Scan barcode
tshepiso's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Darius the Great Deserves Better solidified Adib Khorram as a new favourite YA contemporary author of mine. Khorram writes stories with such heart and compassion and I could read books about Darius Kellner for the rest of my life.
This sequel takes place a few months after the ending of Darius the Great Is Not Okay. Our favourite fractional Persian is having a good junior year. He’s on the soccer team, has a great boyfriend, and snagged an internship at his favourite tea shop. However, with his parents working later and later nights in an attempt to rebuild their savings, Darius’ home life is tense and stressful. As the months progress, Darius finds himself overwhelmed by his new responsibilities at work and his relationship with Landon gets more complicated. In this book, Darius learns to navigate new relationships and responsibilities all while attempting to figure out exactly what he wants from life.
This book is a quiet story with very few peaks and troughs, but Khorram captures the significance of the mundane incredibly well. This is because Darius is a compelling narrator. If you loved him in the first book I can’t imagine not being charmed by him in this one. The conflict he faces in this novel is slightly different, but Khorram still brings that same charming energy and wholesome uncertainty to Darius.
Darius is forced to confront the complicated dynamic of having different wants and need in a romantic relationship. As a natural people-pleaser, Darius has to learn how to set boundaries and communicate what he does and doesn’t want when it comes to intimacy. While I’ve seen similar conversations in YA this is the first I’ve seen it from a boy’s perspective and it was incredibly well handled. Landon and Darius’ relationship was sweet and wholesome while also being messy and complicated. Seeing Darius navigate the many facets of a relationship was amazing.
Darius also deals with a new and surprisingly overwhelming job. Darius has dreamed of an internship at the Rose Hill Tea Shop his whole life and throughout this book realizes that his passion for tea doesn’t directly translate to wanting it to be his job.
I loved seeing Darius make lasting friendships and find community in the varsity soccer team. Both his teammates and coach were consistent pillars of support and given how isolated Darius was in the first book it was lovely to see him in such a wholesome environment. Coach Bentley worked to cultivate a non-toxic environment in the team and I loved seeing them support each other.
The way the book delved into Darius’ relationship with his paternal grandparents was unique and relatable. Darius’ grandmothers aren’t as openly affectionate as his Mamou and Babou so it was nice to see him warm to them as the story progressed. Darius’ yearning for connection with his grandmothers and his desire for some sort of queer community with them was so wholesome. It was also interesting how Khorram touched on how growing up in a family with mental health issues can negatively affect your relationship with them long term.
As well as falling in love with Darius in the first book I fell in love with the entire Kellner clan. Because of that seeing them go through such a stressful time financially was heartbreaking. Darius loves his family and you saw that in his anxiety over the stress they were under. Darius’ dad Stephen’s slide back into depression because of his loneliness and isolation shattered me. Because of that seeing the Kellners power through their hardships and make it past such a difficult time made for an incredible ending to the story.
Darius the Great Deserves Better was a balm to the soul. I adored these characters and everything Adib Khorram had to say through them. Khorram is a great writer and he makes everyday scenarios rich and compelling. If you liked its predecessor you will definitely love this book and I would highly recommend both to fans of quiet beautifully mundane coming of age novels.
This sequel takes place a few months after the ending of Darius the Great Is Not Okay. Our favourite fractional Persian is having a good junior year. He’s on the soccer team, has a great boyfriend, and snagged an internship at his favourite tea shop. However, with his parents working later and later nights in an attempt to rebuild their savings, Darius’ home life is tense and stressful. As the months progress, Darius finds himself overwhelmed by his new responsibilities at work and his relationship with Landon gets more complicated. In this book, Darius learns to navigate new relationships and responsibilities all while attempting to figure out exactly what he wants from life.
This book is a quiet story with very few peaks and troughs, but Khorram captures the significance of the mundane incredibly well. This is because Darius is a compelling narrator. If you loved him in the first book I can’t imagine not being charmed by him in this one. The conflict he faces in this novel is slightly different, but Khorram still brings that same charming energy and wholesome uncertainty to Darius.
Darius is forced to confront the complicated dynamic of having different wants and need in a romantic relationship. As a natural people-pleaser, Darius has to learn how to set boundaries and communicate what he does and doesn’t want when it comes to intimacy. While I’ve seen similar conversations in YA this is the first I’ve seen it from a boy’s perspective and it was incredibly well handled. Landon and Darius’ relationship was sweet and wholesome while also being messy and complicated. Seeing Darius navigate the many facets of a relationship was amazing.
Darius also deals with a new and surprisingly overwhelming job. Darius has dreamed of an internship at the Rose Hill Tea Shop his whole life and throughout this book realizes that his passion for tea doesn’t directly translate to wanting it to be his job.
I loved seeing Darius make lasting friendships and find community in the varsity soccer team. Both his teammates and coach were consistent pillars of support and given how isolated Darius was in the first book it was lovely to see him in such a wholesome environment. Coach Bentley worked to cultivate a non-toxic environment in the team and I loved seeing them support each other.
The way the book delved into Darius’ relationship with his paternal grandparents was unique and relatable. Darius’ grandmothers aren’t as openly affectionate as his Mamou and Babou so it was nice to see him warm to them as the story progressed. Darius’ yearning for connection with his grandmothers and his desire for some sort of queer community with them was so wholesome. It was also interesting how Khorram touched on how growing up in a family with mental health issues can negatively affect your relationship with them long term.
As well as falling in love with Darius in the first book I fell in love with the entire Kellner clan. Because of that seeing them go through such a stressful time financially was heartbreaking. Darius loves his family and you saw that in his anxiety over the stress they were under. Darius’ dad Stephen’s slide back into depression because of his loneliness and isolation shattered me. Because of that seeing the Kellners power through their hardships and make it past such a difficult time made for an incredible ending to the story.
Darius the Great Deserves Better was a balm to the soul. I adored these characters and everything Adib Khorram had to say through them. Khorram is a great writer and he makes everyday scenarios rich and compelling. If you liked its predecessor you will definitely love this book and I would highly recommend both to fans of quiet beautifully mundane coming of age novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
More...