The House in the Cerulean Sea

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's in the vein of Harry Potter in that it has an incredible and adorble cast of characters who I grew to care about deeply. Each one's personality was distinct and fun and their personal stories were heartwarming and heartwrenching all at once.

The undertones of the book were done so well, too. It really makes you look at the whole "see something, say something" mantra in a new way.

This is one of those rare gems that I hope become a movie.

Oh my gosh! Can you believe it's another TJ Klune book. I tried to warn you...

Seriously, though, I love Linus and Chancey and Arthur and Theodore and every other character in this book almost as dearly as I love the actual real people in my life. And honestly I'm not entirely convinced that this orphanage isn't out there on some hidden, remote island just waiting to be discovered, but that's only because of how desperately I want everything about this book to be real. One thing about me -- I don't like to read books with kids in them.… show more.

The House in the Cerulean Sea might be the funniest, most-heart-warming story I’ve read in ages.

It was written as a YA novel, but I think it’s a fairy tale of sorts for all ages (I mean, Stephen King gets by with it, right?). The characters in this story are whackily (the first time I’ve used that word in my life), enigmatic, and sometimes dangerous, and as soon as I met them, I had to see how their lives turned out.

I always think J.K. Rowling created the most wildly creative cast of characters ever, but the magical residents of… show more.

I’m a big fan of a story with quirky details that really add to getting to know the characters. It's even better when magic is thrown in the background in a way that makes it seem ordinary and acceptable—not strange at all.

This story does all of that and then some by taking outcasts and explaining their stories one by one while weaving them all together into one quiet redemption.

I fell in love with this book from the very beginning.

When by-the-book case worker Linus Baker from the Department in Charge of Magical Youth comes to investigate a home for six dangerous magical children, he discovers an unlikely family in an unexpected place. As a mother, I was smitten by the insecure yet powerful children and was cheering for Linus to save them. I’ve been out of my element with kids too, Linus; I understand.

Best of all, I could feel the compassion and love on the pages of this amazing book.

What’s not to like? A school for fantastical creatures and a stuffy government official who’ll be transformed by his love for them?

Filled with witty, engaging characters, this story appealed to me with its messages of accepting and appreciating those who are different, finding one’s family, and seeking the life one wants. Delightful!

The main character took his work seriously and kept a low profile, but when he was summoned to a meeting with "Extremely Upper Management," this book promised something warm and quirky. It more than delivered.

What I love about this book is the layers beneath the story. I work with young people and immediately saw the parallels between school inspections and the safeguarding of vulnerable children. The "orphans," despite their magical nature, feel very real, with their boisterous energies, vivid imaginations, fears, and night terrors.

The author even touched on thoughts like nature vs nurture and how early experiences shape… show more.

The bumbling, uptight, and just-going-through-the-motions Linus finds himself completely changed when he learns the truth about his job. He finds himself opening up to love and to finding purpose in his life.

In the most unlikely of ways, he becomes a hero and the best version of himself. This book felt very middle-grade to me—a genre not as hardened to life as adult fiction or even YA can be—as it is full of lovable, eccentric characters and an endearing hopefulness about the future and the possibilities for ourselves as people.

To me, this is the best sort of book—it makes… show more.

After writing my own book of poems about monsters and how they represent feelings, I was excited to read this light romantasy novel.

As with many modern books that explore the monstrous, this story defines monstrosity by how characters behave, not by their “monstrous” abilities or parentage. The so-called monsters are a group of adorable children living in an orphanage. But the true monsters are human bureaucrats who view these children as a threat to be controlled.

Enter protagonist Linus, a by-the-book caseworker sent to assess the orphanage and its charges. As the island and its inhabitants work their magic… show more.

Here is a book that will feel like a warm hug of hope when you need it, a tale that will remind you that love really is the most important thing in the world.

The main character Linus is living an empty life until he visits an orphanage on Marsyas Island in his role as caseworker for the Department of Magical Youth. The children there are unlike children you will recognize but only at first. There is a gnome, a sprite, even an antichrist. Their caretaker Arthur will do anything to protect them and through his example of selfless, joyful… show more.