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apollo_grace's reviews
56 reviews
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Never in my life have I read a more relatable relationship between a kid and a father. My dad fully encapsulates Stephen Kellner, and aspects of my brother and I are contained in Darius. The progression of Darius and Stephen's shared mental health was both heartbreaking and oddly fulfilling as we see their relationship change over time.
"Suicide isn't the only way you can lose someone to depression. And it kills me that I gave it to you, Darius. It kills me."
That line. That line made me cry real human tears.
In a more broad sense, I was hooked on this story the minute Darius landed in Iran. I'm not Iranian. I've never been there. I don't even know much about the place. But I felt like I was strapped in for the ride regardless. Having a big family in another country is literally foreign to me, but it helps that it's new to Darius, too.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt like they are the least priority. Darius's struggles to prove himself as being worth the time of his loved ones is painfully relatable, and the way he confronts his emotions about this is something I aim to replicate in my own life. I think anybody would be able to take away something valuable from this book, because everyone has had moments when they worried that they weren't good enough.
That line. That line made me cry real human tears.
In a more broad sense, I was hooked on this story the minute Darius landed in Iran. I'm not Iranian. I've never been there. I don't even know much about the place. But I felt like I was strapped in for the ride regardless. Having a big family in another country is literally foreign to me, but it helps that it's new to Darius, too.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt like they are the least priority. Darius's struggles to prove himself as being worth the time of his loved ones is painfully relatable, and the way he confronts his emotions about this is something I aim to replicate in my own life. I think anybody would be able to take away something valuable from this book, because everyone has had moments when they worried that they weren't good enough.
Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
I really, really wanted to like this book. A primatologist speaking on the juxtaposition between human and primate concepts of gender and identity was such an interesting premise, and it's obvious that de Waal knows what he's talking about with respect to primatology.
Unfortunately, he lost me whenever he started talking about human nature. Most of the claims about human identity seemed to be based more on personal anecdotes than solid factual findings, making it hard for me to take anything seriously. I'm not a scientist, but I expect more hard facts when reading a book like this. It just left me wanting more than I was given.
Unfortunately, he lost me whenever he started talking about human nature. Most of the claims about human identity seemed to be based more on personal anecdotes than solid factual findings, making it hard for me to take anything seriously. I'm not a scientist, but I expect more hard facts when reading a book like this. It just left me wanting more than I was given.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75