This was nice and enjoyable, although a bit too predictable. It also was the first book by TJ Klune I actually finished, so there’s that.

He‘s a very popular queer fantasy and romance author, but even though I tried several of his books, I never really got into them. One of my problems with his writing was his sense of humor which just never quite worked for me (but then I am very weird about humor in fiction, especially in romance). Still, I was very curious about his releases with Tor and was lucky to get an ARC for both his upcoming books.

Overall, I would sum up my experience by saying there was a lot to like but nothing to get excited about. Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, DICOMY in short. He‘s an ordinary man who likes his routines, but his life changes when he is sent on a very special case to a very special orphanage under the “care“ of DICOMY. And everything there goes exactly the way you’d expect.

I love stories about found families, and the book had loads of fantastic bits about just that. I loved the way Linus’ relationships to the kids develops, and the warmth and kindness that suffuses the book.

The thing is, I didn’t mind that much that there weren’t any surprises - I found myself thinking that I wouldn’t mind reading several books about the kids and Linus and Arthur just living their lives. But it felt like that if there is an overall plot them it should at least be a bit more interesting ? I also found the romance between Linus and Arthur somewhat lacking in sparks - the destination of that particular journey was so obvious that it felt like some steps were missed while getting there.

The message of “normal“ people being afraid of people who are “different” and of overcoming those fears is certainly timely and appropriate, but maybe a bit too on the nose. As for the sense of humor, there definitely were some funny bits - DICOMY and Extremely Upper Management for example - but it wasn’t too over the top for me.

I had a good time reading this book, and was pulled into the world pretty much immediately. Still, I would have liked a bit more sophisticated plot - I checked, and at least on Netgalley it looks like it’s not YA. For an adult fantasy novel I would say it’s a bit too lacking in substance to be satisfying (especially considering the relatively steep price). Still, it has lots of things going for it, so it is worth giving it a try if you’re looking for something comforting and sweet.

I couldn't get into the book until well past the halfway point, when it actually started to gain some momentum. Until that point, there was really no antagonist (and the one that there is is cartoonish and relatively non-threatening) and very little plot. Once I got into the groove of this being a slow burn that was all about building characters, I got into it more.

I found the whole thing rather juvenile, though, and many of those young characters grated on me, particularly Lucy. I eventually came around on him, but his over-the-top, goofy persona of gory threats being filtered through a cute kid's mouth got old very quickly.

By the time I got to the end, I was invested in Linus and the kids, and I got very emotional at points, but overall, it's cliche-ridden (the monsters as a metaphor for LGBTQ+ people is played out) and silly, but it's still effective some of the time.

A heartwarming fantasy book that should also appeal to readers of mainstream fiction, as the novel largely deals with themes of tolerance and acceptance. Endearing characters, well-paced emotional beats, and solid prose made this a satisfying read.

I loved the interplay of the drearyness of Linus and the optimism / quirkiness of the residents of the island.
Without being derivative, this story manages to evoke hints of both Snicket and Pratchett which is an oddly delightful combination.

By-the-book caseworker investigates an anything but normal orphanage... This fun and funny fantasy/romance with cinematic comedy styling is set in a world where the magical is segregated and magical children without family end up in carefully monitored orphanages. Linus Baker, a by-the-book caseworker, is assigned to investigate the most magical orphanage anyone’s ever seen. The inhabitants include a grumpy gnome, a teen who transforms into a Pomeranian when startled, a something (possibly jellyfish related?) that’s the sweetest little entity in the world who just wants to become a bellhop, a forest sprite, a wyvern, and 6-year-old, overly dramatic Lucy (probably literally a son of Satan). Linus is only interested in finding out that the children are safe (including from each other) and cared for by the mysterious head of the orphanage, Arthur Parnassus—and with such a powerful group that seems a little hard to believe. Fans of Gaiman, Pratchett, and McGuire in particular take note.

