Posted in Book Review Blog

Defy Me Book Review

Defy Me

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.49

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $18.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $20.96 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2019 by Harper.

Page Count: 368 pages (paperback) 368 (hardcover) 315 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 07 hrs 25 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters)

Language: English

Summary of Book:

I’m adrift, suspended in a pool of senselessness, currents pushing me to the surface of something–an emotional revelation–that trembles into existence only to evaporate, seconds later, as if it might be terrified to exist. 

This goes on and on and on and on and on

Lightyears.

Eons.

over

and

over

whispers of clarity

g a s p s of oxygen

and I”m tossed back out to sea.

Juliette Ferrars isn’t who she thinks she is.

Nothing in her world is what it seemed. She thought she’d finally defeated the Reestablishment. She thought she’d finally taken control of her life, her power, and her pain. But Juliette has only just begun to unravel a lifetime of lies, and she finds herself faced with a familiar choice:

Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

This time, she’s not alone. Stronger, braver, and more resilient than ever, Juliette will fight for life and love with her friends by her side–but first, she has to survive the war being waged against her mind:

She has to remember who she was.” -Harper

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Very Large Expanse of Sea, the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Harper

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

I had been anticipating the release of this novel. I had spent the previous two months rereading the series in preparation for the release of this fifth installment in the Shatter Me series. After finishing Restore Me, I had high expectations for this novel. I was somewhat nervous in reading it. Mafi had announced that there would only be one more novella and novel following Defy Me, so I was hesitant in reading this one. I was scared that this novel was going to either make or break the finale for me.

As with the previous novels in the series, Defy Me held my attention throughout. I have enjoyed reading all of them so far, but I do have to admit that Defy Me fell short of the pace the others had for me. As soon as I picked one of the other books in the series, I had to force myself to put them down. However, Defy Me was easier for me to put down and do without picking it back up. Now, I was busier when reading this book than I was when I read the four previous books, and I went through several days without picking it up. However, I didn’t have much desire to pick it back up right away. Naturally, I had to ask myself why that was.

The main reason I found that kept me from staying invested in the story was that it had a lot more back-flashes and background information in them. I just wanted the story to go on forward. I didn’t enjoy the amount of backstory that was included. It slowed the tension of the story for me, and essentially, that was the main reason I didn’t care much for picking the book back up right away.

Now, let me clarify that, I still enjoyed the events that took place in the story. Though the background info was a no for me, I was still fascinated with what was going on in the present for the characters. I will also admit that out of all the books in the series, this is the one that I found Juliette to be the most tolerable. I had mentioned in previous reviews how I wasn’t too into Juliette, but this one was not bad. Before, I didn’t care for the whole love triangle that carried the series, and I was very much glad that the very triangle I loathed was absent in this novel. With all of that said, I cannot wait to see how Mafi closes out the series. I am getting anxiety just thinking that is it . . . that is all for the series. I can’t bear the reality of that right now. 

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Simses, James Fouhey, and Vikas Adam

Simses continues the narration of the Shatter Me series and is joined by Fouhey, who narrates Warner’s portions of the novel, and Adam, who narrates Kenji’s. I really enjoyed their work; though, like with the previous novel in the series, the narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. Their narration at 1.25 speed was the slowest speed I would listen at. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a either 1.50 speed or 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

Restore Me Book Review

Restore Me

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $25.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2018 by Harper.

Page Count: 464 pages (paperback) 448 (hardcover) 384 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 08 hrs 39 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters)

Language: English (also available in the following translation: Portuguese)

Summary of Book:

“It’s been sixteen days since Juliette Ferrars killed the supreme commander of North America and took over as ruler of The Reestablishment on the continent.

Sixteen days since she assassinated Warner’s father.

Juliette thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45 and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch– and with so much power in her young hands, the world is watching her every move, waiting to see what happens next.

Juliette and Warner have risked everything. But when tragedy strikes, they must confront the darkness that exists both around and inside them. Will they be able to control the power Juliette wields, or will it control them?” -Harper

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Harper

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

I recently re-read Restore Me for the upcoming release of Defy Me. I had recalled really enjoying this novel the first time I read it, and enjoyed it just as much the second time through. There was so much to this story that really brought the Shatter Me world to life. 

What I enjoyed the most about this fourth installment in the Shatter Me series was the death of the love triangle that I had not had any interest in since the first book. By this novel, Mafi focuses more on developing the characters and the upcoming conflicts for the fifth novel. I enjoyed a break from the whole “I love Adam. No. I love Warner.” inner battle Juliette was having. If the focus would have been the same in this novel, I don’t think I could have made it through it. 

