Narrator Priya Ayyar perfectly crafts the voice of high school student Shirin. As Shirin starts over once again at a new high school, she faces prejudice from her classmates and even her teachers because she is Muslim. When she falls for one of her classmates, Ocean, who is the school’s star basketball player, the teasing and bullying intensify. Listeners will feel they have a window onto the love Shirin and Ocean are developing for each other through details such as their instant messaging conversations. Romance and realistic fiction fans alike will be captivated by these authentic characters who tell a story of the struggle many Muslim teens face in the U.S. in the aftermath of 9/11. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Mafi seamlessly works in questions of identity, race and Islamophobia through hilarious dialogue at Shirin's family dinner table and break dancing practice sessions, as well as texts and instant messages…The novel also taps into the fierceness and passion of first love…The physical connection between [Shirin and Ocean] is practically palpable, and readers will be glad that despite all of the potential for a love triangle, none materializes. Mafi captures the momentum of high school scandals perfectly. The novel's bittersweet ending will ring true for most, and will break the hearts of many.

08/20/2018
Hijabi Shirin, 16, starts at a new school in small-town America shortly after 9/11. She rages at those who assume that her religion and headscarf make her a terrorist, but instead of letting her anger “grip both sides of my mouth open and rip me in half,” she uses indifference as armor against the hostile stares of her peers. That is, until she meets Ocean James in her biology class. Against her better judgment, Shirin lets Ocean in and slowly begins to fall for him. But the new couple soon becomes targets of racism, xenophobia, and bigotry. Meanwhile, Shirin finds solace by starting a breakdancing crew with her brother and his friends. Mafi (the Shatter Me series) infuses a contemporary love story with a heartbreakingly realistic portrait of one post-9/11 Muslim life in the United States. Mafi openly addresses many common misconceptions about Islam and what it means to be a woman of color in the face of racism, showing howdifferences can be applauded, not feared. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Oct.)

A raw yet astoundingly elegant examination of identity, loneliness and family that is unflinching in its honesty and power. Tahereh Mafi holds nothing back—and the reader is better for it.” — Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series

“A Very Large Expanse of Sea reads like a beautiful heart—one that shines and aches and yearns, and above all else, one that loves fiercely against all odds. A transcendent story about truth, love, and finding joy.” — Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Warcross series

“This is a gorgeous book. It’s tender and fierce, beautiful even as it depicts some ugly truths. Tahereh’s prose is passionate and honest, unsentimental and big-hearted. The very best books move you to reconsider the world around you, and this is one of those. I truly loved it.” — Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star

“Tahereh Mafi, known for her fantasy and dystopian novels, proves a master of the contemporary realistic novel. Even as the fraught love story drives the short chapters to a surprising close, Mafi weaves in moments of camaraderie and joy.” — Washington Post

★“Mafi tackles the life of an American Muslim teenager in the wake of 9/11 in this visceral, honest novel. Shirin’s captivating story opens a window onto a different narrative than the one typically dominating airwaves after 9/11. Rich characters, incisive writing, and a powerful story will thrill readers.” — Booklist (starred review)

★ “[Mafi’s] writing is nuanced and smart. Shirin and Ocean’s interactions are palpable, and the discussions and exploration of what it means to be a Muslim in politically charged America will resonate with many teens and will be enlightening for some.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

★ “Mafi gives vivid voice to an underrepresented audience in this story. 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.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“A contemporary love story with a heartbreakingly realistic portrait of one post-9/11 Muslim life. Mafi openly addresses many common misconceptions about Islam and what it means to be a woman of color in the face of racism, showing how differences can be applauded, not feared.” — Publishers Weekly

“Holds a mirror up to the reality of religious bigotry. A portrait of a strong Muslim teen girl who defies stereotypes. Shirin insists on her right to approach life on her own clear-eyed terms, granting compassion to the deserving and an education to those who need it.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Cerebral, impassioned, and zeitgeisty... Mafi’s sincerity stands out in full force in her craftsmanship. A Very Large Expanse of Sea is timeless in its themes and will continue to affect readers, months after they’ve closed the book.” — NPR

“A Very Large Expanse of Sea is the love story you need to read next.” — TeenVogue

“Mafi seamlessly works in questions of identity, race and Islamophobia [and] taps into the fierceness and passion of first love. The novel’s bittersweet ending will ring true for most, and break the hearts of many.” — New York Times Book Review

“Tahereh Mafi soars to new heights with A Very Large Expanse Of Sea. A singular new novel from one of YA’s brightest voices.” — Entertainment Weekly

“A masterfully constructed novel. The characters are beautifully developed and authentic. [Shirin’s] voice is fierce, funny, vulnerable, and honest. Mafi’s novel challenges readers to ponder their own beliefs, assumptions, and actions. And, also reminds us of the captivating bliss of first love.” — Nerdy Book Club

★“Mafi tackles the life of an American Muslim teenager in the wake of 9/11 in this visceral, honest novel. Shirin’s captivating story opens a window onto a different narrative than the one typically dominating airwaves after 9/11. Rich characters, incisive writing, and a powerful story will thrill readers.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea reads like a beautiful heart—one that shines and aches and yearns, and above all else, one that loves fiercely against all odds. A transcendent story about truth, love, and finding joy.

