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caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Thanks to AA Knopf for the free copy of this book.
- Mandel is a master of laying out multiple story threads and then neatly braiding them all together in a thought provoking and satisfying way.
- SEA OF TRANQUILITY is practically a sequel to THE GLASS HOTEL, given that characters and events from the previous book are central to what happens in this one. I love the idea that Mandel drew in literary fiction readers with GLASS HOTEL and then surprise! Now you're in a sci-fi novel!
- As much as I enjoyed the spare writing style, I do wish we'd gotten to know more about the characters beyond what was essential to moving the plot along.
- I haven't read much pandemic fiction yet, and I felt like I was reading it askance, because it's still too hard to look at those early pandemic days straight on for me. It was quite something though, to basically see Mandel working through her pandemic experience and feelings in real time on the page through these characters.
- Mandel is a master of laying out multiple story threads and then neatly braiding them all together in a thought provoking and satisfying way.
- SEA OF TRANQUILITY is practically a sequel to THE GLASS HOTEL, given that characters and events from the previous book are central to what happens in this one. I love the idea that Mandel drew in literary fiction readers with GLASS HOTEL and then surprise! Now you're in a sci-fi novel!
- As much as I enjoyed the spare writing style, I do wish we'd gotten to know more about the characters beyond what was essential to moving the plot along.
- I haven't read much pandemic fiction yet, and I felt like I was reading it askance, because it's still too hard to look at those early pandemic days straight on for me. It was quite something though, to basically see Mandel working through her pandemic experience and feelings in real time on the page through these characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Suicide