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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Please read this book. Please please please. It was so amazing how when Darius started to tear up I did too and I think, well I hope you will too or at least feel him. So please read this book. PLEASE
I have been bullied into giving this book 5 stars thank you very much
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had great writing, and very relatable characters, both emotionally with Darius' feelings of trying to fit in and feel welcomed in his culture as well as the day to day things Darius goes through not knowing a lot of his language.
As a trekkie, I loved all of the Star Trek references, as well as the allusions to The Lord of the Rings. Though they did feel hackneyed after a while and detracted from a deeper development of the main character. Overall, I enjoyed reading about Darius's journey to discovering his place within his family and heritage, and his complicated relationship with his father.
this was so flipping cute.
as a mixed person i could relate to a ton of darius' feelings about feeling outside of parts of his identity, and his relationship in the book is amazingly sweet. i liked learning about Iran through darius' family, and his complex relationship with his parents, grandparents and sibling.
i of course wanted more explicit queerness, but also appreciated darius' own experience of the relationship.
yay for stories like this.
as a mixed person i could relate to a ton of darius' feelings about feeling outside of parts of his identity, and his relationship in the book is amazingly sweet. i liked learning about Iran through darius' family, and his complex relationship with his parents, grandparents and sibling.
i of course wanted more explicit queerness, but also appreciated darius' own experience of the relationship.
yay for stories like this.
Incroyable description de la dépression au quotidien
As someone with depression, I felt very connected to Darius. His journey to self acceptance was very heartfelt, while the book ended on a hopeful note, Darius still has a journey ahead of him. Which is true to someone with depression.
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I almost DNFed this book for good but came back after a day’s break bc I couldn’t stop thinking about my son Darius. he’s good depression rep; his mood swings and low points were relatable. i also rlly liked learning about Persian culture and Iran, and I loved how Darius’ family were written. his grandparents are so sweet oough. those were the only reasons why i kept reading and why I decided to finish it
the writing was rlly repetitive, like insanely repetitive. the audiobook made the narration all the more grating, which is unfortunate bc i rlly like Darius as a character. he’s an awkward nerdy teenager whos extremely repressed and I like that bc that’s what I was like as a teen (minus the star trek references, i had no idea wtf he was talking about), but i can only take so much.
the whole “sohrab being mean/throwing words back in Darius’ face” thing came so late in the story (like over 85% of the way in) it annoyed tf outta me, like it was so intense it literally took me outta the story bc it didn’t make any sense. sohrab telling Darius to get out + calling him selfish for focusing on their game i guess is one thing, but all the other stuff was too hard to believe. also the thing with Darius’ dad was…hm. there’s so much to unpack there but im not gonna bother. maybe it’ll get unpacked in the second book but i rlly don’t care.
also the ending??? what is chip’s deal??? and the convo with the coach?? it all sounded so unnatural and stilted, it clearly was only written to love the story along and give way for book 2. it also made the last chapters drag on longer than they should’ve.
this is a non issue but it’s worth noting: i came into this thinking queerness would be the main theme/focus point of the story bc it’s labeled as such, but that was not the case💀 i would’ve read it regardless, but still. darius is p easy to clock, but it was subtle enough that I’d rather the book not have the LGBTQ+ tag on it so i can be pleasantly surprised instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
Richly cultural and beautifully real, Darius The Great is Not Okay was a truly wonderful book.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Darius is a half Iranian teenager that hardly fits in at home in America. He knows more about hobbits and Star Trek than social cues, and the only thing he has in common with his father is their clinical depression. When Darius learns that his grandfather has a worsening brain tumour, he and his family go on a trip to Iran to visit him. The culture and people come as a shock to Darius at first, but then he meets Sohrab, and the Persian part of him feels more at home than ever. The two develop an unbreakable bond of friendship, and Darius is able to learn a lot about both himself and his heritage.
“How could I be a tourist in my own past?”
~★~
This was by far the most authentic, vividly cultural book I’ve ever read, and I loved it to pieces. Adib Khorram was able to create crystal clear scenery and a lovely atmosphere through his own Iranian background. I feel I know so much more than I first did about the Middle East.
Darius, oh Darius. I can’t stress just how much his character means to me. The way his depression was handled was amazing, the growth in his relationship with his father had me in tears. Teenagers everywhere will easily be able to relate to this beautiful character because of his faults and struggles. It was nothing short of breathtaking to follow Darius’ journey of self discovery.
“...love was and opportunity, not a burden.”
The aspect of budding friendship demonstrated through Darius and Sohrab was wonderully heartfelt. I couldn’t help but feel a peculiar attachment towards the two and their blossoming relationship.
The overarching theme of self discovery and family was handled in a way I have trouble describing. Darius harbors such a strong love for both his parents and his younger sister, their interactions left me feeling a certain warmth.
This book was beautiful, I’ll gladly say it a thousand times over again.
“I was one tiny pulsar in a swirling, luminous galaxy of Iranians, held together by the gravity of thousands of years of culture and heritage.”
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Darius is a half Iranian teenager that hardly fits in at home in America. He knows more about hobbits and Star Trek than social cues, and the only thing he has in common with his father is their clinical depression. When Darius learns that his grandfather has a worsening brain tumour, he and his family go on a trip to Iran to visit him. The culture and people come as a shock to Darius at first, but then he meets Sohrab, and the Persian part of him feels more at home than ever. The two develop an unbreakable bond of friendship, and Darius is able to learn a lot about both himself and his heritage.
“How could I be a tourist in my own past?”
~★~
This was by far the most authentic, vividly cultural book I’ve ever read, and I loved it to pieces. Adib Khorram was able to create crystal clear scenery and a lovely atmosphere through his own Iranian background. I feel I know so much more than I first did about the Middle East.
Darius, oh Darius. I can’t stress just how much his character means to me. The way his depression was handled was amazing, the growth in his relationship with his father had me in tears. Teenagers everywhere will easily be able to relate to this beautiful character because of his faults and struggles. It was nothing short of breathtaking to follow Darius’ journey of self discovery.
“...love was and opportunity, not a burden.”
The aspect of budding friendship demonstrated through Darius and Sohrab was wonderully heartfelt. I couldn’t help but feel a peculiar attachment towards the two and their blossoming relationship.
The overarching theme of self discovery and family was handled in a way I have trouble describing. Darius harbors such a strong love for both his parents and his younger sister, their interactions left me feeling a certain warmth.
This book was beautiful, I’ll gladly say it a thousand times over again.
emotional
informative
sad
This was an enjoyable read, and I learned quite a bit about Iran and Persian culture which is nice