Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea
Series: Standalone
Author’s Name: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA
Page Count: 307 Pages
ISBN: 0062866567 (ISBN13: 9780062866561)
Author or Book Website: https://www.taherehbooks.com/
Link to Amazon purchase page: A Very Large Expanse of Sea
Link to Goodreads: A Very Large Expanse of Sea
Release Date: N/A
How I Got the Book: Review Copy
Summary of the Book:
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.
My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to start by saying as a person of color and being in the minority most of the time I found this good to be something that I did not expect it to be. I have not found many of my culture like this. It warms my heart to be able to read Shirin’s story and watch her struggles to because the person she wants to be and find love and romance along the way after such a tragic time in our country.
My Rating of the Book: 4 Stars.
From the Book Reviewer's Desk 