The House in the Cerulean Sea

This is a human centered book about humans with non-human biology and an ordinary, meek man who makes a difference. I liked the orphans a lot. The book does a good job at atmospheric storytelling for the world and direct, dialogue-heavy character building for the people. Themes of goodness and inclusion work well. Positive depictions of queerness that are centered around good characterization are present throughout the book. Chauncey is my favorite character.

I was iffy in the beginning and well into the middle, but i cried over children for the last couple of chapters. (Im not sure i actually care that much about any of the adults??)

Just what I wanted after the last books of imperial machinations over light years and many places and characters whose names sound all the same to me - a pair of lovely exaggerated settings with a cast of quite distinct characters. The initial conditions starting off bleak but with clear hope for a better future. Sweet and innocent romance. This book gives me Adams family vibes. Except with colour.

What a lovely lovely book.
And it's also so British.
Reading it made me smile a lot.
Just lovely.

~ "Change comes when people want it enough" ~

Edit: after learning the inspiration for the story came from the residential schools and the abduction of Native American children, my thoughts on this book are much more complicated than when I originally wrote the review. It will take time for me to unpack my feelings about it now.

Well that was cute. And there’s a bit of commentary worth thinking about. I liked the discussion around the “see something, say something” signs.

Magical. Absolutely magical. I love every piece of it. I love how it’s written, how the story enfolds. I love all the characters. I love how Linus changes throughout and learns so much. Thank you to the author for bringing such a beautiful story to life.

This should be one of those books that everyone reads.

Like a warm hug from a friend <3

Well now, this might be the PERFECT book to listen to during quarantine while you're mourning the loss of your cat. It was delightful escapism at its best. If you struggle with magical creatures, you might reject it out of hand, but that would be your loss. The characters are lovely, the dialogue is witty (I snorted multiple times), and the message is about as sweet as it gets.

My sister already cast James Corden as Linus when she read it (perfect choice!). I would cast Jude Law as Arthur. And for Helen I'd go with Margo Martinburg or Kathy Bates.

Either this book will someday be adapted into a beautifully rendered animated film, or there is no justice in this world. Every page evokes warmth and whimsy in such a way I couldn't help but imagine it rendered in my mind at times in the style of Coraline, at times The Iron Giant, at times Paddington, but always with the distinct, strong heart of those favorites. This is the perfect 2020 antidote, a shot of warmth and optimism and the feeling of things falling into place just the right way, and it will stay with me for a long time. This was an absolute treat.