A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you for approving the request!)

A Lovely Story! I have read all of TJ Klune's books and this one is certainly one of his best (not that he writes stinkers, lol). I very much recommend this for several reasons.

The writing is of course stellar.

The characters are different, from things I've read, and things TJ has written. TJ isn't one to be boxed in to a type - he writes whatever he wants and they are not even close to the same story type. I think this is one of his best talents. The ability to not write a "form" story. If this is your first TJ Klune story, I guarantee it won't be your last.

Description. I am not one who usually enjoys reading the details of a location. I read the basic information (city, country, kitchen, bedroom, restaurant, etc).). The House in the Cerulean Sea is meant to be read word by word, detail by detail. It's color and light, rainbows and dreams, love and joy. It's by fully reading and understanding the world with which Linus lives that you can understand the change coming his way when he goes to Marsyas Island. And what an island! There are magical beings in those woods (captain, lol).

I don't know that anyone is prepared to meet the people who inhabit Marsyas Island. Not only is it a home for unique magical children, but others as well. I shouldn't say too much about that. Zoe is a known magical creature and safe to discuss. Marsyas Island is her island, and you are only welcome by invitation. How her permission was granted originally is not said, but she holds fierce to her beloved nature and is loyal to Arthur and the children.

Sigh. The children. What a bloodthirsty bunch they are! I couldn't stop laughing at their death threats to Linus (especially Lucy). You will get to meet each of them in kind:

- a gnome, Talia, will be the first to volunteer to bury your body, err, if your ready or not to go, lol. Shovels are her thing and gardens are her canvas. A white haired bearded child who is 263! But does not reach the age of maturity until 500, darn it!
- a sprite, Phee, age 10, with fire-red hair and translucent wings! A forest sprite with tremendous powers. She can often be found in the woods, usually with Zoe or Talia, or even Lucy or Sal or Theodore.
- a wyvern, Theodore! Ahhh, I just wanted to cuddle him! And mind your buttons around him - he is a hoarder and likes his pretties. While you may not understand him at first, his chirps and flutters grow on you and soon you will be holding long conversations together!
- an unidentifiable green blob, Chauncey - he was my favorite! They don't know what Chauncey is, but he hasn't let people calling him a monster stop him. He wants to be a bellhop and I think he will be the best bellhop in the world.
- a were-Pomeranian, Sal, a gentle, shy soul who loves to write and is generous with those he loves, but fear his bite, as it is worse than his bark. I think best friend to Theodore.
- and the Antichrist - don't say that word! . Lucy, he has spiders on his brain (not literally - they don't think), and suffers nightmares. Don't be deceived by his six year old boyish charms (singing and dancing!) though, for he is evil incarnate, the blight upon the skin of this world. He will bring the world to its knees. The rivers will run with the blood of the innocents! And maybe keep you cat away, if you still want your cat, that is.

Then there is Arthur, with his knobby knees and too short pants, and colorful socks. Arthur has many secrets, some for reasons and others because he is not permitted to reveal them. There is magic on Marsyas Island and Arthur keeps it's secrets. But secrets have a way of getting out and Linus is learning that rules are meant to be broken.

The House In the Cerulean Sea is an epic adventure, a safari if you will, that requires all participants to wear tan shorts with a matching tan collard shirt, brown socks and sturdy boots, plus don't forget helmet style hat. Oh, and maybe a fake mustache, just in case. Though if you don't have a fake mustache, don't worry about it as you are likely to die a horrible death at the hands and mouths of cannibals who will roast you alive on a spit and lick the juices from your cracking skin. Or there might be man-eating snakes and bugs that burrow their way under the skin and eat your eyes from the inside out. If that happens, you won't worry that you didn't have a fake mustache.

If you somehow manage to survive, and make it safely off the island, be sure to say hi to J-Bone before returning to your boring, I mean, normal life. He'll hook you up with some dead people music - so rad!

This safari was 10 out of 10 stars and I am beyond excited to a.) read it again, and b.) enjoy the audio, one day.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a sweet, lovely book.

In a world where humans and magical creatures co-exist, registration is required for all magical beings. Multiple government agencies oversee these creatures, and the one that oversees orphaned magical beings is DICOMY, where Linus Baker works as a caseworker. It’s his job to visit orphanages to make sure the children are safe and treated fairly. He takes great pride in his work and has lived the same humdrum life for the past 17 years. Unexpectedly, he is given a special assignment by Extremely Upper Management to check on a classified orphanage on the island of Marsyas. Once there, he learns why the assignment is classified when he meets 6 very special magical children and their caretaker, Arthur. During his month stay, he finds more than he expected and it changes his life and everyone’s there as well.

