Author: Katja Millay
1st Date of Publication: September 5, 2012
1st Date of Publication: September 5, 2012
ISBN: 9781476730943
# of Pages: 434
# of Pages: 434
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Age Rating: 15+ (Language, Mild Violence, Mild Sexual Content)
Book Description:
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.
Point of View: 1st person- Nastya Kashnikov, Josh Bennett
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.
Point of View: 1st person- Nastya Kashnikov, Josh Bennett
Goodreads Rating: 4.37
My Rating: 4.50
Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both
View on the Cover: The spilled ice cream bowl seemed very interesting to me. It made me wonder if it was about summer and why it was spilled over and melting in a little stream of ice cream.
View on Title: I know that there is a place named Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I also love the ocean and the idea of peace so I thought it would be a pretty good read.
View on Title: I know that there is a place named Sea of Tranquility where Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I also love the ocean and the idea of peace so I thought it would be a pretty good read.
Pros:
- I love how this book explores both the female and male protagonists. Both characters are obviously lonely and in pain from their pasts, but the way they notice each other screams that they both need each other to heal from their pain.
- Nastya is a very cryptic character and the complete opposite of Josh. She keeps to herself most of the time except when she's with Josh where she actually opens up little by little and talks. I love her obsession with names since I like to know what people's names mean to see if it fits that person. In my opinion, I think her name obsession is a replacement for her skill in music, which she lost from her past.
- Josh is a very sensitive character but he has no secrets to hide. He is obviously afraid to allow himself to get close enough to someone so he makes himself isolated from everyone else. His obsession for carpentry is interesting and adds a lot to the story.
- Their romance together is not your typical love story. Even though they obviously are very interested in each other, they don't invest in it until a long while after the book has already started. You see the friendship and the partnership first before the real emotions and physical affection is seen.
Cons:
- There is not much I did not like about this book. It is one of my favorites and it's fairly unique to many of the books I have read. I think the part that I liked the least was Nastya's attitude and reaction to some things that she pushed herself away from. I felt that it was a little unnecessary, but I guess it has a purpose.
Critics' Reviews:
"Alternating first-person narratives allow Millay to delve into the minds of both of her main characters, and she keeps readers on the edge of their seats...Populated with perfectly realized teen characters–not a stereotype in sight–this is the ideal crossover novel." -School Library Journal
“The Sea of Tranquility reminded me that books aren't just entertaining; they're more than that. This was more than that. It caused me to feel, invaded my thoughts, my heart...it became a part of me.” -Tough Critic
"Alternating first-person narratives allow Millay to delve into the minds of both of her main characters, and she keeps readers on the edge of their seats...Populated with perfectly realized teen characters–not a stereotype in sight–this is the ideal crossover novel." -School Library Journal
“The Sea of Tranquility reminded me that books aren't just entertaining; they're more than that. This was more than that. It caused me to feel, invaded my thoughts, my heart...it became a part of me.” -Tough Critic
Other Recommendations:
Easy by Tammara Webber
First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky
First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky
