Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Readers rate it 4.2 (106 on Hardcover)
337 pages · Released Aug 20, 2019 · Penguin
Content report card
Darius the Great Is Not Okay parent’s guide: what’s inside
Violence
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
This tender contemporary YA debut centers on a Persian-American boy with depression who finds acceptance and love during a summer in Iran. The story is primarily emotional and character-driven, celebrating self-discovery, friendship, and belonging without graphic content. While it addresses clinical depression and includes an LGBTQ+ romance, these themes are handled with sensitivity and hope rather than darkness, making it appropriate for mature middle-grade readers and ideal for older teens.
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From the publisher
Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this unforgettable debut introduces a brilliant new voice in contemporary YA. Winner of the William C. Morris Debut Award “Heartfelt, tender, and so utterly real. I’d live in this book forever if I could.” —Becky Albertalli,... Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this unforgettable debut introduces a brilliant new voice in contemporary YA. Winner of the William C. Morris Debut Award “Heartfelt, tender, and so utterly real. I’d live in this book forever if I could.” —Becky Albertalli, award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian—half, his mom’s side—and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they’re spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city’s skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab. Adib Khorram’s brilliant debut is for anyone who’s ever felt not good enough—then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.
Shelved under
- Young Adult Fiction
- Strong Character Development
- Loveable Characters
- Character driven
- Diverse Characters
- Not Diverse Characters
- Unloveable Characters
- A mix driven
- Plot driven
- Weak Character Development
- emotional
- reflective
Books in the Darius the Great series
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ISBN 9780525552970 · Penguin