Following on the heels of Legends and Lattes, I’ve recently finished another light-hearted read, The house in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. My co-reviewer here, Mel, makes no secret of her love for his Wolfsong series so I thought I’d see what the fuss is about.
“We should always make time for the things we like. If we don’t, we might forget how to be happy.”
Stuck in a rut
The story revolves around Linus Baker, a forty-year-old case worker who investigates orphanages for the department of magical children in a world that treats the existence of such as well known secret. Having given up on love or career in his twenties, he’s stuck in a rut until he’s called upon by extremely upper management (a name I love every time it’s mentioned) to spend a month in a very particular orphanage that houses none other than the antichrist.
By the nature of the plot, the book starts slow. Whilst we get a glimpse into another of Linus’ investigations, the majority of the first quarter of the book consisted of seeing his everyday life. We see the offices with his snarky boss and assistant who delights in the petty. We see his home with his cat and nosey neighbour. We see how he constantly forgets his umbrella in a city that always rains (As a forgetful person who lives in the north of England, this last bit certainly hit home).
In this first quarter we don’t, however, see much of immediate interest.
This is all crucial to his character arc and lays the groundwork for the great moments later, but that doesn’t stop it feeling like a grind. The saving grace is that the core concept of the antichrist in an orphanage is an extremely good hook. Whilst slow, the story does build to this and the dramatic irony of knowing what Linus is due to find out works to keeps my interest.
“He couldn’t believe it was only Wednesday. And it was made worse when he realized it was actually Tuesday.”
To the island
Mild spoiler for the 30% mark in this paragraph, I’m afraid, but I felt it was worth discussing. Feel free to skip to the next section.
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If you are reading this, you’ve set yourself apart from Linus. As when he does eventually make it to the orphanage, he does so with a file containing all the details of the children. He doesn’t read past the first page.
Whilst a little contrived, this plot convenience does allow us to meet each child with no idea about them, and through the equally naïve Linus. Each child gets to astound and confuse us whilst Linus gets to grip with who or, more accurately, what they are.
The whole introduction scene is a masterclass in characterisation. The children are immediately distinct and not just because of their supernatural natures. Each personality is immediately obvious and sticks with you. Even though you’re introduced to six characters in rather quick succession, you leave with strong impressions of all of them.
These impressions stick with you for the entire book. Whilst each kid grows during the course of the story, they all stay true to their initial nature and delight us with their unique personalities. They truly are the strength of the book.
“Regardless of what else he is, he is still a child, as they all are. And don’t all children deserve to be protected?”
Love on the rocks
If you haven’t read my Legends and Lattes review (though I suggest you do), I mention my disappointment with how the romance is handled. Whilst the concept and core was there, how the relationship progressed didn’t entice me and didn’t get me urging the characters to kiss already!
‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ succeeded in this regard, on every point that Legends and Lattes left me feeling dissatisfied. Early on we see the chemistry between them, and this only builds as Linus struggles to keep the impartiality he was hired for.
The feelings develop so naturally, and with each scene they grow closer, I find myself hoping they’d get over themselves and just admit it already. It’s hard to put my finger on why this works where others failed, but ultimately I think there is just the perfect balance of why they should be together, and why they can’t. A tussle that truly hooks you in.
“You’re too precious to put into words. I think … it’s like one of Theodore’s buttons. If you asked him why he cared about them so, he would tell you it’s because they exist at all.”
Rough waters
I would be negligent not to touch upon the issue with this book. If you read through goodreads reviews (and I imagine across reviews elsewhere), you’ll find out that this book is loosely inspired by the sixties scoop in Canada.
If you’re not familiar, I recommend looking into it and reading about it from people far more informed than I am. The essential gist is that tens of thousands of indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to live with middle class white families, or in residential schools.
TJ Klune, in an interview, stated that this inspired the beginnings of this book. He also stated that as a CIS white dude, he couldn’t understand what they went through and so he wrote it as a fantasy.
These other reviews make strong points, that it’s wrong to take away from ‘own voices’ and making light of these sorts of issues can downplay them. The arguments are correct but I feel like the basis is not. They ignore the fact that the analogies are slim and loose. The book is set in an orphanage, with children who weren’t taken from their families, amongst other dissimilarities. They also ignore the rest of the context of the podcast TJ Klune mentioned this in.
He goes on to talk about the other horrendous acts other countries have carried out, how most governments have played a part in similar issues and how these all get swept under the rug. A theme that’s very present in the book.
Despite it being an easy read, the strongest through lines are how the kids face prejudice from most others, and how Linus ignores the rest of the system. He doesn’t look into what happens if an orphanage is closed, he just trusts extremely upper management. His whole arc comes from challenging these preconceptions and learning to look closer. This book does justice in that way.
‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ isn’t a retelling of the sixties scoop with new names and a fantasy flavour. That, I would have strong objection to. This a story about six kids who are being let down by a system. It’s a story about orphans and bureaucracy, and that sometimes kids are just that, kids.
Whilst it may have began as an idea with these thorny issues, I personally don’t feel like it’s problematic. It’s a story that doesn’t hide away from the depth inherent with its setting, even if it doesn’t address its origin.
“Sometimes our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.”
Reaching harbour
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each scene adds to the story whilst delivering a parcel of fun. The epistolary inclusion of Linus’ reports were enjoyable and added to the foreboding in sections. The characters were strong and a lot of thought was given to how we enjoy the story.
Whilst the main plot of the investigation gets muddied, the clarity of the romance takes over and vice versa. This book gives you scenes to enjoy and reason to read the next ones. I shall certainly be picking up another book by TJ Klune soon.
Also, if he never writes a Chauncey spinoff where he sets off to achieve his dreams, I shall be sad.
“All that sunlight. I’m used to only rain.“
Beyond The Spine Reviews 