The House in the Cerulean Sea

 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune   398 pages

"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." (Goodreads)

And . . . I now have one of my favorite books I read this year!  I absolutely loved this book --- it was interesting, charming, funny, made me laugh, made me get choked up . . .  and an overall great story. Whimsy? It's here. Serious thought-provoking stuff? It's here. A variety of different types of characters and a touch of romance? Got it!  For anyone who ever felt like they didn't belong, weren't understood, and just wanted to be accepted and loved ---- this is your story.  And hey, if you never felt like this, this is also your story --- because there's a lot here about learning about others, understanding and being empathetic.