The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
June 5, 2023 - June 8, 2023
4.5/5
Audiobook
Fantasy, Dystopian, LGBT+
Update: 51%
So far this book is so cute and I love all the kids, especially Lucy. He never fails to make me laugh and I’ve spent the whole time imagining him as that Elmo fire meme. For reference, here's a snippet that made me laugh so hard.
Lucy, 6 year old antichrist: "He's here to make sure I don't burn anyone alive with the power of my mind and then consume their souls from their smoking carcasses!"
J-Bone, stoned record shop worker: "Rock on, little dude!"
-TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea
Review
Another book I loved! This whole book was so atmospheric and magical. It was a breath of fresh air and an adventure reminiscent of some of my favorite stories as a kid. It’s one of those books that leaves you feeling giddy and loved.
One of my favorite parts was the found family of it all. A large chunk of the novel revolves around Linus and his burgeoning relationship to all the kids and caretakers of the island. Theodore and his buttons were adorable! Sal’s growing progress and healing were amazing to watch and Luci was delightfully morbid and cheeky. Both. Chauncey and Thalia made me laugh and of course Linus & Arthur’s relationship was so sweet.
I was also really intrigued by the world-building. A lot of reviews compare the novel to 1984 in that sense (which is another novel on my list), but DICOMY definitely has that soul-sucking futuristic corporate feeling. But rather than spending ages talking about how much DICOMY and that society sucks, we get to see how they treat people through the eyes of Linus who thinks all of that stuff is normal.
All-in-all this is such a feel good book with a lot of messages about happiness, morality, prejudice, and family. Highly recommend to anyone who likes magic, found family, and relationship-driven stories.
Content Warnings
Mentions or depictions of:
child abuse, xenophobia, fatphobia, confinement, body shaming