The House in the Cerulean Sea
2020 · TJ Klune · 396 pages · Fantasy
TJ Klune's 2020 fantasy novel about a lonely caseworker sent to evaluate an orphanage of magical children on a remote island is the literary equivalent of a warm blanket. It's gentle, affirming, frequently funny, and utterly committed to the idea that love and acceptance can overcome fear and prejudice. The found-family dynamics are beautifully handled, the characters are endearing, and the romance at the center is tender without being saccharine. It doesn't challenge readers much, and critics of cozy fantasy will find it too sweet. But for the audience it's written for, and that audience is enormous, it delivers exactly what it promises: hope, warmth, and the conviction that different doesn't mean dangerous.