The House in the Cerulean Sea: TikTok made me buy it!

Really.. I enjoyed this book.. It was like big warm hug... And when I reached the last page, I really didn't want to stop reading.. Loved it!!

My 5 star read of this year. Amazing world with amazing characters.If you're looking for a magical feel good book, just go for it.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heartwarming and whimsical tale that feels like a warm hug for the soul. Blend of humor, charm, and depth that makes this book shine. The characters are quirky, lovable, and beautifully flawed, making them impossible to forget. The writing is atmospheric and magical, reminiscent of a modern fairy tale. While the story is cozy and uplifting, it also challenges societal norms and prejudices in a gentle yet impactful way. The House in the Cerulean Sea is a truly delightful and heartening read.

Linus Baker is a simple 40-year-old fellow who works with the Department of Magical youth and overlooks the orphanages meant for these kids with magical abilities. He does his job with perfection and has read the book of rules and regulations hundreds of times.One day out of nowhere, his simple, plain life gets the biggest shock. He has been summoned by the extremely upper management. When he is thinking about getting sacked they offer him a secret task to visit a small island called Marsyas and report about a particular orphanage there.With little knowledge about what he is getting into the reached the island with his cat Calliope. There he discovers that the orphanage is not like any other it is filled with some of the most exquisite youth - a gnome, a wyvern, a boy-Pomeranian, a sprite, and a green blob (not identified) and an Antichrist. Also, Arthur Parnassus - the caretaker.But along with this, the island is filled with secrets of its own which Linus is still unaware of.This book is an exciting and delightful journey with so many unforgettable characters and a story of a home away from home. I literally cried my eyes out and laughed so hard. I can say this book is going to be so so close to my heart. I'm not going to say I recommend it or that you should read it, I leave it to your personal preference.Including this book to my all-time favourite reads. ❤

Some books hook you from page one, while there are others that slowly grow on you.*It has been two days since I finished this book, but I still wake up in the wee hours before dawn thinking about the characters, and just how much I want to give each one of them a tight hug. In a year when the world seems to have become a frightening place, where the prejudices of a few threaten the fragile peace of all, where we world leaders clamour to build more walls than they tear down, all I want to do is escape to the house in the cerulean sea.*This is a hard book to summarize, but I will try: Linus Baker is a government inspector in-charge of auditing different orphanages around the country, erected to shelter children with magical powers. Linus is a great believer in 'rules and regulations', and lives his life literally by the book. That is until one day he is sent to inspect an orphanage on a lone island in the ocean that houses the most dangerous children with magical powers, and is overseen by the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus. Once he reaches the house, Linus soon learns to see that the world he always saw in black and white has a lot of potential for colour.*The entire book is a testament to what a little bit of hope, love, and optimism can do to a person's life, while also making bold statements about prejudice and bigotry. It is a wonderful read, and so I beg you, climb aboard the boat, and spend a few days in the house in the cerulean sea.*

Absolutely worth it. A really good read.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy novel. It’s set in the 50s, though the author never mentions the time period, the music clearly reflects it. It’s the tale of Linus Baker, a middle-aged bureaucrat who has spent his entire career toiling for DICOMY (Department of Magical Youth). DICOMY is in theory, in charge of protecting kids who have magical powers. Linus is sent on investigation of an orphanage in an isolated island. In the island, Linus meets six kids, their master and their protector. The six kids are – Talia the garden gnome, Chauncey the tentacle ‘monster’, Sal the were-Pomeranian, Theodore the Wyvern, Phee the forest sprite and Lucy the son of Satan.The story is simple and well narrated with emotions riding high in most of the pages. Klune was queer himself and must have known how it feels to be different from others in the society and being rejected by people. Human beings are not only scared of the unknown, but also scared to understand anyone who doesn’t fit into their mental picture of a human being. These kids were like most other children, enthusiastic, possessive, funny, curious, playful but since they dint fit in the ideal definition of a child, they were mentally abused. They were made to believe that they were bad, they were monsters. Acceptance level in human beings is very low.The most beautiful lines in the novel are “A home isnt always the house we live in. It’s also the people we choose to surround ourselves with.” Home is where you find love. The love can be from your partner or your friend or your family or someone else. Home is where you can be yourself and no one will judge you. Home is where no one will try to dictate terms to you rather they will be with you and will support you no matter what. In the story Linus Baker finds his home in Arthur, the six children and Zoe, the sprite.Arthur Parnassus, the master of the orphanage will remind one of their father. Quietly sacrificing, protecting, encouraging and loving their kid. Arthur had a bitter experience in his childhood but that dint make him bitter, that made him more determined to ensure that no one is treated the way he was treated.Overall it’s a fantastic read and a small note to the emotional readers out there, please sit with a few tissue papers because in different pages of the book, some happy tears are bound to fill your eyes.