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A review by annagwritesandreads
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
General Description: The year is 2002. Shirin is a high school sophomore who wears a hijab. She's not truly known peace with other people, so she shuts everyone out. That is, until she meets Ocean James. Ocean will to anything to honestly know Shirin, but can she trust him? Will Shirin even be in town long enough for Ocean to get to know her, or will she move again to avoid the relentless bullying?
The goods:
- I ain't ashamed to say it, I liked the breakdancing subplot.
- Shirin was consistent in herself and her character development was pleasing to see.
- I liked Ocean's honesty, he seemed like the cream of the crop at that school. Other side characters were not bad, but I did have a soft spot for Ocean.
- I felt a lot of serious conversation occurred in this book, which led to reflection within myself which I love seeing in books, but...
The loss of a star:
-...after serious conversations, we'd go to surface level issues and it was a bit jarring. I wish we either stayed in the serious conversations until their conclusions, or stayed surface level. Switching back and forth took me out of the story.
Overall, if you're looking for a commentary on how the world is post 9/11, this is a great book to start delving into that complex commentary and it's accessible for younger readers.
The goods:
- I ain't ashamed to say it, I liked the breakdancing subplot.
- Shirin was consistent in herself and her character development was pleasing to see.
- I liked Ocean's honesty, he seemed like the cream of the crop at that school. Other side characters were not bad, but I did have a soft spot for Ocean.
- I felt a lot of serious conversation occurred in this book, which led to reflection within myself which I love seeing in books, but...
The loss of a star:
-...after serious conversations, we'd go to surface level issues and it was a bit jarring. I wish we either stayed in the serious conversations until their conclusions, or stayed surface level. Switching back and forth took me out of the story.
Overall, if you're looking for a commentary on how the world is post 9/11, this is a great book to start delving into that complex commentary and it's accessible for younger readers.