LGBTQ / Urban Fantasy

The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune

Average Rating:  5 / 5

Trigger Warnings:

A classified island. A critical mission. A burning mystery. 

Linus Baker is a quiet, orderly man in his forties. He has no friends, unless you count the standoffish cat who decided to move into his small home some years ago. He spends his evenings sitting quietly while listening to his classic records, and he is content with his life. Linus’ days are spent working as a Case Worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, ensuring the care and safety of children in government-run orphanages. He takes his job very seriously. 

Then, one day, he receives an unexpected summons. Extremely Upper Management has requested his presence on the fifth floor. They have a very highly classified assignment for him. He is to travel to the Marsyas Island Orphanage and assess six children – the six most dangerous children in the program – and determine whether the orphanage should remain open. It’s so highly classified that Linus will only receive information on the island’s inhabitants once he’s already enroute. He will have to set aside his apprehensions and fear of the unknown in order to focus on what matters, the children’s wellbeing and safety… as well as the world’s safety from them.

But the children aren’t the only secret that the island holds, and Extremely Upper Management hasn’t told Linus the whole story. Who really is Arthur Parnassus, the protective and charming caretaker of the children. As Linus is pulled further into the life and bustle of Marsyas, deeply buried secrets will be exposed and long-held beliefs will be challenged, and Linus will be left with a choice: rip apart a home, or maybe someday watch the world pay the consequences. 

Enchanting from beginning to end, and with masterfully crafted characters, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about finding family in the unlikeliest of places and having the courage to claim it as your own. 

Corinna : 5/5

This was my pick for a book club and as it was my second time reading it, I chose to listen to the audiobook. The narrator had a fantastic ability to give all the characters distinct voices that matched their personalities and really brought to life the uniqueness of these children. We even played a few sections of the audiobook at book club because it was so well done. 

The main themes of the story are found family, belonging, acceptance, nature vs. nurture, as well as diversity and representation. TJ Klune was able to tease out your emotions and give you the ability to relate to all the characters in one way or another. I loved the gentle approach he showed in Arthur and how the children thrive when given a safe space to explore and discover. Klune wrote the dialogue of the children expertly. The sassy one liners and exaggerations that children are known for and how they say exactly what they think without much filtering was perfect. Klune’s descriptions of the setting and people are hyperbolized in a way that makes you chuckle and gives a vivid image.

Linus Baker is not a typical protagonist in any way. Older, overweight, quiet, keeps to himself, and doesn’t ask for much. He whole-heartedly believes that his role as a case worker for the Department In Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY) is valuable and needed. Linus is known for his honest, no-nonsense reports and that is why he is chosen to review this “special case”. Linus is confronted with his own expectations, predispositions, and biases and slowly comes to see the children for who they really are and his quiet nature transforms in a very satisfying way. Linus’ interactions with the children are so sweet, he treats them like adults who have dreams, feelings and ideas, showing that children have value as people.

I loved the way the slow romance between Linus and Arthur develops, and that it is so natural. It gives light to normalizing representation of LGBTQ in any setting.

I loved this book even more with my second read through, and yes it will be one of my best reads of 2022, even if it was on my 2021 list as well!

Lydia : 5/5

The beginning of this book was very depressing to read and I wasn’t sure that it would be something I would like – however the more I learned about Linus the more I liked and enjoyed him. He ends up having a massive character arc (like, literally night and day) and he learns how to stand up for what he believes in, which contrasts the beginning where he is constantly abused by his work and his neighbor and just keeps on taking it as if he was a shell of a human.

I kept with the book and I must say I instantly fell in love with all the kids in the orphanage, especially Lucy. I liked the idea of this inherently ‘evil’ boy who wants to choose to be good and I very much enjoyed the banter and connections Lucy made with Linus throughout. TJ Klune did such a fantastic job of adding humor and youth to this book to keep it from being stale. 

The story, the plot and the characters are all reasons why I must give this book a shiny five stars. It has been a long time since I have read something that was able to trigger an emotional response in me and made me care about what I was reading. I simply adored the relationships that developed. Particularly the one between Arthur and Linus –  and there were so many amazing messages and themes that were present, such as chosen family, being different in a world full of judgemental individuals, human capability, good vs evil etc. Do yourself a favor and read this one asap. 

Megan : 5/5

This book was an absolute delight! My heart was so full and happy after finishing it. I had heard only good things, so while I was excited to read this one, I was still a little wary in case my expectations were too high. Glad to say that this book lived up to the hype and even more so.

The character development for Linus was done so well. When you first meet him, he admits that he would blend perfectly into the wall; everything about him was plain and ordinary. I loved who he changed into after meeting the children. Even from the beginning, he always seemed to care about the children he was overseeing, but as he got to know the six kids at this top-secret orphanage, that became much more noticeable. His sarcasm and ability to tease the kids was very well written, as well as his caring nature when it was just him and one of the kids. I was smiling the whole time I was reading and definitely had a few good chuckles. The man he became by the end of the novel was amazing. He grew a backbone. He finally knew what he wanted and went for it. 

The kids were also very well written. Klune nailed the voices of each child, from their ages, personalities and even abilities, it was all perfect. You could totally see a six year old making some outrageous comments to impress a stranger, but then be vulnerable when a nightmare comes. 

I loved what this book shared with its readers. It displays the meaning of family, and that family doesn’t mean blood. And the love shown in this book covers all descriptions of the word, from friendships, to family, to romantic partners. I would highly recommend this book to anyone because it’s just that good.

Sharaya : 5/5

I had heard so many good things about this book, and it turns out that they are all true! This book is such an interesting mix of themes.  We had quite the debate regarding which genre we would place it in. Fantasy or Urban Fantasy because of the magical/non-human characters. Fiction because the plot focuses on a social worker and the theme of found family. Some of the political and racial (or speciesism?) conflicts reminded me of some dystopian works. There’s also a little romance in there as well. 

As for me, I loved the juxtaposition of having the mundane (a human social worker) mixed up in the extra-ordinary (sprites and gnomes and other magical beings I’ll leave as a surprise). The characters may have been fantastical, but the core of the story was so very human: that sometimes the best families are the ones that you choose to belong to. 

I particularly want to suggest that you listen to the audiobook narrated by Daniel Henning. At first I was concerned because the prose came across with a strange, almost robotic cadence, but the dialogue more than made up for it.  The voices he created for the characters truly made them come alive! 

Klune gave Linus a fantastic character arc. He goes through a huge amount of change in this book, and it’s of the best kind, because somehow he develops even more into who he truly is. Linus had put up barriers between him and the world, and the inhabitants of the Island gradually break down each one, leaving him stronger for it.

One more thing that I’d like to highlight is that Klune did an incredible job of writing the children’s dialogue. You know those crazy and often blunt things that children say because they don’t have their filters installed yet? Well, Klune absolutely nailed it.  The children were hilarious while still maintaining their own distinct voices. 

Please give this book a try.  It was so delightful. It’s definitely one that I will be forcibly recommending to my friends and family.

To access a printable list of 10 book club questions, please click here.