The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel

by Katja Millay

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.

All Josh Bennett wants is to be left alone, and everyone allows it because they all know his story: each person he loved was taken from his life until at seventeen years old there was no one left. When your name is synonymous with death, people tend to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a new girl in town who 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 a mystery 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. For fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower.

• ISBN10: 1476730946
• ISBN13: 9781476730943
• Publish Date: 20 June 2013 (first published 13 November 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This book was fantastic! Nastia was so broken, but still so much stronger than she thought she was. Josh and Drew were also characters that felt very real to me - so very teenaged boys - and the way they interacted with each other, and with Nastia made so much sense.
There is so much darkness in this story, though, but still, it didn't make me as sad as I thought it would. It was more about navigating through a new life, a life that was difficult to want. But that was there, and therefore had to be lived.
The narration was awesome, too - even if the female narrator spoke quite a bit faster than the male narrator.

[Bianca]

When he stops, I’m still here, and he’s still looking at me like he can’t believe I am, and I want to keep that look forever.

“Emilia,” he says, and when he does, it warms me to my soul. “Every day you save me.”

*reread*
— I wish I could go back in time to 4 years ago just so I could read this beautiful gem again for the first time, and to read the wonderful ending line again for the first time!!! Honestly the best ending line I’ve ever read!

[nitzan_schwarz]

February 2017 Re Read:
Still a wonderful story. This is such a great example for building a relationship. Showing us how slowly, two people come together. Drew is very much the reader in this story, in the way he says what we all think - we don't need Josh and Sunshine to say aloud that they love each other. Everybody knows.

4.5 stars
Originally posted on my blog. Re-reviewed here.

The Sea of Tranquility is a powerful, heartbreaking, painful story about two broken individuals who find solace in one another. It was definitely one of the more unique and emotional books I've read last year... but I don't regret it for a second.

"I hate my left hand. I hate to look at it. I hate it when it stutters and trembles and reminds me that my identity is gone. But I look at it anyway; because it also reminds me that I'm going to find the boy who took everything away from me. I'm going to kill the boy who killed me, and when I kill him, I'm going to do it with my left hand."

The Sea of Tranquility took me by surprise. It had a completely different and unique feel than anything I've read so far.Love is not treated in it like in most books, with vows of undying emotion and grand gestures. It's understated, it grows over time, it sneaks up on both participants, it moves slowly but surely. It's told through actions, between the lines, rather than outright confessions.

It's the best kind of romance, in my opinion.

I don't think there could ever be any doubt in your heart that Josh and Sunshine (or Nastya, whatever) belong together.

“We're like mysteries to one another. Maybe if I can solve him and he can solve me, we can explain each other. Maybe that's what I need. Someone to explain me.”

They are both irreversibly damaged. Josh has lost everybody he ever lover, and Nastya lost herself. Though you don't actually know what happened to either of them for a long while. In fact, the journey to figuring out both these individuals is piled on shock upon shock. I didn't see all that was coming.

Just like Josh is trying to piece what happened to Nastya, she's trying to figure out why people treat him the way they do. And we're right there together with them, which is what makes the book so incredible.

"Bad things happen all the time; they don't wait until after dinner"

And both of these characters, despite being so inherently broken--or maybe because of it--are captivating. They make you love them. They make you swoon. They make you pray everything will be okay--good, even. Great. They make you love their friends, too, like Drew and Clay.

“I can be your other hand when you need it.”

The only reason this book is not a solid five star is because of how I felt confused and thrown all over the place at the beginning of the book, with all the time jumps back and forth. I had a hard time figuring what came before what, and understanding all that was going on. Wasn't she just walking into the English building? How is it the end of the day--wait, now we're back at shop?
It took time for the book to find a rhythm I could follow. After that, it was damn near perfect.

"Your garage."

The "punchline", so to speak, the very last line of this book, is utter perfection. I didn't see it coming before it was asked, but when he did, the answer was suddenly obvious and I wanted to hug the author for creating such an absolutely rightending for these two.

Originally posted on my blog. Re-reviewed here.

[melanchalina]

It was incredible.
Katja Millay you've created a miracle, a book - a diamond.

Я ненавижу свою левую руку. Ненавижу смотреть на нее. Ненавижу, когда пальцы спотыкаются и дрожат, напоминая о том, что я лишилась своей индивидуальности. Но я все равно смотрю на свою руку; ибо она напоминает мне и о том, что я намерена убить парня, который отнял у меня все. Я убью парня, который убил меня. И убивать его я буду левой рукой.

