Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperCollins (2019), Edition: Reprint, 336 pages
Description
Romance. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: A National Book Award Longlist title! From 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. 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 i… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
"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. I hated how Shirin was treated by her peers and sympathised with her pain and anger. Daily she had to endure racial slurs and
Shirin was a funny, intelligent protagonist but, I felt at times, she handled situations too aggressively. 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. 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. It took him a while to realise the extent of the hatred poured out on Shirin because of her religion. 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'. I found it very annoying and wanted to give the author a thesaurus to help her choose other alternatives. However," A Very Large Expanse of Sea" was still an enjoyable read and a relevant one.
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derogatory comments. Shirin was a funny, intelligent protagonist but, I felt at times, she handled situations too aggressively. 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. 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. It took him a while to realise the extent of the hatred poured out on Shirin because of her religion. 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'. I found it very annoying and wanted to give the author a thesaurus to help her choose other alternatives. However," A Very Large Expanse of Sea" was still an enjoyable read and a relevant one.
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LibraryThing member BDartnall
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. Shirin wears the hijab, not because her parents demand it, but for her
And it's hard to figure out Ocean's appeal at times. He appears to be an allegorical figure, a physical manifestation of humanity's light side whose goodness almost compensates for everyone else's myopia. (Naivete and unquestioning acceptance are virtues, for Ocean.) He's also unaware of the full power of his white privilege until he gets involved with Shirin and the realization of it fractures the bubble he's lived in his entire life. It often seems that they're separated by what feels like a large sea of cultural differences. But even as he's grappling with the horrors of privilege, he's still kind enough, respectful enough to temper her cynicism and help her become someone unafraid to dip a toe into untested waters — so to speak" (Kamrun Nesa "Prejudice Complicates the Course of Love..." NPR-Review. 20 Oct 2018.Online) Great first person narrative, esp for Muslim girls, or girls - fast read. Fans of The Fault in Our Stars, or other such stories (doomed, desperate first love) will embrace this story. Long-listed for Nobel Prize-Lit for YA
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own reasons- as a part of her religious identity. But an Iranian girl with a headscarf invites stares, taunts, even attacks - so Shirin disappears into herself, her music off her I pod, her journal, & break dancing with her older brother and his friends. And then Ocean James begins to try to chat w/her- he's her lab partner, and while Shirin struggles to keep up her aloof, cold demeanor, his genuine efforts to get to know her begin to break down her barriers. What follows is a growing romance story between a star jock, a handsome white boy and a beautiful Iranian girl - and what Shirin knows will surely come. "Ocean's presence doesn't make her life any less complicated, but he does begin to push her outside of her shell, and she not only broadens his horizons but likes him without the frills of his popularity. The stakes get higher, though, once she realizes just how popular he is, and how much backlash he's facing for supporting her. We all like a good forbidden romance — just ask Shakespeare — but in this case, Ocean and Shirin's relationship and the systematic way their peers and adults try to tear them apart is a brutal spectacle, compounded by the pressure Shirin faces to sacrifice her wants for what she's told are Ocean's best interests.And it's hard to figure out Ocean's appeal at times. He appears to be an allegorical figure, a physical manifestation of humanity's light side whose goodness almost compensates for everyone else's myopia. (Naivete and unquestioning acceptance are virtues, for Ocean.) He's also unaware of the full power of his white privilege until he gets involved with Shirin and the realization of it fractures the bubble he's lived in his entire life. It often seems that they're separated by what feels like a large sea of cultural differences. But even as he's grappling with the horrors of privilege, he's still kind enough, respectful enough to temper her cynicism and help her become someone unafraid to dip a toe into untested waters — so to speak" (Kamrun Nesa "Prejudice Complicates the Course of Love..." NPR-Review. 20 Oct 2018.Online) Great first person narrative, esp for Muslim girls, or girls - fast read. Fans of The Fault in Our Stars, or other such stories (doomed, desperate first love) will embrace this story. Long-listed for Nobel Prize-Lit for YA
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LibraryThing member Beth.Clarke
Sometimes YA novels go overboard by trying to tackle every YA theme. A Very Large Expanse of the Sea goes after racism. It shows stereotypes and what might be going on inside the minds of those being generalized. A strong, smart female protagonist! I can't wait to recommend this to students.
