Author: T.J. Klune
Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
Genre: Fantasy
Publication date: March 2020
Number of pages: 396
Geographical Setting: An alternative England
Time Period: Present day or near future
Series: Yes, but no sequel yet
Plot Summary: Linus Baker is a low-level bureaucrat, a case worker in the Department of Magical Youth. He lives a solitary life with his cat until Extremely Upper Management assigns him a very special case: an island orphanage headed by the quirky Arthur Parnassus. Each of the children has their own magical identity: a sprite, a gnome, a wyvern, a mysterious green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the son of Satan. In an imagined England that is wary if not downright suspicious of magical creatures, Linus has the task of ensuring that the children are safe and well cared for. What he discovers is a newfound family.
Subject Headings:
Orphanage–fiction
Bureaucracy–fiction
LGBTQ romance
Mythological creatures–fiction
Appeal:
Genre–The House in the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy book that features magical realism.
Sexuality–a “clean” gay love story, the couple in question dance together and later move in together. That’s the extent of the sex in this book.
Setting–a juxtaposition between soul-crushing bureaucracy and magical whimsy with a hint of cultural intolerance in an imagined England.
Three terms that best describe this book: Sweet, funny, romantic
3 relevant non-fiction works and authors (why are they similar?)
Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures: 1,087 Renderings from Historic Sources, Richard Huber
Klune’s novel describes several fantastic creatures who are likely featured in this treasury.
Magical Miniature Gardens and Homes: Create Tiny Worlds of Fairy Magic & Delight with Natural, Hand-Made Decor, Donni Webber
Gardening is an important hobby for some of the characters in Cerulean Sea. This book instructs in creating gardens that share Klune’s sense of whimsy.
The Road Less Traveled: A Memoir of Adoption, Special Needs, Detours, and Love, Heidi Renee
All of the children in Cerulean Sea have special needs and are loved by their adults.
3 relevant fiction works and authors
Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree
Gentle fantasy, found families, and heartwarming romance are featured in both books.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Sangu Mandanna
Gentle fantasy, found families, and heartwarming romance are featured in this book as well.
Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire
Contemporary fantasy featuring magical children.
Cerulean Sea is such a feel good novel. I can't wait for the sequel this year. TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors at the moment! I will have to check out Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches -- I've heard some of my coworkers talking about it and it sounds like it would be a good read, too.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! I can see that it would be too precious for a lot of readers, but I have definitely recommended it to friends. I'm also looking forward to the sequel. I'm going to write a little bit about the audiobook in my blog prompt later today--I didn't think the voice actor read it "right."
DeleteI have had this book on my reading list for so long! I love that it seems to be such a cozy read. I thought about even having it as a book club book at my library but I am a bit nervous about how my patrons would react due to the LGBT element. I live in a pretty conservative community but on the other hand they have handled other tough topics pretty well. Either way I am excited to read it!
ReplyDeleteI bought this book but I still haven't read! Excellent annotation!
ReplyDelete