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samantita's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. To me, there didn't seem to be too much going on. But once I realized that everything going on in Darius's life carried a much heavier weight than I thought, it hit me that all the things going on were relevant. It propelled me to keep reading, and I wasn't disappointed. I was super proud of Darius at the end--for doing the hard things, especially when both he and his dad struggled with depression.
tagoreketabkhane31's review against another edition
4.0
The surprising sequel to the bestseller "Darius the Great is Not Okay", Khorram takes us back to the Kellner family with "Darius the Great Deserves Better" which picks up a few months after the end of the first book, with Darius more confident and finding himself now on the soccer team for his high school as a junior, with a new sense of structure in his life post Iran.
Unlike the first book however, which was more a story on Darius balancing his Persian biracial identity and discovering his Persian side that he is seeing for this first time, the follow up focuses more on the issues that Darius faces closer to home - the financial struggles of the family, his sister facing xenophobia from her classmates, his grandparents coming to town and the distance that exists between him and them, the struggles of his parents as they grapple with his dads depression - along with the fact that Darius now has a boyfriend and new job at a tea shop, while also dealing with his changing feelings about his friend Chip.
While Khorram does a great job in making Darius a compelling narrator, and really putting the mental health and depression that Darius grapples with at the center of the narratives, one of the off putting things that I found about the book comes with the fact that the plot is not linear in the sequence of events that it follows. There is no overarching goal for Darius - more to find some semblance of rhythm for himself.
That being said, this was an amazing read, and one of the times I was happy that the author decided to create a sequel for a standalone novel because of the story that still needed to be told. I was rooting for Darius the entire time, and his friendship with Sohrab is still one of the pillars of the novel, and for that I am very happy about.
Though a YA novel, "Darius the Great Deserves Better" is a great read for any age, because it has a way of making Darius and his own story one that you can see as a reflection for your story and struggles.
Unlike the first book however, which was more a story on Darius balancing his Persian biracial identity and discovering his Persian side that he is seeing for this first time, the follow up focuses more on the issues that Darius faces closer to home - the financial struggles of the family, his sister facing xenophobia from her classmates, his grandparents coming to town and the distance that exists between him and them, the struggles of his parents as they grapple with his dads depression - along with the fact that Darius now has a boyfriend and new job at a tea shop, while also dealing with his changing feelings about his friend Chip.
While Khorram does a great job in making Darius a compelling narrator, and really putting the mental health and depression that Darius grapples with at the center of the narratives, one of the off putting things that I found about the book comes with the fact that the plot is not linear in the sequence of events that it follows. There is no overarching goal for Darius - more to find some semblance of rhythm for himself.
That being said, this was an amazing read, and one of the times I was happy that the author decided to create a sequel for a standalone novel because of the story that still needed to be told. I was rooting for Darius the entire time, and his friendship with Sohrab is still one of the pillars of the novel, and for that I am very happy about.
Though a YA novel, "Darius the Great Deserves Better" is a great read for any age, because it has a way of making Darius and his own story one that you can see as a reflection for your story and struggles.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
This YA sequel is another fantastic #ownvoices slice-of-life narrative, following its overweight and depressed Persian-American teen hero after he returns home from his visit to Iran in the first book. Even more so than that initial volume, it's hard to summarize events here succinctly: Darius is back at school and facing a number of struggles, but there's very little of an overarching storyline or personal arc. Still, he's well-realized as a narrator, enjoyable to witness, and easy to root for, with so many details that ring true yet are not often seen in fiction. It's incredibly refreshing to encounter a novel where consent is emphasized in both sexual and nonsexual contexts, where strangers' genders are not automatically assumed, and where a variety of queer identities are an intrinsic part of the social landscape.
This title also reveals that the protagonist himself is gay, a fact which was hinted at but not explicitly confirmed before. I do think it's a bit strange that we jump forward to Darius being out and having a boyfriend when his sexuality went unmentioned for so long, but I love how comfortable he is and how supportive his friends and family generally are. There is still homophobia in this setting, just like there's still fatphobia and racism (and transphobia, against some supporting characters), but as with the mental health issues, this is never the most important challenge defining anyone. Sorting out feelings toward two potential romantic interests who each have realistic good qualities and bad is given greater priority, which feels about right for a high schooler.
Because the plot is so minimal, I honestly can't tell whether this is supposed to close out the series or not, but if author Adib Khorram can continue to write this level of quality, I am happy to come back to it again and again.
[Content/spoiler warning for death of a grandparent.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
This title also reveals that the protagonist himself is gay, a fact which was hinted at but not explicitly confirmed before. I do think it's a bit strange that we jump forward to Darius being out and having a boyfriend when his sexuality went unmentioned for so long, but I love how comfortable he is and how supportive his friends and family generally are. There is still homophobia in this setting, just like there's still fatphobia and racism (and transphobia, against some supporting characters), but as with the mental health issues, this is never the most important challenge defining anyone. Sorting out feelings toward two potential romantic interests who each have realistic good qualities and bad is given greater priority, which feels about right for a high schooler.
Because the plot is so minimal, I honestly can't tell whether this is supposed to close out the series or not, but if author Adib Khorram can continue to write this level of quality, I am happy to come back to it again and again.
[Content/spoiler warning for death of a grandparent.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
queerpoetssociety_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
mistralton's review against another edition
5.0
Wholesome and bittersweet.
Touches on so many important themes.
I did want more Sohrab tho.
Touches on so many important themes.
I did want more Sohrab tho.
roxiereads's review against another edition
funny
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
One of my favorite sequels ever. I think if you would’ve told me that this was the first book and that the first one was actually a prequel or needed to be written first I would’ve gotten it! I think a lot of the emotional points of this one work because of what we know from the first book and help elevate the level of growth. But this is also a very fun book in its own right. They almost feel like one big book and I love that. Darius my beloved <3333
avery_leloup's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
karalee's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in one evening! Praying for a third book in the series where Sohrab comes to the US.
casspom's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
4.75
I really like the writing and Darius and his family! It was a nice sequel that complemented the first book well
The narrator was great!!!
The narrator was great!!!
ajcuevas's review against another edition
5.0
“That’s what being depressed does. It’s like a supermassive black hole between your sense of self and your actual self, and all you can see is the way you look through the gravitational lensing of your own inadequacies.”