Andover Reads: The House in the Cerulean Sea

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

Recommended by Emily Goss, head of collections and access services at the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy novel set in a world where some individuals have magical abilities. Because of those abilities many children are forced to live in orphanages overseen by a government body known as The Department in Charge of Magical Youth. The main character, Linus Baker—a case worker in the department—takes pride in his work, which involves inspecting orphanages to make sure the children are treated well. He loves following the rules carefully laid out in his employee handbook (called Rules and Regulations) and honestly believes he’s doing good work.

But all that changes when Extremely Upper Management assigns Linus to visit an orphanage on a remote island. The children who live on the island and their caretaker Arthur, bring color, laughter, and joy to Linus’ life in ways he could never have imagined. This book has a Wizard of Oz feel—before coming to the island, Linus’ life is dark, gray, and rainy, but after he meets the children and Arthur, he is finally able to experience life in all its technicolor glory! 

What I truly love about The House in the Cerulean Sea are the characters, especially the children, and Linus and Arthur. To me, it’s a story about acceptance, finding your chosen family, and ultimately hope, told with characters who are so complex, lovable, at times dark-and-twisty (in a good way), and so much more. It's the characters, above all else, that have stayed with me. They are why I flew through it the first time I read it. Theyare why I’ve reread it (and want to reread it again), and why I recommend it to everyone when given the chance!