young adult, fantasy
Linus is a case worker, investigating homes for magical children, when he is given a top secret assignment unexpectedly. His tedious, predictable, lonely life is suddenly thrown into chaos.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with The House in the Cerulean Sea but I saw a few
friends had read and enjoyed it. Because of the cover, I was expecting a young
adult novel. But most of the time, I felt like I was listening to a novel geared
for middle-schoolers.
The characters were caricature-ish and, certainly, quirky
and extreme in their mannerisms. But, at the same time, they seemed to fit the
atmosphere perfectly and were lovable in their own ways. The morals in the
story are clear—be your best self, be inclusive, be kind—not only to others but
to yourself, surround yourself with people you love. The ending was no surprise
but it was still a charming story. At its core, it’s a story about acceptance.
The audiobook narrator was Daniel Henning.
What a treasure trove of different voices! However, I do feel the way he read
it made it feel more juvenile than it might have felt had I read it myself.
He’d be a perfect children’s book narrator. However, he’s American while T.J. Klune seemingly intended for the setting to be British, based on the
terminology and phrasing (e.g., something was “nicked”, someone was “sacked”,
the kids studied “maths”, someone had “elderberry mints”). So, it was an odd
choice to cast this narrator, in my opinion. I feel it would have felt more appropriate
if Henning spoke with a British accent. He did voice one of the key characters with
a British accent, but only one. Despite this irritation, Henning’s vocal
repertoire was so amazing that I have to give him an A+. Bravo!
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