The characters in this book are funny and heartwarming and you wish you could meet them in real life. The author does a great job of showcasing each character so no character feels one-dimensional. I loved all the children, but especially Theodore and Chauncey. This book is easy to read and I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to set it down to deal with “life.” I just wanted to pick it right back up again.

There is a very sweet, slow-building M/M romance that is part of the main plot and it’s just so refreshing to see that and have it done well. I read a lot of fantasy, and this is one of the few books that has had LGBTQ relationships.

This book is very relevant with its spotlight on discrimination, prejudice, and while here it’s magical beings, it easily translates to our own world. It takes a good hard look at what it is to be in a “bubble,” aware that discrimination exists but perhaps naive on how much there really is in the world. People fear what they do not understand and familiarity with the unknown can change the hearts and minds of many. It’s a teaching moment that just because someone is something different doesn’t make them evil or undesirable.

This book is for adults, and there are a couple of references in it that would not be appropriate for a younger audience. I would love to see this book edited for a younger audience, and illustrations included as I think it has a compelling and wholesome message that everyone could benefit from reading. I would highly recommend this book.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All of my thoughts and opinions are my own.

"I am but paper. Brittle and thin."

There aren't enough stars to give this book a proper rating.

Anyone that knows me or follows me on any platform knows I read mostly romance. Imagine my surprise when I find this book then, written by a new author for me and can't help but be intrigued. It sounds imaginative and interesting.

It's so much more. Beautiful, wonderful and heartfelt, this book took my breath away. And while there are little bits of romance thrown in, there's no sex. It's not about physical romance, but about what people mean to each other. No matter what they look like or what they are, it's about who they are.

If even a part of you is considering reading this book, don't wait. Words cannot express how much I loved it. I loved every single moment, every single character.

I think this is probably a stand-alone novel, but I can't help but hope for more eventually. Because the thought of not having more of these characters makes my heart ache. I seriously considered restarting it as soon as I had finished...

So I'm not sure why you're still reading this review instead of preordering or ordering this amazing book!

I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so thank you for that! This is one of the ARCs I've been most excited to receive.

There aren’t many books that have delighted me like this before. Like, there have been books I’ve loved, books I’ve cherished, but books I’ve been honest to god, full on delighted by? In such a pure way that they make me want to hug the book close to my chest and roll around the floor in glee? It’s rare, friends. And to top it all off, would you take a look at that front cover? It’s colourful, intriguing... do I doubt the physics of such a house? Sure! Do I want to live in it anyway? You betcha!

T.J. Klune is one of the best, most surprising writers I’ve had the pleasure to be wowed by. The sheer scope of topics he covers and excels at is genuinely astounding. I love a lot of his other novels, and so before I started this one I kind of expected to enjoy it but holy moly I think I ascended to a new level of being while I read this. The premise is this; Linus is basically a case worker who is in charge of visiting different orphanages which are home to a range of magical youths. He is very good at his job and so Extremely Upper Management give him the task of examining a very special orphanage... one that houses the anti christ! Dun dun DUN! What's a poor sweet case worker to do.

The characters, each and every one of them, are memorable and unique, especially the children. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, I never really do when it comes to books like this, because I genuinely feel like experiencing the introductions to the characters and world page by page is the best way to devour books that are particularly character driven. Don’t get me wrong, the plot is good and enjoyable, not full of action or adrenaline but important and moving. But the characters in this book are so fantastically rendered!

Talking of plot though; this book might be character driven but I loved the world building that was sprinkled throughout. I do kind of wish we got to see more of the world, since the book takes place on only two locations really, because a lot of what is hinted at is really, really intriguing. Really though that’s just an excuse to write a sequel and take everyone on a road trip amiright? ... oh my god. Please write a sequel and take everyone on a roadtrip. Please??

And! I haven’t even talked about the main relationship! It’s m/m and quite possibly the first m/m fantasy type book that i’ve read where the characters aren’t swimming with muscles, which makes a really nice change in all honesty. It's such a soft, sweet slow burn romance that more than anything, just made me smile.

Please read this book. It’s so beautiful. I’ve ordered myself a hard back edition so that I can, as previously mentioned, hug it and roll around on the floor. It has more of an impact than just hugging my phone screen with the kindle app open haha.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is just lovely! My heart is so full and happy after reading this enchanting story by TJ Klune. I can’t wait to read it again!

