Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Darius the Great Is Not Okay

I really wish I liked this more. I expected something that would feel personal and hit close to home, but I honestly think this book is forgettable. I didn't come out of it making much of an impression on me, which I was really disappointed by and still am doubting myself about because usually books with depression representation become all-time favorites.

Maybe part of it was the way it was marketed. First of all, this is not a queer book. From what I've heard, the sequel definitely is, but there is no mention of the main character being LGBTQ+ at any point throughout this novel. People need to stop talking about this book like it's a YA romance because it most certainly isn't, and that might actually be part of why it falls flat.

Not to say a romance is necessary for a YA book to be good. That is completely, certainly not true. However, there was such little self-discovery going on throughout this book that I simply spent most of my time listening to it bored and asking "so what?"

I really liked the inclusion of complex family relationships — especially between Darius and his dad, and Darius with each of his grandparents. I also enjoyed the depictions of culture, food, and tea that were explored. The parts that focused on culture were probably the best parts of this whole book.

However, Darius the Great Is Not Okay was also completely cringe-worthy. Maybe it's just not for me, but all the references to Star Trek and repetition of certain phrases irked me. Darius put so many people in boxes, including his own family, and I absolutely could not stand it. His repeated use of "Steven Kellner" to express his dad's thoughts was incredibly ineffective and just served to add humor to a situation that didn't need it. He also kept referring to people from his school as "soulless minions of orthodoxy" and while, yes, he was bullied and they were horrible people for doing that, this made Darius' conflicts seem inconsequential and hyperbolic.

And the depression rep... it honestly felt like it was just thrown in there to earn some representation points. Not to say the author doesn't have the right and voice to speak on it — of course, he does — but I just didn't connect with it and I felt it only had a minimal impact on the plot of the book. Besides maybe one scene at the end and a few interactions with particular people throughout.

Overall, while I'm glad this book has managed to make such a great impression on so many other reviewers and readers, I couldn't personally recommend this book for its story, writing, or depression representation.

Trigger Warnings: ableism, bullying, death of a parent (side character), depression, fatphobia (challenged), homophobia, family member with cancer, islamophobia, racism (challenged), suicidal ideation recounted

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maple_dove's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The main character, Darius, is Iranian-American, clinically depressed, fat, and has Father Issues.

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would, to be honest. It's sad yet has a lot of hopeful and happy moments. I also liked the social commentary on schools trying to be inclusive, but explains why most of these efforts ultimately fail. The part on where Darius didn't feel "enough" (in this case, not "Iranian enough") is very relatable to a lot of POC living in the States.

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thestoriesjar's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Ich bin selbst halb Iranerin, kann aber leider kaum persisch sprechen (nur die einfachen Dinge). Außerdem bin ich wie Darius auch mit Depressionen diagnostiziert. Ich weiß zwar Einiges über die Kultur und war auch schon 6 Mal dort, jedoch kenne ich das Gefühl des „nicht persisch genug sein“ nur zu gut. Ich habe mich in vielen Situationen wiedererkannt und musste bei bestimmten Verhaltensweisen die ich von meinen persischen Verwandten kenne immer mal wieder schmunzeln. Ich wollte das Buch gar nicht ablegen, weil es so liebevoll geschrieben wurde. Außerdem denke ich auch, dass es interessant für Leute sein kann, die noch nicht viel über den Iran und seine Kultur wissen und es diesen etwas näher bringen kann. In dem Buch geht es aber nicht nur über den Iran, sondern auch um so vieles mehr (z.B. Freundschaft, Mobbing, …).

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portcityreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought it was slow at first, but once the family started their trip I was hooked. This is a complex story full of triggers and family dynamics and it was really beautiful.

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queerloras's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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marissasa's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is full of so much heart and genuine emotion. Darius has a strong narrative voice and I felt like I had a good image of his character from the start, with all his Star Trek references and self-doubts. I related to the same struggles Darius did of not feeling like he belonged in his family's country because he grew up in America, didn't know how to speak Farsi, and didn't get to grow up with his grandparents in their hometown. The awkwardness and "feelings we know but don't talk about" energy that Darius had with both his dad and his Iranian family are so real to the daddy issues and child of immigrants experience. This book also had one of the most accurate depictions of being depressed as a teen and how hard it is to talk about depression in Asian cultures that I have seen. It made it even more heartwarming and heartbreaking in the moments between Darius and Sohrab where we got to see them become friends who respected and validated each other, physically affectionate without it being thought of as weird, and be able to both talk without walls up and sit in comfortable silence together. I loved learning more about Iranian food and culture alongside Darius. I loved how this book portrayed different forms of non-romantic love and how deeply they can change your life.

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noahsingh's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

tbh an Immediate favourite book, really hit home as someone who is also mixed race and depressed and queer lol would b 5 starts if not for the weird occasional fatphobia:/

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riannesdijkstra's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book has my whole heart

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