In A Very Large Expanse of Sea, Tahereh Mafi, author of the bestselling Shatter Me series, detours from her usual fantasy novels and, for the first time, takes a leap into the world of contemporary fiction.
The story is told through the eyes of Shirin, a daughter of Iranian immigrants, who is entering her second year of high school a year after September 11, 2001. Shirin, taunted not only at school but also on the streets, feels cast out, humiliated, angry, and forms a shell between her and the world. Then, she meets Ocean, a boy from a universe completely different from her own. Ocean, unaware of the extent of prejudice that lies outside his bubble of privilege, falls for Shirin. Although Shirin knows the difficulties of dating a white boy--her parents' and society's disapproval top of the list--her shell slowly shatters as she ventures into love.
Mafi gives vivid voice to an underrepresented audience in this story, which she has said is related to her own life and to growing up in the aftermath of that tragic day. She develops a connection between her characters and her readers through her candid accounts of prejudice and societal expectations in the United States. Her character development is outstanding as the story progresses: the complexity of Shirin and Ocean's characters grounds a realistic tale in which not only Muslim teens can find themselves, but a majority of young adults as well, regardless of faith. The teens' rich personalities, desires, powerful emotions and struggles come together to form a memorable work. An outstanding contemporary novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a realistic love story that provides a much-needed perspective. --Rifal Imam, 17