The House In the Cerulean Sea follows Linus Baker, a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Linus spends his time overseeing the well-being of magical children in government-sanctioned orphanages, and drafts reports summarizing his findings for the higher-ups. One day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and is given a highly classified assignment: to travel to a secret orphanage and report on the state of everything there.
Linus is a wonderful character. In the beginning of the book he is hard-set on doing his job objectively without forming any attachments to the children he visits and learns about. He has a cat, but other than that there isn’t much besides work to fill Linus’ time. As he spends more time at the secret orphanage, Linus learns the importance of open-mindedness, and one’s own happiness. This story was delightfully adorable, and I loved that the focus was on family and tolerance. The characters were all unique and I fell in love with all of them instantly. This story is so heart-warming I highly recommend you check it out.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A sweet and low-heat paranormal romance about the magical equivalent of a CPS caseworker investigating a remote orphanage and its mysterious caretaker. The Evil Faceless Bureaucracy(tm) is so over-the-top terrible that it sort of beggars belief that our hero, a diligent and fundamentally decent cog in the machine, could have managed to keep his head in the sand as to the true nature of his work for seventeen years, but if you don't mind a cartoonishly awful bad guy, this is a very cute story full of found family feels. Lots and lots of bonding with the various orphans, several speeches about how they're all people who deserve to be treated with love and kindness, etc. The late addition of the local mayor, a no-nonsense woman who runs the garden supply store, is a total showstealer. The book ends with the romance and immediate conflict safely resolved but a more global battle looming on the horizon, which I think was a great way to wrap the story up!

I have not been more excited about a children's book and hopefully series since Harry Potter and all of Rick Riordan's book until this one. This wonderful tale is about magical children and changing one's perspective. Mr. Baker works for DICOMY an organization that proclaims to protect magical youth when they do just the opposite. He is sent on a month long mission to discern if the orphanage by the sea should be shut down. What he finds is a loving family of gifted and different children with a caretaker that is willing to fight for their acceptance and well being. This would make an awesome addition to the film world. I pray there are additional books about this house!

For my first book of 2020 I couldn’t have read a more delightful one. Full of magic and beauty and silliness and love-it’s a joy to read. The characters are well developed and I got attached to all of them very quickly. I had tears throughout from laughter and from sadness. Big points for LGBTQ characters. I didn’t want to leave them at the end.

It can be a bit heavy handed on how prejudice is bad and there are some pretty repetitive paragraphs throughout on it but there are worse problems to have. There is some odd focus on the protagonist’s weight that I could really do without. But even with those issues I highly recommend across the board.

This book sounded quirky and interesting, but I just could not get into it and I can't put my finger on why. It might just be that it wasn't what I wanted at the time, so I'll give it another shot later. For now, it's one that I did not finish.

Often when you look forward to something it does not live up to expectation. This story just didn’t work for me. That is not to say that it is a bad book or that it isn’t worth the effort.

The plot is simple and there are no secondary threads. It is focussed on acceptance of diversity, particularly in the young. The central character represents blind adherence to the norm and the purpose of the story is to see how he reacts when placed out of his comfort zone and is forced to look beyond what he believes is right.

The world-building is interesting with a vivid distinction between the three main locations. Each represents a different set of attitudes and the weather and description of physical features reflect the beliefs and behaviours of the residents. This a parallel world where some things are familiar and yet others are twisted into extremes; for example, the city bears similarities to those depicted in the movies: The Dark City and Blade Runner.

The island, the orphanage and its residents are the central feature of the story and these would have been more interesting had it not been for other books such as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Nevertheless, characterisation is good and is strongest with the children, who have the most interesting personalities. The central adult character, as noted, is used as a vehicle for attitude change and when this happens there is no subtle transition and sadly his credibility is lost when this occurs. The other adult characters are not as richly developed and are, to a certain extent, kept at a distance. As such there are a number of instances where the reader would expect plot or character development and this didn’t happen. The children provide the humour and the nuances of personality that are lacking in the grown ups.

The book does offer romance, but it is not the central theme. The difficulty with this is that the central character is focussed on his role rather than extraneous influences and the other character is positive but remote through much of the story. When they ultimately get together it is fade to grey behind closed doors so this is kept rather chaste. Sexuality is not seen as an issue at all so there is no tension to affect the situation.

The pace of the story is steady. There is no real tension or sense in which the plot would not be resolved in an anticipated way. Where conflict arises it is interesting to note that the central character becomes the dominant voice both internalised and outwardly and things work out the way he wants them to. Where there is any indication of strife, this is often reported rather than experienced. As such there is little to drive the story forwards. The characters are likeable and offer personalities that are interesting and it is this rather than the plot that holds the reader.

The story resolves in a very predictable and positive way and the happily ever after is neat and leaves few loose ends. There are certain characters and their histories that are mentioned in the book but remain undeveloped, as such it is unclear whether there will be any further stories, although this seems unlikely as the plot is resolved.