— Я верю в Бога, Солнышко. Всегда верил, что Бог есть, — говорит он.
Его следующая фраза — это не жалость к себе, не страх, не вызов. Истинная правда.
— Просто я знаю, что Он меня ненавидит.

Великолепно. Чувственно. Неподражаемо. Отчаянно.

Я могу продолжить дальше, найти сотню слов, но их всех не хватит, чтобы передать полноту всех чувств, которые пробудила во мне эта книга. И невозможно описать все те эмоции, которые я чувствую сразу по прочтению. Это грусть, это радость, это опустошение и воодушевление одновременно. Все и ничего.

«Море спокойствия» - одна из самых поразительных книг, которые я читала. И сейчас, я могу с уверенностью могу сказать, что лучшая книга, которую я прочитала в этом году. Эта невероятно изысканная и чувственная история о двух разбитых, одиноких и потерянных людях. Это история о сломанных подростках, которые исцеляют друг друга. Книга о девушке и парне, которые открывают для себя вторые шансы, о их столь необычном друге и талантливом парне-художнике.

Невероятная атмосфера книги, которая присутствует на протяжении всех страниц, вплоть до последнего слова… и даже после. Волшебный язык повествования и глубокие мысли, которые я растащила на цитаты.

Настя и Джош. Два человека, сломанных, израненных, потерянных. Два человека погруженные в свое горе. Столь разные и столь одинаковые одновременно. Два идеально подходящих друг другу кусочка пазла. Юноша и девушка, которые подарили друг другу новый смысл жизни. Потрясающие, глубокие и нетипичные герои. Нетипичные, как и сама книга, как каждый герой книги.

История рассказана с двух точек зрения, благодаря чему читателя с головой накрывают волны эмоций, этот эффект позволяет увидеть историю со всех углов и по-настоящему проникнуться ей. Автор умело погружает в море спокойствия каждого из героев, в море их одиночества, море их радости…. Боли.

И Настя и Джош удивительно живые герои. Потрясающе настоящие. В них веришь, им сочувствуешь, нет ощущения «нереальности», которое постоянно возникает при прочтении всех этих типичных романов. Здесь так же нет любви с первого взгляда, всепожирающей страсти от первого прикосновения друг к другу. Нет такого. Наоборот, герои постепенно подходят к дружбе, любви, исцелению. И от этого возникает еще более чудовищное чувство реальности (в лучших смыслах).

И хочу сказать, любовная линия – это не все что здесь есть. Эта книга учит перешагивать через трудности, показывает, что в каждой жизни есть смысл и у каждого человека есть шанс найти свое счастье. «Море спокойствия» - это история перерождения. Она показывает, что никогда не надо сдаваться, верить в себя. И даже если у вас забрали самое ценное, смысл вашего существования – никогда не сдавайтесь, идите вперед, ищите свое счастье, новый смысл. Никогда не позволяйте себе утонуть в море отчаяния. Живите, всегда продолжайте жить и любить себя.

Я посоветую эту книгу всем, кому нравятся такие книги, как «Если я останусь», «Совпадение Келли и Кайдена», «Просто любовь», «Без надежды». И не потому что там якобы схожие сюжеты (это не так), а потому что атмосферы этих книг схожи атмосферой смешанных вместе печали и радости.

Моя оценка: 10/10, и ни каких сомнений.

[Jyc]

★★★★★ // my favorite modern romance. i don’t think i’ll ever get tired of reading this one. my emotional commitment to this book and to both josh and nastya are a hundred percent. THAT ENDING 😭❤️

[lizarodz]

How shall I explain the utter heartbreaking depth of this book? How can I make you understand the remarkable writing? How can I make you see the awesomeness of The Sea of Tranquility? I’m not sure how, but I’m going to try.

The Sea of Tranquility is the story of two broken people and second chances. Josh and Nastya are both broken in different ways. Josh by the unexplainable death of his family and Nastya by a tragic and traumatic event. They both need mending, they need to make difficult changes, they need help, and in a way, acceptance.

Nastya has been irrevocably changed by an undeserved attack. In the aftermath, she doesn’t know how to heal, how to deal with what happens, she loses her identify and goals for the future, so she decides to stop talking. It is a conscious and difficult to maintain decision that huts a lot of people, principally her family. Nastya’s sense of self-worth is very low and she dresses up very sexy in order to alienate any possible friends. Thankfully, a few people are able to see past her façade and become close (or as close as she allows them to be) to her. Although, she hints a lot about what happened, she doesn’t really talks about it or wants to put words to her feelings. She does everything possible to sabotage any happiness that might come her way. One thing did appreciate about Nastya is that she was a baker, like I am ;)

Josh is lost. He has suffered through many deaths in his short life and because of it and because of the angry way he behaved when the first ones happen, everyone leaves him alone. Even though he thinks he likes to be left alone, he is so very lonely. Just a handful of people care about him and he likes it that way. Josh is an artisan that creates beautiful things with wood; that’s his outlet and his passion. That is, until Nastya becomes his friend, and later so much more.

