It is the sign of a talented and creative author when they can take the subject of child abuse, the other and prejudice and wraps it in a charming, positive and heart-warming package. In a nutshell, that's what The House in the Cerulean Sea is and it not only does it do it successfully, but with flying colours!

At the highest level, it is the story of a downtrodden government worker that excels at being objective being sent to spy and judge a group of magical children and their caretaker in the country. From the beginning it gives similar vibes as to the Series of Unfortunate Events series. It has a charm and a wit that contradicts scenes and themes that are generally negative and fairly serious.

The story follows the worker as he goes through a journey of self discovery, realising that the strict guidelines he has adhered to have limited him and he begins to grow while learning about the children, their special abilities and their caretaker. It shows how prejudice can grow, how on an individual and societal level we can get locked into bubbles of assumptions and preconceived notions.

The story never loses its positive charm throughout even when handling delicate and disturbing situations, it works to bring it all together in a way that makes you resonate and sympathize with each of the characters in the book.

From beginning to end I enjoyed it, it is wistful and creates a world that is vague in details but filled to the brim with questions and relevance. The relentless positivity that is baked into the core concepts of the story never falter and every page reveals something new and thought provoking!