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The House in the Cerulean Sea
by
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely ...more
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely ...more
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Kindle Edition, 393 pages
Published
March 17th 2020
by Tor Books
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Yes it does, the magical population does include shifters were-creatures.
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Start your review of The House in the Cerulean Sea

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find this review & others on my blog
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I think these days more than ever, with a pandemic ravaging every corner of the world, I understand more keenly how absolutely necessary it is to find the escape hatch in reality, to seek out a pleasant corner and while away the hours inside a story. And there is no better one I can think of than this one.
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” is a nonstop pleasure. It flooded every corner of my mind with delight and warmth and made me feel reassured and nour ...more
I think these days more than ever, with a pandemic ravaging every corner of the world, I understand more keenly how absolutely necessary it is to find the escape hatch in reality, to seek out a pleasant corner and while away the hours inside a story. And there is no better one I can think of than this one.
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” is a nonstop pleasure. It flooded every corner of my mind with delight and warmth and made me feel reassured and nour ...more

Updated 12/29/20
The House in the Cerulean Sea is now out in paperback! Return to the island where everything is happy, and you'll only be threatened a little bit by a gnome with a shovel and the Antichrist. Now available wherever books are sold. (Buy link below, or support your local indie store!)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
**************
At last, at long last, my first book with Tor has released!
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a love letter to those who should be allowed to feel sm ...more
The House in the Cerulean Sea is now out in paperback! Return to the island where everything is happy, and you'll only be threatened a little bit by a gnome with a shovel and the Antichrist. Now available wherever books are sold. (Buy link below, or support your local indie store!)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
**************
At last, at long last, my first book with Tor has released!
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a love letter to those who should be allowed to feel sm ...more

Dec 31, 2020
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2020-releases,
audiobooks
So... this was unexpected.
I'm not sure if it's 2020 or the Holidays getting to me but this was very wholesome!
This definitely felt a bit like a children's book but the characters were attaching and I definitely laughed/smiled a few times while listening to this audiobook. ...more
I'm not sure if it's 2020 or the Holidays getting to me but this was very wholesome!
This definitely felt a bit like a children's book but the characters were attaching and I definitely laughed/smiled a few times while listening to this audiobook. ...more

IM FUCKING SOBBING.
S O B B I N G .
This shit hit different and I too, want to live in the House in the Cerulean Sea.
Reading Vlog : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h-ln...
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube | ...more
S O B B I N G .
This shit hit different and I too, want to live in the House in the Cerulean Sea.
Reading Vlog : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h-ln...
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube | ...more

Oct 18, 2019
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
magic,
m-m,
little-to-no-sex-content,
lgbtq-lit,
favorites-2020,
fantasy,
romance,
loved-it,
fae,
read-to-review-arc
An extraordinary treat for both T.J. Klune fans and those new to his writing, The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-warming, wholesome, diverse, ridiculous, and completely lovable fantasy story.
As a long-time T.J. Klune fan, as I'm sure many of you are, I know you are asking yourself what this book will be like now that T.J. Klune is publishing with the big boys. I'm very happy to report that the book read just like I was expecting it to, which means tight writing, romance (!), queer charact ...more
As a long-time T.J. Klune fan, as I'm sure many of you are, I know you are asking yourself what this book will be like now that T.J. Klune is publishing with the big boys. I'm very happy to report that the book read just like I was expecting it to, which means tight writing, romance (!), queer charact ...more

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Enjoyed meeting all the magical characters. The children were totally charming, and the adult characters were equally delightful. Beautifully written and full of humor and whimsy with a touch of romance. This was a heartwarming story of a middle-aged man finding what truly matters in life.
So adorable. ...more

Enjoyed meeting all the magical characters. The children were totally charming, and the adult characters were equally delightful. Beautifully written and full of humor and whimsy with a touch of romance. This was a heartwarming story of a middle-aged man finding what truly matters in life.
We should always make time for the things we like. If we don't, we might forget how to be happy.
So adorable. ...more

