The House in the Cerulean Sea – TJ Klune

There is no better way to start pride month off than with the best gay book of all time: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.

Linus Baker is a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. His life is boring, a little lame, and a little mundane. He gets sent to Marsyas Island for a case. The orphanage on the island is ran by Arthur, a kind and gentle but fiercely passionate man, who would stop at nothing to protect these misfit, magical kids.

This book made me cry.

I know a lot makes me cry (I don’t even want to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy 3) but this book gave me serotonin. Klune melds intense emotional moments with humor and a childlike wonder of the world to create a whimsical fantasy that devastated my soul.

I fell in love with each and every one of the kids. They each have their own, independent struggle that Arthur, bless his soul, is able to help them work through. Six kids live in the orphanage.

You have:

• Lucy, which is short for Lucifer, a six year old who is incredibly intelligent. He also happens to be the Antichrist.
• Theodore, a wyvern with a passion for collecting buttons.
• Phee, a forest sprite, with the power to make things grow.
• Chauncey (one of my favorites) who is described as an “unidentified green blob”. Regardless of what we identify him as, he identifies as a bell hop.
• Sal, a teenager, who turns into a Pomeranian when he’s frightened. This happens frequently because he’s incredibly shy.
• Talia, a two hundred year old garden gnome.

All of these kids have intense personalities that play off of one another to create a unique family environment. It’s a good thing they have. And yet… Extremely Upper Management considers them to be threats. The people who live in the seaside town near the island consider them to be dangerous. After getting close to the kids and seeing how sweet they are, this causes the waterworks to cue. How could anyone ever find Chauncey, who just wants to be a bell hop, dangerous?

It is so unfair.

The message in this book is carved out well. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Examine your prejudices. How are you treating other people? What is their situation or circumstance like, and what more could there be that you don’t understand? More importantly, the book defines home not as a place, but as a group of people you can be your most authentic self with.

“Sometimes our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.”

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

“And I refuse to believe that a person’s path is set in stone. A person is more than where they come from.”

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea.

“And he should be found at fault for existing? What choice did he have in the matter?”

TJ Klune, House in the Cerulean Sea

The book is also packed with humor. Exhibit A:

“He looked up at Linus. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’ Linus was touched. ‘Thank you, Lucy-‘ ‘If the cannibals start chasing after us, they’ll see you first. We’re little, and you’ve got all that meat on your bones, so it’ll give us time to get away. Your forthcoming sacrifice is appreciated.'”

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

And lastly, but certainly not the least, the romance in the book made me cry.

“You’re too precious to put into words. I think… it’s like one of Theodore’s buttons. If you asked him why he cared about them so, he would tell you it’s because they exist at all.”

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea

“‘I don’t know why you can’t see it.’

‘See what?’

‘You. Everything you are.'”

TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea.

I don’t normally include this many quotes in a review. I find it to be a cheap way of fluffing reviews. However, this book is close to my heart. It is near to me. It has made me laugh, cry, gasp, and feel all of the emotions. For once, I don’t know how to convey how much I enjoyed this book other than to share little snippets of it and pray you feel the same.

Now, I know that humor is very hit or miss in books. This book relies on humor to bring brevity and lightness to dark situations. If you are the type of person who is unable to see humor or emotionally charged moments as anything other than cringy, then this book probably isn’t for you. I recognize that literature is subjective. I won’t hold it against you.

(Okay, maybe I will. Just a little. Look at Chauncey the endearing green blob and try to tell me he isn’t precious.)

More importantly, I think this book sets a great tone going into a month that celebrates uniqueness. With a diverse cast of characters and a gay protagonist, TJ Klune sets the bar for encouraging others to be their most authentic self.

5/5

TJ Klune also has a book that made it onto my Four Books to Read for Mental Health Awareness Month called Under the Whispering Door. This one is also very good, also gay, and also made me cry.