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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Of all the books that I picked up in my last library run, I think DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY has been my favorite so far. Here are five reasons why:
1. The depression rep was so thorough. In addition to addressing all the ways in which depression can lie to you and drain you if you're the one struggling with it, this book also examines how hard it can be to love someone with depression and how hard depression can be to explain to others when it's just a matter of brain chemistry that isn't triggered by any traumatic or sad events. I believe this is an example of OwnVoices rep, and it really shows.
2. The close, sweet, emotionally intimate, physically affectionate friendship between Darius, the protagonist, and Sohrab, the boy who lives down the street from Darius's grandparents in Iran. More demonstrations of friendships like this one between boys in YA - and in life! - please.
3. I'm a huge history buff, so I'm sort of ashamed to admit to how little I knew about the Iranian ancient history and historical sites that were sprinkled throughout this story. The descriptions of ancient Persepolis and the many, many ancient religious sites scattered throughout the country made me wish I could visit. And don't even get me started on the many mentions of amazing-sounding food.
4. I can't personally speak to the feeling of both belonging to and feeling outside of a culture, but Darius's constant internal shifts between feeling as though he belongs with his extended family and not feeling Persian enough to belong were one of the most compelling parts of the story for me.
5. The complicated, conflicted, but ultimately loving relationship between Darius and his dad (who also has depression). I can't think of any other YA that delves this deeply into the emotional dynamics of father-son relationships, and I so wish I could, because this one was so, so well done.
If you haven't read Darius the Great yet, I highly recommend giving it a look. One of the many perks of being behind the eight ball - like I was - is that you no longer have to wait for the sequel to come out. :)
1. The depression rep was so thorough. In addition to addressing all the ways in which depression can lie to you and drain you if you're the one struggling with it, this book also examines how hard it can be to love someone with depression and how hard depression can be to explain to others when it's just a matter of brain chemistry that isn't triggered by any traumatic or sad events. I believe this is an example of OwnVoices rep, and it really shows.
2. The close, sweet, emotionally intimate, physically affectionate friendship between Darius, the protagonist, and Sohrab, the boy who lives down the street from Darius's grandparents in Iran. More demonstrations of friendships like this one between boys in YA - and in life! - please.
3. I'm a huge history buff, so I'm sort of ashamed to admit to how little I knew about the Iranian ancient history and historical sites that were sprinkled throughout this story. The descriptions of ancient Persepolis and the many, many ancient religious sites scattered throughout the country made me wish I could visit. And don't even get me started on the many mentions of amazing-sounding food.
4. I can't personally speak to the feeling of both belonging to and feeling outside of a culture, but Darius's constant internal shifts between feeling as though he belongs with his extended family and not feeling Persian enough to belong were one of the most compelling parts of the story for me.
5. The complicated, conflicted, but ultimately loving relationship between Darius and his dad (who also has depression). I can't think of any other YA that delves this deeply into the emotional dynamics of father-son relationships, and I so wish I could, because this one was so, so well done.
If you haven't read Darius the Great yet, I highly recommend giving it a look. One of the many perks of being behind the eight ball - like I was - is that you no longer have to wait for the sequel to come out. :)
4.5 stars. Loved the healthy male relationships, discussion of depression (including gender and cultural views), and learning about Persian culture. Definitely a unique contribution to modern lit.
Also, the audiobook narrator was perfect for Darius’s voice.
Also, the audiobook narrator was perfect for Darius’s voice.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Your place was empty before. But this is your family, you belong here."
A really heartwarming book with a lovely main protagonist.
Some parts were quite emotional and very relatable for me as an Iranian person living in the diaspora (even though I'm not a 2nd generation Iranian)
Lots of space, LOTR and Star treck references!
I laughed and cried.
Made me miss Iran so so much.
A really heartwarming book with a lovely main protagonist.
Some parts were quite emotional and very relatable for me as an Iranian person living in the diaspora (even though I'm not a 2nd generation Iranian)
Lots of space, LOTR and Star treck references!
I laughed and cried.
Made me miss Iran so so much.
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Lief kinderboek met interessante thema's zoals depressie, Iraanse roots en cultuurkloven.
I really enjoyed this. I was hoping for a book I could have my 8th graders read with similar themes to The Hate U Give and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but slightly less controversial. It's maybe not exactly what I was looking for, but nevertheless seems an important book for them to read anyway.
emotional
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
This book did an amazing job exploring the complexities (and how awful it is) of being a teenager and how difficult it is for someone to grow up not feeling like they belong in their communities. The mental health representation in this was done so well, especially in the relationship between Darius and his father. It’s always interesting reading a book like this when you’re very far away from being in your YA years - I would neeeverrrrr want to be a teenager again. No thank you!
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