With that being said, prepare yourself! This fourth novel is going to throw you for a loop. When I re-read it, it brought up so many different theories about what I thought would happen next. It made me fear for the lives of my favorite characters (James and Kenji). I just could not picture the Shatter Me world without either of them, but for some reason the character’s I adore are the ones author love to kill. Don’t do this to us in Defy Me, Tahereh. Please don’t! 

There was not a lot of James in this character, but there was enough Kenji to go around. Adam was not as present in this novel either, which honestly, I am not complaining about. But the third novel, I was sick of him. He was too whiny, and I just wanted him to get lost. However, by the end of Restore Me, I get the feeling Adam is going to be more present in Defy Me. New information was given by the end of Restore Me (I will not spoil what it was) that gave me a theory as to how the love interests in the series may play out. Needless to say, I cannot wait to read book five!

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Simses and James Fouhey

Simses continues the narration of the Shatter Me series, but this time, she is joined by Fouhey who narrates Warner’s portions of the novel. I have enjoyed Simses’s narration of the series so far, and having an additional narrator was very interesting. I really enjoyed their work. Their narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. Their narration at 1.25 speed was the slowest speed I would listen at. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a either 1.50 speed or 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

Ignite Me Book Review

Ignite Me

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $20.76 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2014 by Harper.

Page Count: 416 pages (paperback) 416 (hardcover) 421 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 50 mins

Chapters: 78

Language: English (also available in the following translations: Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, and Turkish)

Summary of Book:

“Everyone Juliette cares about may be dead. Now Juliette is the only one standing in The Reestablishment’s way. But to take them down, as well as Anderson, the man that nearly killed her, Juliette needs the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew–about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam–was wrong.” -Harper

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Harper

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

Oh My Gosh! Why was Adam such an ass? I do not like him in this novel. He seemed like Peeta from the Hunger Games. I didn’t like Peeta at all, and Adam is becoming this clingy, jealous guy. He just got on my nerves, and I did not even care for him anymore. He was such a drama queen that I just couldn’t put up with him. I’m so over him and over what is going on between him, Juliette, and Warner. 

I think I read that quote from Warner on page 127, I couldn’t help but agree with him. When Warner said, “Do you never get exhausted being so wholly unbearable? You have as much charisma as the rotting innards of unidentified roadkill” I couldn’t help but agree with him. I wasn’t much of a Warner fan up until that point. When he said exactly what I was thinking of Adam, it was like one of those moments when you meet your best friend, that moment when you both become friends over mutual hatred and judgment of the same thing and people. I think I have found my new character bestie!  

I very much enjoyed the parts where Adam was not involved. I know that sounds horrible. It felt horrible to say, but considering one of my favorite characters is James, I do hope that Adam gets to be more tolerable. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I kind of want him to care more for his brother and less for Juliette. Juliette can hold her own. James can’t. Adam, do not let anything happen to James or else I will never forgive you! I want him to be a good brother, and I think that if that is the route Mafi has for him, I’ll actually grow to like him.

Above all, that was my main criticism for the novel. The rest of the events in the story were fine, and I actually enjoyed this novel more than book two. If you were able to tolerate book two, you should enjoy this one more. Out of all the books in the series, Unravel Me is my least favorite. 

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Simses

Simses continues the narration of the Shatter Me series. Simses’ narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. Her narration at 1.25 speed was the slowest speed I would listen at. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a either 1.50 speed or 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

Furthermore Book Review

Furthermore

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $8.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $8.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $26.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2016 by Dutton.

Page Count: 432 pages (paperback) 416 (hardcover) 402 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 08 hrs 12 mins

Chapters: N/A (Chapters not indicated)

Language: English (also available in the following translation: Portuguese)

Summary of Book:

There are only three things that matter to Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and, most important of all, Father, who always loved her. It’s been almost three years since the day Father disappeared from Ferenwood with nothing but a ruler in his pocket, but Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’ll have to embark on one to find the other.

To bring Father home, Alice will travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver, who is an experienced guide with his own tangled secrets. It will take all of Alice’s wits to make it through Furthermore and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of uncertainty and loss.

Bestselling author Tahereh Mafi takes readers beyond the limits of their imagination in this captivating tale where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.” -Dutton

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Santa Monica, California, with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Dutton

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

After reading the Shatter Me series, I look for more works by Tahereh Mafi. I came across Furthermore, and picked it up because I was curios to know more about it. It was so much different than the Shatter Me books that I was fascinated to read something different by this author. 