Linus Baker, forty-year-old bachelor and cat-owner, is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), and his job is to visit and evaluate the state of the DICOMY orphanages that house children with magical abilities. He has done his job so well that he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment - visit the island of Marsyas and investigate how the orphanage and its master are doing. Linus has never heard of the place and is quite concerned about the situation. He gets on a train and heads to the island armed with files outlining what DICOMY knows of the master and the six children in his care. Linus promptly faints after reading the first child’s report.

Arthur Parnassus, forty-five-year-old master of the orphanage on Marsyas Island, is in charge of quite a diverse group of children; a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the son of the devil. Some would see trouble; Arthur sees children. He is devoted to giving his charges a ‘normal”’, happy childhood while preparing them for the prejudices they will inevitably meet when they leave the island and enter the real world. And he loves them dearly.

Linus arrives on the island and gets to work. Never mind that the gnome would like to bury him in her garden - I’ve never buried anyone before. It would be a learning experience for both of us. Or that he just received a special greeting from Lucy (aka six-year-old Lucifer):

“It’s nice to see you,” Lucy singsonged before giggling. “I knew you’d come, Mr. Baker. Though, by the time I’m done with you, you’ll wish you hadn’t.” The smile widened until it seemed like his face would split in half. Flames began to rise behind him…”I’m going to enjoy this far more than you could ever -”

“That’s enough, Lucy.”

And just like that, everything switched off…

“I was just having some fun,” Lucy muttered, scuffing his shoe against the porch. “I’m hellfire. I am the darkest parts of - “

“You still need to have a bath after supper,” the voice said, and Linus felt his heart skip a beat. “Perhaps we could save the hellfire and the darkest parts for tomorrow.”

Lucy shrugged. “Okay.” And then he ran past Linus into the house, shouting for Talia and Chauncey. “Did you see what I did? He was so scared!”

And Linus is scared. But he has a job to do and he decides to learn as much as he can about the orphanage on Marsyas Island during his three-week stay. Of course, in the end, Linus learns much more about himself, what he truly believes, and what he is capable of doing.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a masterfully told story of love and belonging. Linus is just trying to live his life as quietly as he can. He’s not particularly happy, but he is not really unhappy either - just neutral. He yearns for something more, but even that yearning is unacknowledged. Arthur has yearned for more for a long time and is creating this “more” with the children on Marsyas Island. He has created a beautiful refuge for his charges and will protect them at any cost. Now he has to protect them from Linus and DICOMY. He needs to make Linus see that the children are just that, children, who are more than their label, more than the world has decided to see.

I fell in love with Arthur right from the start. His dedication to the children, sense of humor, and appreciation for the ridiculous make him eminently likeable. What makes him lovable is the way he interacts with the children - his discussions with Lucy regarding Kant and moral philosophy, his belief in the children’s inherent goodness, his insistence that hope is a powerful force in the world. Linus is lovable as well but he has to learn to believe in himself, his value, and his own right to choose what he wants and who he wants in his life. The love story between Arthur and Linus develops slowly and is beautifully written. Two souls finding a mate and a common purpose in a topsy-turvy world.

In The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune has woven a charming story sprinkled with timeless bits of wisdom and filled it with characters who will delight and impress you equally. The humor in the story is wonderful too. All in all - just perfect!

This is the first book I’ve read by Klune and I am off to catch up on what I’ve been missing. I just wish I could do it sitting on the beach on Marsyas Island.

Buy it at: Amazon or shop at your local independent bookstore
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I make no bones of the fact that TJ Klune is one of my favourite authors. To be sure, I have written meh reviews of favourite authors before, but truly, I don't think this man is capable of writing a bad book.

This book is truly a gentle, lovely, funny book set in some sort of alternate reality where magical children and adults are tracked by government organisations filled with lifelong bureaucrats keeping track of orphanages filled with magical children.

Our unlikely hero Linus is a man who lives by the book, the rule book for his Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is tasked with checking up on a very special orphanage filled with very special children and he, and his cat, head on over there for a month.

The charm of this book is in its characters, the children especially are a highlight. The gentle romance between Linus and Arthur, the orphanage master is lovely and the ending is, of course, happy ever after.

Highly recommend this to fans of Klune and hopefully a bunch a new fans come out of this too.

Cover art alert! Cover art alert! Yes, again, I selected a book almost completely based on the cover art itself. I've never read any of TJ Klune's work before, though I believe he was largely a self-published author before the break-out into big publishers with this title. I did see a few references to "The Umbrella Academy" thrown around, so that was the last bit of justification I needed for placing a request for a book just because I thought the cover was pretty! But it is! Look at all of those colors! For some reason, the cover art put me in mind of the covers for "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Not a bad thing at all, as I enjoyed that series for the most part. In the end, I did enjoy this book quite a bit.

