The House in the Cerulean Sea 4⭐️/5

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

4⭐️/5

Wholesome, sweet (almost a little too sweet for me), and heartwarming! The House in the Cerulean Sea charmed me in all of the best ways. Unique and quirky characters, a lovable protagonist, and a magical world that just dares you to believe in hope, friendship, and the best kind of rule-breaking.

At times, this book read like an almost-Wes Anderson cartoon. There are no unicycles present, but is a father/son dynamic, bright colors, and a playful and whimsical world (I’m sure the soundtrack would feature a lot of tuba).

Though before we ever see the Cerulean Sea, we begin in the stark, black-and-white world of Linus Baker. Linus works a bland government office job at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, when one day, he is assigned by “Extremely Upper Management” to visit the Marsyas Island Orphanage, Klune’s version of Oz.

The island is where six very dangerous children and their enigmatic caretaker, Arthur Parnassus reside. This highly classified assignment thoroughly disrupts Linus’ quiet, lonely life, and he is forced to spend time with a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist and decide if they will bring about the end of days.

The storytelling is very much like a children’s book, but the marvelous characters and fantastical world TJ Klune immerses us in is such a thrill. I enjoyed every minute spent on the island with the children and Mister Parnassus, delighting in the whimsy and fun of it all.

It didn’t quite move me as emotionally in the way it seemed to move others, and I felt the messaging and nuggets of wisdom a little saccharine, but I think it was partly a consequence of hype (which happens!)

I’d ultimately encourage anyone to read this book for a delightful story about what we mean to one another and the importance of accepting someone from who they are. It’s a story for all ages to enjoy!