A review by lelliereads
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

5.0

1 part 1984 and 1 part umbrella academy, House in the Cerulean Sea is a modern fairy tale that follows caseworker Linus as he travels to an orphanage for magical youth to see if the children there are a danger to society. Linus must remain impartial as he observes the 6 children and the mysterious master of the house, Arthur Parnassus. But as he gets to know Talia the gnome, Sal the shape-shifter, Theodore the Wyvern, Phee the forest sprite, Chauncey the unidentified sea blob, and Lucy the Antichrist, Linus feels his walls crumble when he his welcomed into this misfit family.

This is probably going to be my favorite book of the year, and if not my favorite then definitely a top 5. What an absolutely sweet story and a unique modern fairy tale. The main character, Linus, has a believable story arc as he is moved by the children. Arthur is a charming and lovely father figure to all of the 6 children, who are unique creatures with hopes and dreams. This story does a good job of using magical beings as parallels to racism and gender minorities. The writing is so vivid that reading this was like watching a television show. I absolutely loved this book!