While not ecstatic about life, Linus Baker is quite content with the solitary existence he's created for himself. A stable job, a small, cozy house, and, of course his beloved cat and records. But this quiet life is suddenly interrupted when Linus finds himself given a peculiar assignment: to travel to a remote orphanage and evaluate the state of things. Once there, Linus discovers six wondrous, but dangerous, children and their charming caretaker Arthur. As Linus learns more about these wards and Arthur himself, he finds himself more and more drawn to this small family, danger and all.

I'm not typically a fan of contemporary fantasy (though I will concede that that's a pretty catch-all subgenre so my preferences therein aren't particularly well-defined), but this book was a great opportunity for me push my comfort levels a bit. And it was a bit of a stretch, as the fantasy elements were fairly low, other than our magical children. But they were delightful enough that the parts of me that was missing world-building and magic systems was satisfied enough.

The comparisons to "The Umbrella Academy" (only watched the Netflix show) is very apt, and, similar to story, this one lives and dies on its characters. The collection of bizarre orphans are where Klune's work really shines. They were all perfect blends of heart-wrenching and heart-warming, misfits and fitting perfectly together, witty but hiding deep emotions behind their words. The dialogue for these character in particular was quite good, and I found myself really speeding through the book once Linus met up with them.

Linus himself was a solid main character and his slowly built relationship with Arthur and the kids was lovely to explore. There was a lot of exploration around themes of found families, trust, and how we judge those around us. The romance was definitely more on the sweet side, and I would say that the book overall would appeal to a varied range of ages from middle grade to adults (a very good thing, as the cover definitely speaks to a younger audience, I think).

There were a few moments where the story did strike me as trying a bit too hard, just a bit too bizarre for its own good. But readers will have different experiences with this, depending on their preferences for fantasy writing and modes of humor. The book was also a tad longer than I would have liked. Most of it read very quickly, but I felt that there were times when Klune was simply having fun with his characters and the book got away from him a bit. I mean, the characters are a blast, so I can easily understand getting carried away with all of these moments, but it did end up with the book having a bit of a bloated feel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and fans of contemporary fantasy, found family stories, and ensemble casts of characters are sure to have a blast!

Rating 7: A bit long, a bit silly at times, but its characters were so heart-warming that they carry it through.

(Link will go live April 3, 2020)

The House In the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy novel about a man who is sent to an orphanage with some not quite human kids residing.
It's a cute, kinda fun story and I think lots of people will like it, but it was only so-so for me.

This ... THIS is the book that absolutely requires a time machine so you can go back in time and once again have the unimagineable joy of reading it again for the very first time.

Linus Baker works at DICOMY (Department in Charge of Magical Youth) and inspects the orphanages where magical children are housed across the country. When Linus is called before Extremely Upper Management and sent to investigate a very special orphanage on a secluded island, his life changes in ways he never could have expected.

We meet forest sprite Phee, Sal, dear sweet Chauncey, bearded gnome Talia, wyvern Theodore (who I visualize as one of the little dragons in the Dragonriders of Pern series), Zoe and of course, six-year-old Lucy (it's a nickname .... because Lucy is the Antichrist ...) and Mr. Arthur Parnassus.

"I'm hellfire. I am the darkest parts of --- "

"You still need to have a bath after supper .... perhaps we could save the hellfire and the darkest parts for tomorrow."

Lucy shrugged. "Okay," And then he ran past Linus into the house, shouting for Talia and Chauncey. "Did you see what I did? He was so scared!"

Klune's universe building is fantastic and his richly developed characters capture your heart first by black humor and this weird sort of charm, and then finally boomerangs into a love that makes your heart ache, but in the best possible way.

I don't want to spoil the plot, but suffice it to say we readers get a rich fantasy world, some Kantian ethical theory, an ever-so-leisurely developed love story, lessons on the nature of good and evil and ultimately something so pure and precious. I find myself wanting to live in this ramshackle house by the beautiful cerulean sea. Don't you wish you were here? 5+ stars and a Recommended Read.

This book was really, really cute! I definitely went through quite a series of emotions while reading this and I definitely teared up. I love the found family trope sorta thing so this was perfect for me. I lived all the characters and all the depth they had! Overall this was a very good book that I would recommend to anyone

Linus is a caseworker that works for the department in charge of magical youth. When he gets his newest assignment, he's scared and honestly doesn't know how to go about it.
When he arrives, he comes across a gnome. All the children do their best to scare Linus off but it doesn't work. Linus decided to tough it out for the month because he kept reminding himself, he wouldn't be here if he didn't have to be.
Slowly but surely, Linus and the children along with the caretaker/father figure become extremely close. So close that the caretaker asks Linus to stay forever with them.
Upon Linus’ return home, he realizes quickly that his home was never really a home. Once the orphanage is approved to stay open, Linus finds a way to get back to his true home. The home where he started living.