LibraryThing member acargile
This realistic fiction novel depicts living life dealing with racism.
The novel takes place shortly after 9-11, so Americans freely express their hatred toward anyone Muslim. Shirin wears a head scarf, which makes her an obvious target. Seriously threatened in the past, Sharin learns how to ignore
Her family moves frequently as her parents climb the American ladder of dreams. In her new town, Shirin is assigned Ocean as her lab partner. He desires to be her friend. He truly does not care that she is Muslim and wears a head scarf. He finds her beautiful and interesting. He eventually breaks through her barriers and she agrees to date him.
The star basketball player dating a head-scarf-wearing Muslim leads to rampant hatred originating from racism. Shirin tries to explain what dating her will entail for his life, but he doesn't care. Ocean possesses little in his life--no passions for anything and no one who seems to care. Shirin provides love and someone who cares about him and not his basketball abilities. Needless to say, he experiences life where people are racist and full of hate, willing to say hurtful things and physically harm another person. He never cared for the people around him, but the truth of their true selves disappoints him so much that it's almost more than he cares to be a part of.
The novel solely revolves around assumptions we all make and the way we justify our treatment of others. Even Shirin recognizes this prejudice in herself. It's also a look at America--what people are willing to do--blindly--in the name of patriotism. I am glad Shirin explains why she wears the head scarf. As a female, I've always had a hard time understanding the scarf. If the men wore it as well, I would understand more. Her explanation was helpful. This novel makes you look in the mirror and look at others and be truthful--how do you treat others? It's an important book. I still think there are a few inconsistencies, and Shirin's vacillating about whether she should talk to Ocean or not wore thin. It's still very much worth your time to read and think about the value of humanity.
The novel takes place shortly after 9-11, so Americans freely express their hatred toward anyone Muslim. Shirin wears a head scarf, which makes her an obvious target. Seriously threatened in the past, Sharin learns how to ignore
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them. By ignoring them, she develops a lot of bitterness and hatred, which makes her a little mean. Her potty mouth and attitude keep her isolated but safe (the potty mouth tapers off as Shirin moves from ignorance to knowledge in her journey). Until Ocean. Her family moves frequently as her parents climb the American ladder of dreams. In her new town, Shirin is assigned Ocean as her lab partner. He desires to be her friend. He truly does not care that she is Muslim and wears a head scarf. He finds her beautiful and interesting. He eventually breaks through her barriers and she agrees to date him.
The star basketball player dating a head-scarf-wearing Muslim leads to rampant hatred originating from racism. Shirin tries to explain what dating her will entail for his life, but he doesn't care. Ocean possesses little in his life--no passions for anything and no one who seems to care. Shirin provides love and someone who cares about him and not his basketball abilities. Needless to say, he experiences life where people are racist and full of hate, willing to say hurtful things and physically harm another person. He never cared for the people around him, but the truth of their true selves disappoints him so much that it's almost more than he cares to be a part of.
The novel solely revolves around assumptions we all make and the way we justify our treatment of others. Even Shirin recognizes this prejudice in herself. It's also a look at America--what people are willing to do--blindly--in the name of patriotism. I am glad Shirin explains why she wears the head scarf. As a female, I've always had a hard time understanding the scarf. If the men wore it as well, I would understand more. Her explanation was helpful. This novel makes you look in the mirror and look at others and be truthful--how do you treat others? It's an important book. I still think there are a few inconsistencies, and Shirin's vacillating about whether she should talk to Ocean or not wore thin. It's still very much worth your time to read and think about the value of humanity.
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LibraryThing member Ray_
Queen Mafi is dominating 2018 I'm so proud!
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Shirin starts at a new high school, her Iranian-American parents are always chasing the American dream, trying to give their children a better school, better opportunity. Shirin has not just a rock, but a boulder on her shoulder. In the shadow of 9/11, it isn't easy being a girl who wears a hijab.
