The House in the Cerulean Sea

amanda little

Captivating & Wonderful

"Are you ready for a long review? I AM IN MY FEELS OVER THIS BOOK!!! Okay, Imagine you are a caseworker who checks up on children in orphanages to make sure they are being cared for properly and nothing untoward is happening to them. Now imagine that the children are magical. All different kinds... fairies, sprites, gnomes, flying children, feathered children, children with tails, children who can shape shift... just all kinds. Now you are in the shoes of our main character Linus Baker. That is all I am telling you about the plot... I went into this book 90% unaware of what the plot was about. I just kept seeing it on so many “Best of the Year” lists so I knew I had to try it. It has one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. And once I got a couple chapters in I kept telling my friends “It seems like a bizzaro Pixar movie, but in the best way!” One of the recommendations that made me add this to my MUST READ list was @ezeekat, he said this book was like a HUG. How can a book feel like a hug? Seems odd. Well, so are most of the characters. But for as long as I can remember I have been drawn to the marginalized, the outcast and the underdogs. This book was like a hug to all of the misfits and un-normals. “as long as you remember to be just and kind like I know you are, what those people think won’t matter in the long run. 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 you remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.” I understand what TJ Klune was doing when he wrote this. And while he makes some very astute observations about our world, he also weaves a beautiful story that will have you falling in love with the Antichrist. Not kidding. “You said it yourself: Lucy wasn’t who you expected him to be, which means you already had decided in your head what he was. How can we fight prejudice if we do nothing to change it? If we allow it to fester, what’s the point?” These characters were so full and well rounded. I wanted to keep reading about them, I never wanted the story to end. I want to move to the island and work in the garden and go on adventures on Saturdays. “Hope,” Mr. Parnassus repeated. “Because that is what we must give him, what we must give all of them. Hope and guidance and a place to call their own, a home where they can be who they are without fear of repercussion.” This next quote kicked me in the stomach: “there’s so much hope even when it doesn’t seem like it.” He was gobsmacked. “How do you mean?” “The little girl. She wasn’t scared of me. She was nice. She didn’t care what I looked like. That means she can make up her own mind. Maybe that woman will tell her I’m bad. And maybe she’ll believe it. Or maybe she won’t believe it at all. Arthur told me that in order to change the minds of many, you have to first start with the minds of few. She’s just one person. But so is the lady.” I am still getting emotional reading it back again. I hope I am one of the few. The few that see the good inside the odd or different packages. That loves what is on the inside before I judge the outside. Just one person. That is all it takes sometimes. This book is going to stay with me for a very long time. I absolutely adore this story and these characters. Thank you TJ Klune for this beautiful book. ["

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January 6, 2021 Verified Purchase

Tiffany R.

TJ Klune may be my new favorite author

"WOW!!! Just WOW!!!! I have sat with this review for a couple of days because I simply don't have adequate words for how wonderful this book truly is. TJ Klune is a storytelling genius and I will read every single book he ever writes from here on out. Magic flows from his fingertips. I have been reading for over 40 years and this is easily one of my Top 5 most favorite books I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I laughed a whole lot more and I shed so many tears of happiness. The children that he created for this story may be magical creatures, but they are children none the less and many times I had to remind myself that they were "magical creatures" who look so different from those of us mere humans. These children are beautifully written, beautifully unique and they have all lived through far too much tragedy in their short lives. Well....Talia is an exception to this statement, as she will tell you she is quite capable of taking care of herself at 263 yrs old. While Linus reminds her that Gnomes don't reach maturity until 500 years old, Talia isn't phased by him or his lack of faith in her ability to take care of herself. HAHAHA! Linus lived a mundane and lonely life before DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth) assigned him to a special top secret, Level Four nonetheless, case at a secret orphanage on an island. He packs up his cat, Calliope, hops on a bus and train and heads off on his assignment. Little does he know that his life is about to be turned upside down, sideways and everything he thought he knew about life is about to be thrown out the window. Once he arrives at the orphanage, he meets Talia, the Gnome, Phee, a forest sprite, Theodore, a wyvern, Chauncey, a jelly like critter of unknown origin, Sal, a were-Pomeranian and Lucy, short for Lucifer the anticrist, along with their caregivers, Arthur and Zoe. Everyone is leery of Linus, some more than others. I won't give any spoilers by telling you more about the characters. What I will say is that each child is beautiful in their own unique way, each child teaches Linus something important about life and I hope you see the lessons, as they made me love them even more. Some characters developed more than others, I would've liked to have seen more of Phee, but I understand why we didn't, as Sprites are very solitary and her relationship is more with Zoe than anyone else in the book. I have to admit I had a favorite, while I loved them all and each one had a storyline that gave me tears of either empathy, love or both, Talia was my favorite fierce, mischievous and independent little girl. She reminded me of myself and I think there will be a character in this book that will remind you of yourself. I think there's a piece of us in many of the characters if we really pay attention to them. Linus learns so much about himself and life as he spends a month on the island and adventures into the nearby village with the children, Arthur and Zoe. There's prejudice, bigotry, compassion, empathy, recognition and growth throughout this story. It really is a great representation of humans and how diverse we are. Despite these children being written as magical creatures, they are unique, they are different from the average human and this book depicts how humans judge others based on preconceived ideas, appearance and stereotypes. It is hopefully an eye opener for some to judge less and love more, while it's a reminder to all of us to be kind, loving and remember that our uniqueness makes us beautiful in our own special way. ["