This was my first TJ Klune book. To say I enjoyed it was an understatement. I loved the book and the characters. I found myself laughing at funny things that the characters did. I adored Linus’ and Arthurs relationship and how they came together.

T.J. Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea is a romp of a book. I picked it up because another reviewer said it was the closest she'd come to feeling "magic like Harry Potter" in years. The House in the Cerulean Sea has Potter's humor and generosity of spirit, but it is very much its own book, a reminder about kindness (yes, kindness) that is just what we need at this moment.

Here's the premise. Magical beings of all kinds must register with and are tracked by ordinary humans, who are great believers in bureaucracies and suspecting any sort of "difference." MICOMY, the Ministry in Charge of Magical Youth, places parentless magical beings in orphanages that are often rather grim places. Into this enters Linus Baker, a social worker charged with report writing and inspections of the orphanages. He's convinced he's doing good in the world, but when he is sent to a "level four" (top secret) orphanage he begins to question the things he's assumed to be true all along.

I don't want to give anything away, but I can say that the orphanage is populated by an interesting variety of magical beings (the wyvern was my favorite), and it's a place full of love, patience, and what at first seems to be chaos.

This isn't just a book for young readers. It has sufficient complexity to hold the attention of any adult who still has the capacity to imagine a young wyvern still learning not to trip over his own wings—it will also delight those young readers, modeling a world that's both magical and hopeful.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

OH MY GAHHHHD!!!! This is hands down the best book I've read in an age. No one can grab you by the guts quite like TJ Klune. I have yet to read a book by this author that didn't make me laugh and cry in equal measures and the House in the Cerulean Sea was no exception. The care and concern that Arthur and Linus showed the children was beautiful. I'm almost mad at myself for finishing this so quickly.

The beginning is gray and dull and very Klune in it's dry humor. I was thinking that this is going to be a Green Creek kind of book (nothing wrong, just beware of guarding your heart, dear ones). Then we arrive at the island and we have explosions of colors. Linus (sorry Mr. Baker, you're Linus to me) is scared out of his mind, but quite the competent caseworker, not easily chased away by such things as threats of death and the end of the world, thank you very much. The children's well-being is what's important after all. And he is such a compassionate person, so caring and sweet, handling children so wonderfully. And so he, slowly, but steadily, falls deeply in love with the whole lot of them, Talia, Theodore, Phee, Sal, Chauncey and Lucy. And Arthur. Of course Arthur.

This is so sweet! I don't think I've read anything so fluffy and sweet by this author before, but I'm all here for it. The whole growing relationship between Linus and the children and Arthur (and Zoe, of course) is the major part of the book, but it's also so amazing to see how Linus starts being happy. Klune really has a talent for developing his characters - not only the narrators, so to speak, but also everyone around them.

This book is for you who wants a sweet, sort of coming-home story with children who are not like others (for example, one is basically a blob - a fine one at that - and one is the Anti-Christ, so *shrug*) and a slow, languid falling in love. But also if you want to read about prejudices and the unfairness of it all - how it can be if the need to be registered and judged for who you are where a thing.

/ Denise

FIRST OF ALL - look at the blurb okay?? "This book is very close to perfect." - Seanan McGuire AKA MY QUEEN. How could anyone NOT want to read this book based on that alone?? Okay fine, if that wasn't enough, then this bit from the synopsis might reel you in:

"...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."

To me that is like the perfect cast of characters haha. And Linus himself! He's such a softie - albeit a boring one at the onset of the book. But wow does he grow into himself! This book is truly a shining example of a character driven novel - and after reading about 20% of it, I knew it would go on my list of favorite books.

The heart of this book resides in its characters, and their relationship with one another. Arthur Parnassus is the caretaker of the six aforementioned children, and he acts as a father figure towards them. Seeing how nurturing and caring he is to them is just so PURE and heartwarming. He celebrates their individual strengths and helps them overcome their fears.

The children clearly love him, but they also very clearly love each other. Sibling relationships are the best to read about!! And this book is the best because it really shows that it does not matter if your family is blood related to you or not, they can still be your family.