Hands down. This is one of the best things I’ve read this year! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
I fell for the world building, creative-crazy-unique ideas, character development! This is not only a regular YA fantasy novel. This book is about acceptance, caring, opening your heart and soul! As a summary: this book is about unconditional love and respecting differences of others.
It’s a sweet, smart, entertaining and also heartwarming story hooks you from the first chapter, makes you giggle, smile, si ...more
I fell for the world building, creative-crazy-unique ideas, character development! This is not only a regular YA fantasy novel. This book is about acceptance, caring, opening your heart and soul! As a summary: this book is about unconditional love and respecting differences of others.
It’s a sweet, smart, entertaining and also heartwarming story hooks you from the first chapter, makes you giggle, smile, si ...more

This book is absolutely every bit as wonderful as everyone says it is and MY HEART IS BURSTING!!!!! I loved this so much and will re-read it for the rest of my life. It is soft bitch hours and I will not be accepting any criticism at this time 🥺😭🥺
TW: fatphobic dialogue and inner thoughts
TW: fatphobic dialogue and inner thoughts

Sep 06, 2020
Melissa ~ Bantering Books
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
“His thoughts were all cerulean.”
Mine, too. My thoughts are all cerulean, now that I have read TJ Klune’s wonderful novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea. And never have they been tinted such a brilliant, exquisite shade of blue.
Linus Baker lives routinely by the rules. He is a dedicated caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; he knows every word of its RULES AND REGULATIONS by heart. At the end of each workday, he returns home to an empty house, comforted only by his clas ...more
Mine, too. My thoughts are all cerulean, now that I have read TJ Klune’s wonderful novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea. And never have they been tinted such a brilliant, exquisite shade of blue.
Linus Baker lives routinely by the rules. He is a dedicated caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; he knows every word of its RULES AND REGULATIONS by heart. At the end of each workday, he returns home to an empty house, comforted only by his clas ...more

Jun 22, 2020
Melanie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
lgbtqiap,
read-in-2020,
buddy-reads,
maëlys,
shifters,
fantasy,
romance,
quarantine-reads,
audible,
favorites

This is one goddamn fairytale. An original one. Which won't be retold in such perfection. I can see authors trying to tell their versions of this fairytale in 2050. Even then, they will find this hidden in the internet archives that once a reviewer gramma wrote this and they would be low-key panicking whenever there's the feeling of thinking of rewriting this precious goddamn fairytale 😎
There's this stepmother (mean, biased fairytale writers! Why only stepmothers are grouchy bad eh??!)...well, I ...more
There's this stepmother (mean, biased fairytale writers! Why only stepmothers are grouchy bad eh??!)...well, I ...more

Sep 03, 2020
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Chelsea by:
ree
This was exactly what I needed right now. Review to come.

This little gem totally snuck up on me, but I totally fell in love with both the story and every single one of the characters -- especially the six supernatural kids.

For the first ten percent (ish) of the book, we were introduced to Linus, who led a boring existence, simply going thru the motions, with no real life or friends to speak of.
These parts had a teeny tiny bit of humor, but honestly, if I hadn't already known that Klune wrote it, there wasn't anything to really indicate that fact for m ...more

This is a birthday cake of a book. Perhaps a birthday cake dressed up in scary themes, but ultimately, a heart-warming, delicious concoction of a story that just skirts being teeth-tinglingly sweet.
Thankfully, the children in the story are monsters enough to cut the sugar with a little milk.
I enjoyed Cerulean Sea, especially once our milquetoast hero, Linus, makes his way to the orphanage and meets the very special children The Department In Charge of Magical Youth wants examined. Until then, t ...more

Thankfully, the children in the story are monsters enough to cut the sugar with a little milk.
I enjoyed Cerulean Sea, especially once our milquetoast hero, Linus, makes his way to the orphanage and meets the very special children The Department In Charge of Magical Youth wants examined. Until then, t ...more

This book is lovely.
You can hear my full thoughts in this reading vlog: https://youtu.be/9Xyva5SK7IM ...more
You can hear my full thoughts in this reading vlog: https://youtu.be/9Xyva5SK7IM ...more

This was a magical adventure! 🙌 In my mind: it’s The Ministry of Magic checking in on Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Linus was a great character. He is essentially a CPS officer tasked with checking in on magical orphanages. 🤓 I loved how he interacted with each kid, even though he tried to keep a guard up. Lucy (aka Lucifer) was hilariously candid. 😈 Oh, and Arthur is a Dumbledore/Miss Peregrine for sure! Some of the story felt a bit lagging, but overall it was a great read. 👍
...more

