lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastic! Nastia was so broken, but still so much stronger than she thought she was. Josh and Drew were also characters that felt very real to me - so very teenaged boys - and the way they interacted with each other, and with Nastia made so much sense.
There is so much darkness in this story, though, but still, it didn't make me as sad as I thought it would. It was more about navigating through a new life, a life that was difficult to want. But that was there, and therefore had to be lived.
The narration was awesome, too - even if the female narrator spoke quite a bit faster than the male narrator.
There is so much darkness in this story, though, but still, it didn't make me as sad as I thought it would. It was more about navigating through a new life, a life that was difficult to want. But that was there, and therefore had to be lived.
The narration was awesome, too - even if the female narrator spoke quite a bit faster than the male narrator.
bookstuffq's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was Good till 80%
Tho MMC fcked up Idk why he did that but yeah it ruined a little for me otherwise a Gread read
</Spoiler>
Spoiler
Tho MMC fcked up Idk why he did that but yeah it ruined a little for me otherwise a Gread read
</Spoiler>
salshrem_nardea's review against another edition
I literally lost my physical copy of this book and I was almost done with it.
agrutle's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so its been about an hour since I finished this book and honestly I still can't put in to words how much I loved it. I'll start by saying that my best friend, Corie pretty much forced me to read it because she knows what I like and knows that I wouldn't do it because I was being told to do it. I'm kind of a brat that way. I don't like being told what to do. Anyway, this book was amazing and I'm so glad she got me to read it. Once I picked it up to read, I hated putting it down to do menial chores like feeding my family.
Right off we meet Nastya, she's living with her aunt Margot, and she doesn't talk, ever. She's living with her aunt because she can't stand to be with her mom, dad and brother, because they expect her to be the girl she was before everything fell apart. She just can't, shes so angry and she hates everyone. She doesn't talk so she doesn't have to lie to them. She doesn't want the love that she doesn't feel she should get.
The first day of school is hard enough when you're a regular kid, but when you're starting at new school and you don't speak, it's like climbing a mountain. Nastya wants nothing to do with anyone. She doesn't want friends and she dresses the exact opposite of what she did before. Hiding in the bathroom everyday during lunch is her way of getting through the day. The first person she meets is Drew Leighton. He comes off as a cocky jerk that is all about one thing, SEX. All he talks about is getting in to Nastya's pants. Not talking hinders her from telling him no and being able to stand firm on it. So she goes to parties with him. In the end though Drew ended up being one of my most favorite characters. He's not all he seems and he's got a soft side.
Josh has an invisible force field around him. No one says anything to him because every around him has died. Now he's on his own, no one at home and all he wants to be is left alone to his woodworking. He noticed Nastya the first day of school, because really who wouldn't with the way she was dressed. He just doesn't want to get involved with anything or anyone. That goes out the window when Drew drops her off after a party. Drew's going to miss curfew and shes wasted, so he leaves her with Josh to get her home. After that he still doesn't want to have anything to do with her, until she just shows up and keeps showing up. Finally one day she talks to him. She only talks to him.
Their relationship is easy, they just are together. She feels safe with him and he just lets her be. He doesn't push and she doesn't either. Life isn't all puppy dogs and sunshine though. You have to read this. I mean seriously! It's my favorite book this year so far. I didn't plan to read it, now I can't imagine my life without having read it.
This was me after I finished this book and I'll bet you'll be just as excited!
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Worthy of the hoopla.
This was one of those Indie books that seemingly popped up out of nowhere last year and quickly earned a name for itself among the die-hard book hounds of the blogging/reviewing community. I kinda missed the party at the time (I was washing my hair), but when I saw it had gotten picked up by Simon & Schuster/Atria and it appeared on Netgalley, I couldn't resist any longer. So I grabbed it and figured I'd have my own dang party all by myself. I'd call it the Day Late and Dollar Short Ball. It would have ice cream.
Except I wasn't by myself, was I? I was with Josh Bennett.
Yes :D
So very yes.
