The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House on the Cerulean Sea is a book with magical children, unique characters, and a found family, in which the main character unexpectedly forms a family with others despite obvious differences. The novel is centered around a case worker who works for a government institution called DICOMY. This case worker, named Linus, starts out as a quiet and solitary middle aged man who has done the same work for seventeen years, and makes it his goal to execute his work in accordance with the rules. His job as a case worker is to inspect orphanages in order to ensure the welfare of the children and decide whether it is allowed to remain open. In the novel, Linus is offered an opportunity to work on a classified level four assignment by his superiors, where he would work with a special orphanage on an isolated island with children of the extreme variety, he is told. He decides to take on the job, even with all the confusion circling his mind, wondering why he was chosen for such a task. Eventually, Linus makes his way to the island, where he realizes that most of the ordinary non magical inhabitants of the area both fear and hate the magical islanders. On the island, he meets the master of the orphanage, Arthur Parnassus, the island sprite, and of course, all six children. All six children are uniquely described, and vary in individuality. And though the children were made out to be dangerous and difficult, only one of them truly shocks him, that being the Antichrist, a young boy named Lucy who Linus greatly fers at first. The other five do surprise him as well, but he eventually forms a deep understanding of all the island inhabitants, learning their true identities. Once he realizes that the children are more than their paper files, and that Arthur truly cares for the children like his own family, Linus decides that the orphanage is not at fault, but DICOMY itself for segregating the magical children from other children. Linus also forms strong bonds with the children, and undergoes a romantic relationship with Arthur as well. Ultimately, Linus leaves the island to finish his job and leave recommendations for the orphanage, only to return again to reunite with his found family, adopt the magical children, and wed Arthur. Looking back, the book was warm, comforting, and a slow, and easy read, with a sweet story which centers around a few characters who learn to understand each other and form a loving found family. The story can also be interpreted as a critique on discrimination among children, with the themes of prejudice applicable to the real world today.