The House in the Cerulean Sea audiobook

Hands down. This is one of the best things I’ve read this year! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I fell for the world building, creative-crazy-unique ideas, character development! This is not only a regular YA fantasy novel. This book is about acceptance, caring, opening your heart and soul! As a summary: this book is about unconditional love and respecting differences of others. It’s a sweet, smart, entertaining and also heartwarming story hooks you from the first chapter, makes you giggle, smile, sigh. Let’s take a quick look of the storyline and the characters: Our narrator Linus Baker is, 40 years old,a quiet, simple, lonely man works as a caseworker at Department in Charge of Magical Youth, living a simple, quiet, lonely life, always following rules, doing what the government orders. He always stays objective when he examines the orphanages filled with the kids who have supernatural abilities. He knows they’re different and he respects that. He never treats unfair and makes those children feel inferior. He treats them as equal as the normal kids but he never gets close or connects with them either. He only does his job at the end of the day, going back his lonely house for arguing his noisy neighbor who tries to matchmake him with his accountant relative, playing music and talking with his grumpy cat which is his only real friend in this world. But when he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management for an urgent meeting, he realizes his simple life will change forever. Management hires him for a top secret mission: they want him to investigate Marysas Island Orphanage where six extremely dangerous kids reside: a gnome, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, a sprite and an baby Lucy Morningstar! Thankfully he doesn’t learn the identities of the kids because he may have passed out during the meeting with his superiors! And another fact kept secret from him: one of the children may have enough power to bring the “End of the Days”! ( You don’t have to guess which one is! Yes, the one with red eyes whose future self open a night club in LA!!) He can’t reject the offer for the future of his job. He will spend one month in the island and he will not examine the well beings of the children but he will also investigate the master Arthur Parnassus and the way of doing his job. He packs his bag and rides on his scheduled train accompanied by his cat. As soon as he reaches to the island, he realizes those kids are powerful, peculiar, different but they’re still kids. They are still looking for love, compassion. They are still needed to be taken care, educated, nurtured, healed. And their master enigmatic and also charming Arthur can connect with them. He’s doing an amazing job and kids love him, too. For the first time, Linus breaks his all rules, empathizing with these kids, opening his heart to them. And for the first time he’s not alone or he doesn’t have to live quite, simple, lonely life when he opens his heart and soul to unconditional love! But of course his decision will bring out different consequences and risks into his life. Overall: I loved everything about this beautiful, remarkable, extraordinary story. No more words. Borrowing the entire galaxy stars and giving to this book!

Please excuse me while I dry my tears and wipe that big goofy smile off my face. What an absolutely wondrous story The House in the Cerulean Sea turned out to be!Linus is a buttoned-up, live-by-the-rules, no-fun employee who works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. When he gets his latest secret assignment from Extremely Upper Management to visit an orphanage on a remote island, he doesn't know what to expect. But soon his assignment turns into the adventure of a lifetime, one that will touch his heart and irrevocably change who he is.This book has the most marvelous characters. Everyone we meet is kindhearted, if a bit prickly at first. As we get to know them, they unfurl into the most loveable creatures. They learn and unbend and grow into their potential, becoming so much more than they were before. The children especially, with their funny and exuberant antics, really grabbed my heart and refused to let go.There was so much humor packed into the pages, I was constantly chuckling and smiling. It was dry and sarcastic and witty, poking gentle fun at work and bureaucracy and taking things too seriously. Humor is so subjective, so I'm not sure how this would appeal to everyone, but it totally resonated with me and kept me delighted.At its heart, this is a story about acceptance and seeing someone for who they are on the inside. That is such a worthy view, and one I wholeheartedly agree with. There's definitely an element of cheesiness here that could feel a bit much. At times, it borderlines on preachy, but that's only a few paragraphs here and there, and the humor helps to balance it out. Occasionally, I come across a book I fall in love with from the very first page, and that's what happened here. This sweet, whimsical, quirky, funny, and magical story gave me all the feelies. I laughed, I cried, I smiled so much that my cheeks hurt. Its message of kindness, joy, and unity makes my heart soar. Honestly, what more could I ask for?~~~~~~~~~~~~See also, my thoughts on:Under the Whispering Door~~~~~~~~~~~~

IM FUCKING SOBBING. S O B B I N G . This shit hit different and I too, want to live in the House in the Cerulean Sea.Reading Vlog : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h-ln...Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |

So... this was unexpected.I'm not sure if it's 2020 or the Holidays getting to me but this was very wholesome!This definitely felt a bit like a children's book but the characters were attaching and I definitely laughed/smiled a few times while listening to this audiobook.