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March 23, 2023 Verified Purchase

Cecelia

As promised: a cozy, quiet read with magic!

"This reading adventure began, as many do, with recommendations. The startling thing is that I followed through and read the book at all. In my life as an English teacher, I’ve learned that books are many, time is short, and during the school year I will get no reading done (unless forced). TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea started popping up all over the place on Instagram first – and not just around its release date, but a swell of love and support over many months. That was fine, and I noticed it, but it didn’t prompt me to take action. Then I showed up to my book club’s Zoom meeting a couple of months ago and it was personally recommended by long-time reading friends. Their arguments were persuasive – I purchased the book then and there! And only 2ish months later, I read it all in one day. The House in the Cerulean Sea delivered on its promised cozy vibes, and reading it was a nice way to slide into summer mode. The House in the Cerulean Sea is the story of Linus Baker, a government worker in a fictional (and nominally magical) world who is desperately lonely, but keeps himself too busy fulfilling his job according to the draconian Rules and Regulations to think very deeply about his dissatisfaction with his life. The only bits of happiness he has are the sunflowers in his garden, his cat Calliope, and his record collection. Linus’ internal monologue is immediately hilarious, but his life overall is sad and dreary. This metaphor is extended even further in tragicomic fashion: Linus constantly misses the bus (or it is late), forgets his umbrella on rainy days, and engages in light self-hatred (about his weight), along with holding a seeming life-long goal of blending in with the wall paint. Luckily, the business of the book is to make him happy. Author Klune accomplishes this by delving into the fantasy portion of the novel, when Linus must make an unusual casework visit to a whimsical island and observe the family who live there. Over the course of his visit, Linus (or Mr. Baker, as he goes by at the orphanage he is “investigating”) slowly develops his capacity for happiness, and by the end of the book all’s well that ends well. What I knew going into reading the book: magical house/school, cozy vibes, quiet read, LGBTQ+ characters. What I got in the first several chapters: an absolutely miserable main character in an awful desk job that gave me flashbacks to some of my own worst working experiences. Let’s just say there was some whiplash between expectations and reality. I almost put the book down about 5 times in the first 5 chapters. I kept going because of the promised payoff from the recommendations of others. So, with that off my chest, I can say… this book IS lovely in many ways, as is Linus, but they both require a bit of patience from the reader to uncover their strengths and treasures. Author Klune’s task in this novel is a complex and delicate one: to start with a character that the reader can immediately identify as unhappy, unambitious, and with low self-esteem, and expose them to a combination of plot and character elements that will thoroughly change their outlook on life, actions, and future, all without seeming “out of character.” It is a masterful character study, but it doesn’t feel contrived – it instead is a story suffused with homey, magical details, and I think that is why it is so beloved. So, that’s the book. I think it was successful on its own merits, and a feat of engineering! And obviously, cozy vibes and quiet reads are nothing to shake a stick at. BUT DID I ENJOY IT??? That is a tough question, and one I’ve been asking myself over and over again in the last 12 hours or so since I finished the book. And I think the answer is, to use one of my favorite words, complex. On one hand: yes. I can appreciate the underpinnings that make this book art, and I appreciate the aura of it all, and of course I love magical stories. But one thing about being in the head of a character with such low self-esteem, and such a dreary outlook on life, is that is hard not to get trapped in the emotional transference. Other people in the book kept telling Linus he was worthy and delightful, and yet… on his side, he couldn’t see it. And thus, in a way, the reader (or at least THIS reader) couldn’t see it. As I said, complex. I feel satisfied that I didn’t waste my time reading the book, but it’s not a favorite, or even a “keep it on my shelf” book. It’ll go live instead in my classroom library at school! I do appreciate LGBTQ+ characters getting to live everyday lives, and being the centers of cozy books. I also appreciated that, while the book is marketed to adults, it will be very popular with younger readers and those who read YA and crossover titles. Because of the novel’s focus on children’s lives and children’s well-being through Linus’ line of work, the feel is quite innocent and light, even when it deals with heavier themes like prejudice and child abuse. In all, a perfectly satisfactory summer read, and one for when you need a dash of whimsy and warmth in your life. Recommended for: fans of Katherine Addison’s books (especially The Angel of the Crows, which I read and also enjoyed in a complex way last summer), those who enjoy quiet fantasy with hints of Diana Wynne Jones and/or Robin McKinley, and anyone who wants to see more LGBTQ+ representation in science fiction and fantasy! ["

