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annakh16's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Emotional and reflective - a lovely YA book.
This combines a lot of topics with vivid description - family relationships, friendship, living with depression as a young person, and the culture and history of Iran (I agree with most people here that the discussions on food were a highlight). Darius being both an insider and outsider to Iranian life made this a great learning opportunity as a reader, and really helped it come to life.
Darius is well-written and likeable, and there is a good mix of character introspection and interactions with others. The Star Trek references in his language really helped shape his character, and actually weren’t overdone, which I find to be rare with things like this.
I underrated the dynamic between Darius and his father for most of the book - not that it was badly done at all, but the author’s afterword - that this is about loving someone with depression, while also having depression yourself - really made me realise how meaningful it was. I thought their final conversation was great, though to me, Steven is not quite off the hook just yet. Very interested to see how this develops in the sequel.
And Sohrab and Darius - I mean they’re just so sweet. „Your place was empty“ <3
Good audio narration too. A quiet and introspective book, with lots to learn (for me personally) - would recommend it for that!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, Terminal illness, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Islamophobia
archiveofrasa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
read this in a day. pleased to say it made me cry on multiple occasions.
I may have expected a bit too much from this book, but I still got a lot out of it! Darius was such a sweet character to follow and the relationships the book explores were so interesting, especially that of him and his dad. very tender, absolutely love brown boys figuring out their daddy issues properly lmao
Darius' relationship with Sohrab was honestly what drove me through the book, it was also so sweet and tender and emotional. I wasn't sure where it was going to go but I think the bittersweet ending felt very fitting for them. the subtleties on Darius' queerness were definitely not lost on me and I enjoyed the subtext (well, you can argue it's text considering the sequel lol), and while I'm not sure if we get to see Sohrab in the sequel, but I hope we do!!
and oh lord, the trip to Iran – I'm Bengali, so not quite the same type of Asian, but there were so many similarities, it dawned on me that there is a reason why Persian culture is so similar to how my Bengali family works haha. the feeling of not belonging to either culture you're a part of really resonated with me and I get why a lot of people who are children of immigrants loved this, I did too. no other book put the feeling quite so well, but I'm glad this was one of the few books that have.
I think I expected a less-YA writing style, but then again, that's entirely on me. There was a lot of repetition with Darius' narrative but I appreciate that Khorram's style choice does reflect the repetitiveness of depression and adds to the subtly of Darius' mental illness. the author wanted to weave it into the narrative without being obvious and I think he did a good job!
Darius is also a very quiet and subtle book for a YA contemporary – not a lot happens but I quite enjoyed it for that, we don't always need very dramatic stories about our identity for them to be good.
I may have expected a bit too much from this book, but I still got a lot out of it! Darius was such a sweet character to follow and the relationships the book explores were so interesting, especially that of him and his dad. very tender, absolutely love brown boys figuring out their daddy issues properly lmao
Darius' relationship with Sohrab was honestly what drove me through the book, it was also so sweet and tender and emotional. I wasn't sure where it was going to go but I think the bittersweet ending felt very fitting for them. the subtleties on Darius' queerness were definitely not lost on me and I enjoyed the subtext (well, you can argue it's text considering the sequel lol), and while I'm not sure if we get to see Sohrab in the sequel, but I hope we do!!
and oh lord, the trip to Iran – I'm Bengali, so not quite the same type of Asian, but there were so many similarities, it dawned on me that there is a reason why Persian culture is so similar to how my Bengali family works haha. the feeling of not belonging to either culture you're a part of really resonated with me and I get why a lot of people who are children of immigrants loved this, I did too. no other book put the feeling quite so well, but I'm glad this was one of the few books that have.
I think I expected a less-YA writing style, but then again, that's entirely on me. There was a lot of repetition with Darius' narrative but I appreciate that Khorram's style choice does reflect the repetitiveness of depression and adds to the subtly of Darius' mental illness. the author wanted to weave it into the narrative without being obvious and I think he did a good job!
Darius is also a very quiet and subtle book for a YA contemporary – not a lot happens but I quite enjoyed it for that, we don't always need very dramatic stories about our identity for them to be good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I adored this contemporary YA novel about Darius!!! Teenage Darius goes on a trip with his parents to Iran, where his maternal grandparents live, and he feels a bit like he does at home too, which is a bummer because he feels like he doesn't really *belong* anywhere. He feels ostracized at school in the U.S. because of his ethnicity and many people bully him, but in Iran, he feels a bit like he's not Iranian enough. His family in Iran tries to be as welcoming as possible, but there are some cultural cues that get lost in translation, as Darius feels in between two cultures as a first-generation kid.
Darius has also struggled with his relationship with his white dad, who seemingly fits in great with his Iranian side of the family, much to Darius's dismay and confusion. Darius takes medication for his clinical depression, which his Iranian family also doesn't fully understand. At least Darius has his younger sister Laleh, who enjoys sci-fi and spending time with him too. Darius meets a friend in Iran, Sohrab, who makes Darius feel the most welcome and as if he "fits" than ever before!
