The House in the Cerulean Sea – TK Klune (Audio Narrator Daniel Henning)

This magical realism book about an Linus, a caseworker  for the dystopian society’s Department in Charge of Magical Youth is a coming of middle age story.  Linus catches the eye of “extremely upper management” due to his thorough reports on the “orphanages” that house children with magical powers who have no family. He even closed a few where abuse was present. In this age, the ability to do something classified as magic is carefully controlled and generally a “See something Say something” societal stigma.  And on an island near a tourist town by the sea is an “orphanage” housing the  most “problematic” youth, overseen by Arthur, a thoughtful, kind man helping them to control their magic and be the best they can be.  Extremely Upper Management wants Linus to spend a month there and the underlying message is that he should find Arther so problematic that Linus recommends closure.

I know many, many people have read this novel but to describe these children, Linus’s cat, their passions, some with aspirations that are sweet, some with aspirations that are sinister would result in spoiler because there are worthwhile things to talk about on every page and little details can be a big surprise about who they are, what they can do and where they seem to be headed.  A lovely adult magical being is present with them on the Island and helping one of her kind, a child there.  And Arthur.  Who connects so well with all of his charges and with Linus.  But Linus must be objective.  He must write thorough reports.  He must look for dirt and be honest.  And so, he must try to keep his distance from Arthur and that’s not easy as Linus, a gay reclusive, workaholic with a cat and sunflowers, no friends, no relationships, has finally found people who challenge his shell.  He joins them for dinner each night as his cottage has no kitchen.  He goes along on their special Saturday activities.  He starts to be aware of a larger world in this small place and he fears and is attracted to it.  

I loved the whole novel sewn together with one delicious moment after another.  There is tons of humor.  The characters  are developed to perfection with a storyline that is about values and love and fear and magic and prejudice and overcoming hardship all wrapped up in constantly entertaining writing.  The audio book narration was excellent.