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Daisy, 11, used her powers to throw a chair at another kid, Marcus. Linus suggests that perhaps some type of “extreme emotion state” triggered her powers. That said, if you like the idea of a breezy, feel-good novel with some romance mixed in, for the right reader this would be a great read. Here are three reasons "The House in the Cerulean Sea" is just as great as everyone says.
TJ Klune
If you like upbeat stories, a little romance, fantastical creatures and other magical beings and just a touch of humor, there’s a lot to like about The House in the Cerulean Sea. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. At the end of the day, this is a fantasy novel that can satisfy many readers, even if they're not usually fantasy fans. With heartwarming characters, a comforting aesthetic, and a mind-blowing ending, it's a thoroughly enjoyable read from cover to cover. My absolute favorite part of this book is the appearance of one magical child named Lucy, who is (quite literally) the son of Satan.
"Sunset People" by Donna Summer
At the hardware store, Lucy gets excited about the gardening supplies and a spade in particular. A woman in the store looks scared when she recognizes that they are from the island, but Talia calms her fears as she launches into a discussion about her garden. When Talia wants to buy more things than her allowance will allow, Lucy offers to give up some of his allowance, but Linus rejects that idea and pays with a credit card instead. Afterwards, Zoe tells him that as it is the third Saturday of the month, they will be picnicking in the garden for lunch and that it’s Chauncey’s turn to choose the menu. That night, Arthur stops by with a gift, a vintage Zenith record player, which he says was Lucy’s idea.
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He goes back to the office and makes a recommendation to allow the orphanage to stay open. He also accuses the DICOMY of running discriminatory orphanages by segregating out the magical beings. Linus Baker is a lonely case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth ("DICOMY"), a governmental organization which manages orphaned magical beings who are minors. His job consists of visiting orphanages to check up on them and then writing up a report. One day, he's called in by the organization's Extremely Upper Management ("EUM") to serve on a month-long classified assignment, reporting directly to one of the four members of EUM, Mr. Charles Werner. Linus and Arthur are both queer characters, but this isn't a central plotline of the story.
The House in the Cerulean Sea: an uplifting, heart-warming cosy fantasy about found family
Among the other children are a wyvern, a gnome, a forest sprite, a shapeshifter, and a gelatinous, tentacled child named Chauncey. As soon as Linus's recommendation to keep the orphanage open is accepted, he know it's where he wants to be. Later, Linus submits an anonymous whistleblower report about the DICOMY's discriminatory practices which results in the EUM all stepping down and being replaced. He also tells his story to a reporter who plans to publish an expose. Soon, Helen brings David, an undocumented yeti boy who needs a home, to the island. Arthur and Linus intend to formally adopt all the children, including David.
In Lucy’s presence, the sky suddenly falls to darkness, which scares Linus. But then Arthur tells him to cut it out and things return to normal. Arthur introduces himself, while Linus struggles to regain his authoritative footing after being thrown off-kilter by the children.
He suggests to Ms. Chapelwhite that they send a message back. He writes “No, Thank You” on the raft, and Ms. Chapelwhite harnesses her powers to have the wind to carry the raft back in the other direction. The next morning (on Friday), Linus wakes to find Chauncey hiding under his bed. Chauncey says he’s just there to tell him to come down for breakfast. Linus also prepares his first report to be sent to the DICOMY, where he comments on the “woefully inadequate” information he was given prior to beginning the assigned.
REVIEW: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - Grimdark Magazine
REVIEW: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
Posted: Tue, 12 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Experience, and the cities that many people will find themselves in over the years. Another freeway you would be better off getting out of your car and walking on then trying to navigate. Driving is a big part of what makes this city what it is, and sometimes it can be miserable. As time passes, Helen tries to convince the villagers that she can sell Marsyas as an inclusive vacation spot, for both humans and magical beings, to bring in more business. This business proposition helps to quiet the village, especially after they stop being paid hush money (to not say anything about the island) from the government.
His novel Into This River I Drown won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Romance in 2014. The writing was fine, and the narration is occasionally funny. There is a very sweet (queer) romance component to this novel, which I thought was cute. Also, if you are a cat-lover, I’m pleased to let you know that Calliope the cat makes for a pleasingly feisty side-character in this book.
As they go deeper into the forest, Zoe and Arthur put on a game that leads the kids to Zoe’s house in the woods. Sprites are notoriously private and protective of their homes, so Linus know what a big deal it is for Zoe to allow the kids into her home. They happily have lunch there, and Linus listens to Phee and Zoe talk about their sprite-ly powers. When Linus talks about missing his sunflowers at home, Phee grows a small bush daisy, a yellow flower, for him, and he is delighted. After the session, Linus and Arthur talk, and Arthur explains that like the other kids, Lucy just need hope and less prejudice.
This is a fairly simple and “neat” story, probably more suited to people who enjoy YA novels, but I think as long as you’re aware of that going into it, you can enjoy its sweet and uncomplicated tale. I think I’m just someone who tends to prefer more layered novels in general, so this wasn’t entirely to my tastes. The House in the Cerulean Sea is an uncomplicated feel-good book that is full of fantastical creatures and tells a well-meaning, upbeat story about acceptance and inclusivity. It’s the type of book that reminds you of being outside on a sunny day with a cool breeze blowing through. I think The House in the Cerulean Sea could probably have been categorized as a Young Adult novel.
As they get out of the van, the children are told to pair up. Arthur has also given them allowances beforehand so they can buy things, and the plan is to meet up a little later at the ice cream parlor. On ferry across to the village, Linus warns Lucy not to go around making foreboding pronouncements to scare people in the village. Talia is here because she’s unique in that all other gnomes are male.
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