The diversity in this book is apparent from the onset, as we see the children are all quite different from one another. Of course, this is diversity in a fantasy sense. However, Klune does a wonderful job of paralleling this with real world diversity. In particular, the novel deals with prejudice and stereotypes, and how easily misconceptions can be formed about people. Importantly, he makes the point that change must start with at least one person standing up to the "norm" or to prejudice. I love that he also showed that people's minds can be changed, but it takes work and you can't expect to happen instantly.

The core romance (which is pretty light but so cute) is also a m/m romance, and there is a brief mention of a f/f one as well - just wanted to highlight those!

As I said earlier, this book was just a true joy to read. The writing is beautiful, the characters are hilarious and enchanting, and it's just pure magic!

Also, another key message of the book is that happiness in life comes from really living your life, not just surviving on a day to day basis.

To end, I'll leave you with this quote:

"I'm afraid I don't have magic." "You do, Mr. Baker. Arthur told me that there can be magic in the ordinary."

One of the funniest and most entertaining books I've read in a long while.

While The House in the Cerulean Sea is a YA book it's also a perfect fit for adults who usually don't enjoy this genre.

It's a magical, fantastically written story filled with mysteries, amazing LGBT+ characters, and lines that will make you laugh out loud.

The story is about Linus Baker who is kind of a hermit living alone with his not so well behaved cat. His life, however, forever changes when the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth sends him to his new assignment where he has to decide if a group of young orphans will or will not bring the end of the world.

Actual rating: 4.5

A delightful tale of found family, being different, becoming comfortable in your own skin, and overcoming outward biases. The House in the Cerulean Sea follows Linus Baker, a caseworker for the DICOMY (Department In Charge Of Magical Youth) on his month-long investigation of a mysterious and classified magical orphanage, where he must evaluate six dangerous children and their caretaker. On this island, he finds a gnome, a forest sprite, a wyvern, an unidentified floating blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist all under the care of Arthur Parnassus, a curious but charming man who’s keeping some secrets of his own.

This was my second book by TJ Klune (my first being The Lightning-Struck Heart, which I unfortunately can’t say I enjoyed greatly), so I was apprehensively excited to read this book after a friend encouraged me to pick it up. I was also drawn in by this gorgeous cover! This book was sweet, whimsical, funny, and heartbreaking in all the best ways. Although, in what seems to be typical TJ Klune fashion, the story and writing was over the top at some points, it was easy to read in a way that reminded me of the books I read in middle school and I finished the whole book in about 6 hours (with distractions); this isn’t a criticism per say, merely an observation given that this book is marketed as adult fiction. I do think this would be a lovely book to market towards a younger population, given the messages of acceptance and self discovery, and the wonderfully diverse cast.

Characters: An incredibly lovable and broken main cast. Linus’ introduction paints him as very stiff, rule-following, and quite sad, but his character really blossoms once he begins interacting with other characters, specifically the children, who were the highlight of this story; I didn’t expect to fall so hard for a little wyvern with wings too big for him! My qualm here lies in the side characters who were very one-note, most of whom were highly antagonistic without, seemingly, much complexity or thought.

Plot: This book read as a chronological slice-of-life with snippets and peeks into the characters’ lives on the island. Klune does this in a fun way, pacing it out well throughout the book. I will say that I was mildly disappointed by the final conflict at the ferry and the resolution, given its dramatic build-up.

Despite falling short in a few instances, The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-warming story that would appeal to a wide age group, and I look forward to returning to it in the future. This is the kind of book you want to read after a bad day, curled up in bed with a good cup of tea, and it hits you with a sense of longing, melancholy, and hope.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The House in the Cerulean Sea, the new novel from T.J. Klune, sees Linus Baker - a caseworker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, or DICOMY - tasked with assessing an orphanage under the management of the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus. This orphanage is rather different to those that Linus has visited before though, as he soon discovers. The nature of the children there sets them apart from other magical creatures, as they are either very rare (such as Theodore the wyvern), very powerful (Phee, a forest sprite) or, well, the literal Antichrist (Lucy). In contrast to many of the other orphanages Linus has visited in his seventeen years with DICOMY, this one is idyllic, standing on a beautiful island under constantly shining sunshine and presided over by the affectionate Arthur. But the rules and regulations must be adhered to, and Linus is there to make sure this is the case.