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June 28, 2021 Verified Purchase

Jeff Adams

A book with a message of kindness and love... absolutely wonderful!

"TJ Klune continues to blow me away with his books and this one is simply extraordinary. He’s balanced his amazing and crazy sense of humor (think books like the "Verania" series and "How to Be a Normal Person") and his keen sense of storytelling (the epic "Green Creek" series or the standalone "Murmuration") and created a tale of found family, the importance of kindness and the courage to speak up for those who need it most. The story revolves around Linus Baker, a caseworker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He leads a dreary, by-the-book life, checking up on the orphanages under the department’s care and making sure they’re operating by following the extensive guidelines. He’s known for his detailed reports and it’s because of that he’s tasked by Extremely Upper Management to go to the Marsays Island Orphanage to check up on its caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, and the six unique, magical children that live there. Linus’s life changes just going out to the orphanage. He’s always wanted to go to the sea–and that’s where he ends up on an island surrounded by the sea. As he gets away from the city, he gets out of the gloom and rain and into the sun. It’s really a Wizard of Oz moment as his world goes to color from gray. Linus’s journey of self-discovery is the heart–or one of the hearts–of this story and his progression into the light is part of what makes this story so great. He finds that there’s much more to life than rules and regulations. There’s a need for kindness, compassion and understanding. The kids at the orphanage are an incredible array of characters that I think could only spring from TJ mind: Lucy–or Lucifer; Talia the gnome; Chauncey, a green blob with eyes on stalks who just wants to be a bellhop; Sal, a shapeshifter who when nervous becomes a tiny dog; Phee a forest sprite and Theodore, a wyvern who hordes buttons. The kids and Arthur have formed an amazing family. The kids have come here from other orphanages for various reasons and Arthur does his best to protect and teach them. Perhaps most importantly that they don’t necessarily have to be who people think they should be–like Lucy doesn’t have to give in to the idea that he’s the destroyer of the world. Early on Arthur challenges Linus and it really sets Linus off on his journey. “I think if you open your eyes, you’ll see what’s right in front of you rather than what’s listed in a file,” Arthur says. And boy are Linus’s eyes opened. The children are all incredible with their childlike wonder, their massive sense of protection for each other and, even though they’re all young, they are well aware that the world doesn’t really want them–especially the town that is across the sea from the island. TJ’s created six distinct characters that you can’t help but fall in love with from Theordore’s delight in buttons to Chauncey’s bellhop dreams and his protective urges towards Theodore. And there’s Lucy, he’s wildly funny as he pushes Linus’s buttons sometimes, but as you see his other facets, including a love of classic music from the 50s and that he knows that the could really cause damage you want to wrap him up in a hug and protect him. As Linus spends his time with Arthur and the kids, he starts to see how messed up Extremely Upper Management is and that made the rules aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. And when it comes to that hateful town, he realizes that there are changes needed, changes he needs to speak up for. Oh, and there’s a super sweet, terrific romance that blooms between Linus and Arthur too. The book isn’t a romance, but the spark between these two is pure romance and it feels like old school courting. That’s not to say they don’t have problems–oh my do they have issues to take care of–but it’s a beautiful part of the story. Yes, I love everything about "House in the Cerulean Sea"–Linus self-discovery, his romance with Arthur and the delightful kids living at the Marsays Island Orphanage. There’s something in this book from everyone and this book can be read by all ages. My hardback sits on my shelf of all-time favorites, that’s how much this book means to me. ["

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March 17, 2020 Verified Purchase