The House in the Cerulean Sea

Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 9h 9 min
Tags: fantasy, lgbt (m/m), found family,
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 8/10

Summary:
The House in the Cerulean Sea starts off very Kafkaesque and Orwellian. Linus Baker, our protagonist, works for the Department of Magical Youths (DICOMY) as a caseworker in orphanages. DICOMY is a government-run institution that places magical children in orphanages “for their safety” because of the rest of society's prejudiced views about them. Linus is very good at his job because he follows and applies the rules to their maximum. Every day, Linus goes to work in in his tiny grey cubicle, takes the bus in the rain, walks to his little grey house, and starts all over again the next day. Because of his clinical efficiency, Linus is chosen one day by Extremely Upper Management to visit a particular orphanage that is off the beaten track. Linus is told that this place is peculiar, and its master even more so, and is given a file with the names and attributes of the children who live there.

When Linus arrives at his destination, he is struck by the beauty of the remote island. Soon, he meets the children and the master, Arthur Parnassus, and begins his investigation of the orphanage. In the beginning, Linus is set on following his rules, as always, but he soon discovers that DICOMY's way of doing things isn't as righteous as what he thought, and that prejudice is well and alive on the idyllic island. Against, his better judgment, Linus begins to develop an attachement to the children, and to Arthur, and finds himself in an increasingly difficult position: carry on with DICOMY's wishes and shut down the island orphanage, or follow his heart and do what's right for the children and, by extension, all magical persons.

Review:
This story was so warm and fuzzy, it was like being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket. Linus' character growth is well executed and a pleasure to witness as the story unfold.

I have a soft spot for Arthur in particular. His carefree attitude is endearing, and his love of philosophy comes through in all of his conversations with the children and with Linus.

Among the cast of characters, we have: Lucifer “Lucy,” the 6 year old son of Satan, Chauncey, a land jellyfish of sorts (no one is quite sure), Sal, a shapeshifter (he turns into a Pomeranian), Phee, a forest sprite, Talia, a garden gnome, Theodore, a wyvern, Zoe, an island sprite and caretaker alongside Arthur, and Calliope, Linus' cat.

The children themselves are endearing, especially Chauncey. His simple dream of being a bellhop is so deeply contrasted to who and what he is, and how people perceive him as a monster, that it makes the whole thing bittersweet and heart wrenching. As with all the children, you want them to be happy and for their dreams to come true, but the world they live in his harsh outside of their island home, and one cannot help but worry for them.

Linus and Arthur make a sweet couple. The first real sparks start off after Linus' visit to Lucy's room, and the tension only continues to grow after that. I liked the slow progression and how realistic their relationship is. It's not all rainbows and butterflies all the time, which is refreshing to see portrayed in a novel.

The author's writing is wonderful, and I enjoyed it very much. Klune describes the world in this book so vividly that it's as though you are a part of it. Linus' postcard on his desk says it all; “don't you wish you were here?” And indeed, I really wished I could be on Marsyas island with the characters.

”There was green. Bright and beautiful greens of waving grass, and what appeared to be flowers in pinks and purples and golds. They disappeared into white sand. And beyond the white was cerulean. ... Don't you wish you were here?”

”The others don't know, but I do. I can see things, sometimes. I don't know why. You. Arthur. He Burns. Did you know that?”

Under the Whispering Door