The House in the Cerulean Sea

This is a very poignant, sweet story about being different in a world of rules telling us how to be the same. The story was very reminiscent of [a:Random Riggs 14003271 Random Riggs https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children or [a:Seanan McGuire 2860219 Seanan McGuire https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1245623198p2/2860219.jpg]'s Wayward Children series or even X-Men but it's from the POV of an outside adult that comes to the island as a government worker to observe and, ultimately, decide the fate of the home for a variety of outcast children with different supernatural abilities and their teacher. Linus Baker had been a caseworker for 17 years for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth [DICOMY] that regulates all the “orphanages” in this non-specific world. He observes or investigates each of his cases with an air of separation as outlined in a Rules and Regulations book he follows to the letter. Out of the blue, he's given a month-long assignment from the very top that turns out to be a little more complicated than any he's had before, that will change him in ways he would have never thought possible. Each “species” of children is interesting and the author gives human traits to them all, even the ones without a humanoid form. There doesn't really seem to be rhyme or reason to the type of creature Klune decided to include, but did give them his own rules to make them fit into the story. There's a wyvern (type of armless dragon with bird traits), gnome, sprite (faerie), literal son of Satan, a weredog/shapeshifter, a slug... thing?, and a phoenix so rather than the children just having powers, they are literally supernatural beings. Some of it doesn't really make much sense and the world needs to be explored a bit more outside of this story to give it a little more grounding, but it's still enjoyable to dip your toes in. I would definitely read further books if this turns into a series.