To reiterate, this was not a bad book at all and made for a pleasant read but it could have been a lot more.

I would give The House in the Cerulean Sea 10 stars if I could. Hands down the best book I've read in 2019! Well written, lovely characters, beautiful setting, an absolute delight to read. If I ever get to meet T.J. Klune, I will thank him repeatedly and give him a brass button. I very much look forward to handselling this book! #houseinthe ceruleansea

This was utterly sublime. An enchanting story for adults with a very cute queer romance, a cantankerous scheming cat and bizarrely (but it totally worked) the antichrist. This was Howl’s Moving Castle meets Good Omens via The Sound of Music. I loved every minute of it. Full RTC but Highly Recommend.

This surprisingly entertaining and engaging story was simply delightful. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I discovered was an amazing and heartwarming story. The story is a bit predictable, but it is so well developed, that did not effect my opinion as to what was going on. As a result of reading it, I thought about things in a different light. It is perfect for people who love fantasy and would like to see an alternate side of it.

I am in love with this book. That seems to be what I say every time I read a TJ Klune book. I have been following him for a while and have read the majority of his published work and have loved every single one of them. This book was no different.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I didn't read the excerpt or the blurb on the back of the book. I basically went in blind because I knew it was going to be good because it was from TJ. I was so thrilled when TJ got his contract with TOR because I cannot wait for his work to reach a bigger audience than it was able to before.

Sometimes I had to remind myself early on in the book I was reading a TJ Klune book . It felt slightly different than his other books. Not in a bad way, just different. But the further I read the more I saw TJ in the writing. I saw the writing quirks that I'm used to seeing in his writing show up more and more and I was relieved. I was a little worried that some of the quirks he has that I have come to love would be edited out, but they remained.

This book is absolutely gorgeous from the cover to the last page. TJ has a way of making me feel so much for the characters and worlds he creates every single time.

One of the things I love about TJ's characters is that they aren't perfect. Linus is your average middle aged man. He isn't in amazing, godly shape. He isn't drop dead gorgeous. He is just a normal person. Linus's character development is a thing of beauty to watch unfold on the page. I loved him with all my heart.

The children of the island were done so well. Each one had their own personality and it shown through on the page. A lot of times when I read books with this many characters on page for large amounts of time most of the characters get lost. But that did not happen in this book. Each of the characters stood out in their own way and would not stay in the background. Even shy, nervous Sal wouldn't be pushed back and forgotten. Lucy was so well done. My heart was broken for him and I loved the idea of nature vs nurture with him being who he is. I could go on and on and on about Lucy and Sal and Theodore and Talia and Phee and Chauncey. They were all gorgeous characters.

Zoe and Arthur. I loved them fiercely. Both their stories and how they came to work together was heartbreaking but beautiful. The small twist with Arthur was done very well. I had my suspicions he wasn't completely human, but I had not picked up on the Phoenix part until shortly before the reveal.

I tell myself every time I start a TJ Klune book that I'm not going to cry this time. I was wrong yet again. I cried. I laughed. I was angry. I was so happy I cried. My heart was broken. My heart was so full it hurt. TJ is a master of emotion.

I cannot wait for this book to be published and shared with the world. It is one of my top reads this year! I look forward to more works coming from TJ with TOR.

This is a thoroughly delightful book and I enjoyed every word of it. It is slightly old-fashioned in tone - refreshingly so in the way it focusses on a single 40-year old viewpoint character, far from the current vogue for multiple POV, young narrators - but in a good way, in the sense that this is one of those gentle, almost domestic, fantasies that it seems no one writes any more. I was sold by Linus, the shy, lonely, middle-aged hero, and stayed for the delightful assortment of wild children (a were-pomeranian! The Anti-Christ!) who are the wards of the state orphanage that Linus is sent to inspect. There is a gentle, low-key romance, but the focus is on family and tolerance and kindness and all kinds of lovely things. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for approving an ARC - I liked it so much I will buy a hard copy when it is published.

A simply wonderful book! I loved the world, Linus' slow flowering, the delightful cast of child characters, and the gentle romance that was always present but never overtook the narrative. This was one of those books that, when I finished it, I immediately went looking for the author's back catalog.

If I could rate this a million stars I would. The characters were unique and amazing. The setting was beautiful. The story made my emotions fluctuate nonstop.

This book manages to charm the pants off you while you least expect it. A wonderful ensemble of characters and one very special island.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. An easy novel to read about how the differences that shape us don't define us.