Linus Baker is a company name, he leads and quiet grey life in a quiet grey town where he inspects government run orphanages full of children with special abilities. He is so thoroughly a company man that he is chosen but the top brass to carry out and report on an orphanage that just so happens to be home to the Anti Christ. Linus needless to say is a little put out but he has a job to do and will do it to the best of his ability but Linus gets more than he bargained for in the House by the Cerulean Sea. This was a very sweet novel, Linus is an absolute trooper and I loved that it was sort of set out of time and place. I loved how Linus was well mannered and polite even at the most trying of times and was rewarded for it. There are a lot of issues dealt with in the book not least the nature vs nurture debate just as a kick off but it never felt preachy or overdone. It was overall super heartwarming even the Anti Christ.

My review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune is a sweet cosy fantasy story, with themes of found family, children with powers they don't understand, and self discovery.

I really enjoyed the book, but I did find one thing a bit jarring, and that was the sleeping location of one of the orphans, which was in the closet of the man in charge of the orphanage.  It felt wrong to me as in the UK we have safeguarding rules about how adults with this kind of role should act, and this isn't what they should do.

So other than the above, I really enjoyed the story.  I know that a lot of people have really enjoyed all of this book.

I have to be completely honest and say that it took me 9 months to read this book. There is nothing wrong with the House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, it was just so depressing in the first 100 pages that it felt like such a slog for me to get through. As soon as I got through the initial character introduction and the main character was on the island and other characters were being introduced this book came alive.

I ended up absolutely loving everything about this book, sobbing throughout and feeling elation at the end. I feel that this was so uplifting and very much deserving of the reputation as being a darling of the book world.

I do think that it is unfortunate that this book has been likened to the residential school scandal in Canada and it is very unfortunate that a white man has profited from the reality of indigenous peoples pain and suffering. I think there are many other examples of residential schools and government abuse throughout the world but the fact the author clarified that it was 'inspired by' a tragedy is disappointing.

It does take away the pleasure from reading this story, which was heartwarming. It certainly hasn't put me off reading more from this author.

I've seen so much hype for this book and now I know why. This was such a heartwarming story. I couldn't help smiling through it. Such an interesting concept and jam packed full of wonderful characters with lots of depth. A really enjoyable read that left me with a smile after it was over.

I'd heard all good things about this book from people whose opinion I trust, so I was excited to read it. I hadn't read anything about it, so didn't know what to expect, but I loved it from the start. It's warm, funny, charming, joyful, romantic and just all-round gorgeous. I didn't want it to end. I could keep reading about these characters forever.

What a wonderful book! The House in the Cerulean Sea follows Linus, a middle-aged man who has a lonely monotonous life. He goes on a work assignment to a very unusual place.

I really don't think this is a book where you should know too much going into it. Just read it. It is beautifully written and guaranteed to warm the reader's heart.

Many thanks to TJ Klune, NetGalley, and Pan Macmillan for this copy.

This seems to be a very well-loved book across multiple platforms and I can now appreciate why!
I must admit that it took me a while to be fully captivated by the story. The writing initially felt a little stilted and I couldn't quite work out what the fuss was all about. Thankfully there ended up being a lot to love, from the wonderfully crafted characters to the witty dialogue and heartwarming relationships that form along the way.

If you're looking for a book that's a little different but super charming, then I recommend reading this!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

•What you need to know- Linus Baker works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, and he is sent on a top secret job to assess the state of an orphanage. There he meets magical children ranging from sprites all the way to the anti-Christ! We follow the story as Linus as he comes to realise that home may not always be where your house is!

•A character that stood out- I loved every single one of the children in the book. They are all so full of life and even though they have their troubles, they are still just children. However, my love for Lucy was sky high. Despite being the anti-Christ, I saw childish characters it’s shine through, by exaggerating and playing pranks. But at the end of the day all he wanted was to be loved for who he was and who he could be. It warmed my heart completely.

