The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Genre: Young Adult Fiction and Contemporary Fiction 

Publisher: Atria Books 

Rating: 5/5 

Goodreads Blurb → https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16151178-the-sea-of-tranquility

Nastya and Josh meet each other in their senior year of high school after she transfers from a different city. Nastya does not talk to anyone and no one messes with Josh. They keep to themselves because it is the only way they cope with everything that happened in their lives till they reach each other.

Character Discussion (including possible spoilers):

Both Nastya and Josh are tragic characters who’ve loved and lost. Bad things have happened in their pasts and although we know Josh’s story, we are only given fragments of Nastya’s. Just like Josh, we are piecing her story bit by bit with the information she’s willing to give. We know that something terrible had happened and Nastya has not yet found the words to voice it. She is wounded and devastated but at the same time she is incredibly strong as she does not want to feel helpless again. The only time she feels like speaking is when she is with Josh.

Josh keeps people away because he does not want their pity and he is tired of losing the ones he loves. He is protective and understanding and gives Nastya a place to belong. The way he respects Nastya and her boundaries is admirable.

These characters are fragile because of their circumstances and they are tormented by their grief. It was beautiful to read the way they come to trust each other because they are both incredibly wary and perceptive. From this, their love grows, and it was slow burning, tentative and delicate.

From the get-go we know that the characters are deeply flawed because they make terrible mistakes knowingly, and even though you hate them at that moment, you come to accept them for who they are.

All the characters in the book were credible, diverse and well written. Drew was a much-needed friend. Yes, he is a womaniser and his morals maybe askew, but he is likeable. He acts as the mediator and helps Nastya and Josh express how they feel to one another because sometimes the most important things are the hardest to say out loud. Clay is another one of my favourites as he helps Nastya from the beginning and knows Josh’s story.

Another aspect of the book I loved was the integration of a person’s craft and creativity into the story: such as furniture making for Josh and art for Clay. It was strangely soothing to read about their form of comfort and outlet. Their craft is like another limb to them which Nastya misses deeply.

Writing:

I loved the dual perspective narrative because it helped to eloquently tell both sides of the story. I especially admire Millay’s writing style and the incorporation of humour into it because the hints of comedy provided a sense of relief into a very serious story and was much needed with the heavier topics it dealt with. It was well thought out and complex and I cannot wait to read more of her books.

Final thoughts: 

I think that this book has triggers and it might not be an easy book to get through, but it is what it is – raw, emotional and intense. I was enthralled and invested in the story from beginning to end. I think it is a book that will stay with you long after you finish the last page, acknowledgements and all and it will shatter your heart and put it back together.

Despite seeming like a sombre tragedy, this story was hopeful. The ending was cathartic because after being emotionally draining, it ends on an incredibly uplifting note by the possibility of second chances. It goes through the motions of grief, anger, acceptance and healing. I’d recommend it to anyone, especially those who like reading heartrending books like Stolen by Lucy Christopher and Colleen Hoover’s books.

Favourite quotes: 

❝It’s a small miracle, but small miracles are the only kind I can hope for right now, so I’ll take it.❞

❝People like to say love is unconditional, but it's not, and even if it was unconditional, it's still never free. There's always an expectation attached. They always want something in return. Like they want you to be happy or whatever and that makes you automatically responsible for their happiness because they won't be happy unless you are ... I just don't want that responsibility.❞

❝I know at that moment what he's given me and it isn't a chair. It's an invitation, a welcome, the knowledge that I am accepted here. He hasn't given me a place to sit. He's given me a place to belong.❞