Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Author: Katja Millay
Publisher: Atria Books
Number of Pages: 448

Synopsis:

"'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."

I honestly don't have words to describe this book. This book left me sobbing on my bed with tissues surrounding me. May I just say that I have never, NEVER had a book make me cry. I may have gotten teary, but I have never flat out cried and started sobbing. 

This book was absolutely a joy to read. It was a story about two damaged teens who survived horrible tragedies and have to learn to deal with the grief, hurt, and pain that come with those tragedies.  

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

Nastya is a girl of seventeen years old, she is a character that I definitely fell in love with and respect. Her background in this story definitely brought me to tears just in itself. At first I thought that she should have been happy she was alive then mopping around the way that she was but when I really looked at her thoughts and how everyone was treating her I understand why she stopped talking and I really respected her as a character. 

My favorite thing about her was not letting her vulnerability rule her life. She acted tough as nails and she never gave into feeling helpless or lost, when that could have been a much easier route.  While she didn't talk she still let people know when she didn't like something they said and I loved her so much more just for that. Flipping someone off isn't easy especially if you don't want to talk to them. 

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

Josh Bennett may not have almost died but he's seen a lot of death for a boy of eighteen. Even with all that death he is still living strong and not taking any crap from anyone. He may be quiet but he is still fierce. Josh was definitely one of my favorite characters in this book, well him and Drew. Josh was definitely an amazing character. Now matter what force of nature threw him down, he always got back up and fought for what was his. Also, this boy can build like no other. People could rely on Josh to help them out and not hurt them. 

“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.” 

This book was definitely a book that I  loved through and through. This book didn't just rush into the problem, or have the characters see each other and have instant attraction and the characters trying to deny it. Sure they thought that the other character was good looking but they weren't fighting for each other's hearts. 

The story line took it's time-not going too slow- getting to each step of the story. The story made the timeline feel real and it felt like you were part of the story. I honestly had a very hard time letting go of my Kindle while reading this book. 

My favorite aspect of this book had to the characters-not the plot, the writing style, but the characters. What really aggravates me when reading a book is when the characters feel a bit too fake, made-up or perfect. Perfect usually applies to the main male character in the book. This book was completely different. My favorite part of reading a book is meeting a new character, it's almost like getting a new friend. 

Josh is the perfect example of a well written character. He's tough enough to make us love him as a the main male character in the story but he's vulnerable enough to make us feel that he's real. Throughout the book, there are parts where he is about to cry and that is what hit that final target that ensured that I loved Josh. Many authors don't let their male characters cry because it's not "tough". Screw tough, when a guy cries it means that they guy has feelings and that he is a little more real. It makes the story come to life as if we were watching a movie or real life.

Overall this book found a place in my heart. It made me fall in love, it tore me up inside and then when I was all fixed up, I fell in love a little bit more.

Favorite book of the year so far!!!!!!!

As for my rating, I am breaking all my rules her but I am giving this book 6 out of 5 stars!! This is the first time I have given ANY book over 5 stars. So Mrs. Katja Millay I bow down to you and your writing skills!

     

*A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.