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lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is - without a doubt - the best book I've read this year so far.
I recommend it to everyone, basically.
And I think now is the perfect time to read it.
I won't say anything about the plot here, because I think it is best if you go into it blind. But I was blown away by the ideas and the discussions and the mystery and the setting/atmosphere and the writing! It's such a short book (surprisingly short given the contents) and you fly through it, especially the second half.
That being said, to get the most out of it, I recommend reading Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel first, since there are some subtle and some very obvious references to these two books.
If you don't want to read those book, that's fine, Sea of Tranquility will make perfect sense.
But if you think about reading the 2 books after Sea of Tranquility, be warned that there are major spoilers for both of them in this book.
I recommend it to everyone, basically.
And I think now is the perfect time to read it.
I won't say anything about the plot here, because I think it is best if you go into it blind. But I was blown away by the ideas and the discussions and the mystery and the setting/atmosphere and the writing! It's such a short book (surprisingly short given the contents) and you fly through it, especially the second half.
That being said, to get the most out of it, I recommend reading Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel first, since there are some subtle and some very obvious references to these two books.
If you don't want to read those book, that's fine, Sea of Tranquility will make perfect sense.
But if you think about reading the 2 books after Sea of Tranquility, be warned that there are major spoilers for both of them in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Medical content
Moderate: Colonisation and Terminal illness
Minor: Gun violence, Grief, and War
erica_palmisano's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Interesting, surprising, lovely, and an easy read. Pandemic themed, so beware if that's not something you're ready for yet.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content and Gun violence
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: Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Medical content, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Car accident, Gun violence, Sexism, and Suicide
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