Josh, I’m so glad that you were able to see past Nastya’s lies and her ‘costume’, past her silence and hear her scream for help. I’m glad you were able to see the Sunshine behind the clouds and let it warm you in the process.

The characterization is miraculous. I found myself invested in these characters. Not only on Nastya and Josh, but also in the loyal and misguided Drew. In Drew’s family, and Nastya’s own.

The writing is some of the best I’ve ever seen. So good, fluid, illustrative, full of feelings, hurt, anger, self-loathing, and so much more. It’s an absolute priceless gem. It is part mystery, as we get small snippets of information at a time. Please read the quotes below and then form your own opinion. The story is told from Josh and Nastya’s point to views, which I loved. The characters have so much depth that I adored being in their heads. The plot is simple and masterfully crafted. It is done in a way that the reader knows much more than the rest of the characters, but still hearing the whole tale is heart wrenching. I’m pleased that we had a resolution, not a pink with ribbons ending, but a resolution nonetheless. Please don’t be upset if you cry (I do it all the time!)

A note about the narrators of the audio book: It was awesome. Since the story is told by Josh and Nastya’s point of view and there are two narrators, the book made more sense. The acting was really good, I almost wish that I could see them while they were reading to witness the anguish that I’m sure I would have seen.

As you can tell form my glowing review and from the reviews that you are sure to find, The Sea of Tranquility is one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The combination of the amazing writing and style, awesome characterization, and the plot, makes this a must read.

A few quotes for you:

“It’s about the dream of second chances,” he says finally. He hasn’t raised his eyes from the paper on his desk and I feel him looking at me without looking when he uses his grandfather’s words. “The narrator doesn’t respect the beauty of life and the world around her, so it crushes her into the ground and once she’s dead, she realizes everything she took for granted and didn’t see right in front of her while she was alive. She’s begging for another chance to live again so she can appreciate it this time.”
“And does she get that chance?” she asks Josh while I desperately focus on the poster of literary terms on the wall and wait for absolution. When it comes, I barely hear it.
“She does.”

“There's a reverence in the way he kisses me that frightens me, because it's the most wonderful thing I've ever felt.”

“I'm not sure how long we sit in Josh's truck, holding hands, surrounded by darkness and unspoken regrets. But it's long enough to know that there are no stories or secrets in the world worth holding onto more than his hand.”


“I wished that my hand would work again," I tell him when he climbs in after me. it was my first wish and the only one that mattered.
"I wished my mother was here tonight, which is stupid, because it's an impossible wish." He shrugs and turns to me, drowning the smile that cracks me every time.
"It's not stupid to want to see her again."
"It wasn't so much that I wanted to see her again,” he says, looking at me with the depth of more than seventeen years in his eyes. "I wanted her to see you.”

"He hasn't given me a place to sit. He's given me a place to belong."


About the cover: The cover is pretty good, it has the silhouette of a couple looking at each other and in between there is spilled cup with melting ice cream. I’m sure there is some symbolism to it, I just can’t see it.

[liz089]

3

[kimbacaffeinate]

Katja Millay blew me away with her gritty, breathtaking, and intense story. Sea of Tranquility brought us the story of two characters that will steal your heart. It’s a story of love, heartbreak, forgiveness and hope. As much as I wanted to savor this I quickly became immersed and consumed it. Three word review: beautiful, breathtaking and memorable.

The tale begins when we meet Nastya Kashnikov as she enrolls for her senior year of high school. Dressed in black and living away from her parents, we know something tragic has happen. She is medicated, in counseling and has created this wall around herself and her emotions. We then meet Josh Bennett, a high school senior carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Josh moves through life wanting to be left alone and loses himself in building furniture with his hands. Chance encounters have the two meeting and the tale that unfolds will have you catching your breath one moment and wiping a tear the next.

