Review: A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperTeen (October  2018)

I did not have a good time reading the Shatter Me series, Tahereh Mafi's debut work. I found them to be very generic with a Special Snowflake heroine and a weird writing style that made getting though the book kind of jarring. If you have read them, you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I was therefore not excited when I heard Mafi was taking a foray into contemporary. This book flew under my radar for ages and I only decided to read it because my local library had a copy.

Well, color me surprised. I read A Very Large Expanse of Sea in a single sitting and loved it. Set shortly after the events of 9/11, this book deals with the themes of racism and prejudice in a very clever way. I know nothing about the author's personal history, but this felt so real that I don't doubt this book was written from her own personal experience wearing a hijab in a time when people were looking for a reason to hate.

I felt really connected to Shirin, a complex character whose journey through this prejudge as her personal growth kept me turning the pages. I felt angry at the prejudice she experienced.

However, in spite of the themes in this books, I felt that this was ultimately a hopeful story and I highly recommend it to any fan of YA contemporary.

8/10