paperback, 416 pages
Published Feb. 2, 2021 by Tor Books.
Linus is an uptight caseworker with a heart of gold working for the department in charge of magical youth. When he goes to investigate an orphanage on an island with supposedly dangerous children and an enigmatic leader Arthur, he’s expecting the worst. But it turns out he might be falling in love with Arthur and his charges.
I was iffy in the beginning and well into the middle, but i cried over children for the last couple of chapters. (Im not sure i actually care that much about any of the adults??)
Seamos sinceros: estamos ya hartos de las grandes aventura y de los señores faes de moralidad dudosa y grandes dotes en el arte de amar. Y el cozy fantasy es nuestro escape, nuestra contracultura de la contracultura. Y este libro es un buen lugar por el que empezar.
Situemos en un mundo muy parecido al nuestro aunque hay seres sobrenaturales y estos tienen descendencia y a veces (demasiadas la verdad) estos quedan huérfanos y hay tantos que hasta crean una nueva sección en Servicios Sociales para visitar y valorar estos sitios y la posible peligrosidad de estos niños. Y Linus Baker es uno de estos trabajadores con mayor antigüedad.
Un día recibe el encargo de ir a un orfanato que está fuera de los registros y que entre los niños que va a ver se encuentra el posible Anticristo pero el mayor problema será que el director del mismo es …
Seamos sinceros: estamos ya hartos de las grandes aventura y de los señores faes de moralidad dudosa y grandes dotes en el arte de amar. Y el cozy fantasy es nuestro escape, nuestra contracultura de la contracultura. Y este libro es un buen lugar por el que empezar.
Situemos en un mundo muy parecido al nuestro aunque hay seres sobrenaturales y estos tienen descendencia y a veces (demasiadas la verdad) estos quedan huérfanos y hay tantos que hasta crean una nueva sección en Servicios Sociales para visitar y valorar estos sitios y la posible peligrosidad de estos niños. Y Linus Baker es uno de estos trabajadores con mayor antigüedad.
Un día recibe el encargo de ir a un orfanato que está fuera de los registros y que entre los niños que va a ver se encuentra el posible Anticristo pero el mayor problema será que el director del mismo es la persona más amable, paciente y misteriosa que Linus ha conocido en su aburrida y monótona vida.
La cosa de los cozy fantasy es que la historia puede parecer casi predecible hasta que no lo es. Hay comentarios muy interesantes sobre como la sociedad ve a los niños que choca con como son en verdad, sobre la identidad y las locuras que hacemos por encajar ocultando esas partes de nosotros que no nos gustan y como los seres más inocentes nos aceptan sin más porque lo único que les importa es ser queridos y respetados.
Vas a llorar, reír, reír tontamente porque Linus y Arthur son idiotas que no saben que están el uno por el otro (yo me imagino a Michael Sheen como Linus y a Taika Waititi como Arthur, para que os hagáis una idea) y vas a querer adoptar a todos esos pequeños (incluso a Lucy, el supuesto Anticristo). Pero sobre todo vas a pasar un maravilloso rato y vas a leer su epilogo tantas veces como la escena del beso de la primera temporada de Our Flag Means Death.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a young adult story story about Linus Baker, a case worker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth (DICOMY) who is sent to investigate Marsya Island Orphanage, a government-sanctioned orphanage where a number of unique children currently reside. Deemed “dangerous” by the government these children are looked after by Arthur Parnassus, a mysterious man with a secret of his own. Linus, who would rather spend his days at home listening to golden oldies in the presence of his cat, Calliope, initially just wants to remain impartial, observe the children, make his report and then head home. Instead, what he finds on Marsya Island will change him forever.
I’m in two minds about this book. One the one hand, it was kinda cosy and warm and hopeful. On the other hand I cannot ignore that it was apparently inspired by the Sixties Scoop. …
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a young adult story story about Linus Baker, a case worker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth (DICOMY) who is sent to investigate Marsya Island Orphanage, a government-sanctioned orphanage where a number of unique children currently reside. Deemed “dangerous” by the government these children are looked after by Arthur Parnassus, a mysterious man with a secret of his own. Linus, who would rather spend his days at home listening to golden oldies in the presence of his cat, Calliope, initially just wants to remain impartial, observe the children, make his report and then head home. Instead, what he finds on Marsya Island will change him forever.
