Mafi knows just how to temper the darkness with (bittersweet) joy. This is a difficult line to walk, particularly when so much of Shirin’s personal growth is shadowed by an islamophobia that frequently becomes physically violent. It’s not a feel-good book, yet neither is it sensationalized tragedy porn. I’m not interested in speculating as to which specific events Mafi experienced firsthand, but I do think this novel very clearly comes from a personal place. This book is, I believe, at least partially autobiographical. Trying to survive as a hijabi in a small town American high school may not be a universal experience, but the raw feeling conveyed by Shirin’s introspective first person narration isn’t difficult to understand. The pain and insecurity and thrill of being 16 is present in every scene, every sentence. A Very Large Expanse of Sea is devastating. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Shirin’s story is the most emotionally charged thing I’ve ever read. Yet in spite of its apparent differences, this story still feels like Tahereh Mafi at her best. Rather, it’s contemporary (historical?) fiction set in 2002, after the September 11 terrorist attack but prior to the US invasion of Iraq. This standalone novel is neither a dystopia nor a paranormal romance. Though admittedly not for everyone, her writing style is a gorgeous fusion of intense emotion and rich metaphorical imagery.Ī Very Large Expanse of Sea is in many ways a massive departure from the author’s prior YA writing. (Note that I use the Douglas Adams definition of trilogies here.) I remember Mafi’s books fondly from high school, back when the “pretty dress” dystopias dominated the young adult market. Tahereh Mafi is most well-known for her YA dystopia-paranormal-romance “trilogy,” the Shatter Me series. It terrifies her-they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds-and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.īut then she meets Ocean James. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments-even the physical violence-she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.
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