This was a fun read that I flew through, but ultimately I didn't feel like it was very memorable, and the ending felt too neat. It was a bit of a let down after Station Eleven.

Wow, this book was beautifully written and an easy recommend for me! I loved the time travel aspect of the book and seeing characters from previous novels. In this novel, I found Mandel’s writing to be part nostalgic and part poetic… two combinations that left me wanting more of the story (in a good way).

This isn’t a genre that I normally read and this is my first of this author’s books so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in but it really surprised me and I found that I enjoyed it. It was a book that made me stop and think The writing was beautiful.

I wanted to like this book. Truly I did. Mandel is such an amazing writer. But the back and forth short stories didn't quite work for me. The connection to the plague/covid was clear, and again, the story was very unique and well written. But just not for me!

Beautifully textured, this mind-altering speculative fiction story tells a tale of time, of humanity, and our never-ending search for meaning and understanding, amidst our existential quest to live a “tranquil life in the face of death”.

With impeccable finesse the author builds an intricate and mesmerizing world (actually, many worlds), moving between time-periods, featuring imaginative stories and vulnerable characters we come to know and care for first, independently, then eventually, with greater insight as their connections become more clearly apparent.

Without giving the plot away (no spoilers here), some of the protagonists we will visit include:

- Edwin St. John St.Andrew: an eighteen-year-old British minor artistrocrat, living a remote and forced exile to the wildest corners of Canada in the year 1912.

- Mirella Kessler: a grieving and wronged widow desperately searching for answers in 2020’s New York .

- Olive Llewelyn: in the year 2203, a mother, wife and author, temporarily (and discomfittingly) isolated from her family and her Moon Colony Two home as she embarks on a tedious and difficult Earth-based publicity-tour for her latest book.

- Gaspery Jones: Criminal Justice almost-graduate and now a Hotel Detective on Moon Colony One, Gaspery is a man with a mission in the year 2401, whose efforts may or may not successfully tie together each and every story encountered thus far (in a manner guaranteed to surprise and delight).

A thoughtful and wonderfully-crafted work, I loved this book and the creatively captivating ideas presented - neatly, delicately, slipping us so completely into a world of the future (entangled with the past), where all that we know to be real, and all that we deem imaginary, intertwine so completely that they may in fact be inseparable.

A great big thank you to HarperCollinsCA, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book.All thoughts presented are my own.

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite books of the year. Once again, Mandel astounds with her complex plots, emotional writing, and relatable characters. After reading The Glass Hotel and Station Eleven, I knew I would love this book, and I wasn't wrong. I can't say too much about this book without giving it away, but it gave me Inception and Interstellar vibes at times. I just loved this book, and once again it became such a powerful reflection of humanity, and the impact its possible to have on people's lives. Mandel is one of the best Canadian writers of our generation. Flawless.

I am still trying to process this book but it was so beautifully written. At times I was confused with the different stories and characters but then it came together and I thought it all connected so well. I had many aha moments when realizing connections of characters and that part I loved the best. I enjoyed the part where in the future a character was talking about Olive’s book (that had been written 200 years earlier) and that resonated with me. The passing of time does not make works of literature irrelevant but I think more revered and special

This isn't a genre I'd normally read so it took me a while to get through but I actually really liked it! The concept and writing style were interesting and well done. The story is separated into chapters that jump between time periods and characters. The chapters are all connected and eventually they tell a bigger story with some pretty complex questions and themes. The simulation concept hurt my head a little but it was an interesting take on a time travel novel.

SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Emily St. John Mandel is a fascinating, futuristic, time-travel story that drops in on the years 1912, 1918, 2020, 2203 and 2401.

It is a complex story that’s simply and beautifully written with more showing than telling. St. John Mandel never falls into the trap of over explaining. The writing is effortless, and the world-building is one of the best that I’ve seen.

The most fascinating part surrounds the character Olive who is basically Emily St. John Mandel, an author who becomes famous for writing a pandemic book. The ending comes full circle and closes the loop. However, I was left with the question of which came first — the chicken or the egg. #TimeTravelProblems

Characters from her other books (I believe the Glass Hotel) reappear here. This was my first book from this author and I’m here to say that this can be read as a stand alone.

Recommend to a friend? Yes – for those who love time travel and world-building.

Thanks @netgalley, @harpercollinsca and @emilystjohnmandel!

