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kickthe89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Violence
horizonous's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Terminal illness and Colonisation
Minor: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Vomit, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
◦ Death = the theme of◦ Mental illness = PTSD
◦ Terminal illness = various pandemic diseases
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"This is the strange lesson of living in a pandemic: life can be tranquil in the face of death."
I am in two minds about Sea of Tranquility. I loved this book and I continue to love Mandel's writing. I thought the fractured narrative style served the story really well and all of Olive's narrative sections that potentially reflected some of Mandel's own thoughts on Station Eleven, its public reception and the publishing world were extremely moving. I recently read Mitchell's The Bone Clocks which has a somewhat similar but far less balanced and moving storyline about feeling cynical whilst moving through the writing and publishing world. Mandel's novel took similar concerns and material and elevated it. It deftly handled the pleasures and difficulties of being a public figure who produces art and the range of consequences this has on people's personal lives. Mandel does this in a way that didn't make me feel tired, bored or embarrassed. The overall plot and themes were also really compelling and the prose itself is just beautiful and refined. I've also found this is one of the first pieces of media / fiction I've engaged with in the last two year that addresses the pandemic, and does so in a way that addresses how profound and unjust the ongoing loss of COVID-19 has been, whilst also providing an escapist element that provokes the imagination and encourages the reader to pursue the story.
At the same time, I wish there was more of this book - it sometimes moved far too fast and I wanted to spend more time with the characters, especially Edwin and Mirella. The ending felt a little rushed and Gaspery's story resolved itself too neatly. I wish his story had been weaved throughout from the beginning and that some of the earlier narrative sections were longer. That said, I really enjoyed this and I hope Mandel continues to write sci-fi that is as innovative and moving as this book is.
I am in two minds about Sea of Tranquility. I loved this book and I continue to love Mandel's writing. I thought the fractured narrative style served the story really well and all of Olive's narrative sections that potentially reflected some of Mandel's own thoughts on Station Eleven, its public reception and the publishing world were extremely moving. I recently read Mitchell's The Bone Clocks which has a somewhat similar but far less balanced and moving storyline about feeling cynical whilst moving through the writing and publishing world. Mandel's novel took similar concerns and material and elevated it. It deftly handled the pleasures and difficulties of being a public figure who produces art and the range of consequences this has on people's personal lives. Mandel does this in a way that didn't make me feel tired, bored or embarrassed. The overall plot and themes were also really compelling and the prose itself is just beautiful and refined. I've also found this is one of the first pieces of media / fiction I've engaged with in the last two year that addresses the pandemic, and does so in a way that addresses how profound and unjust the ongoing loss of COVID-19 has been, whilst also providing an escapist element that provokes the imagination and encourages the reader to pursue the story.
At the same time, I wish there was more of this book - it sometimes moved far too fast and I wanted to spend more time with the characters, especially Edwin and Mirella. The ending felt a little rushed and Gaspery's story resolved itself too neatly. I wish his story had been weaved throughout from the beginning and that some of the earlier narrative sections were longer. That said, I really enjoyed this and I hope Mandel continues to write sci-fi that is as innovative and moving as this book is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, and War
nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Vomit, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
starrysteph's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I'm a little torn on this one. I enjoy stories about time travel – and I enjoy stories about time travel with lyrical, dream-like writing and complex questions. But some of the actual content fell flat.
We cross huge spans of time in this novel, but the writing style stays the same. I wanted more differentiation between the voices of characters in 1912 and 2020 and far into the future. I also felt that there was a lack of creativity or perhaps "realism" when we go far into the future. Why are things EXACTLY the same as they are in 2020? Yes, people live on the moon, but there isn't any nuance here.
I also felt some frustration at the recklessness and thoughtlessness of Gaspery's decisions. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but the choices he made and the shifting of timelines felt too simplistic and didn't make sense. And in general, I didn't find myself making deep emotional connections to any of the characters. (And there was some content around Olive as a writer of pandemic stories that felt like a clear self-insert and was a little silly.)
Overall, I enjoyed the concept. I enjoyed the weaving together of the stories (though it became a little cliche by the end). I enjoyed the writing style. But once I zoomed in and thought a bit more critically about the material, I found myself disappointed.
CW: chronic illness, confinement, death, colonisation, murder, gun violence, suicide, war, alcohol, pandemic, sexism
We cross huge spans of time in this novel, but the writing style stays the same. I wanted more differentiation between the voices of characters in 1912 and 2020 and far into the future. I also felt that there was a lack of creativity or perhaps "realism" when we go far into the future. Why are things EXACTLY the same as they are in 2020? Yes, people live on the moon, but there isn't any nuance here.
I also felt some frustration at the recklessness and thoughtlessness of Gaspery's decisions. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but the choices he made and the shifting of timelines felt too simplistic and didn't make sense. And in general, I didn't find myself making deep emotional connections to any of the characters. (And there was some content around Olive as a writer of pandemic stories that felt like a clear self-insert and was a little silly.)
Overall, I enjoyed the concept. I enjoyed the weaving together of the stories (though it became a little cliche by the end). I enjoyed the writing style. But once I zoomed in and thought a bit more critically about the material, I found myself disappointed.
CW: chronic illness, confinement, death, colonisation, murder, gun violence, suicide, war, alcohol, pandemic, sexism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Colonisation
quinnspired's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and War
emhunsbaker's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Alcohol, and Colonisation
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