Book Review - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Series: -
Author: TJ Klune
 
Description: 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.
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.
 
Review: Linus Baker leads a quiet, scheduled life and is a social worker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is given the special assignment of investigating whether six magically gifted at-risk youngsters living in an orphanage on a small island may pose too great a danger to society.
 
The orphanage is home to six youngster: a curious motley crew that includes Talia (a girl gnome), Theodore (a winged dragon), Phee (a forest Sprite), Chauncey (a green, jellyfish-like creature), Sal (a boy who undergoes a miraculous transformation when frightened) and Lucy (a six-year-old Antichrist).
 
Arthur Parnassus us the man in charge of the orphanage, and he wants to prevent closure, even if it means giving away his own secret. Linus goes to live on the island for a month. As he gradually abandons his prejudice and builds a bond not only with the children, but also with Athur, he faces a dilemma: should he follow the official rules or his heart.
 
How I enjoyed this book. It stole my heart from the first sentence. It touched me and I was completely overwhelmed by it. This book is a warm hug and a perfect comfort read.
 
Linus Baker is a character you come to love, as are all the children and Arthur, who you all get to know really well. It tells a story about the outsiders and how they are judge, without people even knowing them or their stories. I felt so much sympathy for all these characters.
Even though I don’t think this is a book for everyone, I would still recommend it to anyone who is looking to read something completely different. I was recommended this and I would have never picked it up otherwise. And I am so glad I did, because “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is a new favorite, and probably the best book I read this year.  
 
Rating: 5/ 5