The House in the Cerulean Sea
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. 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 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.
As soon as I finished Klune’s Under the Whispering Door, I knew I had to read this one. I enjoyed this book almost as much as Under; the only reason I rated it one star lower was because I didn’t connect to Linus as much as I did Wallace. Still, Klune did a wonderful job tackling some difficult topics, such a prejudice and physical and emotional abuse, to name a few.
I loved the found family theme. As a fellow magical creature, Arthur did everything in his power to keep the children in his care safe. He wanted them to feel loved, as he wanted to be when he was a child. When Linus was sent to report on Arthur’s orphanage, he didn’t understand that Arthur wasn’t simply the children’s caregiver; he was their father. I’m glad Linus decided to return to Arthur’s home and become the second parent the children needed. I’d love to read a short story set a few years down the road, just to see how the family is doing!
In Klune’s book, the magical creatures were treated the same way members of the LGBTQ community have been and still are today. Reading how members of the town vilified the children, just because they were different, made me angry. I’m glad Klune had the mayor of the town admit she had made mistakes and was doing her best to fix the town’s treatment of the children.
I hope Klune releases a new book soon; I desperately need to read more of his work!
The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place.
The House in the Cerulean Sea Rating: ★★★★
As soon as I finished Klune’s Under the Whispering Door, I knew I had to read this one. I enjoyed this book almost as much as Under; the only reason I rated it one star lower was because I didn’t connect to Linus as much as I did Wallace. Still, Klune did a wonderful job tackling some difficult topics, such a prejudice and physical and emotional abuse, to name a few.
I loved the found family theme. As a fellow magical creature, Arthur did everything in his power to keep the children in his care safe. He wanted them to feel loved, as he wanted to be when he was a child. When Linus was sent to report on Arthur’s orphanage, he didn’t understand that Arthur wasn’t simply the children’s caregiver; he was their father. I’m glad Linus decided to return to Arthur’s home and become the second parent the children needed. I’d love to read a short story set a few years down the road, just to see how the family is doing!
In Klune’s book, the magical creatures were treated the same way members of the LGBTQ community have been and still are today. Reading how members of the town vilified the children, just because they were different, made me angry. I’m glad Klune had the mayor of the town admit she had made mistakes and was doing her best to fix the town’s treatment of the children.
I hope Klune releases a new book soon; I desperately need to read more of his work!
The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place.
The House in the Cerulean Sea Rating: ★★★★