Scan barcode
A review by mxhermit
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
3.0
CW: Victim blaming, xenophobia, violence, bullying, Islamophobia, racism, microaggressions
Rep: Muslim, hijabi, dyslexia
From Tahereh Mafi, beloved writer of novels for children and young adults, comes a novel about Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who is growing up in a post-9/11 world. This #ownvoices novel was an intense read, my first of Mafi's books to read to completion, and a good introduction into the mind, the writing style, and world of this skilled wordsmith.
There were admittedly a lot of difficult parts to ready. Shirin recalls many times when she is harassed by people because of the color of her skin, because she wears a hijab. She recounts the time she was physically attacked and throttled by cowardly bigots. The racism, the microaggressions, and so forth (refer back the to content warnings)...taking these into consideration, A Very Large Expanse of Sea was an experience as well as a story.
Among the good was the he sibling relationship between Shirin and Navid. Not only did they form a breakdancing group together, but there were flashbacks to show that their bond wasn't just for the current time of the book. Navid's dyslexia was something that was an experience for both of them and Shirin helped him with reading, an aspect of their bonding that was nice to read about.
Breakdancing as a whole was something I'd never read about, so from reading about Shirin and Navid's early interest to their group practices to the school talent show, it was a fun aspect of the book. Music, the various dance moves that everyone learned throughout...some I had a hard time picturing, but overall I was engaged as heck.
Shirin and Ocean's courtship was at times sweet and awkward. It was not without its uncomfortable moments because of Ocean's instances of white guilt seen in his repeated apologies and insistence upon those apologies. Their interactions felt refreshingly authentic, though alternatively there were a couple that were written fairly stiffly. Ocean as a character felt alright, but as a love interest was too much for me to really like him 100%. It didn't seem like he respected Shirin's concerns about their relationship, as it existed or potentially, and just kept pushing and remaining dense.
The ending was something that I didn't exactly have a problem with because that feels like a strong word, but I didn't care for it. It felt extremely abrupt and almost convenient? When I got to it, it felt like a big meh and shrug, not really a satisfactory resolution.
I'd like to read more Tahereh Mafi books in the future. Whether fantasy, contemporary, or other, I'm curious to see what other kind of beginnings, middles, and endings she has in store.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
Rep: Muslim, hijabi, dyslexia
From Tahereh Mafi, beloved writer of novels for children and young adults, comes a novel about Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who is growing up in a post-9/11 world. This #ownvoices novel was an intense read, my first of Mafi's books to read to completion, and a good introduction into the mind, the writing style, and world of this skilled wordsmith.
There were admittedly a lot of difficult parts to ready. Shirin recalls many times when she is harassed by people because of the color of her skin, because she wears a hijab. She recounts the time she was physically attacked and throttled by cowardly bigots. The racism, the microaggressions, and so forth (refer back the to content warnings)...taking these into consideration, A Very Large Expanse of Sea was an experience as well as a story.
Among the good was the he sibling relationship between Shirin and Navid. Not only did they form a breakdancing group together, but there were flashbacks to show that their bond wasn't just for the current time of the book. Navid's dyslexia was something that was an experience for both of them and Shirin helped him with reading, an aspect of their bonding that was nice to read about.
Breakdancing as a whole was something I'd never read about, so from reading about Shirin and Navid's early interest to their group practices to the school talent show, it was a fun aspect of the book. Music, the various dance moves that everyone learned throughout...some I had a hard time picturing, but overall I was engaged as heck.
Shirin and Ocean's courtship was at times sweet and awkward. It was not without its uncomfortable moments because of Ocean's instances of white guilt seen in his repeated apologies and insistence upon those apologies. Their interactions felt refreshingly authentic, though alternatively there were a couple that were written fairly stiffly. Ocean as a character felt alright, but as a love interest was too much for me to really like him 100%. It didn't seem like he respected Shirin's concerns about their relationship, as it existed or potentially, and just kept pushing and remaining dense.
The ending was something that I didn't exactly have a problem with because that feels like a strong word, but I didn't care for it. It felt extremely abrupt and almost convenient? When I got to it, it felt like a big meh and shrug, not really a satisfactory resolution.
I'd like to read more Tahereh Mafi books in the future. Whether fantasy, contemporary, or other, I'm curious to see what other kind of beginnings, middles, and endings she has in store.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.