Holds a mirror up to the reality of religious bigotry. A portrait of a strong Muslim teen girl who defies stereotypes. Shirin insists on her right to approach life on her own clear-eyed terms, granting compassion to the deserving and an education to those who need it.

Tahereh Mafi, known for her fantasy and dystopian novels, proves a master of the contemporary realistic novel. Even as the fraught love story drives the short chapters to a surprising close, Mafi weaves in moments of camaraderie and joy.

★ “Mafi gives vivid voice to an underrepresented audience in this story. 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.

This is a gorgeous book. It’s tender and fierce, beautiful even as it depicts some ugly truths. Tahereh’s prose is passionate and honest, unsentimental and big-hearted. The very best books move you to reconsider the world around you, and this is one of those. I truly loved it.

A raw yet astoundingly elegant examination of identity, loneliness and family that is unflinching in its honesty and power. Tahereh Mafi holds nothing back—and the reader is better for it.

Cerebral, impassioned, and zeitgeisty... Mafi’s sincerity stands out in full force in her craftsmanship. A Very Large Expanse of Sea is timeless in its themes and will continue to affect readers, months after they’ve closed the book.

Tahereh Mafi, known for her fantasy and dystopian novels, proves a master of the contemporary realistic novel. Even as the fraught love story drives the short chapters to a surprising close, Mafi weaves in moments of camaraderie and joy.

A masterfully constructed novel. The characters are beautifully developed and authentic. [Shirin’s] voice is fierce, funny, vulnerable, and honest. Mafi’s novel challenges readers to ponder their own beliefs, assumptions, and actions. And, also reminds us of the captivating bliss of first love.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea is the love story you need to read next.

Tahereh Mafi soars to new heights with A Very Large Expanse Of Sea. A singular new novel from one of YA’s brightest voices.

Mafi seamlessly works in questions of identity, race and Islamophobia [and] taps into the fierceness and passion of first love. The novel’s bittersweet ending will ring true for most, and break the hearts of many.

Holds a mirror up to the reality of religious bigotry. A portrait of a strong Muslim teen girl who defies stereotypes. Shirin insists on her right to approach life on her own clear-eyed terms, granting compassion to the deserving and an education to those who need it.

Holds a mirror up to the reality of religious bigotry. A portrait of a strong Muslim teen girl who defies stereotypes. Shirin insists on her right to approach life on her own clear-eyed terms, granting compassion to the deserving and an education to those who need it.

05/01/2019

Gr 9 Up—Shirin, a headscarf-wearing, break-dancing, foul-mouthed 16-year-old, refuses to be constrained by anyone's expectations. Hardened by the bigotry she has endured in the year since the 9/11 terror attacks, she's withdrawn, counting down the days until graduation, when she can escape her narrow-minded suburban enclave. When Shirin is forced to become lab partners with Ocean, a popular basketball player with whom she seemingly has nothing in common, she learns to embrace acceptance where she least expects it. This evocative semiautobiographical novel challenges assumptions about why some Muslim women cover their hair and conveys the innocence and passion of first love.

★ 2019-03-07

After attending three different high schools, Shirin's used to finding her way in new places.

Unlike her brother, Navid, she lies low, earbuds under her headscarf, ignoring all the racist comments thrown her way. Shirin doesn't take all the bull of her white classmates and their racist ignorance. But two things make this new school different: break-dancing and Ocean, the white lab partner who seems to see beyond Iranian-American Shirin's hijab. She can't get Ocean off her mind: Although he annoys her with his constant questions and texts, which keep eating at her data limit, Ocean forces her to open up. She even takes him out to watch break-dance tournaments, the one diverse place in her life where she doesn't feel alone in a crowd of whiteness. Shirin keeps waiting for Ocean to get bored or to realize that being with her could cost him his friends, his family, and potentially his basketball scholarship. But Ocean doesn't seem to care about other people—what they think, how they act, or what they believe. Even so, their relationship threatens to upend the cultural norms of American suburbia. This gripping political romance takes readers into the life of a young Muslim woman trying to navigate high school with the entire world attacking her right to her body and her faith.

A moving coming-of-age narrative about the viciousness of Islamophobia and the unwavering power of love in post-9/11 America. (Fiction. 12-18)