An immensely powerful story, which beautifully interwove romance and really important racism. Really enjoyed this, and it made me want to (finally) try some more Tahereh Mafi

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

One of my favourite writers finally wrote a contemporary romcom exploring the struggles of being a young Muslim woman growing up in a Western society. Brilliantly written.

Like many people, I read the Shatter Me series in its heyday and although I was not the biggest fan, I still loved Tahereh Mafi's writing and wanted to read more by her. Enter A Very Large Expanse Of Sea. It had been getting lots of good reviews and the plot sounded right up my street so I decided to read it. I can safely say that I really enjoyed A Very Large Expanse of Sea and can't wait to see what Tahereh Mafi writes next.

One of the reasons why I liked the book was obviously the writing. Mafi is such a great writer, her writing is lyrical and tells so much of the story itself. It flows so well and has Shirin's voice shine through. I think that it highlights Shirin as a character so much, with her sharp nature and she is often trying to protect herself. I think that this leads to a different main character that we often see in YA and I, therefore, thought that it was really well done. I do sometimes think that Shirin was a little bit cold at times and this did affect me to some extent.

As well as Shirin I really enjoyed Ocean as a character and think that they complement each other really well. He was sensitive and compassionate and I think that their relationship helped Shirin and Ocean in their own separate ways which was nice. Their romance was also quite cute which is always nice for a YA book to have a good romance.

I also think that Tahereh Mafi draws a really honest portrayal of what it was like to be a teenager after 9/11. This is something that Tahereh Mafi herself went through and can put on the page. I think that the issues are dealt with head-on and I respect her so much for writing about it.

The Verdict:

A Very Large Expanse Of Sea is an honest and raw portrayal of what means to be a teenager in the 2000s. Tahereh Mafi is a great writer who will dominant YA for many years to come.

This sampler was fabulous! i can't wait to read Tahereh's new book! I feel like this is one of those books that is so important in our society today, with all the bad everywhere, people overlook the good and tend to make assumptions...

I hope everyone gets a chance to read this and from what I can gather, some aspects of this book such as break-dancing are based on the author's real-life experiences, which is always fun to read.

A different kind of book from an established author! I will definitely be buying this soon! x

This book was powerful. So powerful that it has taken me almost a week to collect my thoughts properly. I just loved it that much, and scared, too, that I wouldn't do it justice. But anyone who reads it will see how personal a story this is, and will be struck by the raw emotion in every page.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea is the story of a Muslim American girl living in the aftermath of 9/11. As a proud wearer of the hijab, Shirin has spent her whole life putting up walls to protect herself from the world's hate. Pretending not to care about anything has left her angry and hurt, but the alternative is being vulnerable to the cruelty of others, and she is determined to not let it touch her. However, everything becomes more difficult when she meets Ocean, a kind boy who seems genuinely interested in getting to know her, and Shirin is forced to decide if her happiness is worth the negative attention.

I first sought out Mafi's Shatter Me series not based on the blurb, but her name. It was unquestionably Iranian, and I was in awe. Whenever I imagined getting my own stories out into the world, I felt certain that using my foreign-sounding name would instantly put people off picking up my books. But here was someone like me, who was not only a bestselling author, but got there using her actual name.

I ended up falling completely in love with the Shatter Me books, reading them all this Spring in just a few days. So when I heard about AVELOS, I knew I had to read it.

This book, people. This book! It had me crying at the 3% mark. There were so many tiny things I could relate to. The names, the food, the fact that when Shirin's parents asked their guest if he wanted more food and he said no they dished more out for him anyway, and did the same when it came to tea. It was all the cultural things I knew and lived but never saw expressed in words before. I didn't even know it could be expressed in words. It was my reality made real.

It's important to clarify that I do not wear the hijab, and so there are a many number of things Shirin experiences that I have never felt myself. I grew up in a pretty diverse community, am white passing, and have a name that could pass as European if it wasn't questioned too much. I feel almost guilty for comparing my life to Shirin's, because really there's no comparison. But I've had those moments where people hear a country name and react strangely. Never the verbal abuse that Shirin receives, but looks, questions, and statements that are just blatantly incorrect.

Shirin is angry. And is totally in her right to be. Mafi does an excellent job of getting you into the minds of her characters, to understand what it's like to experience microaggressions and full on cruelty on a daily basis. But beneath all her abrasiveness is a character who is witty, stylish, and passionate about breakdance. She is real and human, something that people can forget in their ignorance.