This is just too precious, my heart can't take it♥️
...more

Jul 27, 2020
Hamad
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2020-reads,
tear-worthy-books,
favorites,
adult-books,
e-books,
fantasy,
book-club,
good-covers
This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷
This book has been getting all kind of glowing reviews and I am jumping on the bandwagon and adding my voice to all the fans of this story. This is a book that just made me happy and made me cry and for that it deserves a full 5 stars which I rarely give.
I have not read Klune’s other books and although this is his latest, it was my first expo ...more
“We should always make time for the things we like. If we don’t, we might forget how to be happy.”
This book has been getting all kind of glowing reviews and I am jumping on the bandwagon and adding my voice to all the fans of this story. This is a book that just made me happy and made me cry and for that it deserves a full 5 stars which I rarely give.
I have not read Klune’s other books and although this is his latest, it was my first expo ...more

OMG, this was so good! It really gave me All. The. Feels!
“The world is a weird and wonderful place. Why must we try and explain it all away? For our personal satisfaction?”
Linus Baker is a quiet man leading a quiet life. He’s a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, where he always follows the rules to a “t.” He doesn't question authority and does what's expected of him: nothing more, nothing less. Other than that, he lives with a cranky cat and his music to keep him company. ...more
“The world is a weird and wonderful place. Why must we try and explain it all away? For our personal satisfaction?”
Linus Baker is a quiet man leading a quiet life. He’s a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, where he always follows the rules to a “t.” He doesn't question authority and does what's expected of him: nothing more, nothing less. Other than that, he lives with a cranky cat and his music to keep him company. ...more

Not me crying on Christmas Eve-Eve🎄💖😢
This book in a word was.. Perfection. The House in the Cerulean Sea deserves all the stars!! If you want a feel-good story look no further. I loved it. 😭 Read it! 5🌟's ...more
This book in a word was.. Perfection. The House in the Cerulean Sea deserves all the stars!! If you want a feel-good story look no further. I loved it. 😭 Read it! 5🌟's ...more

I've sat down to write this review more times than I can count. I'm still torn between wanting The House in the Cerulean Sea all to myself and wanting to scream I LOVE THIS BOOK FURIOUSLY at the top of my lungs.
Have you ever loved something on such a deeply personal level that it feels almost impossible to convey that exact feeling to someone else? That whatever you say is pointless anyway, because the person on the other side isn't you and they will never be able to fully comprehend what touch ...more
Have you ever loved something on such a deeply personal level that it feels almost impossible to convey that exact feeling to someone else? That whatever you say is pointless anyway, because the person on the other side isn't you and they will never be able to fully comprehend what touch ...more

5★ for how delightful this was!!
WHO NEEDS MAGIC WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR IMAGINATION?
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞: Absolutely simple and easy to read as well as imagine. The pace, I think, keeps changing but mostly it's fast. There are lessons and the smallest of moments for everyone no matter how young or old :)
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: tbh, I loved it. There's not much, just a normal world with normal people along with some beautiful, adorable and hilarious Magical Creatures.
A home isn’t always the house we live in.
I ...more
WHO NEEDS MAGIC WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR IMAGINATION?
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞: Absolutely simple and easy to read as well as imagine. The pace, I think, keeps changing but mostly it's fast. There are lessons and the smallest of moments for everyone no matter how young or old :)
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: tbh, I loved it. There's not much, just a normal world with normal people along with some beautiful, adorable and hilarious Magical Creatures.
A home isn’t always the house we live in.
I ...more

It's a safe bet that I've never used the word whimsical in a sentence before but this book, which is soooooo out of my reading comfort zone, needs to be described as ... whimsical.
Although it was a smidge too childish for my tastes, that was overshadowed by the lovely writing, sticky sweet characters, and relevant underlying messages which apply to adults as much as they apply to kids.
"𝙄 ... 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚. "
"𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? " 𝙈𝙧. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙙. "𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙣𝙛 ...more
Although it was a smidge too childish for my tastes, that was overshadowed by the lovely writing, sticky sweet characters, and relevant underlying messages which apply to adults as much as they apply to kids.
"𝙄 ... 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚. "
"𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? " 𝙈𝙧. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙙. "𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙣𝙛 ...more

IF THIS BOOK DOES NOT WIN GR CHOICE AWARDS...I AM GONNA GO EMO ( Ok that was me being dramatic xD)
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...


