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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
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
I got bored, I'm too old for this kind of YA
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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:
Complicated
"Darius the Great Is Not Okay" is a great, yet somewhat dull book that is highly realistic relating to the real world. The novel is a slow-starting book that expresses themes such as depression, family issues, and friendship. These themes are mostly shown in many teenagers today, so this book could be comfortable and relatable to read. Khorram brings his own personal experiences into his novels such as this one, and does an amazing job portraying the harsh reality of mental health into the protagonist, Darius's, experience.
Darius's perspective is blunt and boring, which should mean the book itself reflects off of his personality. It doesn't. As Darius experiences new things, so does the reader. It's almost like I was experiencing it with him, as the writing pulls you in and makes you concentrate on only the pages. His persona could be relatable to some, but odd to others. He is always doubting himself, and speaks as if he doesn't have the right to. Darius is unwilling to make connections with others, even his grandparents. When he finally meets them in person after all the online meetings he has had with them both, he is nervous and quiet, not giving their relationship a chance. Although this persona could be misleading and act as a deal breaker to readers, everything changes once he meets Sohrab, the boy next door to his grandparents.
Yes, Darius seems to be a pessimist. I thought so too, when I was reading the beginning of the novel. A lot of readers can look at him that way, even if they read the novel all the way through. That side of his personality gets in the way of his ability to socialize, or make friends.
Darius's perspective is blunt and boring, which should mean the book itself reflects off of his personality. It doesn't. As Darius experiences new things, so does the reader. It's almost like I was experiencing it with him, as the writing pulls you in and makes you concentrate on only the pages. His persona could be relatable to some, but odd to others. He is always doubting himself, and speaks as if he doesn't have the right to. Darius is unwilling to make connections with others, even his grandparents. When he finally meets them in person after all the online meetings he has had with them both, he is nervous and quiet, not giving their relationship a chance. Although this persona could be misleading and act as a deal breaker to readers, everything changes once he meets Sohrab, the boy next door to his grandparents.
Yes, Darius seems to be a pessimist. I thought so too, when I was reading the beginning of the novel. A lot of readers can look at him that way, even if they read the novel all the way through. That side of his personality gets in the way of his ability to socialize, or make friends.
hopeful
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
Darius the Great Is Not Okay is about a guy named Darius who’s just trying to figure himself out. He doesn’t feel like he fits in he’s half Persian and half white, deals with depression, and feels super awkward around pretty much everyone, including his own dad. But when he goes to Iran to visit his mom’s side of the family, everything starts to shift. He meets his grandparents, learns more about his culture, and becomes really close with his cousin Sohrab, who actually gets him. It’s not like everything suddenly becomes perfect, but Darius starts to feel like maybe he is okay, or at least on his way. The book is honest, funny, and really shows how hard it can be to feel like you belong but also how good it feels when someone finally sees the real you.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Darius the Great is Not Okay tells the story of Darius Kellner, a half-Persian teenager who struggles with depression, cultural identity, and feeling like he doesn't belong. When his family travels to Iran to visit his sick grandfather, Darius fears he won't be able to connect with his Persian heritage. However, during the trip Darius forms a relationship with a fellow Persian named Sohrab and begins to acknowledge his Persian roots and understand his self-worth.
I believe this book is powerful and important because it handles mental health in an honest and respectable way. Darius' feelings of isolation and insecurity are written with care, and his experience with depression is portrayed realistically—not as something that gets magically fixed, but as something he learns to live with and talk about. His friendship with Sohrab is also a key point of reflection for the readers, representing character development. The author does a great job showing how culture, family, and friendship all shape who we are.
While the book is moving and meaningful, some readers might find the pacing a bit slow, especially if they're looking for lots of action or big twists. The story is more focused on personal reflection and emotional situations than fast-moving, action-packed events. Still, the slower pace allows character development to feel natural and deep, which ultimately makes the story powerful.
I believe this book is powerful and important because it handles mental health in an honest and respectable way. Darius' feelings of isolation and insecurity are written with care, and his experience with depression is portrayed realistically—not as something that gets magically fixed, but as something he learns to live with and talk about. His friendship with Sohrab is also a key point of reflection for the readers, representing character development. The author does a great job showing how culture, family, and friendship all shape who we are.
While the book is moving and meaningful, some readers might find the pacing a bit slow, especially if they're looking for lots of action or big twists. The story is more focused on personal reflection and emotional situations than fast-moving, action-packed events. Still, the slower pace allows character development to feel natural and deep, which ultimately makes the story powerful.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a heartfelt and shows a character who is trying to find a place in the world. the story has a humor side and a emotional side. It gives a look at mental health family and friendship.
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
How will Darius learn to accept his shortcomings while also being faced with immense clinical depression that wires his brain a different way than everybody else? At first, I thought I would hate the book because it focused on a character too depressed to think about anything else other than his negative aspects in life; however, near the end, I liked it more than I care to admit. The book, although heavily based on the negatives of the main character's life, shows how he learns to accept them and find his own identity after feeling lost for a long time.
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Darius the grate is not okay” proves to be an interesting yet emotional story about a young boy who flails to fit in. As he travels to Iran he learns valuable lessons and makes friends along the way. Darius could be relatable to some teens with his struggles that meny teenagers deal with today. In the end“Darius the grate is not okay” proves to be an interesting and useful story.
This book was one of the best books I've read in a while. Every single character on the page felt like a real human being, with issues and emotions. The descriptions and settings felt very real too and showed a beautiful, cultural and modern side to Iran that normally gets overlooked by western media. The themes and topics discussed, including depression, family, friendship, self-love, self-acceptance, cultural displacement and identity are all handles extremely well with great sensitivity and care to enlighten the reader and entice empathy. I will carry this book with me for a while without a doubt.