Book Review : The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
Take a big cauldron and add a whooping dollop of magical creatures, a dash of romance, and a smidgen of humour, and fire it up, Bang! You have got the perfect portion for a cozy, happy read. The premise of the novel reminded me of the book, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Nevertheless, it was a very easy read with a captivating story.
Synopsis
The protagonist Linus is a middle-aged lonely man who works as a caseworker in a government office which takes care of orphaned magical children. His penchant for the welfare of these children overtakes his love for rulebooks. Out of the blue, he gets assigned on a secret mission with a minimal briefing, to assess a special orphanage on an island run by a man named Arthur. The 6 unique children in the orphanage include a wyvern, a gnome, a waredog, a forest sprite, a green blob with tentacles, and lastly Lucy(Lucifer) who is the antichrist. Despite his initial reservations, as he spends a month in this idyllic setting he finds himself with an unexpected romance, and perhaps an unlikely family.
The world setting and character building are not too elaborate but appropriately done for the length of this novel. This is more of a character-driven book than a plot-driven one. Each of the 6 children has unique and loveable qualities. Even though from the outside they look dangerous and are almost deemed as monsters (hence they are in a secluded orphanage on a remote island), at heart they are all naive and naughty children. The idiosyncratic caretaker Arthur doubles up his role as a teacher and a father figure for these children who constantly make us look beyond the exterior image of these special children.
One can't miss the allegorical reference of this story to the real-world abandonment of special needs children. All they need is love and acceptance from society which is predominantly intolerant towards the slightest deviation from normalcy.
Overall this is an upbeat book showcasing the journey of shedding prejudices and embracing inclusivity. A welcome change from dark, dystopian & violent fantasy books.
-Preethi