This is my second novel by Emily St. John Mandel, and it has really solidified for me that I absolutely adore her writing. Her prose is so moving and evocative, that you can't help feeling emotionally connected to the characters. I wasn't totally sure I'd enjoy a pandemic novel given the state of the world over the last 2+ years, but I fell in love with the cast of characters and the plot was beyond intriguing, so the pandemic aspect wasn't the deterrent I worried it would be. I enjoyed the Canadian setting for some parts of the novel, as it's always nice to recognize bits and pieces of the world being built. Knowing now that some of the characters appear in The Glass Hotel as well, I think it's safe to say I need to prioritize reading more Emily St. John Mandel!

I’ve had this book on my (e) shelf for quite a while and kept having difficulties getting into it. I so enjoy St. John Mandel’s writing, but am struggling getting into this book. Maybe It’s just a slow start or (more likely) my own challenges with connecting within the story. She is too good of an author, so going to blame it on me entirely.

Can’t wait to see where she goes with her next novel.

A time traveller novel which will bring you into a different themes and time periods with the characters. A little touch of science fiction where there is simulation concept but will bring the characters into a loop if its real or not.

I would say the story is a combination of historical, literary & science fiction into one. An overall average read for me. It has a good concept of the story.


3.4/5 stars

Sea of Tranquility is an addictive and compelling story that you won't forget. The author created something absolutely unique that you won't be able to put down. Definitely a favorite read of the year.

✔️I really enjoy this author’s writing style ⁣
✔️ time travel is always a bit confusing for me - I’m glad the author didn’t try to go into the science but tell a story ⁣
✔️when the book starts off, you feel like you are reading a bunch of unconnected stories, but the author does a great job of bringing it all together

Slow burn at times, Sea of Tranquility is a satisfying time travel story. The author captivates with description and imagines worlds beyond our time in a convincing manner. Definitely worth the read!

I started this immediately after finishing The Glass Hotel, and I think that this was a great companion novel. While you don't have to have read Station Eleven and/or The Glass Hotel to read Sea of Tranquility, I think that most of my enjoyment came from the themes and plot that are a continuation of TGH especially. So while the writing style of SoT is much more straightforward and has a different feel to TGH, I would recommend reading that one first to appreciate SoT to the fullest.

This was a pretty quick read and I liked all the different timelines and perspectives. They were each quite short so the story moved on fast. As someone who doesn't read a lot of SFF I liked that while there were aspects of SFF that are important to the plot, there was no time spent explaining any mechanics.

I liked how St. John Mandel included a perspective that seemed to self referential. Without giving spoilers, I really liked how she was able to discuss dystopian fiction as a genre, and the experience of being a popular dystopian fiction writer.

A 4 star read instead of a 5 star read because I wanted just a bit more from the book. It is quite short and in some ways I didn't feel like the back half fully lived up to the front half.

I would definitely recommend this, even if The Glass Hotel wasn't for you. This one is a bit easier to understand what is going on, but still has really cool connections and a lot to think about! Be warned though that there is a significant amount of pandemic content!

An amazing read from start to finish! Emily St. John Mandel creates a time-travelling narrative that left me reading late into the night in order to get to the bottom of just what was going on. As in her previous books, I am astounded at her ability to write about and describe a world so similar to ours, yet just different enough to cause the reader to pause to take it all in. An impressive novel that I highly recommend to anyone that crosses my path.

I loved this book! It really made me think about our current state of affairs. I really loved the nod that Emily St. John Mandel gave to the current coronavirus pandemic.

3.5 stars. I think this book would be such a hit for many people but I feel like I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. This had a time travel aspect to it that had me lost. I do love this authors writing style but this book really wasn’t for me. I will probably re-read it some day to give it another shot. I know many people who love this type of book but it just wasn’t really my thing.

I went into this book without knowing a single detail of what the plot would be and was pleasantly surprised to find what I like to call "a gentle sci-fi" - a cool sci-fi concept without the need for brain power to follow the plot. Emily St John Mandel is so great at these types of plots, focusing on the people aspect of a sci-fi concept. I enjoyed following the unfolding of this story so much and was satisfied with the ending, but I can't say it knocked me off my feet at any point. It was a good book but not exceptional but I also don't think it was supposed to be some groundbreaking revelation of a book - I think it was meant to be enjoyed, and I definitely did enjoy it.