The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

  Age suitable 12 -18yrs +

I would describe this book as a very warm hug, it is basically a cosy fantasy tale that is easy reading.

The story follows the hero of the book Linus Baker, a lonely, rule following, mid-life social worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY).

Linus is sent to a very beautiful remote island to evaluate an orphanage housing six "dangerous" magical children. His job is to make sure they are behaving. Linus's life is totally grey until he's sent to this secret island which changes everything.

The six magical cildren include a tiny dragon who hoards buttons, a gnome who's a master gardener, and even the 6-year-old son of Satan who just wants to play.

Linus is known to always be very firm but fair - as he stays at the house he finds himself charmed by the children and their enigmatic caretaker, Arthur Parnassus. He eventually must choose between his strict duty to his employer and his growing feelings for this very unconventional family. 

The book deals with some very serious topics, but in a way that feels hopeful. The characters are hilarious and weirdly relatable. Even though they have powers, their biggest struggles are things like wanting to belong or proving they are not "monsters" just because they’re different.

It’s all about found family—the idea that you get to choose who your real family is, especially if the world tries to label you or fit you into a box.

This book is quite predictable but a real warm fantasy story, a modern fairy tale & it makes you feel good. It is a fast easy read, with such a beautiful island setting - that you'll end up wishing it was real!

Written as a standalone but now has a sequel -

Somewhere Beyond the Sea).