3.5☆

this was a very interesting study of temporality and reality. we follow 4 different characters, all connected through a temporal anomaly, or a lapse in time. 'sea of tranquility' spans 500 years, exploring anxieties, fears, existential dread... a bunch of things that have been plaguing people for a millennia

it's a piece of post-pandemic literature that questions the concept of the "apocalypse", and humanities obsession with the end of the world. mandel almost suggests that the world is always ending, to some degree. the world is ending when we lose a loved one, or when a pandemic strikes, etc. the concept that the end is ongoing was so interesting, and it's such a unique way to reframe apocalyptic literature

this leads into the novel's core message of living in the present, finding beauty and moments of tranquility in everything the world has to offer, reassessing where we find value, etc. it's a little cheesy, but i didn't mind that

i found this book to be introspective, full of heart, subdued, and quietly powerful. it kinda replicated the feeling i get when i read becky chambers' work? (take that with a grain of salt PLEASE lol)

saying alll of that, the ending left something to be desired. i found the way that all these character's narratives connected to be a little cliché?? it was so impactful throughout, but the ending ultimately left me thinking, "oh, that's it?" i think it began going a little downhill after olive's section (who was my fav character)
i'm definitely in the minority because everyone seems to love the ending, and i would still recommend this book, for sure!! but i did go from tearing up over how impactful it was to feeling quite dissatisfied by how things wrapped up