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A review by jenyakohnson
Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
i first heard about the series on booktube and it received raving reviews. i didn’t read the book until 2021 and it quickly became one of my all time favorite series.
as a first gen kid, i found darius’ struggle connecting with his culture so relatable. darius spends a good part of the book feeling like he’s not “persian enough” bc he doesn’t speak farsi and can’t communicate / have the relationship he wants with his extended family. when he visits iran for the first time, he feels like an outsider in what’s supposed to be his home country. his struggle with his identity is something i think is so common for fist gens especially those of us who don’t speak / understand our family’s language, haven’t visited our family’s country, and don’t always understand our cultural jokes / references.
the relationships in the book were also extremely beautiful. in the beginning darius doesn’t have many friends and struggles to connect with his strict father. as the book progresses he meets sohrab, someone who makes him feel like he finally belongs somewhere and is “persian enough.” he also has difficult conversations with his dad about how depression and anxiety has taken a toll on them and strained their relationship. they both promise to try to be better and work on their relationship.
overall the story felt really unique to me, it felt like a love letter to first gen kids. it made me cry a lot but it was also very heartwarming and beautiful
as a first gen kid, i found darius’ struggle connecting with his culture so relatable. darius spends a good part of the book feeling like he’s not “persian enough” bc he doesn’t speak farsi and can’t communicate / have the relationship he wants with his extended family. when he visits iran for the first time, he feels like an outsider in what’s supposed to be his home country. his struggle with his identity is something i think is so common for fist gens especially those of us who don’t speak / understand our family’s language, haven’t visited our family’s country, and don’t always understand our cultural jokes / references.
the relationships in the book were also extremely beautiful. in the beginning darius doesn’t have many friends and struggles to connect with his strict father. as the book progresses he meets sohrab, someone who makes him feel like he finally belongs somewhere and is “persian enough.” he also has difficult conversations with his dad about how depression and anxiety has taken a toll on them and strained their relationship. they both promise to try to be better and work on their relationship.
overall the story felt really unique to me, it felt like a love letter to first gen kids. it made me cry a lot but it was also very heartwarming and beautiful