AVELOS is a gorgeous book that reminds us that there is so much more to people than the assumptions we make about them. It's often crushing and full of heartache, but filled with a lot of hope too. There isn't anything out there right now that comes close to comparing to this book. It's about strength and growth and kindness and humanity, and it needs to be read.



Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review, and to Netgalley for providing a sampler.

Diversity Note: Muslim Iranian-American Protagonist

Warnings: racism, islamaphobia

Thought this was the full book so a bit disappointed that it isn’t; wanted to read it for the Illumicrate newsletter. I will probably buy this but not definitely

I don't have very much to say about the sampler, other than it definitely left me desperate to read more and I can't wait to buy the book when it's finally out to get to the rest of the story.

The chapter sampler for this book was phenomenal. It jumped right into the story, and was a page turner from the very first line. I've always known Mafi's work is worth a read - and AVLEoS just proves that again. If I'm so impressed with a sampler alone, I can only imagine how much promise the entire book holds. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one!

This was a really interesting sampler. I was not keen on Mafi's Shatter Ne series but this was really interesting and I can't wait to read the full thing!

Right off the bat, I can tell you guys that I am really excited to see how this book turns out. I got sent the first 30 pages of the book, and the premise of it all has hit me right in the feels (side-note, I – like the main character – have moved around a lot). Mafi has a scarily dead-on description of what it feels like being the new kid. It kind of freaking sucks, speaking in the teenage vernacular, and from the get-go, everything the main character is feeling are emotions that I have experienced as well. It was kind of bizarre reading it to be honest, but also such a testament to how good of a writer Mafi is.

That being said, I’ve never had to experience the same out right prejudice that Shirin has had to experience – which is evident even in the first 30 pages. As a default, Shirin’s personality can almost be described as hostile, but given the fact that she has had had defend her religion – and her choices – constantly, it is only natural that she should be a little bit jaded. Her defensive attitude didn’t bother me in the slightest, which I found to be surprising as this is usually a pet-peeve of mine when reading.

I also love the contrast of hip-hop and religion – two things that usually aren’t grouped together. I know that the book is loosely autobiographical, but I hope that this part is true, because it would just make Mafi the coolest ever. Also, given the way that Mafi has set up the book, I cannot wait to see how hip-hop is going to change and affect the main character.

Overall, I loved reading this excerpt, and I will definitely be buying this book when it comes out in stores in October.

I didn't realise this was a sampler but now I'm SO excited for the full book, just can't wait. I know Tahereh Mafi's writing is a bit like marmite for a lot of people but I really like it.

I would like to thank Egmont Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read ’A Very Large Expense of the Sea by Taheveh Mafi’ in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I'm am going, to be honest, I can't say I enjoyed (enjoyed is kind of the wrong word) but I couldn't really connect with the book. I only had the sampler but still I struggled.
It is about race and religion. Based on activities on 9/11 and how it effected the community.

Unfortunately even after reading the sampler it didn't really entice me to want to read more,

I feel sad as I really wanted to enjoy this book.

I just read a sampler of this, provided to me by NetGalley, and I can't wait for this book to be published so I can continue reading. Already I am captured by the story and the characters, and can't wait to see where it goes and the emotions it explores on what it's like to be a Muslim post 9/11, something I don't know much about. I'm really liking the writing style, so will definitely be picking this one up when it's published.

Wow. I can't wait to read the whole book, if it's anywhere near as amazing as this snippet we're all in for a heartbreaking, honest, beautiful treat.

I need more of this! This small taste I got I just wanted to devour completely. The story and everything about this has me intrigued. I do hope I get to read the full version!!

A nice sampler wasn't completely hooked but I'm so excited to read the actual book I have loved Tahereh Mafi other work even her middle grade series which I don't normally enjoy. I love her writing style and can't wait to get myself a copy.

Mafi's first entry in the contemporary market, this three chapter sampler has me really intrigued. We meet Shirin, a Muslim American who is not attending her third high school in less than two years. The verbal and sometimes physical abuse that she details, just in those three short chapters, is so emotive. The character comes across as very intelligent and also very angry. She is not close to her parents who appear to put more merit on her academic achievements than her emotional well being and has grown apart from her older brother.

I'm really looking forward to reading the full book once it is released, it was a very intriguing glimpse into what could be a very good novel.

Intriguing, insightful, and illuminating. Heady, heartfelt, and haunting. This short sampler made me mad I did not have the rest of the book to hand, so keenly did I feel the deep-seated and all-consuming need to continue on with the story.

Oh I am so ready for the rest of this book! It is so emotional already and I love the characters and how honest it is!