Setting its stall out early, much of the dialogue in the first few chapters crackles and fizzes. There are snappy exchanges between various, entertaining characters, which Linus is always on the losing end of. There are barbs from his elderly neighbour Mrs. Klapper, threats from his boss Ms. Jenkins and impatient quips from “Ms. Bubblegum,” secretary to Extremely Upper Management at DICOMY. At first, I felt a lot of sympathy for Linus, as these verbal assaults are unrelenting and unwarranted. They also provide plenty of comic moments, which help to lighten the tone of the opening - essential, as it’s set in a dreary office block in a wet city. However, my sympathy for Linus expired roughly a quarter of the way through the novel, perhaps around the time of his fourth or fifth “Oh dear.” Linus, as a main character, is just too unlikeable. He reacts with abject terror on so many occasions that it quickly becomes tiresome, even seemingly afraid of a gnome. As someone who has been working with magical children for seventeen years, his early unrelenting horror and “fish out of water” characterisation in the face of some more unusual kids seems absurd. His tendency to talk to himself and his cat, and to refer to himself as “Old boy” in these moments, also wears thin quickly. More interaction with the other characters to frame whatever the issues are, as opposed to extended moments of personal angst, would also have helped the pacing immensely.

Speaking of the pacing, this comes in very modest peaks and extremely protracted troughs. Much of the second two thirds of the book are spent on the island, with very little actually happening. Whilst Linus’ adventures and interactions with the children are charming, these and the will they/won’t they moments between Linus and Arthur are not enough to sustain the novel for such a large percentage of it, and leave it feeling extensively padded. Linus makes some breakthroughs and seems to develop during this time, but these developments come so randomly that his character begins to appear almost schizophrenic - he veers between being unswervingly polite and blusteringly rude, feeling terrified one minute and seemingly invincible the next. Whilst his lack of fear in the face of bigotry is of course wonderful to see, it seems somewhat at odds with his character as it’s been presented to us thus far. The romance between him and Arthur is also so slow burning that it frustrates more than it fizzes, leaving this subplot feeling undernourished and tacked on. Perhaps more of Linus’ introspective moments could have been spent on exactly what it is he loves about Arthur, as they seem to like each other because they are, rather chastely, just wonderful.

I did have other, more serious issues, in particular the world building. The world the novel is set in seems a muddled hodgepodge of influences and realities; a world where everyone works on computers but doesn’t send emails, where trains whistle, people have credit cards and contactless travel cards but never seem to use phones, references to real world events are present and correct, and people have unexplained magical powers. There are government departments in charge of controlling the magical element of the populace, with multiple, dark mentions of “registration” alluding to some kind of mass surveillance, but this is never explained. It’s almost as if Klune hopes that using terms like this will automatically invoke memories of other, more detailed worlds in the mind of the reader, so doesn’t feel the need to actually explain what they mean. Yes, a security state is bad, but you can’t just forge ahead with a narrative set in one without explaining what’s actually bad about it, otherwise it looks like you’re just working down some sort of cynical checklist of fantasy tropes. The final chapter and epilogue attempt to redress this lack of world building somewhat, but this just means that they feel like a rushed and slightly clumsy mess of exposition. This should have been spread throughout the novel rather than dumped at the beginning and very end. It’s also unclear to me exactly what the endgame play is really all about, as it doesn’t seem to be striking the blow that Klune is hoping for. By the end of the novel, there were so many questions left unanswered that I felt wholly unsatisfied. We never find out, for example, where the magical creatures come from, whether they’re a minority (and if not, how they’re being persecuted when some are so powerful), what registration actually consists of, what the consequences are for not registering, or where and when the novel is set. The fact that it’s always raining in the city and never raining at the island lends things a slightly cartoony, fable-like quality, which could excuse some of the shortfalls in the world building, and implies that we’re supposed to be seeing the bigger picture. But those details that are present put paid to this reading of the story, making it feel like neither one thing or another.

Additionally, the overall tone is excessively schmaltzy, and almost seems like a children’s book. The moral-of-the-story, Disneyesque exchanges the characters start having from about the halfway point almost never let up, with various extremely heavy-handed metaphors about friendship and being true to yourself occurring in practically every conversation. The actual level of threat, from any quarter, feels negligible, consequently making the events of the novel feel very low stakes. I wasn’t expecting blockbuster action, but the novel is largely devoid of any tension at all. Those moments when things do flare up simmer down to nothing so quickly that I soon realised that the characters weren’t really in any danger, and this made for a very flat and unexciting reading experience. The early dialogue is fun to read, but the monologues that start to occur with alarming frequency towards the end of the novel are unnatural, often preachy, and not terribly interesting to read.

All that being said, I did still find I cared about the characters. Some are not as well rounded as others - Phee in particular lacking any real characterisation whatsoever - but I did still find I was emotionally invested in what happened to them. As much as Lucy’s fire and brimstone schtick gets old fast, he is a fun character that it’s hard not to like, and I wanted things to work out between Linus and Arthur. However, the problems I found with the novel made it less enjoyable to read than I would have hoped, and ultimately meant it was quite a frustrating read.

