Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Aestas Book Database
Book Review – The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Book Review – The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

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Beautiful. Powerful. Deep. Heart-wrenching. Believable. Uplifting. Unforgettable. A must-read!!

Wow. 5+ stars.

One of my favorite reads of the year!!!!!!

The Sea of Tranquility is a beautifully written, deep, heart-wrenching drama about two damaged teens surviving unchangeable tragedies, and devastating grief, hurt, and pain, learning to cope with them, accept them, and somehow finding healing, safety and finally happiness and love in each other along the way.

Its quiet and very, very slow building but it just felt SO real and believable. Without my even realizing it, this quiet book had me worked up to the point where my heart was pounding and felt like it was being being ripped out. The emotional punch took a while to build, but when it hit, it was huge and powerful and took my breath away.

This is not your typical romance where boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. I’d call it more of a character-driven drama with a bit of a YA romance in it. It highlights the realities, horrors and imperfections of life (and, yes, love) while still having a powerfully uplifting ending,

“My name is Nastya Kashnikov.
I was a piano-playing prodigy…
I was murdered two and a half years ago.
Discuss.”

Nastya is a beautiful, bright seventeen year old girl struggling with having her dreams and life as she knew it shattered two years ago by a random act of violence. At her new school, she meets Josh, a guy who just wants to build things and be left alone, who everyone avoids and yet no one messes with. Surrounded by worlds of pain, death and self-imposed isolation, both of them have survived hurts no one their age should ever have been through and are both struggling with having survived and living with that pain every day.

One night, out on a run, Nastya ends up at Josh’s house. He’s there, in his garage that’s filled with tools and wood and he’s making something. For the first time in a long time, Nastya feels a connection of sorts with him and just sits down, quietly and watches him work. She keeps coming back every day and so begins their strange, yet beautiful relationship.

“When you look at her what do you feel? … Joy, fear, frustration, longing, friendship, anger, need, despair, love, lust.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“All of it.”

Its not romantic for a long time, but rather what built between them is a sort of companionship or friendship based on mutual understanding, empathy, and trust as they slowly open up and confide their secrets in each other.

“I know at that moment what he’s given me…the knowledge that I am accepted here… He’s given me a place to belong.“

The thing I loved about Nastya was that she was fragile in some ways, but absolutely tough as nails in others. She wasn’t helpless or frail, despite a part of her soul being broken. She was strong, intelligent, witty, perceptive and although she made choices that people around her didn’t understand, they were her choices to make. She was sad and angry, dealing with a tragic act of random cruelty that took away her dreams. So she copes with it in the best way she knows how, by doing what feels right to her, not what anyone else wanted her to do. I loved that about her.

“Eventually, my body healed as much as it was going to. My mind started getting put back together, too. I think it’s just that the pieces got put back a little out of order. It seems like the more my body healed, the more fractured my mind became, and there aren’t enough wires and screws to fix the breaks in it.“

“With any other girl I could probably pull the classic guy fail-safe of walking over and wrapping my arms around her and letting her put her head on my shoulder. It’s cheap, but it works. Drew swear by it. But I’m afraid that in this particular instance it would result in one of two things: a string of innovative new expletives or her knee in my balls. My money’s on the knee.“

Josh was a beautiful character. Quiet, a bit of a loner, but deeply understanding, caring and protective. What I loved most about him was how strongly he respected her boundaries – giving her a safe zone to her be herself. The real her. The one she feels she has to hide from the world. Giving her the space and security of being able to share exactly as much or as little of herself as she wanted. No judgments. No questions. No obligations. He knew that she areas of her that were locked up in her hurt and he never pushed her outside her comfort zone, no matter how badly he wanted to know what happened to her.

“He needs to be able to fix things and make it all better; to believe that you’re okay so that he can believe he’s okay.”

The book starts out quiet and somber. It is slow building in every possibly way. Nothing is rushed. And although I loved it, a part of me just wished something would happen because of how slowly the story built and the romance-story lover in me wanted them to become a couple sooner (their first date is at about 65%) but having finished it and looking back on the pacing of the story, I can understand why it was the way it was. In the end, the slowness contributed to how powerfully the ending hit. And the ending was really, really beautiful.

And by really, really beautiful, I mean that I read the last two words over and over again with tears in my eyes and my hand over my mouth. I literally just sat there crying, rereading the page, letting the powerful emotional punch hit me every time. (And don’t go flipping to the back of the book to see what those words are! Seriously, you’ll ruin the whole book if you do and there’s no getting it back…)

The author is an amazingly gifted, brilliant storyteller. The book is worth reading for the writing alone. Her style is beautiful, evocative, poetic, and deeply meaningful. I’m very much looking forward to more of her work.

Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was GORGEOUS and unforgettable. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Trust me, its totally worth it!

Rating: 5+ STARS! Standalone.

TSOT PROMO

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Comments

  4. So I’ve just started this book and it has an unbelievably slow start :/ However, I feel like I should stick with it seeing as we seem to have the same taste in books! Approximately how far through the book does it start to pick up the pace a bit?

    Reply

  6. Ahhh AMAZING! You were SO SO SO right, loved this book to bits! Thanks so much for the great review that persuaded me to read it! I have to say, I actually loved how it was slow building and so long in the end, lasted longer that way! Just wish there was an epilogue!

