Finding the Right Fit

I was excited to dive into this novel from the moment I saw the beautiful cover on the shelf of the bookstore. I had heard good things about it, and I was quick to grab myself a copy. However, as with most things, this got tucked away on my shelf at home as I wrapped up novels that were already in progress and tackled the stress of the holidays. With that being said, I decided to make this my first novel of 2023–and I am so glad that I did.

TJ Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea” tells the story of Linus Baker, a rather dull and commonplace caseworker employed by DICOMY, the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. As a caseworker, it is up to Linus to conduct site visits at the various area orphanages that house magical children to make sure that everything is up to snuff. Linus bears the burden of deciding whether or not these orphanage should continue to operate and whether or not they should remain under current supervision, so he takes his job duties seriously; in fact, Linus almost has DICOMY’s book of rules and regulations–a rather hefty tome– memorized to make sure that he does not waver in his objectivity to his job.

Nothing more than a cog in the DICOMY machine, Linus lives a life of monotony and routine. The only sparks of joy are brought by his blooming sunflowers and the occasional moments when his cat, Calliope, will allow him to pet her. Living alone, stuck in the drudgery of life, Linus is devoid of anything other than his devotion to his work. It is this devotion in fact, that catches the attention of Extremely Upper Management, the governing body of DICOMY. Extremely Upper Management, impressed by the thorough quality of Linus’ reports, requested that he be assigned a new case of the highest confidentiality–the orphanage on Marsyas Island.

The Marsyas Orphanage has a rather unique batch of highly classified children, all under the care of the enigmatic Arthur Parnassus. Linus, assigned to spend a month on the island, is to conduct a quality report for Extremely Upper Management as to whether or not the orphanage should remain in use. As Linus meets the charges on the island, he finds that the world isn’t as black and white as it once appeared to be. Linus realizes that families can come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations.

What I loved the most about this novel was the earnest nature of the story. TJ Klune crafted a story with characters that felt so real, and so lovable, that I found myself invested in uncovering their fate. The children that are featured in this book tug at your heartstrings, and I found myself laughing, crying, and shaking my head at their antics.

As someone who works in education, and who has friends and colleagues involved in social work, this novel struck a chord because it focuses so heavily on the bureaucracy that governs child welfare and those who attempt to provide children with the best possible outcomes. The character of Linus Baker, caught between upholding the “rules” that he is governed by and his desire to truly care for and provide for the children that he encounters, is a struggle that many parents, teachers, counselors, and caseworkers know all too well.

For anyone looking for a read that will be sure to make you cry, laugh, cheer, and have your faith in the goodness of people restored, I would make sure that you go out and get a copy of TJ Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea.”

5 out of 5 stars.