Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

23 reviews

holy_moly_colee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative 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

3.0

This book has a very heartfelt story and lovable characters, but some of the storytelling was a bit too young for me (it is a YA book, so I don't blame the author at all). Extremely heartwarming!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Mental illness

koplomps's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

Absolutely loved this, loved Darius too. I have a distant relationship with my grandparents and had a little cry when it felt too relatable. None on the characters were perfect, and that was totally okay. 
(Edit: My original rating was 4.75, but I've been thinking about this book for months now, and that doesn't happen often. So I'm raising my rating to 5 stars ✨)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Racial slurs

Minor: Emotional abuse

adalinemccormick's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Body shaming

ceilisbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Racial slurs

hylian_narwhal's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Body shaming, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Confinement, and Islamophobia

joisaddler's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Grief, and Mental illness

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely loved this. I related so hard to both being a mixed person with an immigrant mom who has gone back to the motherland a few times and also as a person with mental illness. That feeling of being too other in the U.S. and then being too other/not enough in the motherland is a difficult feeling to deal with. And family/friends making fun of you in what they consider normal per their culture while in yours it is rude/hurtful/a sensitive topic because you are hyper self conscious of certain things. Darius trying to navigate his relationship with his family in Iran IRL was also something I have done when I go back to the motherland.

When I tell you I bawled, it was full ugly crying. This is quite emotional and so wonderful. This is a book I def needed when I was younger but still resonates so strongly with me now as an adult. I connected so strongly with Darius throughout the whole book. Many of his thoughts and feelings I have experienced/do experience even now.

Informative in so many aspects about Iran and Iranian culture as well. I definitely want to go to Iran to see everything and eat everything!
I'm glad we didn't get told about Babou's illness progression past Darius leaving Iran because I don't think I could handle even more crying. Definitely look at content warnings because along with mental illness, there is some brief discussion on Babou's illness, and some discussion of Iran's political climate.
There is just so much in this book for me that made it 10000% worth my time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Mental illness, Bullying, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Dementia, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Police brutality

yoursupremereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Khorram has written something truly special with this book. Centered around a young queer Persian boy going to his mother's hometown to see his grandparents for the first time, Darius The Great Is Not Okay does a lot of work in a short amount of time. Add to it that the main character Darius is a complete nerd/weeb who interjects with sci-fi puns and comparisons in every chapter kept me smiling the whole way through. Khorram also did something incredible in giving Darius a new best friend that results in one of the best platonic male relationships I've seen in a book in a while. This story also tackles mental illness, but in a way that doesn't define Darius as his one facet, it's there, he acknowledges it, it is forever present, but it's just a sliver of who this sweet boy is. Plus, he loves tea, his abject love for tea is downright adorable. And Khorram takes the time to teach you not only about different kinds of tea that Darius loves, but also about Persian tea and customs that Darius is getting to learn about with you the reader while going to see his grandparents. All in all. A precious story and another wonderful addition to the YA queer canon. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Death

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

hmmm tbh this didnt quite meet my expectations. my biggest peeve abt darius the great was perhaps its writing: the short sentences were overused and felt clunky and awkward. the tags also led me to believe that the lqbtq+ elements would be more "obvious" and engaged w/. nevertheless, the book's handling of depression and themes of family and identity was great--albeit a lil relatable--and even touching at times. its inclusion of and engagement w/ persian culture and iran were eye-opening as well. might check out the sequel just to see how it all pans out between darius and sohrab. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

jamieschecter'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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Bullying

Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Body shaming, and Death

Minor: Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization