Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility
by Katja Millay
Release Date: Published November 13th 2012 by Atria Books
Series: The Sea of Tranquility
Pages: 448 
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

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.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

(Summary taken from Goodreads)

My Review:


                           *ARC courtesy of Atria Books via NetGalley*

Best book by far, it will definitely go under my "favorites shelf". This book deserves more than 5 stars :)


The Sea of Tranquility is by far one of the best books that I've read in a long time! The story is well written, and complex, that immediately grabbed my attention. The cover in itself is intriguing andstunning. Katja does a really good job exploring the life of Nastya, a 17-year-old girl, who not only is obsessed with names and their meaning, but she has also chosen to stop talking after suffering a tragic event in her life. Moving to a new town and school makes Nastya take over a new identity for herself. She thinks that by hiding behind dark clothes and make-up that she'll be unnoticed , but she wrong, because Josh, a quiet, yet attractive/bad boy is pretty much interested in her and of the things that she is hiding. Although the story starts off slow, it gets more interesting as it slowly develops. The plot is unique, and full of twists and turns. I found myself wanting to read more of their interactions and of course more of Josh! I love how the characters are realistic, it's easier for the reader to identify to the characters and of what they are going through. The strong friendships that Nastya is able to make are vital for her change and she is able to let go of her past and forgive those that hurt her the most. There are definitely humorous moments in the story, that just made it even more appealing.

From the beginning 'till the end, the characters go through ups and downs. Nastya holds secrets that shocked me completely, not only because she that's how she made the decision to stop talking, but also because she ends up lying to those she loves the most. Josh, as well as his friend Drew end up holding secrets of their own. Together, the three of them, will have to work together to overcome their obstacles in order to reveal their darkest secrets. Overall, the story is about second chances, to living life to the fullest, and to forgive and forget. I really can't believe I missed this book when it came out, but I'm glad I found this book, because it's the best by far. I really wish this book can turn into a movie, it would be awesome to see it come to life. :)

My Ratings:

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