I loved so many things about this book other than Josh, though he was the cherry on top of my ice cream. I loved the alternating POV chapters. I loved Josh. I loved reading about Nastya, without necessarily ever loving Nastya as a character. I loved Josh. I loved the dialogue, the sweet, romantic moments, the really fleshed-out secondary characters like Drew (who ended up being so much more than I'd thought he'd be). And Josh. Don't forget Josh.
The trend for this new wash of New Adult books seems to be to throw two completely messed up young people together and watch the disaster unfold between your fingers until they get so low, the only possible way is up. Usually by crawling there on their hands and knees. In THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY, the characters were certainly troubled; worryingly so. But instead of being angry and dark and all hatey, they both seemed to be punishing themselves more than anything. Nastya in all the bizarre ways Nastya did (more on her in a minute), and Josh by making himself more alone than he needed to be. Their separate issues were interesting, and together, they made this weird kind of sense as long as you didn't stare too closely.
Now Nastya... I've got to admit she annoyed me occasionally. The clothes thing? Hmm, not sure I ever really understood the logic there. It was like, "People are going to look at me anyway so why not give them something to look at by dressing like goth Barbie?". I just didn't geddit. Sorry.
And even my lovely Josh annoyed me once or twice. He might have been the saner of the two, but he wasn't perfect. And he was a very, very naughty boy at one point which, I admit, kinda made me a bit disappointed in him.
But, when all's said and done in this genre that can be really hit or miss, THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY was a hit for me, and I'd definitely read this author again.
4 Josh-shaped stars!
★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of those Indie books that seemingly popped up out of nowhere last year and quickly earned a name for itself among the die-hard book hounds of the blogging/reviewing community. I kinda missed the party at the time (I was washing my hair), but when I saw it had gotten picked up by Simon & Schuster/Atria and it appeared on Netgalley, I couldn't resist any longer. So I grabbed it and figured I'd have my own dang party all by myself. I'd call it the Day Late and Dollar Short Ball. It would have ice cream.
Except I wasn't by myself, was I? I was with Josh Bennett.
Yes :D
So very yes.
I loved so many things about this book other than Josh, though he was the cherry on top of my ice cream. I loved the alternating POV chapters. I loved Josh. I loved reading about Nastya, without necessarily ever loving Nastya as a character. I loved Josh. I loved the dialogue, the sweet, romantic moments, the really fleshed-out secondary characters like Drew (who ended up being so much more than I'd thought he'd be). And Josh. Don't forget Josh.
The trend for this new wash of New Adult books seems to be to throw two completely messed up young people together and watch the disaster unfold between your fingers until they get so low, the only possible way is up. Usually by crawling there on their hands and knees. In THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY, the characters were certainly troubled; worryingly so. But instead of being angry and dark and all hatey, they both seemed to be punishing themselves more than anything. Nastya in all the bizarre ways Nastya did (more on her in a minute), and Josh by making himself more alone than he needed to be. Their separate issues were interesting, and together, they made this weird kind of sense as long as you didn't stare too closely.
Now Nastya... I've got to admit she annoyed me occasionally. The clothes thing? Hmm, not sure I ever really understood the logic there. It was like, "People are going to look at me anyway so why not give them something to look at by dressing like goth Barbie?". I just didn't geddit. Sorry.
And even my lovely Josh annoyed me once or twice. He might have been the saner of the two, but he wasn't perfect. And he was a very, very naughty boy at one point which, I admit, kinda made me a bit disappointed in him.
But, when all's said and done in this genre that can be really hit or miss, THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY was a hit for me, and I'd definitely read this author again.
4 Josh-shaped stars!
★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
ajlacassie's review against another edition
5.0
I had this book so long on my TBR list that i forgot about her, until one day. This book was amaizing, i cried, i laughed, i enjoyed it throughly. I loved it.
lizaktzxy's review against another edition
5.0
You know you've read a book which is nothing but perfection when you start being extremely conscious of the very few pages left of a story you never want to read an end to, of characters you don't want to part with and of writing you can't help but admire.
carroll79's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5