Sea of Tranquility: A novel

**3.5⭐️** It’s not that the book wasn’t good or that I didn’t like it, but I was still confused at the end. I more enjoy a story that is tied up nice and neatly at the end, and this just didn’t do it for me. Multiple timelines can be really entertaining, but I feel like this story just moved too quickly and we only got bits and pieces throughout. However, I absolutely love that h IMMEDIATELY broke the first rule of time traveling. Not a second thought.

This is the first book from Emily St. John Mandel I've read and I absolutely loved it! I enjoyed how the story was woven together and brought together in the end. Wonderful. Adding Station Eleven to my TBR!

This book is a great example of when you should read the blurb first. It's not always the case, of course, that reading the blurb first is important, or even advisable, but for this book, the blurb gave me just enough information to understand the relevance of the first sections of the book, without giving away any major plot points.

So the blurb tells us that we're dealing with people in multiple time periods, and that someone is tasked with figuring out what links the different people together. However, the blurb gives away nothing in terms of the intricacy of the plot, the loveliness of the writing, or the depth of the characters, even those of whom we see very little.

What makes this book even more enchanting is that it's very self-referential, and also refers to Mandel's previous book, The Glass Castle, putting the reader in mind of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Readers who pay close attention to the details will be rewarded with seeing those details take on extra importance and meaning in other scenes, allowing the whole picture to come together seamlessly.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

I loved everything about this book- the writing style and fluidity, the relatability and tenderness, and the solace of it all. This is the best book I’ve read this year by far.

The Netflix show “Black Mirror” accelerated my desire to read this book. Only because the title “Sea of Tranquility” is an Easter Egg in many episodes. Though not the same “Sea of Tranquility” referenced in the show I figured it had some important revelatory meaning all the same. This fast and engaging read that definitely offered its own revelatory moments. One of those instances sheds new light on what each episode of Black Mirror could mean. The insights can be distilled down to interactions that raise questions on being and the nature of reality. If you know Black Mirror then you discerning if life is a simulation is a compelling puzzle to figure out. The most important ask is how do we know what is real and what is not? Emily St. John Mandel uses multiple clever uses of language, pacing, and timeline to tie multiple short stories and characters together into a common thread. The ending of which will either leave you vexed or in a soothing calm; having released your need to define reality.