A Book Like a Warm Hug: T.J. Klune – The House in the Cerulean Sea

Isn’t it lovely when you find a book that everybody seems to love, you open the book with trepidation because your expectations are super high, you start reading, and then the book ends up being exactly as great as everbody had said? This is such a book and I’m adding my voice to the many others recommending it, especially when you need a bit of escapism, something that will make you feel good, and give you hope for the future.

THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA
by T. J. Klune

Published: Tor, 2020
eBook: 394 pages
Standalone
My rating: 8.5/10

Opening line:  “Oh dear,” Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “This is most unusual.”

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.

Never would I have thought that this book would get to me the way it did. After all, I had read some reviews, I had heard all the raving and squeeing about it, I knew what it was about and how it would try to push my emotional buttons. But the truth is, knowing what you’re going to get doesn’t keep you from feeling it. And, oh how I felt it!

Linus Baker is all about rules. He works for DICOMY, the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, and his job is visiting orphanages where magical kids live to see if everything is fine, if the RULES AND REGULATIONS are being adhered to or if, in some unfortunate cases, the orphanage should rather be shut down. Linus’ life is simple and straight forward. He has no dreams, no ambitions, he just has a cat named Callipe who doesn’t like him very much, a few sunfowers, and a super annoying nosy neighbor who wants to set him up with her grandson. But as Linus also has the ability to be extremely objective and doesn’t let his job get to him emotionally, Extremely Upper Management takes notice and sends him on a special, super secret investigation of an orphanage on Maryas Island.

As I write this, I am once again amazed that a book that is kind of predictable, can work so beautifully and make me so happy. Because we all know what’s coming. Linus will investigated that place, the kids (and the master of the orphanage) will steak Linus’ heart and we well all have learned a lesson about acceptance and the evils of prejudice. And yeah, it’s kind of that, butthere’s so much more to this book than that.

Starting with the writing style which I immediately fell into and just soaked up because it was everything I wanted, over the characters who not only show Linus that they are deserving of love, no matter how monstrous they may look, but who also totally carved out a spot in my heart, over the world building which reveals itself more and more over the course of the book, to the absolute delight of the found family and the real connections between them. I honestly can’t think of any comparison that would do this book justice. A warm blanket, a much-needed hug, someone holding your hand when you thought you were all alone – it’s kind of like all of those but none of them tell you all that the book is.

Every chapter brought new delights, showed a new aspect of this magical world that has its own problems, or a new side to a character, so even when there isn’t much action going on, it’s never boring. Watching Linus grow and come out of his shell a little, seeing alongside him that there can be more to life than RULES AND REGULATIONS (always in capital letters!) gave me so much joy. There were times when I wanted to crawl into this book and spend a week at the orphanage.

But this book is also really funny. I chuckled every time I read “Extremely Upper Management” or basically anytime Talia or Lucy opened theirmouths, but there are also some hilarious moments where Linus just feels out of place or accidentally shows an emotion that got me to smile.

Around his neck hanging on a chain was an orante silver cross. “He tried to shove that in my face.” Lucy laughed as he shook his head. “What does he think I am, a vampire? That’s silly. I like crosses. They’re just two sticks put together, but they mean so much to so many. I tried making a symbol out of Popsicle sticks that I could sell and get rich, but Arthur said it wasn’t right. […]”

The close I got to the end, the more I wanted to draw things out. But you know how it is with really engaging books. You can’t stop reading so the dreaded end keeps coming closer and closer. I thought I was prepared for things to come. I thought I had it all figured out. And, as far as the plot goes, I had a pretty good idea of how everything would turn out. There was a lovely twist there at the end, which I appreciated, but even without that, it would have been a great ending. I cried like a baby and then I cried some more. But it was the good kind of crying, the kind that reminds you why you love to read, why you immerse yourself in imaginary worlds, why fiction characters can feel so real.
The House In the Cerulean Sea may not have a super original premise or the most surprising plot but it does what it’s trying to do with perfection! I put all of T J Klune’s books on my wishlist immediately after reading this and I will save them up for a time when I need a reminder that there’s still good the world and that home is the people you choose to surround yourself with.

MY RATING: 8.5/10 – Damn excellent!