The House in the Cerulean Sea

Klune walks a tightrope between saccharine and sincere, and mostly sticks the landing. The found family dynamics are earned, not forced. Linus's transformation from bureaucratic drone to fierce protector is the character arc of the year. My one reservation: the 'magical minority as metaphor' framing can feel heavy-handed. But when it works — and it usually does — it works beautifully. Lucy's character alone is worth the read.