Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this award winner (APALA Award Winner, Best Fiction for Young Adults, Morris Winner, Rainbow List Top Ten) as part of the 2019 HUB Reading Challenge and OMG did I love Darius, his friend (first, one and only) Sohrab from Iran, this is a tough book (Darius and his father's relationship, bullying in school, suffering from depression, and a grandparent suffering a brain tumor who is at the end of this life) but one that must be read by all- YAs, parents, school counselors will truly develop empathy for Darius, his life, his insecurities, and his mental health. This is a compelling YA read about immigrants, diversity, belonging, friendship and family. It is a trip to Iran that really changes Darius; I kept rooting for him and loved his nerdiness) I LOVED this book and I loved Darius; his thoughts and introspection will be with me for a long time (I loved his "social cues" and descriptions of the bullies at school as the "Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy") and the authors' characters were so important and key to Darius' life (his sister, his grandmother, his mom, his dad). I also fell in love with the Persian food and culture! Awesome book!

View all my reviews