Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Release Date: June 4th 2013
(first published Sept 5th 2012)
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages:   448
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

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.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. 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 may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Please Note: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language.

This book is beautifully written that I couldn't express in words >.< So I may be rambling because I just felt so much that I don't know how to say it all.  It's been awhile since a book could bring me this much emotions and I'm glad that I read this amazing book. I did expect this would be a heart wrenching story based on the title and the synopsis but I didn't know that it was even deeper than that. The story was filled with sorrow, joy, rage, grief but the most important thing is to learn to accept and to heal from a broken heart. To let go when the time comes.

I love Nastya and Josh so much, they had been through so many hardships that I felt emotional drained out just by listening to their stories.  Yes listening not reading even though technically I was reading. The Sea of Tranquility is slow building but Katja is a brilliant story teller that I didn't think it's slow but I felt so REAL instead. It's like everything was happening before my eyes, it had me tearing up. I actually was crying when Nastya said "I am home" at the end because it sounded so peaceful. It's like all the sadness is behind now, the page had turned and new chapter had begin. I am home to where I belong, with people who love me, my soul will be at peace at last. Through out the book I just wanted to hug both Nastya and Josh because that's all I could give. I don't want to say "it will be ok or things will get better...etc" or any of those craps because it's NOT. I had a deep connection with Josh because I'd been there. I knew what it felt like to be the only one left. It's so hard to live on because there is nothing to look forward to. Sometimes I just hope
"Let's get into a time machine and return to that time
 when it was always fun. Everyone was there and laughing.
 To that time."

Sorry I went a little side track there but this book just brought back the memories that I had kept it deep down in my heart for so long.

I love this book so much and everything in it. It made me FEEL and it'd became part of me. This is a book that you should all read because it's just simply beautiful.