Friday, October 5, 2012

Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay


The Sea of Tranquility

Kindle: 380 pages
Release date: September 5th 2012
Publisher: Antisocialite Press LLC
Goodreads Rating: 4.74
Goodreads Summary: I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk. 
 Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay. 
 All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. 
Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to. 
 The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances. 
 Please Note: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language.
Buy Now


At the end of reading this book, all I could think about is how I get the similar feeling after putting down my all-time favorite book a.k.a. On the Jellicoe Road. It’s not that their stories are alike. No, they’re totally different. What I’m talking about is the same looking-into-space reaction I had once I finished them. And that I guess is the closest to describe how I felt – and still feel – about The Sea of Tranquility. There were no precise words. I’m not even going to give the smallest description of the plot. I think the blurb is enough to do that job for you and beyond that would be a betrayal. Trust me, I looked for spoilers before and I am so glad I didn't find any. 

Katja Millay did a marvelous incredible fantastic amazing job with the writing for me it’s almost perfect. This is a richly detailed story with important themes and serious issues. It’s written in first person from Nastya and Josh’s point of view and reading their internal battles are like being inside their skin. I hurt, fell in love, learned to accept and healed with them. To top it off, it’s packed with a great variety of vivid characters I grew to love. Drew, Josh’s best friend, has a special place in my heart. 

It is a long book and I gobbled it up in more than a day. I admit I felt bored (I know right, WTH was wrong with me?) in the beginning and I was all for meeting the guy already. Thankfully I knew better soon enough and realized that the pacing was impeccable. The romance is slowly and perfectly developed. There’s no insta-love here people! And the mystery is so well laid out even the last words will take you by surprise. But before you think it’s too emo for your taste, let me tell you not to worry because it’s not all doom and gloom. There are banters and light moments here and there to balance out the sadness. 

The only thing I’m disappointed about is the lack of physical copies. I believe this is the kind of book every bookstore should have. Anyway, I hope that happens not too far-off in the future.

I’m torn between having too many more things to say and speechlessness so I better end this review before I resort to begging. Now please carry on and READ THIS.

Photobucket

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...