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The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)

T.J. Klune

Start date: July 16, 2021

Finish date: August 16, 2021

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What Members Thought

Aug 18, 2025 Trisha rated it liked it

Shelves: bought-audio

“Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. Like-minded people building it up to a roar.”

I get the hype around this one - I do. Cute, quirky and adorable.
I blame poor timing for my failing to connect with the characters and our main character who is investigating the life of these kids. There were some parts I chuckled at and some touching phrases - but the message was heavy handed and sometimes it irritated me it was so spelled out and screamed at me. Maybe I shouldn't have done this as ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2020 Netanella rated it it was amazing

Shelves: worlds-beyond-the-margins, 2020-group-reads, 2020-december-reading-challenges

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I do believe I've fallen for a gay man.

Author T.J. Klune is simply marvelous in portraying Linus Baker, a lonely man who lives in a lonely house with a nosey neighbor and Calliope the Cat who is not much for company. Linus works at a bureaucratic department in charge of the welfare of orphans. Not just any orphans, mind you, but children with magical abilities, who have been deemed second class citizens, registered as Magical, and sent off to live in government-funded homes. Linus's job, which h ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2022 Trisha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, supernatural

A beautifully written, descriptive, whimsical, feel-good novel. It focuses on a social worker for magical children whose job is to investigate orphanages to make sure that the kids are cared for, and that they are not a danger to others or themselves. The agency that he works for is very dystopian-esque in regard to their level of control and management style. The theme is heavy on how magical children/adults are treated negatively by the mainstream society - which is used to represent how other ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2021 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really loved this book. It is such a sweet and magical story! The characters are charming, quirky and interesting. I love the support that all the characters found in one another and the message of acceptance that it offers. It is a story full of love yet does not become overly mushy and syrupy sweet. Toward the end, I found myself being a bit confused about some of the plot points but that may just be me. I also thought the story tied up a little too neatly. For me, these aspects did not detr ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2023 Tien rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I really did not expect to love this one as much as I did! I usually avoid hyped books so I didn't even add this to my tbr but a good friend gave me it to read as she loved it. One of her top reads of 2022 and she's very stingy with her 5 stars so this must've been really good. And I. ADORE. THIS!

I love Linus Baker in all his "average"-ness. Though really, inside he is not at all average but it needed something special to bring this all out in the open. I love the setting which was just magical; ...more

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Mar 23, 2021 Andreea rated it it was amazing

This was the easiest 5 stars to give!!

This book is so peculiar and so captivating and I don't think I can ever write a proper review for it. It's just *chef's kiss*.

♥️♥️♥️ ...more

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Feb 22, 2022 Catsalive rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2022

3.5*
I think this is a very sweet tale, maybe a little too saccharine on occasion but I guess it is a love story as well as a fable. It does belabour the point a bit at times & I couldn't help feeling I was being beaten over the head with THE MESSAGE - yes, yes, the injustice of it all. Linus Baker is a superb character & I enjoyed his personality, he might even be considered a mouse that roared.

The writing flows very well making it very easy to read. This was definitely better than Under the Whi ...more

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Mar 07, 2021 Tina Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: z-2021

I don't know how I missed this book. Honestly, I feel cheated that it took me so long to discover it! THitCS was described to me as a cross between 1984 and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, but I found it to have so much more heart than either of those books could dream of. I fell in love with this book, little by little, one character at a time. The first kid I loved was Chauncey. Then I fell in love with Sal. And then, slowly, I found myself wanting to adopt the whole lot of them. ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 Kayla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The author builds an exquisite world with such ease. It feels natural and immediately real. The pacing is a bit uneven but the characters are so heart warming that I didn’t mind. I had to know how the story unfurled. Pleased to close out 2020 with this book.

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