I am gonna pray that this book will win

Buddy read with
Saggittaurius
Disclaimer:{ If you're looking for a well constructed review this is definitely not THE REVIEW for you🧏🏽♀️
This review basically includes me gushing over the characters and fangirling over this book.....}

Ok ...now that you have read the disclaimer lets rave about this book..
"OMG!!! MY CHEEKS A ...more
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...


I am gonna pray that this book will win

Buddy read with
Saggittaurius
Disclaimer:{ If you're looking for a well constructed review this is definitely not THE REVIEW for you🧏🏽♀️
This review basically includes me gushing over the characters and fangirling over this book.....}

Ok ...now that you have read the disclaimer lets rave about this book..
"OMG!!! MY CHEEKS A ...more

Aug 14, 2020
Fadwa (Word Wonders)
added it
CW: trauma, fatphobia both internalized and otherwise (challenged), dieting, bigotry, discussion of child abuse
THIS BOOK MADE ME SO HAPPYYYYYYYYYY!!! It's the embodiment of sunshine, if happiness could be a single book it would be this one and here is why:
- Found family excellence: genuinely one of the best found families I've ever read about. So eclectic and all over the place but so loving and supportive. The way Arthur loves the children, the way they have each other's backs, the way Zoe is e ...more
THIS BOOK MADE ME SO HAPPYYYYYYYYYY!!! It's the embodiment of sunshine, if happiness could be a single book it would be this one and here is why:
- Found family excellence: genuinely one of the best found families I've ever read about. So eclectic and all over the place but so loving and supportive. The way Arthur loves the children, the way they have each other's backs, the way Zoe is e ...more

Jan 30, 2020
h o l l i s
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-reads,
all-the-lols,
all-the-feels,
coverly-love,
lgbtqia,
romance,
fantasy,
finished-in-january-2020,
m-m,
own-voices
June 22, 2020 : huge price drop/sale alert!! for the Canucks. for the 'Muricans. only until June 28, 2020.
----
This book was a delightfully sweet and lovely cup of heartbreak, melancholy, and wonder. Which sounds almost awful, or hella sad, and probably contradicts the vibe the cover is putting out, but I don't know how else to describe all the things this made me feel.
There is whimsy and wonder in this world where magical people exists, there's melancholy in the reality that children who demon ...more
----
This book was a delightfully sweet and lovely cup of heartbreak, melancholy, and wonder. Which sounds almost awful, or hella sad, and probably contradicts the vibe the cover is putting out, but I don't know how else to describe all the things this made me feel.
There is whimsy and wonder in this world where magical people exists, there's melancholy in the reality that children who demon ...more

This is a special book that I loved immensely. Sometimes you find a book right when you need it, and I needed this book. It's endearing and heartfelt and just wonderful.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Buzzwordathon: The House in the Cerulean Sea Group Read | February 2021 | 3 | 61 | 3 hours, 50 min ago | |
The Perks Of Bein...: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune - February 2021 | 5 | 48 | Jan 16, 2021 01:39AM | |
FLASHLIGHT READERS: January 2020 Stand Alone BOTM- The House in the Cerulean Sea | 3 | 11 | Jan 15, 2021 03:07AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Klune - The House in the Cerulean Sea [Feb 15, 2021] | 1 | 8 | Jan 03, 2021 05:42AM | |
Play Book Tag: The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune, 3.5 stars | 1 | 14 | Dec 23, 2020 10:56PM |
TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.
...more
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A comforting balm. A much-needed diversion. Time spent with an old friend. Childhood memories and annual traditions. We asked the...
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“Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. Like-minded people building it up to a roar.”
—
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“Humanity is so weird. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying or running for our lives because monsters are trying to eat us. And they don’t even have to be real monsters. They could be the ones we make up in our heads. Don’t you think that’s weird?”
—
117 likes
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