izzygwalters 's review for:

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

5.0

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From the very first page, I fell in love with the narrator, Darius. He is funny, sensitive, and extremely thoughtful, all without an ounce of self-esteem. Darius is an Iranian-American living in Portland, Oregon and he struggles with depression, feeling unvalued by his father, not feeling Persian enough, and the bullies at school who see him as an easy target. When he travels to Iran to meet his dying grandfather for the first time ever, his life changes in more ways than one. Not a single main character in this book is lacking in personality, flaws and strengths alike. I especially love Khorram’s focus on Darius’s friendship with Sohrab, his grandparents’ neighbor and close friend, as well as Darius’s love for his little sister Laleh, despite always feeling “less Persian” than her. Darius’s grandparents and their relationships with the characters in the story are also incredibly well written. Adib Khorram covers a range of themes without overdoing it, and I easily fell in love with his style of writing. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I found myself constantly smiling while reading it and when I finished it, I wanted more (good thing there’s a sequel)!