This sampler of the book has quickly made me realise that Tahereh Mafi can write contemporary fiction as well as the fantasy I admire her for. I was drawn in quickly to the context and characters.....and the overt but accepted prejudices that Shirin was encountering. I want to read more of this book desperately and can't wait for it to release..

It's 2002 and Shirin is a sixteen-year-old Muslim. Since 9/11 the previous year she has been verbally and physically abused. When people see her hijab they see a terrorist. Then she meets a boy called Ocean.

Ever since I heard about A Very Large Expanse of Sea and how it is based on some of the author's experiences I've been very interested in reading it.
The sampler did a good job of hooking my attention - I immediately liked and felt sorry for Shirin.
I definitely want to read the entire book to see what happens to her.
I'm hoping that there won't be too much romance but I liked what I read of Ocean.

wow i really loved this, so much so that its difficult to articulate why.
It was only 3 chapters long but as a Muslim growing up in the Western world i really connected with and related to Shirin. I can't wait to read the whole book and see what she gets up to!

As a Muslim teenager in the Western world, I loved how relatable this was! While I've never faced the level of abuse Shirin has, probably because I was only a year old when 9/11 happened and I'm in England anyway, I've certainly had my fair share of ignorant comments.

I'm keen to see how Shirin's story develops and she becomes more comfortable in her own skin.

Very promising start! Can't wait to read the whole thing in October. So far, the story is real, and heartfelt, an impressive opening, from Mafi's first contemporary YA novel. The setting of the book was the most intriguing part to me, including the importance of the story, and relationships between characters. However, I do feel as though the romance is slightly insta-love so far.

I could have sobbed when I ran put of pages! The prose is beautiful & lyrical and it is every bit as heartfelt as I've come to expect from Tahereh Mafi. I've already pre-ordered my copy!!

I didn't realise this was a sampler when I requested it, however it was pretty good.
I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the writing style just yet. It didn't seem to flow as smoothly as I was expecting. But, having said that I did enjoy the story. It made me feel numerous emotions from just a few chapters and I can't wait to read the rest of the book and see how Shirin's story plays out.

I devoured this sample of A Very Large Expanse of Sea as soon as I got it.
Focussing on the life of Shirin, an American born Iranian teen, in the aftermath of 9/11. We share in her life, the things she has to endure and the way in which she copes with these things. As an white revert to Islam, I find it interesting being able to study people’s reactions to my religion and being able to discuss common misconceptions.
I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this book, I’m hooked, please don’t leave me hanging!

I downloaded this thinking it was the full book, and was absolutely over the moon when my request was accepted as this is my most eagerly anticipated book of the year. Alas, this is only the first three chapters so not quite what I was expecting - please make this more clear on the cover if you’re only giving a sampler, Egmont! However, I did devour the sampler on a very hot train commute home and am now even more excited to read the full thing in October so I guess the sampler worked!