Sea of Tranquility
by Katja Millay
Published by: Atria Books
Form: Purchased Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Big Themes: Trajedy, Death, Falling in Love, Second Chances, Woodworking, Baking, Ice Cream

Summary:
After a life-changing, horrible, near-death experience, a girl named Nastya stops speaking and moves in with her aunt so she can get a fresh start at a new school.  She meets a boy named Josh, whose life is also unbearably tragic, and the two find comfort in each other’s broken, outcast status.  But can love bloom between two people who have not allowed their scars to heal?

Review in a Nutshell:

This book originally went on my to-read list after I read Aylee’s review over at Recovering Potter Addict.  (Great blog and I highly recommend clicking the link and checking her out.)  Aylee prefers speculative fiction, much like myself.  But this contemporary read had her gushing and handing out five stars, so I put it on my list… Back in Winter 2014…  A year ago…

Fast forward to now.  My mom had been recommending this book to me, saying I would love it.  And I finally picked it up to give it a go over my winter break.  My mom wanted me to read it not just because she enjoyed it, but also because the male lead is a carpenter/woodworker–just like my awesome boyfriend!!!  Ahhh!  Yay!!!  So I definitely liked the male lead in this book.  😉

This was Millay’s first novel and an impressive debut.  Both Nastya and Josh narrate the story, which is something I enjoy when there is a budding romance.  I like getting both perspectives and seeing the characters through each other’s lenses.  I also thought Millay did a good job of slowly revealing bits of information about Nastya’s past.  The pacing and timing of the clues is well done.  I never felt like I was being denied information as the reader.

The only reason I did not give this five stars is because I didn’t cry.  And I kind of felt like I should have cried, based on the story’s content.  So I don’t think I connected with the characters as powerfully as I have in other books (like TFIOS for example).

Overall:
Four stars.  Really enjoyed it, never bored.  Excellent debut and I highly recommend.  For ages 14 and up due to language, violence, alcohol, drugs, and sex.