A side activity is the breakdance club that Shirin joins with her brother, Navid, and his new friends. Her brother is a favorite character of mine. Her parents aren't super involved in her school life, but her brother always has her back.
This book was heartbreaking at times, a compelling whirlwind romance, and a strong character study of a marginalized girl trying to survive high school.
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She's skeptical when Ocean works to befriend her. There is something between them. She works to stop it, discourage it as she knows how hard it might ultimately be for Ocean. But she gives in to her feelings for him. For awhile it is okay, but soon the racism bubbling comes out and Ocean, a basketball start who doesn't have a passion for the game, doesn't handle it well. He lashes out and Shirin doesn't want him to loose opportunities. A side activity is the breakdance club that Shirin joins with her brother, Navid, and his new friends. Her brother is a favorite character of mine. Her parents aren't super involved in her school life, but her brother always has her back.
This book was heartbreaking at times, a compelling whirlwind romance, and a strong character study of a marginalized girl trying to survive high school.
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LibraryThing member jpeterman
Holy buckets. Just. WOW. I loved this book! I'd only recommend it if you're feeling into a crying session though. Pretty sure I cried through 3/4ths of it! Finished it in a day - it really is a quick read - a very quick 310 pages.
LibraryThing member m_mozeleski
I was not expecting that ending. Ok, so maybe parts of it, but not the WHOLE ending.
The entire book through, I couldn't stop reading. As a middle schooler when 9/11 happened, in a rich white part of the world, and rich white part of my state, I didn't *really* feel the impact of it, what it would
But to be in high school, or an adult, when this happened... I can't imagine it.
Kids and adults can be unimaginably cruel--and Mafi did not shrink from that reality one bit.
An utterly amazing story.
The entire book through, I couldn't stop reading. As a middle schooler when 9/11 happened, in a rich white part of the world, and rich white part of my state, I didn't *really* feel the impact of it, what it would
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mean for us. My classmates of color weren't from 'there' anyway, and it was middle school. Nobody was really 'popular'. Probably a lot of bs happened that I wasn't aware of.But to be in high school, or an adult, when this happened... I can't imagine it.
Kids and adults can be unimaginably cruel--and Mafi did not shrink from that reality one bit.
An utterly amazing story.
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LibraryThing member CarrieWuj
3.5 YA Compelling and meaningful romance with a relevant twist. Shirin has started her third high school and she is only a sophomore - her family moves around a lot as her father improves his lot and the family's status pursuing the American Dream. Shirin is Iranian-American and wears a hijab, more
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for personal and cultural reasons than devout religious ones. However, it is 2002 and people make assumptions and rude comments based on what they think they know. This new school and the students and sadly, teachers in it are no different. Shirin is used to it and has lots of coping techniques, mainly keeping to herself, keeping earbuds in under her scarf to listen to music all day, and she is just a tough cookie. Plus she has a cool older brother, Navid and together, they have break-dancing. He doesn't seem to have as much trouble fitting in at new schools for lots of reasons, but here he has already formed a break-dance club, found some guys to join him, and lets Shirin join as well. Shirin meanwhile, has been assigned a lab partner who is unlike all the other kids in all the other schools. Ocean James is polite, interested, caring and determined to get past the box other kids (and Shirin herself) put her in. He is also very good-looking and the school's basketball star. His attention to Shirin, that she initially tries to deflect does not go unnoticed and soon the couple is an item, but everyone thinks they are entitled to weigh in on the topic from Ocean's Mom (he needs a scholarship and Shirin is jeopardizing that) to his jackass coach who flat-out tells Shirin to leave Ocean alone. They are really tough and inspiring young people who are determined to buck the system and the bigotry until something happens that is bigger than both of them and the pressure is too much. Great insight on yet another way/reason kids get bullied - Shirin's point of view is so knowing, that the reader gets to experience everything alongside her. I love the line her father gives her: She has asked him "How do you know if you've done the right thing?" and he replies "If the decision you've made has brought you closer to humanity, then you've done the right thing." (274). Wisdom and grit make this a book worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tip44
Wonderful book. Similar to The Hate You Give. It does an amazing job of reminding the reader that humans exist behind stereotypes. It also captures the thrill of first love in an enchanting way.