omfg this was so cute I am DYING

i have actively avoided this book. even with all the hype its gotten over the past year and half, the story just didnt interest me in the slightest. but then i read TJKs ‘under the whispering door’ and it broke me. so here i am. hoping to have a similar experience. and i did. gosh, there are so many little nuggets of wisdom and truth embedded in this. there are also moments of pure happiness and love. like this adorable gem: ‘youre too precious to put into words. i think… its like one of theodores buttons. if you asked him why he cared about them so, he would tell you its because they exist at all.’ i cant really add much to the thousands of reviews that have already been posted for this book. but for me, personally, this story is wonderfully life-affirming and gives me the hope in humanity that i desperately need.↠ 5 stars

This is one goddamn fairytale. An original one. Which won't be retold in such perfection. I can see authors trying to tell their versions of this fairytale in 2050. Even then, they will find this hidden in the internet archives that once a reviewer gramma wrote this and they would be low-key panicking whenever there's the feeling of thinking of rewriting this precious goddamn fairytale 😎There's this stepmother (mean, biased fairytale writers! Why only stepmothers are grouchy bad eh??!)...well, I repeat, there's this cruel, strict stepmother-like top organization which send formal check rounds to see if the orphanages were functioning prim and proper. A clueless prince is sent to an orphan home set miles away which an ocean (oh, Cerulean! Oh, it's a sea, not an ocean but the ocean is an ocean in the fairytale) seemingly keeps the living creatures (I meant that) in it separated from the rest of the world (sometimes I feel the word world is so undramatic. I wanted to use the universe or the galaxy. But that would not just fit.)So this prince arrives, gets entangled in a mess like situation which makes him feel like he's been made fun of, or not taken seriously at all, or just that he's been taken as someone easy to be with. And then there's this protective-as-heck-about-his-kids he. Yass, my he. The other he. (Stop it!) Nah. The he who's going to be the one who slow burns the grandma reviewer here with his being he. And these two hes will join forces in their fairy tale to actually fast burn the reader grandma towards the end with all their (beep..beep...beep). And then there's my (okay, they are my family now. So my. Mine.) I repeat, then there's my kids, oh the little naughty, cute, broken, scarred, beautiful, scary, wonderful, playful demons.(I didn't know I was the one who was going to write the retelling of this book. Nah. I would go and write the rest of this in my blog because GoodReads reviews are meant to have reviews...so here I go to my old blog. I have to write about the kids and the mayor and the two MCs!!!! 🙋 🎧 🧟 run don't walk away ⚔️ oh, she's sweet but a psycho 🎶 (Warning: this ain't a good review. Review? Forget it. It's just me going crazy about how much I love this book.)Still in a daze. Since 5th September. The night I finished up reading this book and I am going to write a review which betrays justice. Yes, I am the criminal book reviewer reviewing books like my life depends on it when in real it's real. (See what I mean?!)***Book hangover. My damon babies 💕😭🤗🤛🤛 Arthur. Linus. Phee. Talia. Even Calliope.****How can I ever get to get over this book?! 10 days after reading the book and I still feel the lump in my throat because I am still freaking happy and my feelings tend to crack like my heart cannot bear the love pain I have for the me-screaming-happy happy ending.Sorry, I don't think I will ever get to write a proper mean review about this book. Like ever. Because it always has its way to unravel the muscle fibres of my heart to distinct skeletal, smooth and cardiac. Yes, there's no going back!🙋

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. KluneEnjoyed meeting all the magical characters. The children were totally charming, and the adult characters were equally delightful. Beautifully written and full of humor and whimsy with a touch of romance. This was a heartwarming story of a middle-aged man finding what truly matters in life. We should always make time for the things we like. If we don't, we might forget how to be happy. So adorable.

An extraordinary treat for both T.J. Klune fans and those new to his writing, The House in the Cerulean Sea is a heart-warming, wholesome, diverse, ridiculous, and completely lovable fantasy story. As a long-time T.J. Klune fan, as I'm sure many of you are, I know you are asking yourself what this book will be like now that T.J. Klune is publishing with the big boys. I'm very happy to report that the book read just like I was expecting it to, which means tight writing, romance (!), queer characters everywhere (natch), and a story you won't want to put down.I wasn't sure how this book would be, to be honest, because it is billed as "contemporary fantasy," and I'm not really a fantasy reader. And, really, I'm surprised it's a contemporary because I would have placed the timeline as further in the past due to some of the details, but that's not really here nor there. It isn't an high fantasy, so it is good for low fantasy readers who simply like a little magic in their world, like me. But the bottom line is if you've enjoyed TJ's books in the past, you'll love this story. And if you are new to him, you'll soon be devouring his backlist. Welcome to the club.I think this book could be enjoyed by all readers of all ages. It is probably meant for adults, but it's a great read for those as young as middle grade (I would let my 5th grader read it if her reading level was advanced enough). It has a lot of important lessons about how we judge one another and what our preconceived notions are about other people, and in this world, the more gentle learning we can take in, the better. It does edge a bit towards sentimental at times, but it just adds to the charm. TJ is very adept at writing interesting young characters, and that's where this book really shines. The children in this story are all heart-breaking, and funny (the BEST parts of the story), and you'll fall in love with them all. I would be hard-pressed to pick my favorites, but Lucy and Chauncey stood out for me. Lucy has some of the best contrasts in the book, and Chauncey is just so pure. *1,000 heart-eye emojis.*The story is fairly long, but that just means more to savor. You won't be bored for one minute, and you'll leave the story feeling happy and hopeful. With his typical beautiful writing and unique style, T.J. Klune makes The House in the Cerulean Sea shine. With no end to his imagination in sight, I can't wait to see what TJ will come up with next. *Copy provided in exchange for an honest review* goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog

this book is instant serotoninIt is a perfect magical escapist story filled with whimsy and enchantment. If you want a book that will make you happy from the first page to the last, look no further!

