful surprise.

I expected our main character to be a kid since the core setting is an orphanage for magical youth, but instead, we meet Linus, a middle-aged man who works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY). His job is to investigate orphanages that house magical youth to ensure the children are both well cared for and that the orphanages are keeping the children in check, as far as their magical powers are concerned. While his job might sound interesting, he’s your typical boring adult. Work. Home. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. And then he’s promptly thrust from that typical life and out to Marsyas Island Orphanage. And that is where the real magic begins.

The island and its inhabitants give major Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children vibes in the best way possible.

The six children at the orphanage are the most delightful characters you could ask for. They are each so unique and bursting with personality, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Yes, they are magical. Yes, they are special. But at the root of it, they’re just kids, with hopes and dreams and fears. Being magical is part of who they are, but not all that they are. The magical qualities of the children on Marsyas served to enhance their characters, not define them. In that narrative freedom, they have the room to blossom.

The adults on the island are just as intricate. Arthur Parnassus runs the orphanage, and he’s often assisted by Zoe Chapelwhite, another inhabitant of the island. Both are complex, layered, and…well, human. Every single character is so heart-warmingly human, and these two are no different. They’re all just trying to do this thing called life, the same as the rest of us. TJ Klune mastered something that so many authors struggle to do: every single character he presented was a full and complete person. Not one of them felt flat or underdeveloped.

Seeing and experiencing this world through Linus’s eyes is such a gift. We get to peel back the layers of every new environment and every new person alongside him. As he gets to know them, so do we. This allows for such an intimate view, and it’s full of details that might have otherwise been glossed over for a big picture approach.

I hurtled through this book at lightning speed.

The House in the Cerulean Sea was an easy read that I couldn’t put down. The pace never slowed, and the words simply floated off the page. I read the last one hundred and fifty pages or so in one sitting, finally putting it down well after one in the morning, tears falling and heart full.

The House on the Cerulean Sea was not just a story of hope and love. It also displayed the most profound sentiment: life is what you make it, and family is who you choose. I giggled and cried through this beautiful story, and the warmth it brought me will never fade.

If themes of found family, hope, love, and goodness are something you enjoy, give yourself the gift of The House on the Cerulean Sea. It will be a balm to your heart like you’ve never known.

Have you read The House on the Cerulean Sea? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia