The House in the Cerulean sea

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-15-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-11-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-16-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-30-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-21-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-27-2024
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-20-2024
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 09-13-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / General / Klune, TJ	4-week checkout	Due 10-18-2024

"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"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
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Summary / Annotation
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Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Favorite thing I've read in years submitted by Elizabethreads on February 24, 2021, 3:21pm This imaginative, warm, out-of-the-box book surprised me with its odd plot and simple truths. If you can let your brain be open, this story is tender and sweet.

Heart warming fable submitted by mowjac on April 23, 2021, 6:39pm A lovely story about finding your people, about belonging and authenticity. About being yourself and being loved for whom you are, with all the quirks and oddities, and finding a community that embraces that. Very gay positive, with a subtle love story, appropriate for older teens to adults.

I want to grow up to be Linus (is it too late?) submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 18, 2021, 10:17pm What a delightful YA book. I read it in 24 hours, because it was fun, interesting, engaging, had outstanding story, wildly creative characters, and a completely compelling storyline. Our boring hero won my heart… I love a good rule book, too, but also so that I can help my client kids. I hope I can grow up to be Linus some day (I turn 50 in two weeks, so I think I still have a chance)!

So much charm submitted by Princess Cimorene on July 20, 2021, 10:37pm This book has a ragtag bunch of misfits (one of my favorite tropes), a quirky world, and humor that reminds me a bit of Douglas Adams. Those three things are a sure recipe for successful storytelling.

Great, heartwarming story submitted by reeseschwank on July 27, 2021, 10:08am I love this book! There's great character development, and the premise is very engaging. It is a very heartwarming story. It encouraged me to consider my possibly misguided assumptions about others, and it reignited my appreciation for my loved ones.

Starts slowly -- but keep going! submitted by valeriemates on August 17, 2021, 12:47pm This book starts slowly, but if you can make it past the gray early chapters there is so much lively joy in this book. It's about adults taking care of six kids who have really unique scary powers, lively personalities, and varied aspirations. It's about welcoming diversity and trusting people. It's about being there for people. It's about standing up to the bureaucracy to demand what is right. It's about being your own unique self. There's also a great depiction of gay dad figures who are very reliable and trustworthy.

This book has many really vividly joyous characters who have stayed in my mind long after I read it. Highly recommended!!

Loved it! submitted by lridl on August 30, 2021, 1:26pm The characters are wonderful. Linus is very caring of the children in his care. The "moral" of the story is not to judge people before you get to know them. I enjoyed this book so much that I encouraged my husband to read it even though I knew that other people were waiting for it. Then we bought 2 copies - one to loan to local friends and relatives and one to send to a sister.

Absolutely delightful! submitted by TeacherN on June 15, 2022, 5:27pm I'm not a big fantasy reader, but this book was absolutely delightful! It's all about accepting and loving people for who they are. The six-year-old character of Lucy (aka the anti-christ) brought to mind Macaulay Culkin's character Miles in Uncle Buck - at least when he was doing the dishes. :)

Insanely good submitted by Sydneyhb on June 19, 2022, 11:00pm I haven't even finished the book yet but I want to gush about it. It's so whimsical and wonderful and unique. Love love love this story.

Adorable, couldn't put it down! submitted by Eve Kausch on June 20, 2022, 3:48pm This book was so sweet! I read it on a flight and when I got home I had to stay up late to finish the last 100 pages because I couldn't put it down. This is a story about magical children, but it can make us think about real-world experiences, like those of neurodivergent kids, indigenous children forced into boarding schools, or Latine kids separated from their families at the border.

Amazing! submitted by Jfish on June 30, 2022, 11:27am I loved it! The writing was fluid, and it expanded my horizons. A classic in the making.

There's a reason that there's 56 requests on 19 copies of this book at AADL! submitted by mickplu on July 3, 2022, 10:38am This is one of the best books that I've read in years! There's a wonderful mix of extremely well-developed characters in a story that intertwines romance and fantasy. It's definite feel-good fiction that leaves you dying to read the sequel.

Cute, relaxing submitted by audreyhalversen on July 13, 2022, 1:10am A great book to read if you want something relaxing, sweet, and endearing. Love that it features an atypical protagonist.

Wonderful, feel good book submitted by alperinj on July 15, 2022, 9:15pm The book was excellent from beginning to end. The characters were charming and there was good development over the course of the book.

on the nose submitted by cdfine on August 1, 2022, 10:14pm Very charming, casual, happy, light-reading, feel-good, queer-representation story. Metaphors are rather heavy-handed but it's important to have a book out there like this that has them. Very on-the-nose about the politics, like having a person refuse service at a private business and critiquing calling people snowflakes.

Stellar submitted by meaustinonline on August 5, 2022, 8:32pm Beautiful writing, imaginative world-building, and a heart-warming message. Love, love, love. This is a must-read.

Amazing submitted by mccleerye on August 27, 2022, 3:46pm This was the best book I read all year, it was cute and fluffy, it was serious , and it was funny all at the same time.

Spectacular! submitted by ValerieL on June 9, 2023, 4:26pm I've been a fan of TJ Klune for a long time, but this is definitely a step above the rest! It was my favorite read of 2022. Arthur and Linus and Zoe and all the children just feel like old friends. I read this book for the first time in Fall of 2022. Since then it's become a favorite "comfort" read. I've read it probably a half dozen times in the 9 months. I just love it. The children are wonderful! The writing is beautiful, the characters well-round and the plot line just perfect. I highly recommend this amazing novel!

engrossing read submitted by dailyreader on June 29, 2023, 9:29pm A great story of many kinds of love, redemption, and finding home because of the people who make it. It was both an easy read and a meaningful one.

Slow and obvious submitted by berkleya on July 11, 2023, 8:09am Sweet. Maybe a little too sweet. You can see the sweet coming for miles.

Cute Story! submitted by mscheich on June 14, 2024, 1:00pm Very cute story. Somewhat predictable but entertaining and a quick read!

Heartwarming submitted by kyliemo on June 19, 2024, 4:17pm I could read this book 1,000 times! This story is magical, heartwarming, and filled with characters you instantly fall in love with. This charming tale begins by introducing us to Linus, a droll middle-aged man involved in the all-too-familiar doldrums of a soul-sucking office job. This changes when he is assigned to check the welfare of exceptional creatures living on a remote island with an odd caregiver named Arthur Parnassus. . Linus discovers his strength, and finds love and purpose through his assignment, which is full of delightful twists and turns.
Klune’s style of prose makes this an easy, satisfying read and the message is loud and clear without coming across as too “preachy.” Bonus points because this is an LQBTQ+-friendly read! :)

delightful submitted by Aimless on July 5, 2024, 5:53pm although this is technically a young adult's novel, Even old adults will love it. The characters are incredibly endearing. you will fall in love with Chauncey, actually you'll fall in love with all of them. this book book is all about love and acceptance

Love love love! submitted by sharashnorma on July 18, 2024, 10:44am This book is amazing, I was crying and laughing multiple times through it. This book has magical realism, complex relationship building and character development. Highly recommend!

Sweet, a little surprising and a little predictable submitted by pinkflamingo on July 21, 2024, 8:49am This book paints endearing portraits of each of its characters, and it's fun to be along for the ride if you're willing to keep your mind open. The children who live on the island are the best part of this book - the most lovable characters and the funniest, most whimsical dialogue is thanks to them. A tiny bit of Hogwarts, a little Avengers Academy, a bit Little Orphan Annie, but told through a middle aged man's lens and wrapped in a love story.

3 Stars submitted by srakes2425 on July 23, 2024, 3:49pm A cozy, magical story of family. The story lives somewhere between Matilda, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the movie Brazil; suitable for YA readers.

One of my favorite books submitted by catsmyka on August 5, 2024, 5:20am This story warms my heart. The storyline is unique and powerful, and I absolutely loved each character. Perfect book to read at the beach.

This book is for adults too! submitted by teri on August 7, 2024, 2:00pm I found it slow in the beginning, and was a bit confused at first with the "magical" characters - but it grew on me. Endearing, charming - with a message that all of us need to hear, and live by.

Charming submitted by schweiml on August 20, 2024, 9:54pm Such an enjoyable read. While predictable at times, the story is unique, well written, and draws the reader in. Loved every moment of this.

Charming submitted by lballard on August 22, 2024, 9:12pm This is a beautiful book with a hopeful message about changing a dystopia. It has a beautiful but subtle love story (nothing R rated) and an adorable bunch of kids, with of course special gifts that cause most adults to fear them.