LibraryThing member DzejnCrvena
My entry for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt: a book by a Muslim American author
More than five years ago, I did not finish Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me. It was too slow-paced for me, so I thought this book is the same thing. Woah! I am actually surprised by how good this book is.
This is
The main character is one of the most assertive people in literature that I know of. Actually, most characters here are tough (because they have to be), interesting and talented (I see you, Shirin's father).
I thought this is another romantic cliché I can live without. Well, they're adorable and wholesome and their chemistry is similar to Eleanor and Park. Will definitely read a sequel, if there's any.
content warning: profanity
More than five years ago, I did not finish Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me. It was too slow-paced for me, so I thought this book is the same thing. Woah! I am actually surprised by how good this book is.
This is
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probably my first book about Muslim immigrants in the USA (when 9/11 happened). It reminds me of the famous movie line "My Name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist" (love that movie, btw). The main character is one of the most assertive people in literature that I know of. Actually, most characters here are tough (because they have to be), interesting and talented (I see you, Shirin's father).
I thought this is another romantic cliché I can live without. Well, they're adorable and wholesome and their chemistry is similar to Eleanor and Park. Will definitely read a sequel, if there's any.
content warning: profanity
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LibraryThing member reader1009
diverse teen fiction (10th-grade hijabi Persian meets 11th grade all-american basketball star)
a sweet love story (with some sizzling kissing scenes) complicated by bigoted high school students and teachers post 9/11.
a sweet love story (with some sizzling kissing scenes) complicated by bigoted high school students and teachers post 9/11.
LibraryThing member nbmars
This short young adult novel about Shirin, a 16-year-old Muslim girl in 2002, born in America to Iranian parents, has won numerous awards, including a nomination for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2018.
Shirin and her older brother Navid have moved a lot, because her
Shirin has a virtual spike-covered wall around her to protect her from the slings and arrows of degrading, ill-informed, and cruel insults from fellow high schoolers and even high school teachers. Since the attack on 9/11, however, it has gotten much worse. Mostly she tries to tune it all out (literally) by listening to music all day through headphones that are invisible because of her hijab. She also works out her frustrations physically by practicing break-dancing after school with her brother and some of his friends.
She thinks she is weak though because she does get hurt: “I still cared too much. I was still so easily, pathetically, punctured.”
Shirin won’t stop wearing the hijab though; she likes, and even needs, the power she feels it gives her over her own body. But Shirin is stronger than she realizes, and remarkably mature and self-confident, and that also helps. After one of her teachers subjected her to an incredibly insensitive episode in class, she wanted to drop his class, and he tried to convince her to stay. She told him:
“‘I’m tired as hell, Mr. Jordan. I’ve been trying to educate people for years and it’s exhausting. I’m tired of being patient with bigots. I’m tired of trying to explain why I don’t deserve to be treated like a piece of sh*t all the time. I’m tired of begging everyone to understand that people of color aren’t all the same, that we don’t all believe the same things or feel the same things or experience the world the same way.’ I shook my head, hard. ‘I’m just — I’m sick and tired of trying to explain to the world why racism is bad, okay? Why is that my job?’”
Her newly assigned bio partner, Ocean James, a year older at 17, is different than the rest. He is kind, funny, and seems genuinely interested in getting to know Shirin. He willingly admits his ignorance over her culture and expresses embarrassment about it. And Shirin finds it harder and harder to resist his overtures. But if they were to have a relationship, could it hold up against the reaction of their classmates and the community at large? Furthermore, while Shirin knows from past experience what to expect, she worries over how would it affect Ocean. She feels the need to protect him from what she knows will happen; his white privilege has made him oblivious to the particular cruelty he would be facing by being open about his feelings for Shirin. And yet, it is so hard to resist the pull toward him she feels.
