THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by T.J. Klune

Rating: 5 / 5

THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA by TJ Klune has been the subject of many rave reviews, so I was thrilled to receive this as a giveaway win surprise from my wish list! I’ve seen a few people describe it as a warm hug which made it a perfect comfort read pick given everything that has been going on!

THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA presents a unique cast of characters. Our main protagonist is Linus, a man working for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth. His job is to go out to the government orphanages where magical youth of all varieties are housed. His work has gained the attention of the Extremely Upper Management and he is tasked with a top secret assignment, to spend a month at the Marsyas Island Orphanage and report back on the highly classified youth assigned there. For a man who is used to a very regimented life and has never even seen the ocean, this is well outside of his comfort zone.

This really was a perfect read to start off the year. On the one hand I don’t know what took me so long to get to it, but on the other hand I am really glad that I had this comfort read this month! This book is full of humor, much of it on the dark side but still in a very uplifting way. Somehow jokes about burying someone alive or digging up a grave become lovable! Each of the children and the adults who oversee them are unique and they really grab your heart.

This book does tackle some difficult issues, particularly in the hatred that the people on the mainland hold for the magical children and their otherness, but the author does a good job of showing a variety of personalities and how reactions vary as well. As with the readers, these kids are able to charm and entertain, even in their darker moments.

If you’re among what seems to be the few who haven’t picked this one up, I definitely recommend it!

Reading Challenge Categories:

#PopsugarReadingChallenge – a book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing (the ocean)