Dec 29

Dec 29 The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

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.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

TL;DR Review

The House in the Cerulean Sea is like a Pixar movie: a story that will squeeze your heart with great characters and a warm and fuzzy ending.

For you if: You want to read something that feels like a hug.

Full Review

“‘We get trapped in our own little bubbles, and even though the world is a wide and mysterious place, our bubbles keep us safe from that. To our detriment.’ She sighed. ‘But it’s so easy because there’s something soothing about routine. Day in and day out, it’s always the same. When we’re shaken from that, when that bubble bursts, it can be hard to understand all that we’ve missed.’”

I’m late to the House in the Cerulean Sea party, but holy guacamole am I glad I came! Everything you’ve heard about this book is true: that it’s warm and fuzzy, that it feels like a hug, that it’s the perfect book to read to escape from the world, especially right now.

The story is about Linus, who for years has kept his nose down at his terrible desk job evaluating orphanages for magical children. Then Extremely Upper Management puts him on a special assignment to an orphanage at the outskirts of the country. The children there — and the caretaker, Arthur — are of an extra-special variety. What follows is a story of waking up to joy, resisting hate, trusting your heart, and found family.

Truly, this book feels a lot like a Pixar movie, with the most lovable characters ever, the most beautiful life lessons, and an ending that leaves you as a mushy pile of warmth on the floor. It’s also got that whimsical feeling of a cartoon. I loved it and will probably re-read it any time I need a little bit of joy.

“Hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as your remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.”