Discussion: Mafi said in an interview that this novel was inspired by her own time in high school. One shudders to think about what kids who are “different” in any way have to endure. But if anyone can bring the emotions to life that teens experience, it is Mafi, who’s Shatter Me series shows that she has a unique talent for remembering exactly what it is like to be young, to hurt, to love, to feel passion, to be confused, and to learn to tap into resiliency and strength. For those looking for romance, there are few better than Mafi, but she couches her relationships in commentary on important social issues, so that her books are more than just stories about runaway hormones.
Evaluation: This is an excellent book that will resonate with teens who are made to feel like pariahs in high school, as well as for those just looking for a swoony novel.
Shirin and her older brother Navid have moved a lot, because her
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parents are always trying to improve their lives. Navid has an easier time adjusting than Shirin; he is a good-looking male who can protect himself, and perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t wear a head scarf, as does Shirin.Shirin has a virtual spike-covered wall around her to protect her from the slings and arrows of degrading, ill-informed, and cruel insults from fellow high schoolers and even high school teachers. Since the attack on 9/11, however, it has gotten much worse. Mostly she tries to tune it all out (literally) by listening to music all day through headphones that are invisible because of her hijab. She also works out her frustrations physically by practicing break-dancing after school with her brother and some of his friends.
She thinks she is weak though because she does get hurt: “I still cared too much. I was still so easily, pathetically, punctured.”
Shirin won’t stop wearing the hijab though; she likes, and even needs, the power she feels it gives her over her own body. But Shirin is stronger than she realizes, and remarkably mature and self-confident, and that also helps. After one of her teachers subjected her to an incredibly insensitive episode in class, she wanted to drop his class, and he tried to convince her to stay. She told him:
“‘I’m tired as hell, Mr. Jordan. I’ve been trying to educate people for years and it’s exhausting. I’m tired of being patient with bigots. I’m tired of trying to explain why I don’t deserve to be treated like a piece of sh*t all the time. I’m tired of begging everyone to understand that people of color aren’t all the same, that we don’t all believe the same things or feel the same things or experience the world the same way.’ I shook my head, hard. ‘I’m just — I’m sick and tired of trying to explain to the world why racism is bad, okay? Why is that my job?’”
Her newly assigned bio partner, Ocean James, a year older at 17, is different than the rest. He is kind, funny, and seems genuinely interested in getting to know Shirin. He willingly admits his ignorance over her culture and expresses embarrassment about it. And Shirin finds it harder and harder to resist his overtures. But if they were to have a relationship, could it hold up against the reaction of their classmates and the community at large? Furthermore, while Shirin knows from past experience what to expect, she worries over how would it affect Ocean. She feels the need to protect him from what she knows will happen; his white privilege has made him oblivious to the particular cruelty he would be facing by being open about his feelings for Shirin. And yet, it is so hard to resist the pull toward him she feels.
Discussion: Mafi said in an interview that this novel was inspired by her own time in high school. One shudders to think about what kids who are “different” in any way have to endure. But if anyone can bring the emotions to life that teens experience, it is Mafi, who’s Shatter Me series shows that she has a unique talent for remembering exactly what it is like to be young, to hurt, to love, to feel passion, to be confused, and to learn to tap into resiliency and strength. For those looking for romance, there are few better than Mafi, but she couches her relationships in commentary on important social issues, so that her books are more than just stories about runaway hormones.
Evaluation: This is an excellent book that will resonate with teens who are made to feel like pariahs in high school, as well as for those just looking for a swoony novel.
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LibraryThing member SamMusher
Mafi's writing style in Shatter Me did NOT work for me, nor do I do romance as a genre, so I was surprised by how much I liked this! I love a prickly protagonist who grows by seeing themself through others' eyes (in that way it reminded me of Eliza and Her Monsters), and I appreciate a straight
I read this and Darius the Great alongside each other, and having those two very different Persian families in conversation was fun. I was hoping both would be this summer reading list's Aristotle and Dante, and I think that works!
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male love interest who is believable *and* a genuinely good dude.I read this and Darius the Great alongside each other, and having those two very different Persian families in conversation was fun. I was hoping both would be this summer reading list's Aristotle and Dante, and I think that works!
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ISBN
0062866575 / 9780062866578