Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have learned that author T.J. Klune was inspired in part by what’s been labeled the “Sixties Scoop” of the 1950s-1980s, a time period in which indigenous children in Canada were taken from their homes and placed into government-sanctioned residential schools. I can certainly see how those events inspired the fictional Marsyas Island Orphanage, but I do not feel that any attempt was made to steal or erase those real-life children’s experiences. If anything, The House in the Cerulean Sea implores us all to accept and nurture children of all heritages and abilities.

Additionally, this queer author has thoughtfully crafted an environment that keeps children safe while supporting their personal identities, interests, and ambitions. The spirit of inclusiveness and love gently permeates everyone, whether they like it or not. The theme of “found family” is one that always resonates for me, and that is the heart and soul that the plot revolves around.

Find the comfiest chair in your home and put on your warmest slippers while your herbal tea steeps. This is that sort of book. The pacing is slow, the dialog is often simplistic, and the conversations dance lightly around various elephants in the room. (Note: While you will meet sprites, a gnome, a… um… whatchamacallit, a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, some regular humans, and oh yes did I mention the Antichrist? there are no actual elephants in the story.)

You’re probably getting the impression that this is a soft and fuzzy feel-good story, and you’d be partially right. But it’s also a nail-biter. The orphanage is due for an inspection, which brings middle-aged government worker Linus Baker to the island. As a reclusive, work-obsessed, cat-doting loner, Linus struggles to complete his assignment, a task made more difficult as he gets to know the children – and their caretaker.

I can’t resist quoting author Gail Carriger, who exclaims, “It’s basically 1984 meets The Umbrella Academy with a pinch of Douglas Adams thrown in. It’s what I wanted Miss Peregrine’s Home to be.”

I highly recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea. It will feed your soul, warm your heart, might make you feel seen, and will linger in your mind long after you’ve read the last page.

This review was published originally at SciFi.Radio.