    Going to look through your other recs now 😀

    Reply

  7. I agree, the pace of the story is kind of slow. At some point, I got bored and just want to stop reading because nothing big is happening in the story.
    Fortunately, I didn’t stop. The ending is epic. I really love it.
    I can say this is one of the books I’ll never forget.

    Reply

  8. Ugh…I have only 30 pages to go and I feel like I may just LOSE IT!!! I want Josh and Milly to have the HEA SOOOO bad. I feel like a teenager. I am a big ol’ wah wah over this book! LOVE IT!

    Reply

  12. Hello, i am french and i discovered your blog few weeks ago and i love it. As soon as you talk about à book i want to buy it and i am never disapointed! Thank you for your amazing articles!

    Reply

  42. I would give my eye teeth for this book! Seriously. My husband knows how to run a food processor, I’d be totally fine with puree’d food! 🙂

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  44. Thank You for the giveaway!! I have been stalking this book like a hulk, reading the reviews and putting it on my wish list.

    Reply

  51. Sounds like a great book, it’s going on my TBR list . Thanks for another awesome review!!!

    Reply

  75. I absolutely LOVE this book. Thank you for the opportunity to win a signed copy :). I’ll sure be jealous of the winner (if the winner isn’t me that is, haha)

    Reply

  76. This book is soo great! I am crossing my fingers and toes that I win this! Thank you for the amazing giveaway!
    Mimi
    miminbennett(at)Hotmail(dot)com

    Reply

  80. I would LOVE to win this!! I’d be so much better than owning a none signed copy. 🙂 Which I have a preorder.

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  105. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things and I’m so excited to read itttt!!!❤❤

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  108. This book sounds amazing. It’s been on my TBR list for a while but I think it just bounced to the top. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂

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  111. Hands down one of the best books I read last year! I ditched my family for a day just to finish it…seriously, I could not put this book down! AMAZING!

    Reply

  113. I so want to read this book…thanks for the sneakpeak and giveaway! Your blog is awesome!!!

    Reply

  117. One of my all time favorite books! I’d love to own and cherish this book! Thanks for the chance. 🙂

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  118. This is an amazing book. I hope that everyone takes the time to read it! Thanks so much for the giveaway!

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  120. I love Josh and Nastya so much! They both came from their own dark pasts and helped each other simply by being around and do simple things together. Very sweet and meaningful!

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  127. I’ve heard this is amazing, and this post just confirms it! can’t wait to read, thanks for the giveaway!

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  146. Definitely one of my fave books! Loved Josh! Him and Nastya had troubled pasts, but together they were able to get through it. They saved each other. Thanks so much for the giveaway! *fingers crossed*

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  147. Le sigh. Josh. I didnt really expect to be that into this when I heard about it. But oh my. So good.
    The characterizations were so good. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  149. My all time favorite book. I would love to add a signed copy to my collection. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  161. Ooohhh this book sounds SO GOOD!! I’ve seen this book on a couple of blogs and I AM DYING to read this one!!! I’m so excited about this giveaway and a chance to win this awesome book!!! Thank you so much for this amazing giveaway!!!

    Reply

  181. Thanks for your review and this giveaway! I’ve had Sea of Tranquility sitting in my Kindle for a while and haven’t read it yet…You have pushed me forward. I will start it this weekend 🙂 <3

    Reply

  191. I have heard so many good things about this book and would love to win a copy so I can finally read it. It has been on my TBR since it came out. I can’t wait to read it.

    Reply

  198. TSoT is my all-time fav book! I love love LOVE IT! It was such an emotional and breathtakingly beautiful story! It’s a must have on everyone’s Kindle and bookshelf! Thanks so much for a chance to win a signed copy! ♥

    Tess xx

    tess_halim (at) hotmail (dot) com

    Reply

  201. Hi Aesta! I was lucky enough to have Cristina from ‘Cristina’s Book Reviews’ gift this book to me a few weeks back & it is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. I’ve been yakking about it ever since. Definitely in my top 10 for the year thus far. Thanks for the giveaway. Hopefully I’ll win & can gift the copy and share the experience 🙂

    Reply

  205. Awesome giveaway! Just recently picked up the ebook, n I’m totally excited to dig in! Thanks for the chance to win a signed copy!

    Reply

  208. Great review!!! One of my all time favorite books right next to Colleen Hoover’s Hopeless. I went through a huge New Adult (damaged people) type phase and still love those types of books. Love the light at the end of a dark tunnel theme alot. This one still stands out as one of the best books I’ve ever read.

    If you’ll haven’t read this one yet then do yourself a favor and get it. Just a wonderful book.

    Reply

  209. Hi Aesta!
    Thank you for recommending this book is amazing. I love this author’s writing , and I hope she never stops writing.

    Reply

  210. OMG! you are like my souldmate!!! really, REALLY true!!!! i was a little scared about the conexion in our opinions, in almost all the cases were the same! but… well i love your blog! Be my bff haha 😛

    Reply

  211. I was hesitant after reading the blurb for this book on Amazon, but after searching for books in your favorites I once again noticed this book. I went to the library to chance it because honestly, I didn’t want to spend so much money on a book I wasn’t sure I was going to like, but now I can honestly say I read it and fell in love with the characters and the story. I returned the book to the library and went online to Amazon to buy it because it is a book I can definitely read again. Thanks so much for listing the books you love with very detailed reviews.

    Reply

  214. I had this book on my list to read for forever. I finally was able to get to it and it’s most definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. Amazing story. Amazing writing.

    Thanks for the recommendation!

    Reply

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