•Why you should read it- Klune has written the most heartwarming book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The writing style is like a combination of Lemony Snickey and the umbrella academy and I was entranced the whole time. The colourful nature popped off the page and made me feel like every word was written in watercolour and I adored every single second I spent reading it.

I think this is a book I would have enjoyed more if I'd read it before the hype, as I think my expectations were a little high.

I can see why it's so popular because the story is very wholesome but I also found it very predictable and that meant I was kind of bored.

The writing was fine but I preferred Under the Whispering Door by this author.

It wasn’t long into reading The House in the Cerulean Sea that I realised I had found one of my new favourite books, honestly this is such a delightful read, it’s the warmest hug you could hope for.

The story follows Linus Baker, a caseworker for the Department In Charge Of Magical Youth, or DICOMY, a detached man loyal to the Rules and Regulations handbook of his oppressive employer, Linus is unhappy and yet resigned to the monotony and struggle of his life, 40, balding, overweight and going home to a cat, Calliope who doesn’t even seem to like him. DICOMY are in charge of housing children with magic in ‘orphanages’ and maintaining what they call order. Then one day Linus is called into the office of Extremely Upper Management for a special, confidential task. Linus must stay at the Marsyas island orphanage and investigate Arthur Panassus and the children he looks after. What follows is something quite special and life changing.

The heart of this book is the characters. Linus throughout the book grows and learns and you the innocence of the children he meets gives him a freedom that is delightful and inspiring to experience. But truly this book is about the children and I loved them all; Lucy, Theodore, Chauncey, Talia, Phee and Sal. Each child has their own story, their own quirks, their own pain they’ve battled and survived and each one entirely captures you, I honestly couldn’t even list a favourite, they are all so endearing and each tell a reminder of not judging people by their looks or sum of parts, of embracing what makes us all different and loving each other because of that, not despite it.

This book is sweet, not sickly sentimental sweet (and I will admit I found Under The Whispering Door at times too sentimental), just a constant smile, this is a true comfort read while it addresses some very real issues. The writing style is easy to get into and so funny, mostly down to the children again, I promise you will laugh. Not only that but I adored the representation, Linus isn’t your typical protagonist and yet he is a relatable, real man to follow and we even get LGBQT romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review, this book made me very happy, truly.

An enchanting story! The writing style is very simplistic which keeps the pace steady and makes the book easy to consume. The language and tone used are very even and polite. It comes across as if it were a children's book or fairytale told to adults. I would say this makes it appropriate for a wide consumer audience from teens to adults.

What a marvellous, moving story this has been! I loved every page of it!

I loved the characters! Each one of them had something to teach the reader. A life lesson, a way of life, a different perspective. I haven’t come across another book yet that all it’s characters carry such depth and wisdom!

The story is really good too. The world building with its contrasts serve the story extremely well. The magic and the abilities of each character are simple yet strong and powerful. I devoured this read and I didn’t want it to finish!

Please do yourself a favour and read this!

amazing book, full review to be written later once put all my ideas to paper but this book really is great. such a veriety of characters, so diverse and a good pick me up book to make you think

This was sweet but I couldn't work out whom it was aimed at. There are a lot of jokes and references that only an adult would get, but the story seems very much written for a child. It's extremely heavy-handed in places; with little space left for the reader to work things out. I felt a bit whacked on the head by the over-stated themes. Would have benefited from a little subtlety in places, even if it's meant for children.

As I was reading this book, I felt as though I was walking on familiar ground.

Linus is a 40 year old case worker, single with a grumpy cat and a spare tire he has no inclination to shift. He isn’t miserable, although you may be led to think so, in fact he’s the perfect example of how it’s perfectly alright to be perfectly happy in our perfectly imperfect body and minds. But his job takes an unexpected turn which means he’s normal routine gets a shake up, and he’s off to a case of peculiar, magical children with some suspicious activity going on.