Imagine a girl walking down the hall as she passes you, she is staring straight ahead with dyed black hair, black eye make-up, cherry red lipstick, sporting a tight black t-shirt and tiny skirt with a pair of stilettos. She never speaks or makes eye contact but you will have walked right past Nastya. She is complex, beautiful, gifted and so messed up inside. She reveals her tragic story to us slowly and her voice is beautiful and captivating. You feel so many emotions towards Nastya from wanting to cocoon her and protect her to wondering what nightmare things she is capable of. Josh has a voice in this novel too and it’s equally touching. He has suffered more loss in his life then any one person should have to bear and yet there is such sweetness to him. The voice Katja gave him as he shared his story touched me so deeply as a mother and wife. Have you ever had the type of cry, where the tears fall silently down your face and you can barely see the pages anymore? That is Josh’s story. Together they create this strange exotic dance. As they unraveled they build a friendship, learned to trust, opened up and ultimately experienced love. It’s raw, emotional, awkward, silly, and tender. It is so unbelievably real that you become completely invested in them. I found myself rooting for them and hoping against hope that they find a happy place. Drew, family and friends all helped reveal them to us and where equally interesting characters.

Sea of Tranquility is so much more than a romance; it’s a character driven journey that involves friends, family and heart. As the reader the author weaves you into the tale as you feel and experience every emotion through the characters. Her writing style and ability to give voice to the characters was breathtaking. This is the type of book that is meant to be read slowly and savored. Granted, I got swept up in the tale and consumed it in less than two days, but I have already gone back just to read some of the paragraph’s again. It is the type of book you can reread again and again. Here is a quote that I love:

"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."~ Nastya; Sea of Tranquility

Seriously?!? Can't you just feel her emotions! Katja and her characters captured my heart as they shared this story of loss, forgiveness and healing. The author's grasp of our ability to endure and overcome was so powerfully portrayed. You know that book high I am always chasing? This book delivered that and more. Yes its full of angst, but its beautiful, emotionally draining, hopeful and cleansing. It is a book I will recommend to my daughter, my best friend, my mother and my grandmother. It is timeless, poignant and breathtaking beautiful.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Kelly]

http://divainpyjamas.blogspot.com.au/

3.5 Stars
The Sea of Tranquility is slow to begin, Nastya comes across as an aggressive, self destructive girl who has allowed herself to become a victim through a horrible random attack. She doesn't want to be noticed, but her attire alone screams that she needs help and wants attention. The only friends she seems to be able to make are with males, which seems slightly strange, considering what she had been through.

Overall, it was well written, and not one of the normal light, fluffy teen reads. My only issue was that I couldn't connect with any of the characters. They came across as cliches, the brooding boy, the broken girl, the man whore and the token gay friend. Josh's character should be the one who is disgruntled and angry, he can't change his circumstances, but allows himself to slowly heal. Nastya, although traumatic and horrific, is self destructive and buries herself within this facade. We see glimpses of the girl she once was, but it's frustrating and I couldn't connect to her character at all.

Another book that really needed an epilogue to feel complete.

[violetpeanut]

I am absolutely blown away by this book and by the fact that it is the author's first. I had a full-blown book-hangover after finishing this book. You know, when you just can't stop thinking about a book. You keep mulling over every detail in your mind. You keep revisiting your favorite scenes. You find it impossible to even consider starting another book right away because you are just not ready to move on. That was my experience with this book. It's difficult to write a real review because it's hard to detail what I liked, and there wasn't anything that I didn't like.

This book is a character driven story centering on Nastya and Josh. Nastya is a damaged girl who has pretty much shut herself out from the rest of the world. She doesn't talk - ever - to anyone since a horrific event from her past. Josh is a lonely boy whose entire family has been taken from him in one tragedy after another. The book is told in first-person and alternates chapters between Nastya's and Josh's points of view. This was a brilliant choice on the part of the author because it really lets the reader into their minds and we get a great sense of their true feelings and motivations. It makes the reader feel much more intimately connected to each character. These characters feel like real people, not like characters from a book. The supporting cast is fleshed out well, also. From Drew to his mom and all of the rest of them, they all felt like living, breathing people.

For me, a good book is one with a great plot that compels me to read more, interesting characters that I can connect with and has great pacing. A truly great book is one that has all of those things and can also make me really feel something beyond just entertainment. This is a truly great book. I went through the entire gamut of emotion: despair, anger, elation, happiness, sadness, anguish, contentment. I was completely filled with emotion and then wrung out until I was empty - over and over again. I felt completely drained at the end - in the best way. There aren't many authors that can evoke that kind of a response from me.

I don't really know what else to say. A well-written book with amazing characters and a story that builds slowly and then punches you in the gut with emotion. I don't want to say more because I don't want to spoil anything for you. This is truly one book that you should just go experience for yourself.