4.14 AVERAGE

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

A really engaging time-travel read with a lot of interesting ideas about reality, the cycles of history, and living through the end of the world. It takes a bit to get off the ground in my opinion, but once you see the threads start to knit together, and when we're introduced to Gaspery, then the heart of the book is revealed. Deeply human, and often beautiful, this is a really cool piece of sci-fi.
mysterious reflective
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Sea of Tranquility reads like equal parts Clouds Atlas and the movie Tenet. Also, the author seemed referenced her previous work with another pandemic plot device and end of the world scenario. On a thousand-point scale, I’d give this book 896 points for plotting and characterization. The execution cannot be criticized, but it felt just a little derivative of other time travel novels. 
adventurous emotional 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

A beautifully written, easy to read book.  At first, it feels like a series of unconnected stories with different characters and differing timelines until the story develops, and then suddenly, the stories connect and make sense. Time travel and its perils are explored.  I loved how sensitvely pandemics are written.  Some of the minor characters I wish I had more of those,  their interactions with Gaspery, and the impact on him.  Whilst it had a neat and impactful ending, I was left wanting more. It reads well as a standalone, and others are suggesting the books are read in order, but I was satisfied having only read Station Eleven. I'm therefore going to find my copy of the Glass Hotel for my next read, which is an endorsement of the book and author. Thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I love a book that rewards close listening and connects the dots across timelines and perspectives. Can’t wait to read another Emily St John Mandel book to see what more constellations she can connect in her universe
hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-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: No

I love how Emily St John Mandel’s brain works!
mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No