Linus Baker ist ein vorbildlicher Beamter. Seit Jahrzehnten arbeitet er in der Sonderabteilung des Jugendamtes, die für das Wohlergehen magisch begabter Kinder und Jugendlicher zuständig ist. Nie war er auch nur einen Tag krank, und das Regelwerk der Behörde ist seine Gute-Nacht-Lektüre. Linus' eintöniges Dasein ändert sich schlagartig, als er auf eine geheime Mission geschickt wird. Er soll das Waisenhaus eines gewissen Mr. Parnassus', das sich auf einer abgelegenen Insel befindet, genauer unter die Lupe nehmen. Kaum dort angekommen, stellt Linus fest, dass Mr. Parnassus' Schützlinge eher etwas speziell sind – einer von ihnen ist möglicherweise sogar der Sohn des Teufels! In diesem Heim kommt Linus mit seinem Regelwerk und seiner Vorliebe für Vorschriften nicht weit, das merkt er schnell. Eher widerwillig lässt er sich auf dieses magische Abenteuer ein, das ihn auf der Insel erwartet, und erfährt dabei die größte Überraschung seines Lebens ...
Only a cosy bedside story if you ignore everything
1 star
I'm sorry, but I just don't want to read any more books in which the main character is made fun of from the very first sentence. Where every sentence is an insult to idiosyncrasies and where power imbalances are used as a joke. I didn't get past the first few chapters.
Now I've read in retrospect what the book is based on (inspired by the Sixties Scoop). And thus, another even stronger no. How does one come up with the idea of writing something like that? The story is not cosy, treatment of the main character is not cosy, the background story is so much not cosy.
A caseworker for magical youth is sent on an extremely unusual mission...
This is one of those books that Hallmark movies are made of, but it manages to not fall into the overly saccharine pit that so many like it do. I could see some calling it a bit preachy or on the nose with its allegories for racism and other forms of bigotry, but I personally did not mind. I think it handled the plot and characters quite well, too.
Review of 'House in the Cerulean Sea' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth where he has progressed little over his quiet life. Each time inspecting orphanages of magical youth, he rigorously applies the RULES AND REGULATIONS that guides how magical people should be handled in this world of quiet but persistent discrimination. What becomes of the children in the orphanages he issues a negative report on, he has never quite considered.
His life of quiet compliance is interrupted when he is given a confidential case from Extremely Upper Management, who’s taken note of his rigorous application of the rules. A remote island orphanage that is home to six children classified as extremely dangerous including “a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist” under the tutelage of a headmaster who has little regard for rules and regulations.
During Linus’ stay, he starts to see …
Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth where he has progressed little over his quiet life. Each time inspecting orphanages of magical youth, he rigorously applies the RULES AND REGULATIONS that guides how magical people should be handled in this world of quiet but persistent discrimination. What becomes of the children in the orphanages he issues a negative report on, he has never quite considered.
His life of quiet compliance is interrupted when he is given a confidential case from Extremely Upper Management, who’s taken note of his rigorous application of the rules. A remote island orphanage that is home to six children classified as extremely dangerous including “a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist” under the tutelage of a headmaster who has little regard for rules and regulations.
During Linus’ stay, he starts to see beyond the classifications ascribed by the department to see the beautiful dreams and gentle souls the children have. Little risk comes from the playful antichrist, the nearby villagers on the other hand pose a far more menacing threat thanks to the department’s ever-present fearmongering. And as he comes to care for the children, Linus begins to fall for their tender-hearted headmaster.
I found this incredibly sweet and hopeful in how it wove together this found family creating safety for each other to heal in the face of a world that doesn’t accept them. It might come across to sweet or YA for some people, but it gave me a lot of comfort and smiles given how stressful the world is at the moment.
Review of 'House in the Cerulean Sea' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Sweet romantic queer dramedy with charming magical children. My only two complaints are that the general course of the plot was predictable from quite near the beginning and that the Underlying Message was conveyed entirely without subtlety. It's a good message, mind you, but I prefer the moral of the story to be offered rather than being hot over the head with it. But it's a fun and quick read and I definitely recommend it.
