“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune

My family has been recommending me this book for ages now. My sister actually bought me a copy as a Christmas present and that’s how I got my hands on it. I had heard about it before, good things of course, and had heard that the author is asexual. So of course I wanted to read it!

It is a light read to be sure, but it’s enjoyable. The story follows Linus Baker, a caseworker for the governmental department in charge of magical youth who evaluates the orphanages that magical children live in, to make sure that they are being cared for. He does everything by the book, to the letter, and exactly as the rules and regulations dictate. He is, in fact, so thorough, that Extremely Upper Management assigns him to a case where he must live in a remote orphanage for a month, and report back on whether he thinks it should remain open or not. This orphanage is different though, one of the children is the Antichrist, and the others are just as unusual. He is reluctant and frightened, but during his stay there he learns about the children and about himself. He also learns that the man in charge of the orphanage, Arthur, is a magical being himself. By the end of the book, Linus has convinced Extremely Upper Management to keep the orphanage open, has moved into the orphanage himself, and is getting married to Arthur!

So the main conceit of the book is not too hard to guess. It’s all about prejudice and deciding that you know a person before you even speak to them. The children have had everyone decide who they are and what to do with them since they are born, it isn’t until they come to the orphanage and meet Arthur that an adult actually lets them be children. There’s a scene at an ice cream shop that directly parallels images from the civil rights movement in the US of course. But the gang finds allies in the mayor of the town that the orphanage is in, and they manage to start some change and win some hearts.

It's also really nice to see a queer romance from a queer author that doesn’t veer into unhealthy tropes. Linus is never unsure of his sexuality or deals with internalized homophobia. He simply deals with the fact that he’s scared to take a leap of faith on another man, something that we all deal with regardless of our sexuality. It’s nice to see, for a change. Not every book has to deal with all of the hardships of coming out and being yourself. And it’s written by an asexual gay man!

If you need a feel good gay story, this is just the book to read! Nothing serious, but all around enjoyable with a good message. One of the reviewers said that it’s like being wrapped up in a gay blanket and I really think that’s a good way to describe it.