The House in the Cerulean Sea

Whimsical and heartwarming A very good read

This was one of the best books I’ve read in a while! I absolutely loved it! Such a feel-good read about inclusivity, diversity, and loving people for who they are. I had a really hard time putting the book down and finished it in about a week. Now I’m sad it’s over so soon! Very heartwarming :)

Charming setting set with quirky characters. If we ever need a sweet-laced story, now is the time. Heartwarming and diverse. A way to share a fantasy that is lovable.

a wonderful off-beat love story a nice quiet read with magic with lots of adventures and imagination

Such a good book. Highly recommended.

This was an amazing book. The imagery was beautiful and the characters were believable. I appreciated the real world issues being addressed with magic and fairytale. It made it fun and meaningful.

A very feel good comfort book even though it highlights some prevalent social issues that can cause a lot of discomfort. Overall a book that anyone should be able to connect with and I will be recommending to anyone who listens.

Well written, easy read for an advanced reader but also would work for a slightly younger audience with support. Great book for middle school aged kids, lots of lessons easy to notice and find meaning in.

Social workers? A weird house, lots of colors, and magic? Oh yeah, can't wait to read this book!

I loved this book! The characters are so good and the relationship that builds between them is truly beautiful. The story is very sweet and definitely gives you warm fuzzy feelings!:)

This was the first novel I had read from TJ Klune and I loved it! There were so many twists and turns that kept me reading. The anti-hero Linus quickly became my favorite character and I appreciated how it related to political issues within our own world. Definitely my favorite book I've read this year and I would definitely recommend!

This was a wonderful book that rekindled my joy of reading whenever possible. It covers getting out of your comfort zone, and discovering that things (and people) may not be as they first seem. I loved it. A few minor comments pulled me back into a cynical and skeptical reality, such as the potential for commercial interests to prevail over prejudice, but what predominated in the book were pure adventure, creativity and enjoyment.

Not sure where to begin about the book and my thoughts. The book is about an orphanage for magical children, and bureaucracy. It's a mix of pleasure, comedy, romance (just a little), and uncomfortable meetings with others. It does seem real though using fairy tale (knomes exist.) This is more of a young adult read and rather predictable. It seems to read of a fable and leaves more questions than answers, almost needing a sequel.

This was a heart-warming read that spoke to the power of inclusion and acceptance. I enjoyed it!

This is a great exploration of stereotypes, fears, and our bureaucratic desire to impose order. I found it beautiful and touching and have recommended it to most everyone I know, and I don’t recommend books too often, and definitely not the same book to so many different people.

Great book to read to my teenagers. I know it seems silly but we like to read together and they listen while I read out loud. We are from this area that inspired the writer so it was pretty cool to use our own imagination with them.

A truly fantastic fantastical journey, weaving many important themes of love and hope together. I grew to love every character, with their humorous quirks and unique stories of growth and resilience. In the end, we all just want to find acceptance and connection, within ourselves and with others.

This was a well-paced journey with characters of surprising depth… an apt metaphor for today’s world that is not lost on adult readers. A delight.

Such a beautiful book and will always be one of my favorites. It’s a feel-good book, but many lessons taught throughout about inclusivity and loving one another for who we truly are. I will always recommend this book! Wonderful author.

This book surprised me. It started off slow and formal. What was great about this book was the characters seemed to always say the right thing in the moment. Overall, great book.

An engaging read that celebrates belonging.

Book was an incredible, inspiring story.

Such a delightful book!

Love this book. Such a great story with an inspiring message. One of my favorites I read this year.

Absolutely loved it! Quickly characters, a fun storyline, and a great message.

What a magical book, such a nice escape from reality.

A 'by the books' case worker for magical children is sent on a special assignment to a remote orphanage on an island. Linus Baker loves rules and takes pride in the idea that it is his job to save children with special magical needs from cruel and dangerous homes. The denouement is the process of Linus' growth as he sees the Department in Charge of Magical Youth as a system that treats magical children as second-class citizens. As Linus spends more time with Arthur and the kids, he starts to stand up to a world that would shun them for being different, and develops a romance with Arthur. The clan roots for each other. "The things that we fear the most are often the things we should fear the least. It's irrational, but it's what makes us human. And if we're able to conquer those fears, then there is nothing we're not capable of." "He's right. You can do it." "You're make of strong stuff on the inside, and it's what on the inside that counts." "My insides are rotted and festering like an infected wound leaking pus." "It's the little things. Little treasure we find without knowing their origin, and they come when we least expect them. It's beautiful, when you think about it." This book builds empathy and awareness to prejudice and intolerance. It's well done!

This was one of the best books I’ve read! It will stick with me for a very long time to come. I truly grew to love the characters (very quickly, I might add) and miss them already. I will recommended this book to everyone I can!

Not much of a fantasy reader, but this sweet fairy tale was a delightful read.

This book teaches people that it's important to accept everyone even though we all have differences. All should be included. No one is broken. All are welcome here.

The House in the Cerulean Sea…What a wonderful story about finding yourself, your courage, and your home. TJ Klune does a great job pulling the reader in and making them truly care for these characters. With beautiful descriptions this book creates exquisite scenes in the mind.

This book was amazing! Heartwarming and surprising, I would recommend to any ages :)

beautifully written, already used this story with the children i work with.

When I began reading I wasn't sure it was going to be a book I would like. I am now halfway through and then enjoying the whimsical and magical imagination of the author and intrigued by the lessons I'm learning regarding those who are different. It's now hard to put down to see what the future holds for Linus Baker and all the other characters.

So good we could hardly put it down! It was perfect time for pride month!

Really enjoyed it!

This is a delightful little novel with well-explored characters and lots if nice life lessons mixed in. Highly recommend for a fun weekend read!

Love being able to get access to books like this one and then share them with others!

This book was an interesting and engaging read. The characters, setting, and writing style are all superb. Highly recommend.

This is a sweet book with a good message. A fun read for adult readers, this is an important book in the young adult category with a broad message about acceptance and a comfortable way of introducing gay characters.

This was such a warm and comforting book. In such difficult times, it was nice to read something so lovely and full of meaning.

such a beautiful love story.

This story is funny and amusing for both myself and my 13 year old. Enjoyed it.

very enjoyable.

The House in the Cerulean Sea was an unexpected pleasure. The storytelling is lyrical and well-paced, with character development that is inconsistent in the best way. Some characters get more and some get less, but it all fits together well as each character gets some level of insight. It feels like meeting a group of people who share different levels of openness with you, the reader. The fantasy elements are believeable and supported by the way in which characters engage with their narratives, both real and created. This is a story of bravery, in its different forms, of love and acceptance, and it embraces its cast in all of their bearded, winged, tentacled, rotund and barefooted glory. It's quirky and imperfect and when I was done reading, it stayed with me for several days, as though I'd recently left a shared journey.

A beautiful, magical world, with a slow growing understanding of fighting for those who are different. Starts in a gray, dull society that explodes with color as love and purpose are discovered. Snarky humor; even the cat has personality.

This book was a definite page turner. I couldn't put it down and felt sucked into the story.

Fast and engaging read, exploring how we as a society handle those who are different and may scare us, as well as how we develop and embrace those differences within ourselves. Highly recommended!

I love this book!