This story was very different than anything I have read recently. The world Mafi creates for this story is so captivating, and the challenges she has Alice endure just had me speechless. I could not believe how in the world Mafi could have created such a world. It was just so interesting. I found myself continuing to flip the page cause I wanted to know more about this world. Reading this reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Something that took me for a loop is the serious problems the main character undergoes. Her internal and familiar conflicts make her such a relate-able character and one that readers can sympathize with.  To a certain extent the story seemed “dark,” and I was worried what was going to happen to her. I found myself really wondering what it was she would find on her adventure and feared for her life. Her personal conflicts and struggles are those that I would expect my younger sisters to encounter and love that Mafi create a novel that expressed a young girl’s problems in a way where they could relate to it.  

The ending was surprising. I will not reveal what occurred to avoid any spoilers, but this is the first story that I have read in a long time with that type of ending. It was refreshing to read one like this after having read so many novels with various endings. This is a story that would be great to read together as a family. I can see this a story for both parents and children to enjoy together. 

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Bronson Pinchot

Pinchot’s narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. Starting at 1.25 speed, I extremely enjoyed his narration. His narration was not over-dramatic or over-the-top. I found his narration to be so well done and as if I were listening to a bedtime story told by a parent to their child. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at at either a 1.50 or 1.75 speed so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

Unravel Me Book Review

Unravel Me

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2013 by Harper.

Page Count: 496 pages (paperback) 480 (hardcover) 485 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 53 mins

Chapters: 73

Language: English (also available in the following translations: Italian and Portuguese)

Summary of Book:

“Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment. Now she’s free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from hr lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Haunted by her past and terrified of her future, Juliette knows that she will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may involve choosing between her heart–and Adam’s life.” -Harper

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Harper

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

Disclaimer: I think I have finally read enough love triangle stories and want a change in character dynamic. This new outlook is going to change the way I read and review books from now on as I will ignore that part of the novel to see what else it has to offer. If a book cannot offer anything beyond a love triangle, it is going to end up in my DNF shelf on Goodreads.

After re-reading Shatter Me, I continued with the next book in the series. I recalled the first time I read this book and felt similar emotions toward it the second time through. I felt conflicted. I did not know what I wanted or expected the first time I read it. Was I Team Adam or Team Warner? I was a little more invested in where Juliette’s emotions would lie when I read Unravel Me for the first time. However, after my second time reading this novel, I wasn’t so much interested in the love triangle. I mentioned in the my review of Shatter Me that I have come to a point as a reader where I have no interest in love triangles. My disregard for the love triangle between Adam, Juliette, and Warner continued. However, like with the first novel, other conflicts and characters held my interest.

There was not a lot of James in this second novel, which I was kind of disappointed since he was one of my favorite characters in the first novel. However, there was a whole lot of Kenji to account for James’ absence. I was very impressed by this character in the first novel and grew to like him even more in the second. In a way, my re-reading made me completely forget about my Team Adam or Team Warner feeling I experienced the first time through. Instead,  I found myself siding more and more with Kenji. The conflict with Warner and Adam was just too much. I couldn’t really handle much of it, and Kenji’s scenes made the love triangle bearable. I do admit that if Kenji were to be nonexistent, I would not have enjoyed this book at all. It would have been one of the books that ended up in my DNF shelf if it relied solely on Adam, Juliette, and Warner.

This second novel moved slower than the first. The first novel focused more on the plot, and that was what made the reading feel so quick to me. However this second one focused more on the Juliette love triangle and her interactions with both Adam and Warner. For that reason, this second novel read slower. The plot was slowed down because Mafi caught more of Juliette’s confusion about what she wanted. That, honestly, annoyed me. At some point,  I found myself saying, pick one already; you’re just making yourself look slutty Juliette. I didn’t really care about the whole, “I don’t know who to choose; I can’t pick one over the other,” part to this story. Again, I admit that that is due to my being tired of love triangle stories.

After re-reading this novel, my feelings about the characters and plot changed. By the end of this re-reading, I was interested in what would happen with The Reestablishment (since that is the main conflict carrying the whole series), what would happen between Adam and Warner, and what would happen with Kenji. I did not care where Juliette’s feelings would end up. By the end of this novel, I just found myself saying, “girl you better pick one in the third book. You’ve gone undecided for two books now. You’re running out of books. Just pick one already.” I was instead more interested in what would happen with Adam and Warner after what was revealed in this novel. After what Mafi revealed in this novel about the two (I won’t spoil it) I wondered how that revelation would change this whole love triangle she introduced. I actually hoped it would shatter the love triangle altogether.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Simses

Simses does an amazing job narrating the second part of this series. Her narration made the story interesting, and I enjoyed that the same narrator was used for this next book. It is kind of strange to me when different narrators are used to narrate a series, and it kind of makes me disconnect from the series since I relate the narrator’s voice to the story. I am glad the same narrator was utilized for this novel so that didn’t happen. Simses’ narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

Shatter Me Book Review

Shatter Me

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited) 

Before Reading Facts:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2011 by Harper.