Darius and Sohrab's friendship was so incredibly wholesome! They play soccer, talk about everything under the sun, including things Darius and Sohrab haven't discussed with anyone else really. Their conversation flowed freely, their walls came down, and both of them invited the other to be brave in acting as their authentic selves. It is such a unique feeling to "find your person," whether that's someone who is your chosen family or a romantic partner, and I loved watching their friendship develop so naturally and seamlessly.
Besides their friendship, the main standout to me was Darius's relationship with his dad, who he often referred to in his own inner thoughts as his first as last name(which is escaping me right now, I'm sorry!). So many of Darius's insecurities, fears, and exhaustion stemmed from the ebbs and flows of his relationship with his dad. His dad is not a perfect character, meaning he is *not* a perfect parent (who is?), but I really appreciated the conversation they had towards the end. It is such a beautifully raw moment, where both men courageously share their vulnerabilities, especially Darius's dad.
I felt this was only confirmation that we owe it to each other and our relationships to try to be vulnerable more often, rather than putting on the facade that everything is just dandy, *especially* for cisgender men in American society. There is so much pressure for them to keep it all together, and I wonder how much more compassionate and open the world could be if only we encouraged and empowered more cismen to be softer. I know many people already do, but I can't deny the perpetual harmful messaging I hear in my own family, workplace, media and friends groups that men need to be tough, hard, and unfeeling in order to be perceived as strong and worthy. I hope that with more and more media representation like this, that we can slowly make that problematic dominant narrative obsolete. It won't only help cismen, it'll help everyone around them too.
Quotations that stood out to me:
I adored this contemporary YA novel about Darius!!! Teenage Darius goes on a trip with his parents to Iran, where his maternal grandparents live, and he feels a bit like he does at home too, which is a bummer because he feels like he doesn't really *belong* anywhere. He feels ostracized at school in the U.S. because of his ethnicity and many people bully him, but in Iran, he feels a bit like he's not Iranian enough. His family in Iran tries to be as welcoming as possible, but there are some cultural cues that get lost in translation, as Darius feels in between two cultures as a first-generation kid.
Darius has also struggled with his relationship with his white dad, who seemingly fits in great with his Iranian side of the family, much to Darius's dismay and confusion. Darius takes medication for his clinical depression, which his Iranian family also doesn't fully understand. At least Darius has his younger sister Laleh, who enjoys sci-fi and spending time with him too. Darius meets a friend in Iran, Sohrab, who makes Darius feel the most welcome and as if he "fits" than ever before!
Darius and Sohrab's friendship was so incredibly wholesome! They play soccer, talk about everything under the sun, including things Darius and Sohrab haven't discussed with anyone else really. Their conversation flowed freely, their walls came down, and both of them invited the other to be brave in acting as their authentic selves. It is such a unique feeling to "find your person," whether that's someone who is your chosen family or a romantic partner, and I loved watching their friendship develop so naturally and seamlessly.
Besides their friendship, the main standout to me was Darius's relationship with his dad, who he often referred to in his own inner thoughts as his first as last name(which is escaping me right now, I'm sorry!). So many of Darius's insecurities, fears, and exhaustion stemmed from the ebbs and flows of his relationship with his dad. His dad is not a perfect character, meaning he is *not* a perfect parent (who is?), but I really appreciated the conversation they had towards the end. It is such a beautifully raw moment, where both men courageously share their vulnerabilities, especially Darius's dad.
I felt this was only confirmation that we owe it to each other and our relationships to try to be vulnerable more often, rather than putting on the facade that everything is just dandy, *especially* for cisgender men in American society. There is so much pressure for them to keep it all together, and I wonder how much more compassionate and open the world could be if only we encouraged and empowered more cismen to be softer. I know many people already do, but I can't deny the perpetual harmful messaging I hear in my own family, workplace, media and friends groups that men need to be tough, hard, and unfeeling in order to be perceived as strong and worthy. I hope that with more and more media representation like this, that we can slowly make that problematic dominant narrative obsolete. It won't only help cismen, it'll help everyone around them too.
Quotations that stood out to me:
“Mom always said she named me after Darius the Great, but I think she and Dad were setting themselves up for the disappointment, naming me after a historical figure like that. I was many things - D-Hole, D-Wad, D's Nuts - but I was definitely not great.”
“Everyone wants you here. We have a saying in Farsi. It translates ‘your place was empty.’ We say it when we miss somebody...Your place was empty before. But this is your family. You belong here.”
“You don’t care what anyone thinks. You know?”
My ears burned. “I care what everyone thinks, Sohrab.”
“No you don’t. Not really. You don’t try to change yourself. You know who you are.” He bumped shoulders with me. “I wish I was like that. I always try to be what my mom needs. What my amou needs. What you need. But you are the opposite. You are happy with who you are.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s really me. You’ve never seen what it’s like back home. How everyone treats me.”
“They don’t know you, Darioush.” Sohrab grabbed my shoulder. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
“I wish you could see yourself too.” I swallowed. “You’re the only person who never wanted me to change.”
“The silence between us hung heavy with all the things we couldn’t say. All the things we knew without them being said out loud.”
