Mafi, Tahereh- A Very Large Expanse of Sea informal buddy read starts November 30, 2018

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

This thread is open to discuss A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi.



Synopsis
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

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[ikram]

Thank you, Mod!

[ikram]

I've finished chapter 4 and I can relate with Shirin, as both woman and Muslim. I may not live in the country where being a Muslim is against "everything" on said country, but I can relate to some level. (view spoiler)[ Like, have to wear headscarf to cover my hair, the family dinner, to be considered as terrorist in my own country. So far so good. What do you think? (hide spoiler)]

[♛primadonna♛]

Getting ready to catch up.! So excited!

[♛primadonna♛]

I've finished chapter 8.
I'm really enjoying this book so far and didn't want to stop at chapter 8.!
It's really eye-opening and shows what's probably just a small portion of what Muslim's have had to go through here since 9/11. It's heartbreaking and yet greatly written. It's such a powerful read I can't wait to keep going.
(view spoiler)[I'm really enjoying her and Ocean. Especially the very realistic way their relationship is developing. Believing that "this guy is way too different and popular to like me" I've definitely been there especially when someone who is not a POC liked me in high school and middle school O_O (hide spoiler)]

[ikram]

I've finished chapter 11 yesterday, sorry for the late update, I couldn't access discussion on my phone!

I know! (view spoiler)[ A lot of novels out there didn't quite mention the hardest part of being POC on high school. I understand the confusion and 'rude' gesture of Shirin toward Ocean. Eventually, those ice cracks too.

And I really hate the teacher on Shirin's class, the amount of disrespect... (hide spoiler)]

[Mike]

I tried to read this out loud to my kids over Thanksgiving. My 12-y.o. wasn't interested so I started reading it myself. The plot is captivating enough that I find myself sneaking ten minutes here or there to read another chapter.

[♛primadonna♛]

Neeks-(view spoiler)[Yes all the teachers! They pissed me off so badly. This novel definitely shows the hard parts of being POC; having to have your defenses up at all times, being seen as mean but doing so to protect yourself.
I especially related to everyone pointing out to her that sometimes she can be seen as mean and I loved Ocean's comment and her brother and his friends comments that not everyone is ignorant and racist. But I definitely understand Shirin and the need to have those walls up after so many horrible experiences with ignorant, racist, and anti-muslim people. I love seeing Shirin's walls come down though especially with Ocean. (hide spoiler)]
I'm up to chapter 16 and I'm really really enjoying this book so far. I know that it's going to be put on my list of favorite books of all time.
It feels very relatable but at the same time explains and shows so deeply and raw the experiences that I have been privileged enough to never have to go through. Most parts make me learn and other parts make me feel very very understood. So rare in a book.!


Mike- I can't stop reading! I have to force myself to put it down to get other things done!

[ikram]

Mike wrote: "I tried to read this out loud to my kids over Thanksgiving. My 12-y.o. wasn't interested so I started reading it myself. The plot is captivating enough that I find myself sneaking ten minutes here ..."

Which chapter are you on now?? I can't stop reading it too even at my workplace! My bad, it's so addicting and relatable.

[ikram]

@ Primadonna, I'm at chapter 21 right now and (view spoiler)[ Navid said Shirin should be friendlier and everything, and I actually agree with him. But the thing is that, Shirin's "I put walls around me so no one can hurt me anymore" mechanism is the result from all the ignorant racist and Islamophobic out there. Navid is a guy--period. He doesn't have to face the racism just because he's good looking, Middle Eastern guy. People will treat him like a star, of course. And I don't think Shirin is rude? She's just protecting herself.

I also think that if Shirin was more straightforward about her feeling toward Ocean, things wouldn't be this complicated. I understand her confusion and the panic when she realizes she let her guard down, but if only she's more honest about it... and the Yusef thing--I think that's the only time I found Shirin was being rude to someone.

