The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Standalone
Fantasy
Tor Books | March 17, 2010
About the Book:
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.
I’m just… I have no words. None at all. Seriously. I feel like I’ve been standing in the middle of a crowded room and yelling “This author is amazing!” -and I feel kind of validated. (If I feel this way, I can’t even imagine how validated TJ feels.)
You guys, this book was good!
Maybe it’s just me, but there is no better feeling than when tears run down your face because you’re so happy. That’s how The House in the Cerulean Sea made me feel. I was so friggin happy.
Obviously I love TJ Klune for the amazing love stories he tells, but now I can add something new to the list. It’s something I should have known from the very beginning. Ready for it?
TJ Klune writes the best children in fiction!
In Bear, Otter, and the Kid, Ty was phenomenally written. Then he gave us Artemis Darth Vader, and my god she was fantastic. However, he truly outdid himself with the family in this book. It wasn’t only that they were written so well, because they were. It was more about how each one had their own complete personalities, histories, and quirks. If you take all the pronouns from the story, you’d still know who was talking. Then! They stayed consistently adorable from page one, through to the end.
I’ve always thought I loved TJ for his characters. However, now I think it’s more than that. He’s actually strong in all areas. His worlds are vivid and thought provoking. His characters are unforgettable. Each story is unique and magical. However, it’s really how he writes family. If I think of each book/series the true heart is how the characters become the most heartwarming and amazingly unconventional families. It is beautiful, I guarantee you’ll weep, too.
I love that word. It’s so emotive. To weep.
I wept with love for The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for providing an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Birdie Bookworm 
So excited! I can finally read it! Woohoo!!!!
*runs to buy it*
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SOOOO Good!!
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I finally finished this one last night! It was really unique and interesting! The ending was perfect. I mean – PERFECT!
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I KNOW!! It really was. I love it so much! I can’t wait to read your review. 😀
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So glad you loved this one, Birdie…as if there was any doubt. LOL
I’m a little over a quarter of the way through, and I agree. He writes children so well.
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I was so in love with all of them, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Theodore!
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This was new territory for me because I’d only read Klune’s Tales From Verania and Green Creek series. It took some time for me to get into the book but I ended up loving it. He is a master storyteller. Clearly he’s made of magic to write such great books ❤
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He really is! And, Tales from Verania and Green Creek are great. (Especially Green Creek). You should try How to be a Normal Person. It’s amazing.
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I’m excited to see your review — I’m planning to start this book in the coming week!
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Oh my gosh, it is so good! You’re going to absolutely love it!
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Ooooh this sounds wonderful! I’m definitely going to have to get a move on reading some of Klune’s books 😀
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The House in the Cerulean Sea is a great place to start!
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What a lovely review! This book sounds amazing. 😊
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It was beautiful!
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