A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER! A 2021 Alex Award winner! The 2021 RUSA Reading List: Fantasy Winner! An Indie Next Pick! One of Publishers Weekly’s “Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2020” One of Book Riot’s “20 Must-Read Feel-Good Fantasies” Lambda Literary Award-winning author TJ Klune’s bestselling, breakout contemporary fantasy that’s “1984 meets The Umbrella … Award-winning author TJ Klune’s bestselling, breakout contemporary fantasy that’s “1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in.” (Gail Carriger)
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.
Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place–and realizing that family is yours.
“1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in.” –Gail Carriger, New York Times bestselling author of Soulless
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
more
This book was everything. I’m a huge TJ fan and this particular book simply thrilled me. There were so many well developed characters that are impossible to forget. I think I smiled so much my face hurt while reading. It was also riddled with some really great lessons.
I definite must read.
If I could, I’d give more than 5 stars.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
On the surface it’s an enjoyable fantasy.
Then the layers begin.
A bureaucratic grey world of predictable existence vs a vibrant world of messy aliveness.
Extraordinary characters who are quite easy to relate to in their humanity.
The whole time I’m cheering for a HEA and we get that and so much more.
My only question (well, at the moment) is: Who is the Ms Bubblegum?
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is an amazing read. This story had me engrossed in just a few pages and I did not want to put it down. The story is full of heart and love with touches of humor, making me laugh out loud. This is the best story I have read in a while. Klune deals with so many social issues of acceptance, love, and home with a beautiful sensitivity without becoming preachy. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I give this novel four and a half stars!
Beautiful, just friggin’ beautiful. That’s what this book was to me.
I kept seeing my blogger friends reviewing this new 2020 book, so I had to check it out and give it a try. I mean, LGBT characters set in a world with magic? It was a no-brainer.
This book centers on Linus Baker, a social worker of sorts for ‘orphanages’ for magically-gifted youth. Based on his observations and recommendations to DICOMY, these orphanages either continue to run or are closed down.
But when he’s called up to the fifth floor by Extremely Upper Management and given a classified assignment, Linus finds himself in an interesting predicament. He is sent to an island orphanage with extra gifted children.
I loved this book! Central themes of this book are acceptance and finding your place in the world, and I think due to these times this resonated with me very strongly.
The characters shined through first and foremost. Now, I will say that this book is a bit more character-driven than I usually care for, but this is an instance where that really worked for me.
Linus was an interesting character. He’s a bit shy and unassertive at first and very beaten down by his working conditions. I mean, these people are TERRIBLE to him, and it made me cringe here and there at how appallingly he was treated. That being said, things begin to change for Linus when he reaches the island. Throughout this novel, he has some serious character progression and begins to question the very rules and regulations his existence is governed by. Also, I have to say that we need more LGBT characters in the world, and this is a great example of how great they can be.
Other characters helped provide all the feels. For me, a special shoutout goes to Lucy and Chauncey. Lucy had his own demons to combat (quite literally), and Chauncey’s blind optimism and hope really struck deep for me. Honestly, all of the characters are pretty great, those two just stuck out for me.
The plot was intriguing from the beginning. I liked the dull, grey world Linus lived in, and the system in place was very interesting. The journey Linus goes on is captivating, and though there isn’t a ton of action all the time, I had to know how things were going to end up with this motley crew of children, each with their own scars. Despite the seriousness of the book, there were these great cozy moments that really made me feel warm all over and grateful for the goodness in people that seems to be so rare these days.
If I had to pick at anything, I would say that the pacing did suffer just a tad for me in the middle when there wasn’t a ton of stuff happening, but that’s more due to personal preference, so I didn’t judge very harshly.
All in all, this book was a great LGBT adventure filled with love, hardship, and the power of the human spirit to persevere. Can’t recommend this one enough!
Loved it!
While I’m in my fifties, I think 7 and up would find something in this book. It presents some difficult topics, such as xenophobia, in a light way so that you don’t feel beaten down with sadness or despair. I liked the variety of non-human characters. I felt that the backstory could have been fleshed out some more. I also found the story very, very predictable.
Got my copy from Overdrive courtesy of my public library.
I absolutely adored this book and fell in love with every one of the quirky characters! I was charmed by all of them and found myself laughing aloud, and even tearing up a bit, and I believe I’ll be thinking of them for a long time to come. u2063u2063
u2063u2063
The plot dealt with topics that could very easily leave me feeling cynical towards my fellow people, but it actually made me feel extremely hopeful. It touched on heavy topics with a light hand but still left a large impact. This book is full of love, whimsy, and beauty.u2063u2063
u2063u2063
I feel like I can’t do it justice without giving things away, but if you’ve been feeling a little hopeless and a bit lost I implore you to pick this book up!
Absolutely phenomenal! I would say this book left me with a book coma but it was more like the feeling you get from an incredibly long hug. I know I’ve missed that feeling too much lately! I actually read the book twice, and slowly each time, to savor the delight and perfection of each of the characters.
I’m applying to be a foster mom for teenagers and I bought a hard copy of this book, after reading the Kindle version, to tuck in the kids room so that they can find joy and comfort in TJ’s words.
