Five Star Book Review

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

For me a five-star book is something that either I want to read again or something that is so profound it makes an immediate impact. There are lots of ways that books can be compelling: a unique idea, an interesting set of characters, a complex plot, an artistic use of the English language and more. Reading is also a subjective experience, so what appeals to me as a reader may be very different for you. I read a lot for both pleasure and work, but these short reviews are a way for me to show my appreciation for the work and the craft of the author of the reviewed work.

The House of the Cerulean Sea surprised me. It started out as a book with a pretty standard anonymous dehumanizing government agency and a main character, Linus, who as a case worker is both completely committed to the rules of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth and yet maintains the ability to see the magical youth as human. On the one hand the story is full of tropes: the dehumanizing bureaucracy, the rule follower who learns to trust his heart, an orphanage that attempts to provide children with a home, the inability of non-magic people to accept those different from them, finding one’s true family and love. The tropes are there and the story is predictable and yet sometimes tropes work because they express something fundamental to the experience of being human. Most people have experienced dehumanizing environments in some shape, not everyone is a rule follower but those who are typically find a time when the rules do not work, the desire for love, home, and acceptance are universal human needs. Sometimes we need characters that are not traditionally human to remind us of what humanity is all about.

It is the children in the story that really shine more than the two adult characters. Linus and Arthur, the caretaker of the orphanage, each have their roles to play in the protection of the children, the island, and the orphanage, but it is the way the children form a relationship with Arthur that transforms him more than anything else. Talia, a gnome, Sal, a shape shifting boy, Phee, a forest sprite, Chauncey a creature who may look monstrous but has a heart of gold, Theodore, a wyvern, and Lucy, an antichrist each in their own way and with their own language open themselves to this outsider who has come to inspect their home. Each bear their own scars from the way they have been treated by the outside world, but they help Linus find his own humanity which has been slowly smothered by his environment before coming to the island. There is an element of a love story between Arthur and Linus which they both struggle to voice and understand but for most of the story this is in the background and the children and their interactions with Linus and Arthur are in the foreground.

This is a book that at moments makes you feel. It can make you feel the desire for home, love, acceptance, and hope for a better future. It is quirky and it is not a story everyone will love. Others may be put off by the same sex relationship between Linus and Arthur. This is a quick read and seeing the children through the eyes of Linus and Arthur, I quickly found them endearing. Despite its tropes and predictability, it was really enjoyable in a comfortable and homey way.