Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea

The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) by T.J. Klune

YA | Fiction | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQ

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they're likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren't the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

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My Review

There are two types of AMAZING books that a reader can fall in love with. First, the type of book you absolutely cannot put down until you finish. And, second, the type of book that is just so great, you want to SAVOR it, so you read it as slowly as humanly possible so that you can make it last. Well, this book was the latter. I absolutely did not want it to end, so I read the last few chapters ever-so-slowly in an attempt to make it last. But of course, all books have to end, even the perfect ones. And that is what this book was: Perfect.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an absolute masterpiece and should be treated as such. The main character, Linus, is relatable in a unique way, and each of the people he encounters is just as exceptional. I promise I didn't cry toward the end.

Why this book?

I originally chose to read The House in the Cerulean Sea after it was recommended for my 30-book friend recommendation challenge. I already messaged the person who chose this book to thank you, as I now believe that all should read this book.

Note: TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door was also chosen for this challenge. I am currently seventh in line at the library for the paperback copy, and will post the review as soon as I read it!

The Good Things

1. The world-building (DICOMY, especially) is utterly fantastic.

2. Each of the primary/secondary characters, children and adults alike, is written so well that it is impossible not to love them all - even those you shouldn't.

3. Everything. Everything was good.

4. 
   

The Bad Things

1. I am having a very hard time finding anything bad to say about this book. Maybe that it's a standalone novel and not a series? I could read more. Much more.

My Final Rating

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- The House in the Cerulean Sea. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: Equinox (arc)

Equinox (2022) by David Towsey

Fiction | Fantasy | Sci-fi

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Everyone is not as they seem in this fantasy novel, replete with war, witchcraft and secrets.

Christophor Morden lives in a world where everybody changes with the rising and setting of the sun. For every person contains two distinct identities – a day brother and a night brother. One never sees the light, the other nothing of night.

One evening Christophor, one of the king's special unit of witch hunters, is woken early by a call to the city prison. A young woman has torn her own eyes out, and the police suspect supernatural causes. The investigation takes Christophor far from home, to a village on the edge of the kingdom.

There he will find his witch – and his night brother will find himself desperate to save her. And as this battle of the self rages, the witch's ancient and apocalyptic ritual comes ever closer to completion...

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

When reading the description of this book, my first thought was, "this sounds intriguing!" My first thoughts were right, as this book was certainly intriguing. However, the first half of this book is confusing, and it takes far too long to get to the good parts of the story. Had the first half matched the second, I would have given this four stars.

Note: Though this is a good book, I firmly believe that it may be better suited for a television show (or long movie). I think that the concepts would play out much more nicely on screen, and I'm not usually the type of person to say that about a book.

The Good Things

1. The overall concept of the story is fantastic! The idea that day and night are wholly different is interesting.

2. The characters (though they were a tad lackluster) in relation to the concept of day and night: it's certainly a well-designed idea that the night and day parts of characters affect one another.

3. I think it is important to say that the cover is gorgeous. Many potential readers look at a cover of a book FIRST, then turn to the book's summary (which is lacking), then to reviews.

The Bad Things

1. As I mentioned before, the book's first half was a tad confusing, and I had a hard time understanding where the plot was going. It can be hard to build an entire world right off the bat, but I feel like the first 50% (or so) was lacking significantly. The second half of the book gets much better and makes much more sense. If you can deal with this flaw, then read on!

2. I didn't LOVE the writing style. However, writing style IS the type of thing that is up to the reader, so my personal opinion on this matter may not matter much.

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Release Date: May 12, 2022. Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: Blind Eye

Blind Eye (2021) by Anna Holmes

Fiction | Mystery | Thriller

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Amazon)

Set in the Indonesian rainforest, Blind Eye is a fast paced political environmental thriller exploring moral predicaments and personal choices. Ben is an economist whose life is falling to pieces. The last thing he needs right now is to compile a report for the government on sustainable exportation of timber from Indonesia. But he has got to keep the pennies rolling in. Everyone seems to have an angle. The Government want to trade, the businessmen want low cost products, the environmentalists want to maintain endangered habitats, and one young woman, Yulia, is determined to protect communities. Ben rushes through the report, but then tragedy hits. A community is shattered, and Ben realises, there is no staying neutral. He has a part to play in the global picture.

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Note: Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for allowing me access to this arc!

My Review

When I first read the synopsis of Blind Eye, I was hesitant to give it a go. However, I am glad that I did! This book is definitely fitting for a thriller, albeit, an eco-thriller, which isn't my normal style. The story and main character hook you right from the start, and

The Good Things

1. The story is engaging and the overall plot is well written.

2. The environmental aspects of the book certainly aim to shed light on the importance of protecting the environment.

The Bad Things

1. "Fast-Paced" is an understatement. Although over 250 pages, this seemed like a quick read. I wish it were a bit longer.

2. I personally don't LOVE the cover, but that is absolutely no reason not to read this book!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

Purchase this from Amazon by clicking here!

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!