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Reading the etymology of ‘cerulean’, it (possibly) traces its origins back to the Latin for heaven. Which is the perfect word for The House in the Cerulean Sea: heavenly.
That’s it, review done.
Okay, fine. I’ll write a bit more. This book made me laugh out loud and ugly cry — all at the same time. I think the last time that happened was watching The Big Sick on a plane home from India.
To give a brief intro, the story centres around caseworker Linus Baker, who reads the rules and regulations to relax. When he’s set a new case to work on, he finds those rules and regulations aren’t the comfort he hoped for, and his view of the world is put to the test.
To be frank, I wasn’t sure I’d like Linus at first. He was so beige and was beige about being beige. But, if you feel the same, stick with it. Stick with him. You’ll be happy you did.
Despite being a writer, it’s hard to put into words why I loved this story. Yes, it’s a tale about discovering the magic in yourself and learning to see the magic in others. Yes, it’s a story about just because people are different doesn’t they’re bad. Yes, it is extraordinary…but also so ordinary.
It’s your regular boy-meets-boy tale…and that is run-of-the-mill in the world TJ Klune writes about here. I want to say that’s refreshing, but really, it’s about time.
Okay, they happen to be surround by magical creatures. But what is most magical is the characters and their relationships, and how they and those relationships grow over time.
And Calliope, Calliope is the most magical and extraordinary creature of all. You have to read it to know what I mean.