Sometimes a family is a human, a phoenix, a gnome, two sprites, a wyvern, an unidentifiable blob, a were-pomeranian, and the antichrist. And that family is perfect.
Linus Baker is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, a government agency that keeps track of and monitors magically inclined children in orphanages. Linus knows the RULES AND REGULATIONS by heart and he is incredibly objective, which is exactly why Extremely Upper Management gives him a top-secret assignment of utmost importance. He is tasked with evaluating a secret orphanage in the town of Marsyas where a group of highly unusual magical children are cared for by the Master of the Orphanage, Arthur Parnassus. He will stay at this orphanage for a month, and when he returns he will make his recommendation about whether or not the orphanage should be closed or not.
He packs his bags and his cat, and he travels to the town of Marsyas with little idea of what to expect. When he finally arrives at the house, he meets each of these unusual children...
Talia, a feisty garden gnome with a desire to bury people in her garden.
Theodore, a wyvern with a secret horde of treasures under the couch.
Phee, a distrustful forest sprite with a strong connection to the earth.
Sal, an anxious were-pomeranian who changes form when he is scared.
Chauncey, an amorphous green blob with tentacles whose dream is to be a bellhop.
Lucy, an edgelord who also happens to be the Antichrist.
(And this is where I stop so that I don’t spoil anything!)
This book now has a secure place in my all-time favorites list. I just love everything about it. The characters are all wonderfully unique and too easy to fall in love with. The romance is subtle and beautiful. Linus’s growth throughout the story feels authentic and satisfying. I feel like I can’t adequately explain how wonderful this book is and why you should read it, but I think my feelings about this book are best summed up by this quote from the book…
“You’re too precious to put into words. I think … it’s like one of Theodore’s buttons. If you asked him why he cared about them so, he would tell you it’s because they exist at all.”
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