“It was a nice kind of quiet. The kind you could wrap yourself up in like a blanket.”
“Another thing I knew:
I knew my sister, Laleh, wasn't an accident.
Many people thought so, because she was eight years younger than me, and my parents weren't "trying for another child," which is kind of gross if you think about it. But she wasn't an accident.
She was a replacement. An upgrade. I knew that without anyone saying it out loud.
And I knew Stephen Kellner was relieved to have another chance, a new child who wouldn't be such a disappointment. It was written across his face every time he smiled at her. Every time he sighed at me.
I didn't blame Laleh for that.
I really didn't.
But sometimes I wondered if I was the one who was an accident.
That's normal.
Right?”
“You can know things without them being said out loud. I knew Sohrab and I were going to be friends for life. Sometimes you can just tell that kind of thing.”
“I felt so helpless. Sohrab was hurting and there was nothing I could do. Nothing except sit there and be his friend. But maybe that was enough. Because Sohrab knew it was okay to cry in front of me. He knew I wouldn't tell him not to have feelings. He felt safe with me.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Body shaming, Racism, Xenophobia, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
evelynyle_88's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Finally I take time to finish this beautiful book. It's such an experience and life-changing moments. I learned so much from all the characters in this book about how to live your life.
The theme Darius with his struggles with his own big family, himself and his mental health... sometimes relate to me. I love the way he wanted to change what he can; to be a positive minded one; and thinks... it's okay not to be okay sometimes.
This book also so informative about Iranian cultures. Thank you, Adib Khorram! I love books that so informative like this! I learned so many Iranian cultures too from this book. I also love Darius and his friendship (including the ups and downs) with Sohrab.
Can't wait to continue with Darius The Great Deserves Better. Solid 5⭐!
The theme Darius with his struggles with his own big family, himself and his mental health... sometimes relate to me. I love the way he wanted to change what he can; to be a positive minded one; and thinks... it's okay not to be okay sometimes.
This book also so informative about Iranian cultures. Thank you, Adib Khorram! I love books that so informative like this! I learned so many Iranian cultures too from this book. I also love Darius and his friendship (including the ups and downs) with Sohrab.
Can't wait to continue with Darius The Great Deserves Better. Solid 5⭐!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Mental illness, and Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
jcqln112's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, and Bullying
te_ss_i's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Cancer
agwood32's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Murder and Death of parent
abigailhaagen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Self harm, Racism, and Death
dododenise's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was surprised by this book. I started out seeing simple story telling. A slow progression of events. Simple language. But the more I read the more I realised how much this book was saying. On a seemingly simple foundation so many themes, topics and developments were explored.
I was transported into Darius’ world. A world where I can see overlap with myself. I also struggle with depression. I also have a double nationality and don’t quite know where I belong. Seeing those overlaps and seeing how similar or different they can be experienced was a personal enrichment. Darius is also very different to me in many ways. Seeing those different experiences is also very enriching in its own way.
This book ended up capturing so much. I believe I will carry a lot of this story with me for some time to come.
I was transported into Darius’ world. A world where I can see overlap with myself. I also struggle with depression. I also have a double nationality and don’t quite know where I belong. Seeing those overlaps and seeing how similar or different they can be experienced was a personal enrichment. Darius is also very different to me in many ways. Seeing those different experiences is also very enriching in its own way.
This book ended up capturing so much. I believe I will carry a lot of this story with me for some time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
bladelikesbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
In this novel, we see Darius struggle socially, internally and also within his family unit. Darius is bullied at school by racist peers and just general assholes and when he reaches out to his father for help, he portrays textbook toxic masculinity and blames Darius for the bullying. He’s the perfect example of being your child’s first bully.
Due to the illness of a loved one, Darius’ family goes to Iran for a trip. During this, we see many culture differences and Darius’ struggle with not feeling “Iranian enough”. He forms a friendship while there that is just wonderful for him and really helps him build confidence and connection and who helps him feel like he belongs. I really think this friendship with Sohrab truly healed some parts of Darius that he was really struggling with. It was truly a beautiful depiction of friendship. I was so sad when Darius had to go back home.
I really felt for Darius when he was struggling with wanting to be more involved in his family on his Iranian side but not knowing how to communicate. I have family struggles myself so it’s safe to say I cried throughout the majority of this book. Darius and his dad have a really great conversation where his dad apologises and explains why he acts the way he does and that one conversation was so healing in their relationship.
I think this book does a great job of portraying familial relationships in such a real and honest way and it really resonated with me. This is definitely one of my favourite books of all time and I can’t wait to read the sequel. Also, I loved the afterword and I really appreciated the inclusion of helplines at the end of the book.
Representation - Bahá’í (SC); Depression (MC); Fat (MC); Iranian/Persian-American (MC); Muslim (BGC); POC (MC)
TWs/CWs - Blood; Bullying; Death; Death of a Parent; Fatphobia; Homophobia; Institutionalised Racism; Islamophobia; Medical Detail; Racism; Stool; Suicide; Suicide Attempt; Suicide Ideation; Terminal Illness; Toxic Masculinity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Bullying, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Blood