Reviews

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

donnawr1's review

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4.0

This is a fun time-travel novel with characters in different centuries, past and present, whose stories are deftly woven together. I also like that this novel contains a character and references to some of those in The Glass Hotel, which I also very much enjoyed. One character is a novelist who wrote about a fictional pandemic right when a new pandemic is starting... very much like Mandel herself. There are details in this that resonate with our experiences of Covid-19, so it brings that to life again, but just as a small (and familiar) part of this novel. The Sea of Tranquility is a "lake" on the moon, and part of the novel involves colonies on the moon. Mandel creates interesting characters and teases us with philosophical ideas about what is reality and what really makes us happy. Expert writing and enjoyable read.

sartzer's review

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challenging mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

konnamuori's review

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

macyashby's review

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4.0

Really enjoyed this! Reflections on life and love and human connection and the concept of time.

deltajuliet83's review against another edition

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So boring.

sarah_in_scotland's review

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mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

slugluv's review

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4.0

not what i was expecting in a sci fi novel! she built the story really well and i found most of the characters interesting. i liked the mystery of it and how the story moved through time, while also not dragging. the beginning was the weakest part for me.

angelaasch's review

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4.0

3.5

brandonstanderson's review

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.25

fleetingfox's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.5