A Very Large Expanse of Sea -- Tahereh Mafi, Paperback

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice.

It's 2002, a year after 9/11. 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.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. 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. So she's built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. 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.

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 10/08/2019
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780062866578
Age Range: 13-UP

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5
Point Value: 10
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 199230 / Very Large Expanse of Sea