You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
better than I thought it would be, discussed mental health and depression really well I think. great coming of age for everyone
Without a doubt, this is clearly a five star book.
Every once in a long while, I'll come across a character I truly relate to and it always surprises me! This was that book. Darius is a "Fractured Persian" in his unique world, which makes him not really belong anywhere in his mind. Then, when he visits Iran for the first time and truly connects himself to his culture. He learns there's more to Darius than he believed, especially with the help of a friend that actually believes in him.
I first really connected with Darius over the fact that we both have depression, but not just that we both have the same KIND of depression. Since it's different for everyone, I dont always relate to depressed characters. Yet, Darius has a depression that stems from believing himself to be a perpetual outsider. Doomed to never feel apart of anything, even feeling like a burden because of his inability to regulate himself. This was written really well and gave so much to the character. Enhancing and giving context to his humor. (A humor I absolutely loved!)
He's observant, sarcastic, and vulnerable. He's one of the most relatable characters I've read in a very long time. Along his journey he meets, Sohrab, who is an incredible friend. I really loved his character and everything he added. He's the kind of friend I wish I had. Everyone deserves a Sohrab.
I fell deeply in love with this book and I can't recommend it enough!
Every once in a long while, I'll come across a character I truly relate to and it always surprises me! This was that book. Darius is a "Fractured Persian" in his unique world, which makes him not really belong anywhere in his mind. Then, when he visits Iran for the first time and truly connects himself to his culture. He learns there's more to Darius than he believed, especially with the help of a friend that actually believes in him.
I first really connected with Darius over the fact that we both have depression, but not just that we both have the same KIND of depression. Since it's different for everyone, I dont always relate to depressed characters. Yet, Darius has a depression that stems from believing himself to be a perpetual outsider. Doomed to never feel apart of anything, even feeling like a burden because of his inability to regulate himself. This was written really well and gave so much to the character. Enhancing and giving context to his humor. (A humor I absolutely loved!)
He's observant, sarcastic, and vulnerable. He's one of the most relatable characters I've read in a very long time. Along his journey he meets, Sohrab, who is an incredible friend. I really loved his character and everything he added. He's the kind of friend I wish I had. Everyone deserves a Sohrab.
I fell deeply in love with this book and I can't recommend it enough!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This was so cozy, slice of life vibes. It’s also feels like a vacation story as we follow Darius on a trip to Iran to spend time with his ill grandfather. I adored the family dynamics and the quiet moments with each family member.
Appreciated to read about a character with depression. I cherish characters that feel real and leap off the page. Darius felt like an actual teenager, I was rooting for him from his sometimes negative thoughts. Another surprising thing hinted through the text, is Darius’s identity but it’s never explicitly said that he’s gay.
The expectation from reading the synopsis is that maybe he falls for a boy during this trip. Sohrab and Darius are foremost friends first. I was never out right disappointed, I found it somewhat refreshing especially during the interview at the end of the book with the author saying, “It was important to me to show that the love between friends can change your world every bit as much as romantic love can.”
The story really is in service to Darius as it’s more about discovering who you are and the love of place and family. A certain scene with Darius‘s father was magical and important. This was such a cute and quaint book and I can’t wait to jump into the sequel.
Lovely story about friendship and culture in modern Iran, but a lot of teenage angst.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I want to be friends with Darius and drink tea together. His thoughtful and caring POV brings tender insight to the complex and confusing experiences of a very intersectional identity in adolescence. Where does he fit in? Traveling with his family from his liberal, Eurocentric, Portland, Oregon home to his mother’s Persian family in Iran helps him begin to understand his family dynamics and his own identity. His friendship with Sohrab—who is a misfit in a different way— is the sweet center of this delicious novel—I love books with a vibrant, caring friendship as the focus. I love books about misfits who find their place. I love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, War
Content warning: religious persecution Descriptions of the wrongful imprisonment and eventual murder of Sohrab’s father, who was persecuted for his Baháʼí faith.