You’ve likely already established why this feels familiar. There are many commonalities here between Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children in that description alone. There are other features which hark back to other well known stories too. But these are positive additions to the world - instead of feeling like you’ve seen it all before, it feels more like slipping on a favourite glove.

The narrative is great, with humorous dialogue which is genuinely compelling for all ages (more mature themed, sarcastic in tone, but always funny). The characters are fantastic, filled with magical creatures and exciting abilities. And the relationships are spot on - this is a “found family” story to the very core.

But Linus is so boring. He is difficult to be interested in because he is entirely uninteresting. His dry tone and practical nature, whilst fitting, makes the pacing of this story such a slog. I think it took me three days to read 20%. I’d usually manage that in an hour or two!

If you love found families, you will absolutely adore this. If you like excitement, mystery and intrigue then you probably won’t (unless you also like found families). The book has oodles of heart, has been championed for months in reviews, but for me it needs a rocket sticking somewhere insensible to make it more compelling to pick up!

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Linus has sat at the same desk at work largely unnoticed for years ,except when he is out on inspection for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. That institution is soulless and like something from 1984. Linus does feel that he is good at his job to protect and safeguard children with magical characteristics in the schools/orphanages he visits. Outside DICOMY, Linus leads a dull life except for his feisty cat, Calliope and his beloved records, living in a damp and depressing place. Here he is plagued by a bouffant neighbour trying to set him up on a blind date, although Linus is probably gay.

He is sent on a highly secret mission to inspect a school on an isolated island. His file has limited information except for the fact that the Antichrist, Lucifer, lives there. There is even less information about the man in charge, Arthur Parnassus.
Encountering the ocean for the first time, Linus steps foot on the island and then gradually meets the children who live there and Arthur himself. At first he adheres very strongly to his book of Rues and Regulations. As the nurturing ethos on the island starts to take hold, he begins to see the children not as monsters (like the majority of the locals) but as individuals who share understanding and love. This love also exists between Arthur and his charges but ripples out from that source to encompass Linus himself.

It's a book about tolerance, understanding and love. Linus has seen the world mainly in grey as functional, authoritarian and bleak, but now his soul opens to possibility . The ocean is no longer just an ocean but a vivid blue- the cerulean of the title.

I won't give any spoilers about the amazing children characters as these young people you need to encounter for yourself in the way Linus does.

It's quirky, original and a warm book full of love. I loved it !

As delightful and charming as they hype suggested. This was an absolute pleasure to read. My only complaint is that I can't read it for the first time all.over again.

This book felt like a warm hug. There's no other way to describe it. The romance was very sweet, but definitely not the focus. It's about finding the place you belong, the people you belong to. It's about acceptance and love and family. It's about an ordinary guy meeting extraordinary children and their caretaker, and slowly realising his life can be bigger and brighter than it has been.

TJ Klune knows how to write character-driven stories, y'all. Not just Linus, who goes from being quite strict and by-the-book to a more softer and feeling man, but also the children. Each child has their own specific quirks and issues and sore spots. I dare anyone to read about Lucy (maybe the literal antichrist!) or Chauncey or Sal or any of the other children and not feel like you just want to hug them and take care of them forever. This book made me cry about a button, okay. A BUTTON!

It's books like this one that make me wish I could magically transport myself to live inside of a book, even if it's just for a little while. What I wouldn't give to find my own house in the cerulean sea.

Super cute and magical, this book is definitely up there with Harry Potter, Wonder and A Series of Unfortunate Events for a timeless, modern classic kid’s story. It has everything you’d want - magical and mystical creatures, good vs bad characters, found family, life lessons, a little queer romance, but most of all it’s about acceptance. And what more could you ask for!
I loved this but genuinely wish I’d read it when I was much younger!

I love this book so much, it will become an annual re-read for sure. Delightful humour and full of kindness. For Pratchett and Gaiman fans