This article contains minor spoiler.
It was last week when a friend came to me and complained that the novel she was reading halfway through, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, was too fluffy for her. I wasn't sure what should I say to her since I hadn't even heard of the title before, so I told her that I would give the novel a try myself. I wasn't expecting much, thanks to our prior talk, but wow, it hooked me right up.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a young-adult novel written by Tahereh Mafi, an Iranian-American writer. The novel was published on 16th October 2018 by HarperTeen. It was one of the nominee for National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2018.
@Original Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea
@Author: Tahereh Mafi
@Country: USA
@Publisher: HarperTeen
@Publication Date: 16th October 2018
@ISBN: 0062866567 (ISBN13:9780062866561)
 |
| A Very Large Expanse of Sea. Source: Goodreads |
Set in 2002, A Very Large Expanse of Sea tells the love story of Shirin, a 16 years old Iranian American girl who lived in a post 9/11 America, and her lab partner, a white boy with unusual name, Ocean. The attack on the twin towers which was blamed on the Islamic terrorism sparked waves of Islamophobia around the globe, including the place where our main heroine lived. Shirin, who is a Muslim, had to endure daily dose of insults and even physical attack from her fellow Americans.
The toxic environment shaped Shirin into an angry teenager who couldn't trust people. Her behavior pushed people away from her and it isolated her even further. However, one day, Her life started to change when she met Ocean. Unlike most people that Shirin had met, Ocean was genuinely interested in her despite knowing that they come from different backgrounds. Thus, their complicated teenage romance began.
The novel is positively received in America and is seen as a representation for diversity. In her interview with Teen Vogues, Mafi said that the current political atmosphere in America sometimes doesn't make her feel safe and it reminded her of the situation after 9/11 happened.
This novel is indeed heavily inspired by the author's own life. Shirin is Mafi's projection on how she felt about America. I was actually surprised when I found out that the author's husband, which is the character Ocean is based on, is actually her fellow writer, Ransom Riggs, the author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, another novel which I also greatly enjoyed.
I absolutely agree with author's sentiment that America's today is regressing. The racists rhetoric by its current leaders and tough stance on immigration rekindle the xenophobic sentiments. On international stage, the current relationship between America and Iran is also worrying. The unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal by the American, followed by skirmishes around the Gulf may spark another major conflict which without a doubt will put many people, including American Muslims on tough spot once again.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea can be too flowery at times. The love story, which is the main element of this novel, is perhaps not as interesting as the heavy issue which this novel is trying to address. I can see that people who have read many young-adult novels would shy away from this title.
However I think that people should give the novel a chance, especially in light of America's current political climate. Perhaps, just as what the author was hoping for when she wrote it, this novel can become a message of hope to its readers. I give this novel a 3.5 out 5 stars!
Read also my review on Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, the best Mono No Aware manga of all time.