Reviews

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

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silly_pick's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

boooksforbreakfast's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5/5

I think Adib Khorram did a great job describing the stigma around depression in this book. I don’t know much about Iran, but I think this book gave me a good look into the culture of Iran. The family relationships were written beautifully.

jillkahnwald's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.75

dscfrazier's review against another edition

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5.0

Darius the Great is Not Okay is a beautifully written ode to all of those who have ever felt like the odd one who didn't quite understand themselves. There are four reasons I loved the book. One was the story itself. It was a tender realistic telling about a friendless teenager who doesn't fit in at school and is bullied. He also doesn't feel like he is living up to his father's expectations. And lastly, he didn't have a sense of who he was. He knew that he was half Persian named after a revered ruler of Iran, but what does that really mean and could he really live up to that name. A trip to visit his dying grandfather in Iran serves as a backdrop that helps him navigate through these issues. It is also there were he meets Sohrab, the son of his grandparents' neighbor. Their friendship is the second reason I loved this book. It provides a message about acceptance, resilience, love, and filling those "empty" places. The third reason I loved the book is how the day to day life with depression was portrayed. So many times, fiction shows such a dark manic caricature side feeding into the stigmatization of the disease. Instead, author Adib Khorram chooses to give a compassionate and realistic glimpse of how one can live with and manage depression on a daily basis. Lastly I loved the book because of its bonus of providing the reader an opportunity to see the beauty of the Persian people, the culture, food, and architecture of Iran. I give this book 5 stars and would recommend it to middle and high schoolers, and adults too!

threemad10's review against another edition

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bruh y thus make me shed a few tears what the hell
it was that scene w his dad
and his mom saying goodbye to her father
i miss my home n my grandparents ,