The Themes: Below is a list of themes present: Mainly conflict surrounding the relationship affecting Ocean’s basketball game. There were many small conflicts throughout the book, instead of one big one. He is also very kind and supportive and worries for the people that he loves. Talkative, and likes to know people (one example would be when he first met Shirin, and they were silent except Ocean kept on trying to start a conversation). She is also 16 years old and muslim, which means that she has been treated harshly by other people. She is very quiet, likes to avoid others and listens to music all day long.

She reflects back on how meeting Ocean gave a gift to her - a gift to believe in others. In the end, Shirin was forced to move to another location with her family which would separate the two for a long time or maybe even forever. They stop talking to each other because of these issues, but get back together in the end when Ocean stops caring much about his game and wants to be together with her. Along the way, Ocean gets suspended from school and kicked off his basketball team because of his love for Shirin their shaky relationship which distracted him from other things like his basketball games. Nobody is really her friend until she meets a boy named Ocean during a lab project, and they slowly fall in love with each other. People treat her really badly and she gets a few stares in the beginning.

Plot Summary: Shirin is a Muslim girl who is going to a new school and is having a tough time fitting in.

Setting(s) Of Book: School, Shirin’s house, Ocean’s house Title: A Very Large Expanse Of Sea Author: Tahereh Mafi Date Published: October 18, 2018

A very large expanse of sea pages