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ecster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
mel_muses's review against another edition
2.5
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
Graphic: Islamophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Racism, Homophobia, Ableism, Mental illness, and Body shaming
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer
abigailhaagen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Self harm, Racism, and Death
dododenise's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Bullying, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
koplomps's review against another edition
- 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
(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 ✨)
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Racial slurs
Minor: Emotional abuse
maple_dove's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Fatphobia, Ableism, Bullying, and Body shaming
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Religious persecution (moderate)chcb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Racism
adalinemccormick's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Body shaming
queerloras's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Grief, Confinement, Body shaming, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
marissasa's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Grief, Bullying, Death of parent, Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Cancer