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sirkeili's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am absolutely floored by how much I love this book. From Linus' introduction, to his growth throughout the novel, to his final arc where he shines the brightest had me hooked.
Linus is both incredibly oblivious, and incredibly endearing. He reminds me a lot of Aziraphale; trying to do his job perfectly, but ultimately failing due to his endless compassion, empathy and boundless love. The amount of times I was screaming both "Linus, for the love of god, LOOK" followed by me nearly crying at how soft he was is numerable.
The kids? Arthur? Zoe? All of them were so endearing, and I loved them all so much. Theo and Lucy both are top contenders for my favourite kid, mostly due to their antics, but all of them are hilarious gremlins and their meddling is priceless.
I was not surprised Arthur was magical, as the hints were there, but the fact he was a FUCKING PHEONIX did actually. The scene where Linus protects Helen from the rock, and you see how absolutely lethal Arthur can be in his form was absolutely cinematic. The fact they have to have Zoe babysit the kids so they can bone each other in peace was absolutely hilarious as well, the poor things can't catch a break. They're adorable dads, and the fact they are trying to save more children to give them a safe home, made me so damn emotional.
Overall, this feel-good story about found family and overcoming our own self-made limitations is a phenomenal novel. I hope to see more of Linus and his family soon, I do miss them so! ❤️
Linus is both incredibly oblivious, and incredibly endearing. He reminds me a lot of Aziraphale; trying to do his job perfectly, but ultimately failing due to his endless compassion, empathy and boundless love. The amount of times I was screaming both "Linus, for the love of god, LOOK" followed by me nearly crying at how soft he was is numerable.
The kids? Arthur? Zoe? All of them were so endearing, and I loved them all so much. Theo and Lucy both are top contenders for my favourite kid, mostly due to their antics, but all of them are hilarious gremlins and their meddling is priceless.
Overall, this feel-good story about found family and overcoming our own self-made limitations is a phenomenal novel. I hope to see more of Linus and his family soon, I do miss them so! ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Grief, and Religious bigotry
tabear's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Forced institutionalization
tragedies's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
V.E. Schwab described The House in the Cerulean Sea as “being wrapped in a big gay blanket” and that is exactly what this is. It's comforting and warm, something you'd snuggle into when your soul is weary of the world and your heart jaded by the people in it. It feels like a gentle hug from an old friend or a hot chocolate on a cold rainy day. In some ways, it also feels like a Studio Ghibli film — whimsical and cheeky but also profound and incredibly thought-provoking.
The story follows Linus, a forty-year-old caseworker at the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. He evaluates orphanages with magical children and makes sure they are up to standard. Though he tends to keep his head down, he prides himself for his detailed case reports and believes that his objective eye would help the children in places he’s assigned to (or so he thinks). He is a creature of habit and is perfectly content with staying in his own bubble and living his orderly yet mundane routine, though he can’t help but think of something beyond gray walls and neat desks — the sight of vibrant cerulean seas. Eventually, he does get the chance to see them, not in the faded picture of his mousepad, but in real life.
One day, Extremely Upper Management gives Linus a top secret assignment and whisks him away to Marsyas Island, where the local orphanage is said to house the most dangerous magical children in the country. However, throughout the course of his stay, he begins to see that the children and Arthur, the unorthodox master of the orphanage, are much more than their case files. They are human, just like him. They should not be feared or hated; rather, they should be treated with kindness and compassion, so that they too can live, dream, and flourish just like any other person. Thus, as he spends more time with the people in Marsyas, he starts to question the bubble he’s lived in, the beliefs he held, the prejudices that colored his perspective, and the systems enforced by the institution he works for.
More than that, Linus slowly realizes that this house in the cerulean sea is not at all like the photo in his mousepad. Somehow, it is better. Though he had a job, food, and a roof over his head, the life he led before had a lonely, aching emptiness that he had long resigned himself to believing as his sole constant companion. Even if he did try to fill that void in him, society would deem him too fat and old for anything good to come out of it. I love how the book challenged that narrative and presented us with a story wherein someone like Linus does have a chance at love and happiness and that it is never too late to turn one’s life around to reach for them.
I know some people think the ending is too optimistic. Indeed, reality is often darker and more cruel than we could ever imagine, and stories that stay true to that have their place. However, I also think it’s important to have stories like The House in the Cerulean Sea that portray the world both as it is and as it should be. It shows us that there will always be Linuses, Arthurs, and hopeful tales of finding love and family in the most unexpected of places at the most unexpected of times.
P.S. TJ Klune, I am begging you. Please write a sequel. I've grown too fond of these characters. I need more of them please. Pretty please?
P.S. TJ Klune, I am begging you. Please write a sequel. I've grown too fond of these characters. I need more of them please. Pretty please?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
snowkestrel's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, and Fire/Fire injury
jlaz_13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
ara02's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
someonelikeblue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement and Fatphobia
Minor: Cursing
zoecjohnson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
planetshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so sweet and makes me want to forget about my huge TBR to reread it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
octopus_farmer's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Frankly, the beginning of this book irked me. I found it flat and irritating and monotonous - Linus's life in the city stinks, and he's merely surviving in an almost dystopian setting until he travels to an island in the ocean full of children that scare him because they aren't typical. I also found his floundering a little disingenuous - his adamant excuses about the bounds of his job as a caseworker probably needed to be there for him to break out of his learned obedience, but it really seemed like the worst kind of sitcom to me, where each of the children had their own gag and he'd react in a bumbling way.
And then something changed, and I cannot precisely put my finger on it, but I began to enjoy the book for its heart. It's still a beach read in my mind, and I cannot reconcile Linus' strange behavior between recognizing bigotry (since some of the story seemed to entail him unlearning similar lessons) and also wanting to put the children in that environment, though it made more sense once it actually happened. In fact, its clearly allegorical structure seems really simplistic and heavy-handed at times, with the children standing in for a variety of marginalized people without really acknowledging the specifics of how bigotry works, what intersectionality is or realizes (for instance, it seemed important that Sal was Black, but his race wasn't ever remarked on as a part of his struggle as apparently the only werewolf in the world. Maybe Klune didn't want to bother with these things and created a world that has no racism or homophobia, but there's also that weird interaction with Linus' neighbor who 'forgets' he's 'not one for the ladies'?? I digress), how resistance can work outside the system, or what 'passing' means for different people. For this reason, I also have some questions about the actual audience of this book, as it seemed to straddle adult and YA. But on the whole, I found it sweet.
And then something changed, and I cannot precisely put my finger on it, but I began to enjoy the book for its heart. It's still a beach read in my mind, and I cannot reconcile Linus' strange behavior between recognizing bigotry (since some of the story seemed to entail him unlearning similar lessons) and also wanting to put the children in that environment, though it made more sense once it actually happened. In fact, its clearly allegorical structure seems really simplistic and heavy-handed at times, with the children standing in for a variety of marginalized people without really acknowledging the specifics of how bigotry works, what intersectionality is or realizes (for instance, it seemed important that Sal was Black, but his race wasn't ever remarked on as a part of his struggle as apparently the only werewolf in the world. Maybe Klune didn't want to bother with these things and created a world that has no racism or homophobia, but there's also that weird interaction with Linus' neighbor who 'forgets' he's 'not one for the ladies'?? I digress), how resistance can work outside the system, or what 'passing' means for different people. For this reason, I also have some questions about the actual audience of this book, as it seemed to straddle adult and YA. But on the whole, I found it sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
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