Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Pages: 400
Publish date: March 17th 2020
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 9781250217288
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
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 realising that family is yours.
The House in the Cerulean Sea:
I think I’ve found one of my favourite books of the year, maybe even of the last few years. I think I have.
This book crept up on me that is for sure. I hadn’t heard about it until I saw a couple of reviews both on blogs and booktube. And everyone was loving it. Adult fantasy isn’t something that I read a lot of, so I requested from my local library and started reading. And damn. I’m so glad that I did. Because I think this might be one of my favourite reads this year.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune follows Linus Baker as he goes through his life like every other day. A caseworker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, Linus’ job is to make sure that the children in the orphanages are being well looked after. But when he’s given a highly classified assignment, everything changes. Linus must travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where there are six ‘dangerous’ children.
But everything isn’t as it seems and when he meets the children, he has to decide if they might bring the end of the world. But there is more than one secret on this Island and the closer that Linus and Arthur, the children’s caretaker, get more come out. And will Linus do the right thing when the times comes?
Photo by Andrei Ianovskii on Unsplash
Linus is such an interesting protagonist in The House in the Cerulean Sea. He isn’t someone who I would normally be attached to while reading a book. But as the novel goes on and Linus starts to truly find himself, everything falls into place. Linus is a very ‘by the book’ type of guy, and that is a very interesting dynamic with the other characters in the novel. But I adored seeing Linus grow, his character arc was fantastic and the reader can see the changes in him, even before he does. I loved Linus’ innocence. He is this fully grown adult but has so much to learn and the children and Arthur help him with that. The main reason why I love Linus is that he is ordinary. There is nothing ‘special’ about him per se. He is just a human.
I loved each child at Marsyas Island Orphanage. Seriously, my heart could not handle them. They made me laugh and cry, and I just wanted to give them all a big hug. They are all misunderstood, but they are all brilliant and fascinating children. And they want to be that, children. The way that each child was treated shapes who they are. And I want them to feel love forever.
I don’t think I could pick my favourite really, each child had their personalities that stood out on the page. The reader is always able to tell who is talking without even their name appearing throughout The House in the Cerulean Sea. Each child was unique and wonderful. I loved seeing each of them interact with Linus and how different they were in that. Some of them took a little longer to let go and interact with Linus, but it was beautiful.
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
Lucy, oh gosh. Every time he opened his mouth, I just laugh. He tries to be this antichrist, but in reality, he is a little boy who just wants to be loved. I adored his relationship with Arthur, and this eventually Linus. Talia, again she made me laugh so much. She has this attitude that just worked for her. Chauncey is fantastic and adorable and I want all his wishes to come true. Phee, while she wasn’t very present, the reader is always able to know where she is. Sal has had it hard, and I loved being able to see him grow through the novel and come out of his shell. And lastly, we have Theodore who just melted me. The reader never really knew what he was saying, but we still knew.
The romance in The House in the Cerulean Sea was very light, but it was still quite beautiful. I enjoyed seeing the small interactions between Linus and Arthur. Those small notions add something more to the novel. I do wish we were able to see them connect more. But I think that their connection was on a different level. Arthur protectiveness over the children was so nice to see. The reader can witness Arthur’s first appearance in the book how much he does care for the kids, and he isn’t afraid to show. And I think that this protectiveness projects onto Linus and without even realising it, he cares for everyone just the same.
The writing throughout The House in the Cerulean Sea was exquisite and breathtaking. T.J Klune was able to characters that are unique, but also relatable. The reader can connect with each one of them, even if it’s on a small level. The world-building in The House in the Cerulean Sea was also done so well. While the reader is thrown into this unusual world, it’s very easy to understand pretty early on.
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune is a magical and profound novel that truly takes the reader on an experience. It explores family and the notion that sometimes you find them in unlikely ways. It’s about love, that isn’t just about blood family or falling in love. It’s about believing in yourself and those that do love you. This enchanting story is exceptional and breathtaking. It will make you smile and laugh and just feel safe. It’s a warm novel that does with what it’s like to be a little different. I highly recommend this to anyone. Because it’s simply amazing.
Have you read The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!