Page Count: 464 pages (paperback) 448 (hardcover) 357 (kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 12 mins

Chapters: 50

Language: English (also available in the following translations: Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian)

Summary of Book:

“No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time–and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever. 

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a riveting dystopian world, a thrilling superhero story, and an unforgettable heroine.” -Harper

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or at www.taherehbooks.com” -Harper

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★

I first read Shatter Me last year. I was invited to go to a book event by a friend, and Tahereh Mafi was one of the main authors that was going to be there. My friend recommended I read the Shatter Me series, for I had not heard of the series until the book event. I did so and was amazed. I could not stop at book one. I was very interested in the characters and the world Mafi created. A year after having read the first four books in the series and am awaiting the release of the fifth, I am re-reading the series in preparation for the next book. This re-reading has allowed me an opportunity to reconnect with the characters and to fall in love with this series once again. My re-connection to the series has also allowed me the opportunity to share my thoughts and create this review.

I was very much attracted to the ability Juliette possesses. I found myself extremely interested in her powers and was drawn in by Warner’s antagonizing Juliette. I love the way the characters were written. By far, my favorite characters were James and Kenji. I figured there would be some sort of love triangle and was not really drawn into it. I will admit that I am not one for love triangles. I have actually come to a point where I despise love triangles. However, I did not mind the one presented in this story. When there is a love triangle in a story, what helps me get through it and put up with it are either the plot or any well-written side characters. I guess in a way, I am more of a supporting character lover. I enjoy a good sidekick/side character. James and Kenji made for great side characters. These two characters were very unique to in comparison to the other characters in the story that it allowed me to really enjoy the story in its entirety.

The story itself moves very quickly that if I had the time sit through a full reading/listening of the story, I would have done so. I found myself wanting to know what was going to be on the next paragraph, page, and chapter. Though, Mafi throws us into a world we are unfamiliar with, she does it in such a way that does not confuse the reader. She gives the reader just enough about what is going on as to not confuse or overwhelm the reader. She gives enough of the conflicts going on in the world for the reader to understand what is going on and then moves her characters very effectively that really brings this world to life.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Simses

Simses does an amazing job narrating this story. Her narration made the story interesting. She doesn’t over do the narration or make it boring. I do admit that her narration at 1.0 speed was too slow for me. The best speed for me was 1.50. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • Furthermore
  • Whichwood 
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me
  • Defy Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me
  • Shadow Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Book Review Blog

A Very Large Expanse of Sea Book Review

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $11.96

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $18.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $22.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2018 by HarperCollins.

Page Count: 320 pages (paperback) 320 (hardcover) 307 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 06 hrs 43 mins

Chapters: 38

Languages: English 

Summary of Book:

“It’s 2002, a year after 9/11, and Shirin has just started at yet another school. It’s an extremely turbulent time for the world, but also 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. But 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. She decided long ago not to trust anyone anymore, and she doesn’t expect, or even try, to fit in anywhere or let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons breakdancing 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 t 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.

Tahereh Mafi, bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, returns with a gorgeous and heartrending new novel inspired by her own experiences with first love, breakdancing, and the devastating impact of prejudice” -HarperCollins

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book” -HarperCollins

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

A Very Large Expanse of Sea was a novel I picked up after reading the Shatter Me series. After reading the amazing series, I decided to read more of Tahereh Mafi’s work, and this novel did not disappoint. It is such a powerful story, one that opens up to the public to reveal the story of a struggling teen during turbulent times. The struggles this novel portrays captivates its readers and brings awareness to the prejudices a young, innocent girl received as a result of her culture and religion.

The story portrays the struggles Shirin ensures and how prejudice takes a hold of her life for so long that she closes herself off to the world. The story takes the reader on a journey of discovery and is full of emotion, anger, sadness, and raw insight into the life of a young Muslim girl who struggles to find herself in a world that sees her in such a negative manner. Shirin manages to find passion and a love for breakdancing and music and as a result discovers who she is as a result.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a beautifully written story. I enjoyed it and found it to be extremely enlightening. After reading so much science fiction and fantasy, it was so different to pick up a novel that places me back into the ‘real world’ and make me aware of the events that inspired so many authors. This novel is Tahereh Mafi’s testimony of hard times and how she managed to find love and happiness in music and breakdancing.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Priya Ayyar

Ayyar’s narration captivate the emotions in such a way that bring the story to life for listeners. The narration allows readers to keep listening and latches on to the frustration Shirin displays and her battle against prejudice. I extremely enjoyed listening to the story at a 1.50 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed and 3.0 speed to be the best speeds. 3.5 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed.  

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Furthermore

Whichwood

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me