The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

 Sunday, Mar. 31, 2024--San Antonio

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is the first in a set of two books dealing with a group home for magical children.  (I think the author must have loved Harry Potter!)  In society, there are normal people, and there are those born with magical powers.  For the "good" of the majority, the government has set up special homes for those who are magical--to keep them separate from everyone else.  They also have implemented a "See something, say something" campaign to make sure that no magical person escapes the system.  Linus Baker is a case worker for the government who is sent to investigate the "orphanages" (although the children are not necessarily orphans; some have just been removed from their parents) where magical children are housed.  He has done this for 20+ years, living a rather bland life, following the rules of his job with fever, and feeling good about himself for always putting what is best for the children first in his field inspection reports.  He is "married" to the rules and regulations after all these years.  In the book, though, he is spent on a special mission to a unique home--one he didn't even know existed.  It is on an island just of the coast and having only a few children.  One of them is very unique, and the governing board is worried that the child could be a danger to others.  He is the Antichrist--the very young son of the devil.  Linus tries to do his inspection by-the-book as an objective evaluator.  But that is hard.  The children are fascinating.  They want to hold his hand.  They want him to go on their weekend exploration adventure.  And the two adults on the island with the children are just as casual and want him to use their first names.  With a month on the island to gather information and do his report, it becomes harder and harder for him to resist the pulls on him--the joy of being at the sunny seaside instead of the rainy city, the joy and humor of the irresistible children, the skills he observes the two adults using in teaching and guiding the children, and even the attractiveness of Aurthur, the man in charge of the home.  At the same time, the nearby coastal community, even though the residents are paid to ignore the home and its occupants, there are grumblings and the residents are more and more fearful as they hear rumors.  Soon Linus begins to wonder if the administrators who assigned him this job have an ulterior motive for having done so.  It's an interesting book written for both children and adults.  And it has some ties to political happenings in today's world.  I wouldn't call it great literature, but it is a good read.  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.