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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Really delightful, if a little “Persian Andrew Smith” — the writing style more than the content. Infused with love and I suspect deeply personal; this doesn’t read like research, it reads like a deeply felt passion for Yazd and tea and Star Trek. Mental illness, specifically depression, is handled beautifully, and the unspoken but present tension of Darius’s sexuality is delicate in a way I’m not sure I’ve seen elsewhere. Altogether just a lovely book, one I look forward to sharing with readers.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really love this book. I enjoyed the read more on rereading it; Darius' repetitive way of talking bothered me less in print than on audio, and I didn't go into this expecting a queer story this time, so I was able to appreciate Darius and Sohrab's friendship for what it was. I'm more familiar with Khorram's writing now and the realistic characters and stories that he writes. He captures so many things in this book, from the day-to-day reality of living with (medicated) depression to the complicated experience of seeing your grandparents in person for the first time as a teenager and trying to figure out where you fit into their culture. I appreciate the realism of Darius' relationship with his father and how his father mistakenly tries to save him through constant critique. And Mamou just jumps off the page as the warmest, most loving grandmother. I sped through this reread in a day and I'm looking forward to my book club's discussion.
A beautiful, (at times) heartbreaking, and hopeful coming-of-age story chock full of mouth-wateringly descriptive details of Persian dishes and a deep understanding of what family can mean to us, both near and far. Also, I cried (a lot). It's okay to not be okay. ❤
really good depiction of life in iran, depression and friendship.
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really loved this. I didn't fully know what to expect, but the Aristotle and Dante vibes mixed with the conversation on mental health and exploring Iran was great.
I loved this book! Good characterization while also giving me a thirst to learn more about Iran. So relevant right now for Americans to read to have more understanding into the average life of an Iranian through the eyes of a half-Iranian American teenager. I related to his Star Trek and Lord of the Rings references to everything, but also the struggle of being youth with depression and not understanding who you are.