Sunday, January 27, 2013

Book Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay



The Sea of Tranquility

by Katja Millay
Release date: 4th June, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 448 (copy bought by me)
Summary from Goodreads:

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.

Review By Alaiel Kreuz:

**This review contains a minor spoiler. You can keep reading, I'll make sure to mark it so you can choose to read it or not**

If I could I would give each and everyone of you a copy of this amazing-heartbreaking-awesome book because it deserves to be treasured, it deserves to be known and because we all need to read a story like this.

Nastya and Josh, the main characters, could be any one of us. It could be you, or me, or our best friend. And what happened to them could happen to the person you love the most. This is a book that will touch your heart because it holds truth.
But ultimately it hold the most important thing too: Hope.

From the very beginning, after reading the summary, I thought I might like this book. Nastya seemed strong but broken while Josh seemed forgotten and sad so I was intrigued. But I do was afraid of something: **spoiler** I've read a few books that portrayed rape as the trigger of the MC's rage and despair. And although I truly believe rape should be something we are not ashamed or afraid to speak of, I also think that people, girls and guys, can be broken in a thousand pieces for other reasons that are as valid as rape is. And I was afraid The Sea of Tranquility main plot would revolve around it too... gladly for me it speaks about it but it's not the main problem here, for which I'm grateful.**end spoiler**

What I loved the most about this book were the characters: From Nastya who at the beginning doesn't speak to anyone and we see everything through her eyes and is just way too broken and desperate, to Drew who is a guy with way too much confidence and is the ultimate manwhore but hides a heart, and finally to Josh who has lost so many people so fast that he just doesn't want to put his heart out there so life can stomp on it again.

But the dialogues are good and clever, and at times so funny that I found myself giggling or laughing so hard my cheeks were hurting.
Another thing I liked was the change between POV that give us the right amount of insight into Nastya and Josh's mind. The transition between them was flawless and it felt right in every step.
Also the romance, which develops perfectly well with no rushing and no insta-love, was so amazingly portrayed that I could feel their emotions all the time.

As a bottom line all I can say is that a book that makes me care for the characters, that makes me want to hug them, help them and ultimately be their friends until the last day of my life is a book worth reading.
And to the author, Ms. Millay: I know this was your debut novel and that you wrote it in pieces, every chapter in a different place and with pens and crayons but please, please, keep writing. I promise I will read everything you write always.

Alaiel's Rating:
If you really liked it, you can pre-order it here:


You can find Katja Millay here:



6 comments:

  1. Loveee the sound of this book! Definitely need to get myself a copy of it. In the mood for a good romance novel :)
    Great review!

    -Laura
    What's Hot?

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  2. @Laura: Glad you liked the review. I'm sure you are going to enjoy the book a whole lot :D

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  3. This sounds amazing, Alaiel! I've seen this book all over the place and honestly? I wasn't sure I wanted to read it but thanks to your minor spoiler I know I want it right now!

    Thanks, gal!

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  4. OMG I loved this book so much! Nastya was the perfect broken character she really became a real person to me and I felt so bad for her situation! And Josh was what a love interest should be! Not those jerkwads we get so often *sigh* So happy you loved it too, Alaiel!!

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  5. Hi there, the February edition of Books You Loved is open for entries. Here is the link Books You Loved February Edition Please do pop by and link in a post about a book/s you loved. Maybe this post? Have a great week.

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