So this book kept popping up in all of my feeds–authors loved it, booksellers loved it, book bloggers were all heart-eyed emoji over it. That isn’t always a sell for me, but enough people that I knew had similar tastes to me enjoyed it, so I picked it up. This book is a hug. It’s a sweet, funny, comforting song of hope. It’s found family, funny lines, and good writing. Linus reminds me a little of Arthur Dent. Lucy had me grinning. There was just so much I enjoyed about this book. It’s one I’ll put on the reread shelf, for sure.
This is a new favorite! This book gripped me from start to finish, not just by being so compelling and unique but also by having storytelling that didn’t provide all information at once. By only presenting facts about the setting and plot as the story went on, the book made me seek answers to questions the whole time, whether they were questions I knew I had about the story or not. It also really kept me reading by building up the suspense throughout, and had so many unique messages to it. This is definitely the best book I’ve read all year, if not more.
Charming, sweet, hopeful…The House in the Cerulean Sea is all those things. And who doesn’t like stories about homes on islands at the end of the known world?
The Extremely Upper Management, Joyless work/duty, and isolated magical place reminded me of Tolkien’s “Leaf by Niggle,” despite being decades since I last read it.
Completely delightful, on so many levels, from the characters to the settings, from the island to the prejudices to the threats and the love stories. There are a whole houseful of love stories.
Read this one.
I have read many books by this author and have enjoyed all of them. The House in the Cerulean Sea was no different. The characters were unique and drew you into the story. I highly recommend this book.
This is a lovely warm kind hopeful fantasy from T.J. with a lovely gentle m/m romance as a subplot and the rest a little bit Miss Peregrine meets something from Diana Wynne Jones. If you’re looking for something uplifting and an escape from what’s going on, grab this one!
A beautiful story about acceptance; found family; celebrating, honoring, and protecting diversity; standing up for what is right; and being the voice for the voiceless. All heart with a healthy side of snark. The kids are frighteningly adorable and wise. And their caretakers are nothing short of heroic. A must-read for all ages.
I’ve never wanted to start a book over again as soon as I finished it until this book. I cannot even express how much I loved it. It’s the most precious thing I’ve read in a long time.
Well, I still haven’t gotten over myself and how much I loved this book, and I’m really not sure how to put into words my love for it, but I shall try.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book anyone and everyone should read. If you need an escape from life, this is it. If you need an escape from your every day woes and worries, this is it. If you need an escape from your kids/husband/wife/so, this is it.
It’s delightfully sweet and charming and completely heartwarming, and I adored everything about it. The world Mr. Klune created is one I wish I could live in! I’d happily say good-bye to everything and everyone I know, and move to the house in the cerulean sea, to while away my days with Linus and Arthur, Lucy, Sal, Talia, Chauncey, Theodore, Phee, and Mrs. Chapelwhite.
In a blog post he shared today, TJ said this “The House in the Cerulean Sea is a love letter to those who should be allowed to feel small and cared for when the world seems dark.” And it couldn’t be more true.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book I’ll be returning to again, and again, and again.
MMy Thoughts and Review:
Found Family is Like A Beautiful Collection of Buttons
The House in the Cerulean Sea was so enchanting that I became a young girl once more, for a little while at least. I devoured Klune’s words like someone dying of thirst, completely unaware of how close to death I was until these characters fell out of the pages quenching my thirst as they did.
This would have been my first read by Klune, but I wanted to get a taste of their work, so I listened to “Purgatory” a few days ago. I highly recommend it, but only for the more mature crowd. The House in the Cerulean Sea, however, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys magical beings, friends who are closer than some families, caretakers who love and protect the way parents are supposed to, precocious children who actually have the power and might to do scary and terrifying things but don’t because they are raised in love and respect, and lots of antics from adults and children to have one giggling, smiling, laughing, and gasping… from giggling, smiling, and laughing. You will cheer for the children like they were in the room with you, but be warned your heart will break in the same manner.
One mustn’t forget the caretakers either. The feelings of joy, elation, and heartbreak extend to the adults in this wonderful heart-melting story as well.
The secluded island the children and their caretaker(s) live on belongs to a part-time guardian of sorts. Because one of the children is like the female guardian, she helps with her lessons from time to time. She also plays chauffeur on occasion and brings an agent to the island, who is to report back to Extremely Upper Management on whether the children’s home should remain open or not, as it houses some of the most terrifying of magical children.
There are so many wonder-filled things about this book, I could never do it justice with a simple review. You can tell Klune poured love, humor, elation, aa dash of present-day relevance, and a part of his soul into the world he created and when you reach the end, you get to take all of that into yourself to keep forever. It’s the most beautiful thing.
Even though this was an ARC, I plan to buy my own copies, both ebook and audio on release day. TTS is a need for my disability, so I know I will love this book even more with the audiobook’s release. I can hardly wait!
5.00+ found-family-forever-stars
ARC provided by NetGalley.
I am a huge fan of this author. I found his writing through his Green Creek series & haven’t looked back. This book is a perfect example of why!
It’s a beautifully sweet read packed with heartbreak, wonder and moments that were just sooo sad. BUT. And it’s a big BUT. It’s not a sad book. It’s more a story that makes you FEEL a lot. It’s got a beautiful message contained in the narrative and the characters had me hooked. I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite and as usual I paused a lot while reading to just appreciate TJ’s dialogue and imagery he gives me.
It’s a story of hope and love and being better. I truly loved it!