Home

Home is a multi-layered theme in the novel, as it relates to both places and people. In the words of Helen, “A house isn’t always the house we live in. It’s also the people we choose to surround ourselves with” (281). This message is at the heart of The House in the Cerulean Sea. Linus learns that home is more of a feeling than a place. This helps explain why he feels so much more at home at Marsyas Island Orphanage than at 86 Hermes Way.

When Linus returns to 86 Hermes Way after his time at Marsyas Island Orphanage, he is disappointed to find that he feels no relief at being back: “‘It’s good to be home,’ he whispered. He wondered how many times he would need to say that before he believed it” (345). Already, Linus is aware that he is deceiving himself in thinking...