T.J. Klune – 3.5/5 Stars
Read this if you:
· are not easily put off by unlikeable characters
· always root for the underdogs
· enjoy an unexpected romance
Synopsis:
Linus Baker is a forty year old Case Worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth where he investigates government orphanages to ensure the well-being of the children being kept in them. When he is given a classified assignment from Extremely Upper Management, Linus sets off to the Marsyas Island Orphanage where his quiet life is turned upside down by the six dangerous children and their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus.
My thoughts on the book:
This was an incredible story that was so beautifully written but I hated the main character. Linus was incredibly annoying, sweat profusely, and seemed to always have a perfectly concocted answer to everything, making him seem not relatable on top of being unlikeable.
Aside from this, the story of the children in the Marsyas was phenomenal and definitely made me think about how people in our own society are treated as ‘other’ and can be shunned from the rest of the world. Similarly, Arthur’s story was so inspiring. The love he showed to the children of the orphanage was so sweet and I found myself rooting for him for the entire book.
Without giving too much away, the love story in this book was so unexpected and so sweet. The ending really tied everything together for me and I loved knowing that everyone got a happy ending, despite all of the challenges that were faced throughout the story.