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The club opens its doors with The House in the Cerulean Sea (THitCS) by T.J. Klune. THitCS tells the story of Linus Baker, a middle-aged man working for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth that is deeply lonely. At least until he is sent to a mysterious island orphanage on a top-secret assignment to evaluate the safety of six peculiar children, including the Antichrist. As Linus gets to know the enchanting children and their enigmatic guardian, Arthur Parnassus, he begins to question the rules and prejudices of his world, ultimately finding an unexpected family. 

Here are some topics for discussion. Use it as a sort of reading guide to break the ice with our first book: 

• Klune has said he was inspired by the real-life story of the Canadian government’s “Sixties Scoop,” in which Indigenous children were removed from their families and placed into government custody or adoption. The novel explores what it means to care for the marginalized and to question authority in the face of systemic injustice. You can do some research on this topic if you want to have a broader perspective. 

• Fantasy as escapism vs. complex issues (nature vs nurture, social (in)justice, trauma response (Sal), etc.). Is this REALLY 'cozy fantasy'?

• Is there more emotion in the dialogues or in Linus' introspection?

• Chosen family vs. blood family.

• Empathy over bureaucracy.