I’m in two minds about this book. One the one hand, it was kinda cosy and warm and hopeful. On the other hand I cannot ignore that it was apparently inspired by the Sixties Scoop. A real government policy from Canada where indigenous children were institutionalised in government care homes. It also reminded me a lot of Australia’s Stolen Generation, something that only ended within recent living history. But, this is a book review and not a history lesson. So I will just mention that I thought about these things within the context of this story, as I think it is important to acknowledge the background for the book. I will now move onto the rest of the review.
At face value the book was mostly delightful. I did enjoy all the characters, especially Linus who I grew quite fond of. I found myself wanting to learn more about some characters, like Zoe, the island’s caretaker. The setting was interesting with location of the home being on a secluded island with lots of space for children to roam. And I feel like the writing was reasonably well done. I did struggle a little at first as the story didn’t immediately grab me, but around the half way point it improved and I ended up really liking the story, for what it was.
There were some minor issues, at times I found the concept of Lucy to be a bit over the top and I don’t want to say cliche, but yes, cliche. Also sometimes it felt like the book wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. There were some comedic elements that you would normally only find in satire, like the office executives were called “Extremely Upper Management”. At times the story read like it was aimed at much younger readers - it had the feel of a children’s book - while at other times it had some pretty adult concepts like the philosophical discussions that Linus and Arthur had at one point, where they name dropped Kant, who is a german philosopher. It’s also heavily implied that all the children are dangerous in some way, but that is only really explored with maybe two or three of the children, aside from confronting prejudices.
That said I found the book to be somewhat hopeful in the way that change came about for everyone. For the children on the island, the nearby village, for Linus and Arthur, and even for DICOMY too. It presented kindness and positivity, even in the face of judgement and trauma. Perhaps sometimes a little too much, sometimes. So I think if you are looking for an easy read full of love and hope then this book might be for you.
A hopeful book about seeing the good in people.
I don't know what I was expecting when I picked this book up, but it turned out to be a charming gay romance story but also so much more.
Sweet romantic queer dramedy with charming magical children. My only two complaints are that the general course of the plot was predictable from quite near the beginning and that the Underlying Message was conveyed entirely without subtlety. It's a good message, mind you, but I prefer the moral of the story to be offered rather than being hot over the head with it. But it's a fun and quick read and I definitely recommend it.
Un libro que me compré en un aeropuerto, por leer algo mientras mi avión se retrasaba. Y menuda maravilla.
Es una historia muy tierna, con humor a veces sutil, a veces desternillante. Unos personajes que te dan ganas de abrazar todo el rato y, creo que lo que más me gusta, unes niñes que puedes creerte. En definitiva, personajes con buen diseño.
La historia, pese a ser previsible, te hace disfrutar del viaje. Que al final, es de lo que se trata. Me gusta el slow burn, me gusta la representación positiva que hace (de hecho, me encanta que la orientación de la gente no suponga ningún drama, los dramas van por otro lado) y una reflexión interesante sobre la bondad humana. ¿Se nace o se hace?
No sé si estaba más tierna de lo habitual, pero me ha gustado mucho. Tanto, que me he hecho una lista de música …
Un libro que me compré en un aeropuerto, por leer algo mientras mi avión se retrasaba. Y menuda maravilla.
Es una historia muy tierna, con humor a veces sutil, a veces desternillante. Unos personajes que te dan ganas de abrazar todo el rato y, creo que lo que más me gusta, unes niñes que puedes creerte. En definitiva, personajes con buen diseño.
La historia, pese a ser previsible, te hace disfrutar del viaje. Que al final, es de lo que se trata. Me gusta el slow burn, me gusta la representación positiva que hace (de hecho, me encanta que la orientación de la gente no suponga ningún drama, los dramas van por otro lado) y una reflexión interesante sobre la bondad humana. ¿Se nace o se hace?
No sé si estaba más tierna de lo habitual, pero me ha gustado mucho. Tanto, que me he hecho una lista de música con las canciones del libro.
Content warning discussion of what I didn't like, which might spoil your appreciation
The theme of chosen family and the bright possibility of magical/other children raised outside society's fears and condemnation sets up some enjoyable characters, but the story-telling, the authorial interjections over the ham-fisted oblivious protagonist, and the plausibility of every tense interaction either being ignored or deferred to a handy ultimately benevolent existing power at any level... all the worst aspects of YA that wants to tackle hard topics with a heavy simplifying gloss.
