tahereh mafi a very large expanse of sea

Shirin wears the hijab, not because her parents demand it, but for her own reasons- as a part of her religious identity. It's 2002, America is still reeling from the 9/11 attacks, & Shirin and her family,Iranian immigrants, move often she's moved once again from California to a new town, new high school, new casual cruelty and misunderstanding. However,' A Very Large Expanse of Sea' was still an enjoyable read and a relevant one. I found it very annoying and wanted to give the author a thesaurus to help her choose other alternatives. Despite the sweet romance that blossomed between the two teens, I felt that it soon became the prime focus of the book which impacted on the big issues, which was disappointing.My biggest complaint, however, was the overuse of the word 'wow'.

It took him a while to realise the extent of the hatred poured out on Shirin because of her religion. He truly cared for Shirin and refused to be pushed away, regardless of how he was treated by the locals or how many times Shirin tried to end their relationship. However, I admired her strength and fierceness and the fact that she loved to break-dance, and her vulnerability was heartbreaking.I also loved Ocean and his strength of character. Shirin was a funny, intelligent protagonist but, I felt at times, she handled situations too aggressively. Daily she had to endure racial slurs and derogatory comments. I hated how Shirin was treated by her peers and sympathised with her pain and anger. 'A Very Large Expanse of Sea' dealt with some serious issues and gave an eye-opening account of one teenage, Muslim girl's struggles to be accepted at school post 9/11.

It terrifies her-they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds-and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it dow. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.īut then she meets Ocean James. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments-even the physical violence-she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature!įrom the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice.

Tahereh mafi a very large expanse of sea