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.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is quite literally my favourite book. When I read it during my trip to coldest place in my country, while I was shivering and fighting almost paining hunger, I lost myself in this world of beauty created by TJ Klune and his majestic writing.
The imagination and far-fetchedness of the series is just the right amount, without the author diving far too deep into the fantasy element of the book. The read was delightful, joyful and comforting to say the least. Arthur Parnassus and Linus Baker along with all of their ‘children’ are probably one of the best couples we will ever have the pleasure of reading about. They are simply excellent.
This book illustrates the day-to-day life of a queer man whose life is just fine. He has a day job at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY) and then goes home to his small apartment where he is greeted by his indifferent feline companion, but not before being assailed by a nosey neighbour (she really needs a hobby), and he frequently listens to big-band music on his record player when he gets home from work. That’s his life. Let’s admit it, Linus Baker is a boring guy who lives in a tiny bubble. His life is mundane and monotonous. That is, until he is tasked with a month-long assignment hundreds of miles from his home in the city.
His anxiety gets the best of him quite a few—several—times after he steps out of his comfort zone, but Linus Baker’s character sees much growth throughout this LGTBQ+-friendly novel. His standoffish cat even begins to warm up to him, but not before she befriends one of the children at the “orphanage” where Linus’ assignment takes him.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
‘Sometimes our Prejudices Colour our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we recognise that, and learn from it, we can become better people.’
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