A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice. This young adult novel is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

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.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 10/16/2018
ISBN: 9780062866561
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.30d

Review Citations: Shelf Awareness 10/19/2018
Publishers Weekly 08/20/2018
School Library Journal 05/01/2019 pg. 122
Booklist 09/15/2018 pg. 68
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2018
BookPage 10/01/2018
Voice of Youth Advocates 12/01/2018 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2019 - Recommended, Satisfactory

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 199230 / Very Large Expanse of Sea
Reading Level: 5 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 10