“If the decision you’ve made has brought you closer to humanity, then you’ve done the right thing.”
― Tahereh Mafi, A Very Large Expanse of Sea
No words I use could ever do this book justice. It was so eloquently written, so beautiful, so full of emotions, it was the epitome of perfection. A Very Large Expanse of Sea, by Tahereh Mafi, tells the story of 16 year old Shirin, a Muslim girl going to high school in 2002, a year after 9/11. Shirin has moved too many times to count, her parents always saying it was for the better. She is constantly bullied and always stereotyped just because of a piece of cloth she choses to wear around her head. She eventually becomes numb to the constant hurt, but don’t get me wrong. Shirin is not a force to be reckoned with, as shown through her breakdancing skills. Although she struggles to find the right things to do, she is a strong girl that never gives up, and her story is one to be remembered.
In this book, Shirin has moved yet again, but this time is different. This time she meets a boy named Ocean *an unusual name, I know* that teaches her that maybe humanity is not lost. Maybe there are people out there that truly do care.
This book is not just any other romance/ coming of age story. It is a protest on stereotypes, a protest on what it means to be American, and what it means to be a girl struggling with identity. Again, it is a must read.