AND OCEAN, Ocean is the epitome of naive. (hide spoiler)]

What do you think? (view spoiler)[Will the relationship work? (hide spoiler)]

[ikram]

I finished the book and this is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Oh my GOD. (view spoiler)[ the climax of the novel... oh.. people are so cruel arent they (hide spoiler)]

[♛primadonna♛]

I finished the book! tried to stay up last night reading it and was dozing off and trying to finish. Even while my eyes were closing I was still turning pages lol. This morning I went back and actually finished! :D
(view spoiler)[I truly thought the relationship would work! I was really hoping it would. The climax of the novel was so brutal and horrible and cruel. I'm glad Ocean kept taking up for her but all of those attacks being his intoduction to a world that isn't "rainbows and butterflys" truly showed that he was super naive and even ignorant to the fact that there would be a lot of hardships and things to put up. He kept taking on every fight and everything though and that was good on him.! He didn't run and hide and he dropped his friends and everything! But I definitely see Shirin's point where it would be just too much to keep having to deal with all of that. Scary and horrible and sad. (hide spoiler)]
One things is that I have said this book was going on my list of favorites but that's no longer so. I can't decide between a 3-4 star rating. 5 being too high because (view spoiler)[I must not have read a ya romance in a long time. I've been reading all other genres lately. The slight teen-ish thought process of everything in the book and the teen-ish romance I'm no longer used to. My fault! and not the book's! Also I was searching for a HEA ending which is also my fault and not the book's.! I feel as though if I had read this when I was a teen it would be my favorite/5 stars. (hide spoiler)]
This was so much fun reading this with you!

[ikram]

♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "I finished the book! tried to stay up last night reading it and was dozing off and trying to finish. Even while my eyes were closing I was still turning pages lol. This morning I went back and actu..."

I agree with you, (view spoiler)[ for some reason, Ocean is kinda.. forcing him to Shirin? I don't really like the romance between them. It's true that Ocean is epitome of naive and somewhat ignorant, but I just feel like, he should just let things go and--not reading Shirin's journal. It's her privacy after all--probably the last safe place she can even have. But of course, Ocean ruins it, for what? For being a coward and not confront Shirin directly. I was just, you know, upset for the fact that Ocean crossed Shirin's privacy like that. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[♛primadonna♛]

neeks wrote: "♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "I finished the book! tried to stay up last night reading it and was dozing off and trying to finish. Even while my eyes were closing I was still turning pages lol. This morning..."

OMG yes (view spoiler)[ the journal! That really just took the cake for Ocean being so....just...I don't even have words?! He had no reason to read her journal instead of just leaving things alone. The romance was cute and great at first but over time Ocean continued to get on my last nerves lol. By the end the book was only great because of Shirin and the journey we went on with her. (hide spoiler)]

[ikram]

♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "neeks wrote: "♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "I finished the book! tried to stay up last night reading it and was dozing off and trying to finish. Even while my eyes were closing I was still turning pages lol..."

I KNOW, (view spoiler)[I thought the story would end with them being separated--breaking up, I mean. Because I kinda lost my respect toward Ocean after the journal incident, even when he was being heroic by punching his coach in front of everyone (hide spoiler)]

[ikram]

I also think, (view spoiler)[ Yusef could be just more than a minor character. When he showed up, I was excited! Alas he didn't get enough screentime.. (hide spoiler)]

[♛primadonna♛]

neeks wrote: "♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "neeks wrote: "♛Primadonna♛ wrote: "I finished the book! tried to stay up last night reading it and was dozing off and trying to finish. Even while my eyes were closing I was st..."

(view spoiler)[that would have been so different than most YA novels if she would've broken up with him! It would've been a nice different too! (hide spoiler)]

[Mike]

neeks wrote: "Mike wrote: "I tried to read this out loud to my kids over Thanksgiving. My 12-y.o. wasn't interested so I started reading it myself. The plot is captivating enough that I find myself sneaking ten ..."

Yeah, I read the whole book in about a week. Well done and interesting. I wrote a long review on Goodreads - see if I can find the link