A Very Large Expanse of Sea By Tahereh Mafi

Synopsis/Summary:

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. 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.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. 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. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. 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 down.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐.🌙/5

Ever wondered what the life of a Muslim must be after what happened on 9/11?

A Very Large Expanse of Sea deals with an American Muslim girl, Shirin, that lived her sixteen years of life moving from school to school where she is tired of being stereotyped because of her choice of wearing a headscarf. Now it is 2002, and she finds herself in this new school where people are mean and judgy until she encounters Ocean, the boy who is determined to get to know her beyond those judgments and facts students assume. Throughout this standalone novel, you will be able to see how Shirin destroys that protective wall she has that is separating her from trusting people and therefore being able to grow.

This book was a great read and I think everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy it too. A Very Large Expanse of Sea has everything I think a book needs to be perfect. To start, the romance in this novel is lovely. Ocean is sweet and kind. He is the perfect boy Shirin needs in order to help her grow as a person and support her when destroying the stereotypes she created of people being always shitty about her origins; Because of those assumptions she makes of people, she is not able to establish friendships since she would not let herself near them. We are not only able to see Ocean’s good side but also his rough background, his flaws. And as a result of that, I sympathize with him and care for the love story Shirin and Ocean have. I want to see how they complement, learning the best of each other. Moreover, it also discusses the topics of adolescence in a way I think is realistic. Non-Muslim readers may assume that as Shirin is Muslim her actions and thoughts as a teenager would be contrasting from yours but while reading so you are able to connect with her since she will have struggles with her parents as I believe most teenagers do, she likes breakdancing, she makes sarcastic jokes that made me laugh hard. Not only that but we have a view on the hard and painful things she has lived and still lives every day because of her beliefs and choice of hijab. I learned a little bit about a different culture: some foods, rules at the house, why she decides to use her headscarf, and much more.

Finally, I think that something very interesting ia the progress Shirin made when it comes to her personal development and trust issues. I love how we get that it is her improvement, she made it happen, and even though she used the help given by Ocean, it was her doing all that hard work. You are able to learn and progress with her while reading the novel. It was not a one-minute thing and I appreciate that indeed. This book was something I definitely want to re-read at some point soon because through every page you are capable of connecting with the protagonist, but you learn from them as well and love the flaws presented in their personalities.

In order to convince you to read this marvelous book I will quote some of my favorite parts (no spoilers):

-“Music made my day so much easier. Walking through the halls at school was somehow easier; sitting alone all the time was easier. I loved that no one could tell I was listening to music and that, because no one knew, I was never asked to turn it off.”

- “I could no longer distinguish people from monsters. I looked out at the world around me and no longer saw nuance. I saw nothing but the potential for pain and the subsequent need to protect myself, constantly.”

- “I didn't believe it was possible to hide a woman's beauty. I thought women were gorgeous no matter what they wore, and I didn't think they owed anyone an explanation for their sartorial choices. Different women felt comfortable in different outfits. They were all beautiful.”