Review: The House in The Cerulean Sea

 

For the longest time, I thought the name of the book was "The House At The Cerulean Sea", like I didn't even bother to rectify myself on the name like the bloody idiot I am. I am deeply sorry for that though, because this book deserves the love that it has been getting on the internet and someone make a fucking booktok about it yo. I am sick and tired of seeing the same things on booktok and this is gonna be a nice af change.

Linus Baker is a simple man. He works for the DICOMY to make sure all magical orphans are well kept with their house masters. He knows the rules, no emotional attachment to any of those children. And then Extremely Upper Management hands him an extremely classified task where he has to visit the house of six dangerous children, including the Antichrist to see if any of those children could bring about the end of days. And then there's the house master Arthur, who himself is a charismatic enigma and Linus may have to choose between what he should do and what he wants to do.

QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 5/5, SERIOUSLY, WHY DID I DELAY READING THIS BOOK?

WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE  BOOK'S: 

1. Writing Quality: The beginning is slow, there is no way to sugarcoat it. And they do seem boring but there is no way in hell that this will be taking away a point from that lovely 5 star. Nope. Because things get really good after chapter four and it really picks up from there. I love it. I love everything.

2. Image/ Illustration Quality: I don't know if it classifies but I really love how everything is described. I guess, the charm with middle grade books lies that everything is described so that the imagination runs free. And my imagination is wilder than drunk lightweight on a stripper pole. Maaaaaaybe I shouldn't have mentioned that analogy but I've kind of run out of analogies because brain is fried from trying to fix browser from morning. But yeah I like it.

3. Character Development: Okay, I will talk about it because I absolutely low Linus grows. From being a representative of the DICOMY to finally growing a spine and a pair to finally realize that he was in love with Arthur and that he actually loved the kids. Though him kind of saying "I'm not that special" is pretty frustrating. Like my dude, I could hit him in the head and get going with it. Maybe Talia could go and hit him with the shovel. But I really love how his heart softens for the kids. It's a really big growth and it takes a man with a big dick to admit that he was wrong. And I seriously adore someone that it happens. 

4. Couldn't put it down- Ness: 10/10. I usually go slower with physical tbrs because my mind has to wrap itself around the fact that "whoa, this is my book. This beauty of a book is rightfully mine now. Nothing can take it away from me". Plus, I usually read my physical tbrs in the afternoon so I kind of happen to fall asleep. And I need a healthy sleep schedule or else my friends will go Sangwoo on me. If you don't know who Sangwoo is, do not look it up. Maintain your sanity. Or don't, it's not like y'all still sane after reading the books I review here.

5. Intellectual Depth: Every middle grade book comes with a moral I guess. Well, that's what most of the stories I'd read in middle grade contained a moral. But then again I was a dumbass who read only classics because I had no access to internet and my parents absolutely refused to buy me anything more than classics. And I started getting pocket money like in 9th grade and that's fucking high school. Kind of sadge. But I think, THINK, because I always need more than one reads to realize what the actual theme is. But I think that this is about acceptance. Just not of one's own self but also of others. Like there aren't always people who will fit into the stereotype but does not mean that they're bad things. "The human mind tends to fear the things it cannot understand. And fear produces hate." Not my own quote but kind of fits the story.

6. Plot Twists: There aren't many plot twists in the book other than finding out that Arthur is a phoenix, but I think that adds to his hotness factor, pun intended.  But I like it.

7. Plot: Seriously, I never thought that this would be a detox read. Like for real, I thought there would be some drama or something of that sort before the book came to an end. There was drama, I will not lie, but the plot and the ending are so wholesome it makes my heart cry. And what's better is that I can casually read it in public without people giving me weird looks. Eh people always give me weird looks anyway, nothing new. But my point is, even my younger cuz could read it with me and it makes me happy since I have newly brought him into this world of reading. That kind of makes me happy, partly.

OVERALL, AN AWESOME READ, y'all need to get your hands on it ASAP.