House in the Cerulean Sea

Oh, this book! This sweet, quirky, adorable book! 

I want to say first of all that I did the thing you're not supposed to do: I judged this book by its cover. I was scrolling through a list of releases and, for reasons you can clearly see above, this one caught my eye. The color, the imagery, the title! Then, I read the synopsis and I was drawn in a little further.

(Side note: the only reason I know the word cerulean is from Devil Wears Prada. From this scene when Andy wears that plain blue sweater and Miranda dresses her down with the history of the color in recent fashion. This side note is totally irrelevant, but I look for any opportunity to think about Devil Wears Prada. It's my Citizen Cane.)

ANYWAY. 

It just felt like the world could use a little color and cerulean it was. 

Our protagonist is an average guy named Linus who lives a mundane life as a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Yes, magical youth. The department runs orphanages in order to manage children born with unusual powers and traits. Linus has been there for years and has done his job perfectly adequately with no desire to advance. Then, he's forced to step way out of his comfort zone and into that house that dangles above the sea. He's given a top-secret assignment to check out this facility with powers like he's never seen before.

The children there are some of the most unforgettable characters I've ever read about. One is something like a jellyfish who dreams of being a hotel bellhop. Another is a sassy female garden gnome. Most unforgettable of all is a 6-year old named Lucy, short for Lucifer, because he is, in fact, Satan's son. He also happens to be a sweet, hilarious boy who I want to carry in my pocket.

Linus quickly becomes enamored with the children, though he tries to resist it. During his stay, he grows close to Arthur, the man who runs the place, and learns the secret of why he's uniquely qualified to care for these children and their magical ways.

I don't want to say too much more. Everyone should enjoy the magic for themselves. But, if you get past the fantasy premise of this book, you will fall in love with the story, the message of acceptance, and the characters. T.J. Klune's writing is magical. He writes with the sweetness of Fredrik Backman and manages to be both brilliant and not heavy-handed.

You'll find yourself wishing these characters would come to life.