Reviews

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

kikinhaaaaa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just amazing. 

lmhayse's review against another edition

5.0

These characters are so special.
This story is lovely.
My heart is full.

mariahphillippi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My heart feels so full! Linus is so simple minded and follows the status quo to a T, until he finds his true family that he decides to give up all he has ever known in favor of what he has always needed. Family and adventure. He also found his voice. On his own he was quiet and soft spoken, but once he found something to believe and fight for, he could not be silenced. This book had me laughing out loud one moment and sobbing the next, 

rychelereads's review against another edition

5.0

What a gorgeously paced story. The imagery and story telling gives a similar vibe to Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, though it is an entirely different story. The world is so highly relatable and yet magically out of reach at once. Linus’ normal life and mundane existence as an over-worked social/office worker in a world full of the paranormal, and then the turning point where he not only gets swept up in the true magic of life but thrown into a house full of children and beings whose magic he’s never experienced before is a beautiful inspiration for all of us stuck in this rut of almost-middle-age, or rather, complacent going-through-the-motions existence. Calling the corporate big-heads “Extremely Upper Management,” including printing that exact phrase on the letter heads is hilarious and accurate.

This entire narrative is a beautiful representation of how our own lack of imagination/tolerance/acceptance can erase the very real magic that exists in life. How policies, institutions, and corporate protocols affect the social status quo and how all those things together can literally erase the magic of innocence. All this can easily become a cage we each trap ourselves and each other within. It is an exploration of how one man’s change in perspective found him a family.

Linus is a wonderfully normal man with the largest heart and the most stifled imagination possible. Easily lovable.
The residents of Marsyas island are charming and wholly individual: a 200+ year old child-gnome, an amorphous blob, a Pomeranian shifter, a wyvern obsessed with buttons, a powerful young sprite, the groundskeeper islander Sprite, and an enigmatic Master of the House in Arthur Parnassus, and of course, the six year old son of the Devil. It helps that most of the residents are children with adorable actions (that feel smart and chaotic as children often are) and pure motivations.

The audiobook narrator is exceptional at portraying their voices, and reading the book without audio lends the same feeling so that switching between the physical copy and audiobook is seamless. Narration of the audiobook really gives a wonderfully lyrical quality to the characterizations with the voices. I feel like this added to the individual cadence and vibe of each of the characters, especially the droll and ornery office workers like Linus’ supervisor.

Overall this book has a message that is painfully relevant and yet timeless. In the same breath there is also hope. I think this story will stay with me for a very long time, and whenever I think of a house on the sea I will indelibly be chanting under my breath, “don’t you wish you were here?”

tessatumyol's review against another edition

4.0

Author: T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Found family ♥️
Fantasy

create_with_me_michael's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

superhawk610's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

V.E. Schwab’s quote on the front cover says it all: “like being wrapped up in a big, gay blanket.”

Linus is lovable and self-deprecating, Arthur is kind but unknowable, and the rest of the island’s residents are all unique and lovely in their own way. You’ll find putting this book down nearly is difficult as Linus trying to leave :)

amemuuras's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

one of the cutest books i’ve read in a long time! every one of the characters is lovable and unique. i really like that the main character is 40, and he gets to still have his adventure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

sl333pybri's review against another edition

this book made me smile and laugh many times. a wholesome breath of fresh air 

hadicicco's review against another edition

4.0

Dangerously whimsical, incredibly sweet