For seventeen years, Linus Baker had been a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth [DICOMY]. His job as a mid-management bureaucrat was to investigate government sanctioned orphanages housing magical children and write detailed reports on the safety of the children. Are they safe from each other and themselves? Is an orphanage providing the requisite services as outlined in the Rules & Regulations of DICOMY?

Linus Baker lived in a tiny house with his moody cat, Calliope. "He'd accepted long ago that some people, no matter how good their heart was or how much love they had to give, would always be alone." Forty year old Linus was downtrodden. His supervisor at DICOMY, Ms. Jenkins, was "...a dour woman with the disposition of an onery snake". Demerits were meted out for so-called slackers. Linus wondered, "Why must I always worry about tomorrow?" One day, he was informed that his presence was required at a meeting of Extremely Upper Management.

Linus had been given a "mandatory position". Extremely Upper Management, granting him "Classified Level Four" clearance, assigned him to investigate the Marsyas Island Orphanage, gaining access by a ferry running from the unwelcoming village. " Maybe this won't be so bad after all. It wasn't so bad. It was worse." The six children residing on Marsyas Island were considered to be problematic, magically different from any children he had evaluated before. Reading their inadequate and/or redacted files, Linus discovered that Lucifer (Lucy) was the Anti-Christ, "...a weapon of mass destruction in the body of a six-year-old...". Disembarking from the ferry and wandering through the garden of the orphanage, he met Talia, a garden gnome. She shouted at him, "Don't touch my flowers or I'll hit you upside the head with my shovel."

Linus settled into the guesthouse and prepared himself for four weeks of "unhappiness and difficulties". He was expected to write and mail a weekly report on the welfare of the children and his observations of their master, Arthur Parnassus. Linus must leave no stone unturned, include every detail, no matter how seemingly inconsequential. "A caseworker must maintain a degree of separation...individual interaction is frowned upon."

Arthur Parnassus impressed upon the children that Mr. Baker was to be respected. At dinner, Arthur addressed each child asking for one thing learned today. Chauncey, an "unknown species" said, "I can unpack suitcases all by myself. And I get a tip". Chauncey dreamed of becoming a bellhop.

For this reader, meeting the children of Marsyas Island has been a lovely experience. "All children, no matter their...disposition or what they're capable of, must be protected...". "The people of Marsyas Village ...fear what they don't understand." One thing for sure, when Linus Baker forays "out of his comfort zone" he finds that the Cerulean Sea is "vaster than [he] realized.

"The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune is a "quirky fantasy" that is character driven. "It doesn't matter where [a child] came from or what he is. He is a child, and your job...is to protect him." I highly recommend this tome. It made me laugh, cry and cheer!

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

I love this book so much!

Linus is a caseworker for DICOMY, which stands for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's good at his job. He loves making sure the children in the orphanages are being taken care of, after all, they're just children, even if they're born a little differently than other children.

Due to how thorough of a job he does, his bosses, the mysterious panel of Extremely Upper Management, task him with going to a highly classified orphanage and reporting his findings. The children there are the most dangerous children in the world. Not only that, but their caretaker has his own secrets.

Linus, poor Linus, I thought he was going to have a heart attack his first few days. The gnome and the Antichrist are fond of talking of death and devising ways they could get rid of Linus's body, should he step out of line. Poor man. It was hilarious. TJ Klune has this specific type of humor that you can't find anywhere else. It's dry at times, a lot morbid—especially in this book, and can pop up at the most inappropriate times.

TJ Klune is a genius and I hated him at times. Linus is so sweet but he is also so naive. As Arthur kept trying to challenge his stance and position I kept yelling at him to open his eyes! I knew that by the end I would end up in tears because it took him so long to let go of what the Government and society tried to drill into him that it hurt my heart.

This book is not a romance per se, but it does have romantic elements. When Linus and Arthur start low key flirting I was there for it. The longer Linus stayed on the island with Arthur and the children, the more his ideas of DICOMY and the world at large changed. The more he found himself, the more he realized that there was someplace where he could belong truly as he was. And then, TJ Klune, like the mean man he is, made me sob.

What happened next wasn't a surprise to me. I saw it coming, but the difference between knowing what's coming and hoping you would never get to that point is a bucket's worth of tears.

This is the ultimate book of found family. As I finished, I couldn't stop crying. It's so magical. The story of prejudice, differences, loving each other for who you are is so profound and sorely needed in today's society.