Calliope was my favorite!For the past 17 years, Linus Baker has been living a quiet life as a caseworker. He visits orphanages that are homes for children who are magical creatures. However, Linus is assigned to a top-secret mission: to inspect an orphanage for five very special magical creatures and their leader, Arthur. What will Linus discover?First of all, the cover to this book is simply phenomenal! I have heard many people describe this book as a hug. And I did find it enjoyable and adorable. The cat, Calliope, was my favorite character (Is anyone really surprised by that?). This book was also unique and magical, and the fantasy wasn’t confusing or difficult to imagine. The characters were distinct enough that I was able to keep try of all of them.That being said, this book seemed a little preachy and long-winded at times. “Don’t you wish you were here?” was mentioned ten times. It would have been more poignant if it wasn’t referenced so many times. Overall, a very enjoyable read. 2022 Reading ScheduleJan Animal FarmFeb Lord of the FliesMar The Da Vinci CodeApr Of Mice and MenMay Memoirs of a GeishaJun Little WomenJul The Lovely BonesAug Charlotte's WebSep Life of PiOct DraculaNov Gone with the WindDec The Secret GardenConnect With Me!Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books. A delightfully pleasant cozy fantasy book that will leave you smiling from beginning to end.This book was not written for someone like me. I like huge, epic fantasy - and the darker and bloodier the most I will usually like it. So read a "cute", low stakes fantasy is just so contrary to what my tastes are.But I actually had a good time reading this, and it actually served as a good palate cleaner between the more dense books than I am used to. While no part of this book "wowed" me, I just constant had a smile on my face while reading and was engrossed in finding out what would happen here with the plot - even though it's extremely obvious from the beginning. The characters are the stars here, and are just so easy to fall in love with. Each of them is well developed and goes through nice character growth in a short amount of pages.I'm going to keep this review short since seemingly everyone has read this book before and I'm no adding anything new to the discussion here, but I would recommend this to any fantasy fan who is alright with reading something slower and "cuter" than the traditional fantasy book.

truly perfection. this will 100% make my best of 2020 list come december. my heart is so very full. Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | TwitchBuddy read with Maëlys! ❤

This little gem completely snuck up on me, but I totally fell in love with both the story and every single one of the characters -- especially the six supernatural kids.For the first ten percent (ish) of the book, we were introduced to Linus, who led a boring existence, simply going thru the motions, with no real life or friends to speak of.These parts had a teeny tiny bit of humor, but honestly, if I hadn't already known that Klune wrote it, there wasn't anything to really indicate that fact for me. Mainly because I was kind of... bored?The cure for that boredom was administered and immediately took effect the moment that Linus stepped off the train on his way to the island.As a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), Linus' initial reception by the residents of the island couldn't be called a warm one, but then again, their fates were all tied to his investigation, so you couldn't exactly blame them?As the story proceeded, and the fact that Linus genuinely cared for both their mental and physical well-being, one by one, everyone on the island not only came to trust him, but also genuinely care for him in return.And Linus' previously boring and predictable life changed very much for the better, which was damned awesome to witness.This was truly a book best approached knowing very little about the island's inhabitants ahead of time, so I'll just say that they were a pleasant mixture of shy, devious, morbid, inquisitive, adventurous, and funny, which really worked well in pulling the reader in and getting them completely invested.The drama in the story was divided between the threat of Linus' investigation allowing the DICOMY to close down the orphanage and the backwards views (and threats) from some of the townsfolk in the village close to the island, but both resulted in manageable levels of angst.The level of feels in the story was relatively high, with both the "record money" and "buttons" parts seriously pulling at my heart strings. I never cried, but it was a close thing a couple of times, let me tell you.Aside from the humor, my favorite parts of the book were when both of the MC's became fiercely protective of the children, going to any lengths required to ensure their safety and happiness.If Klune's usual readers find any fault with this story, I strongly suspect it would be in regard to the love story.Was there a romance? Yes. But is this predominantly a romance? No, not a very in-depth one, even if the story didn't demand one to feel complete.Overall, I'd rate this book at around 4.75 "Don’t you wish you were here?" stars and strongly recommend it to both fans of TJ and also readers looking for something slightly different.-----------------------------------------------See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)-----------------------------------------------