Our Discussion of The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

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.

-Summary courtesy of Goodreads

Below are a sampling of our comments:

• Enjoyable but amateurish
• It seemed very young adult – extreme characterizations and big feelings with a gentle romance
• I enjoyed it –it was well-intentioned
• It was a little repetitive, but I enjoyed it
• I loved it – it was a fun fantasy, warm and fuzzy, silly, different, inclusive, and we got a happy ending!
• Linus was 40 years old and just coming of age
• Once you discover your own voice, you can’t shut up!
• Chauncey was the best, wanting to help people by being a bellhop and also to get tips
• A lot of questions were never answered - what happened to all the parents of the children? Where did the button Linus gave to Theodore come from?

Please add any additional thoughts or comments you have about The House in the Cerulean Sea. We gave this title the codes PHI, HOME, MAG, CUL, YA, FEM, HRO, ELF, & INC and an average rating of 4.25.