From the constant microaggressions Shirin suffers through, to the utter hate which follows her and Ocean getting together, to the pain and despair she feels at having to hurt Ocean to help him, it’s such an entrancing and beautifully painful read. And whilst Ocean doesn’t want to accept it, Shirin doesn’t want him to be hurt by what will happen if suddenly she’s seen with the star basketball player and darling of the school, Ocean.Ī Very Large Expanse of Sea is such an honest and brutal tale. Because Ocean is nice, and kind, and says stupid idiot things but he’s so kind and loving and he makes her want to pretend the world isn’t awful.

She puts earbuds in and listens to music to help her ignore the world around her.īut when her brother starts a breakdancing crew, and when Ocean enters her world, her well fought stance to stay unbothered changes. So, she puts up a front: she is unbothered by the stares and accusations, unbothered by the treatment. She is attacked verbally, physically, mentally, wherever she goes. Before, she was just another slightly odd person on the street. What an absolutely wonderful book!! You can tell this book was so personal to the author because the emotion, the relevance, the relatability are all so strong, it’s just so stunning. 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. 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. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. 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. 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. Goodreads blurb: It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

A very large expanse of sea book review