BOOK REVIEW: DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY

Family - Iranian Representation - Friendship - Depression - Body image

Author: Adib Khorram

Genre: YA contemporary, realistic fiction

Page Count: 312 pages

Trigger Warnings: Depression (however, no cutting/attempts), Iranian discrimination, family dynamics, body image

"It's okay to not be okay."

"Suicide isn't the only way you can lose someone to depression."

“You’re the only person who never wanted me to change.”

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram follows the life of Darius Kellner after receiving the news of his ill grandfather, and his journey to Iran to comfort him and connect with his roots. Named after the famous Persian King, Darius the Great, Darius was excited to visit Iran for the first time but still felt as distant as ever from his birth culture, calling himself a Fractional Persian whenever he referred to Iranian culture and himself as an Iranian. But during his trip, he meets Sohrab, the boy next door to his grandparent's house, and soon they're spending all their days together under the sun, having a stronger friendship that Darius has ever experienced in his life through a matter of weeks. This novel is an emotional rollercoaster, following Darius' path as he navigates this journey of finding himself, a newfound friendship, and learns more about his Iranian roots and why he should be proud to call himself one.

Anybody who knows me, even in the slightest, knows I love this book to the depths of my heart, and upon reading this for the fifth time, I still find it to be as relatable and authentic as ever. This book perfectly captures teenage spirit, and what it's like to be growing as a teenager traveling down the windy abyss that is finding oneself, and is a love letter to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their skin or has never felt the comfort of home. With many inspirational and authentic connections to growing up, making friends, and staying connected to your culture, Darius The Great Is Not Okay is by far one of the best books I've read.

Though the plot of this book is fairly simple, it does a perfect job of weaving Iranian culture and practices into the book, creating a well of authenticity and uniqueness. Upon visiting Iran, Darius got to meet his grandfather's neighbor, a boy his age named Sohrab, and they soon find themselves spending every moment of their trip together. The plot of this book perfectly enriches Darius' and Sohrab's friendship, and how much it means to Darius, as he'd never had a friendship as he had with Sohrab. Throughout this book, we can also see how Darius' home life differs from his life in Iran, and no matter how hard he tries, he still feels disconnected from his roots, and we can see how he attempts to make a comeback from that feeling as he visits several landmarks in Iran and learns more about the origin of his name.

With Darius The Great Is Not Okay being more of a character-based book rather than a plot-based one, I found that Adib Khorram created all of his characters to be intricate and dimensional, revealing sides of them we never expected to see. With Darius, we understand early on in the book that both he and his father suffer from depression, but only get to actually see the diagnosis' affects on their life later in the book, when Darius's father makes a daunting confession to Darius about his life with depression, revealing a side of him that contrasts with the tough exterior he always seems to put on. We also get to see another side of Sohrab, as he talks to Darius about his absent father and the effects of having no one to play the role of 'dad' for him, as well as when Darius and Sohrab meet, how Sohrab faces racial injustice and how that takes a toll on his family later in the book. With Darius himself, we are directly in his head, and we understand what Darius thinks of himself early in the book, and how being around certain people makes him feel happier than not. With his constant struggle to find himself and his place within a group of people, reading this book is almost the same as having a conversation with Darius, as his thought process and the hardships he experiences with mental illness, friendships, and family are something most of us are familiar with. Adib Khorram did a spectacular job of creating characters that were authentic and inspirational yet relatable, and really understands the struggles of growing up without having a clue as to who you are.

Reading such a heartfelt and carefully crafted book brings many lessons and themes to the table. With Darius' grandfather being ill, and his struggle to connect to his Iranian roots, Khorram not only taught me that everyone must go through struggles to find out who they are, but also the feeling of getting there is almost ethereal. We can see this as Darius finally feels at peace with himself, no longer battling his Iranian side anymore, and the relief he feels when he does. So many of the characters make mistakes in this book as well, usually relating to Darius, and through this, I also learned that forgiving others and yourself for what they may have done is especially important, mostly for keeping relationships that matter to you. In the book, we see Sohrab and Darius' father put the weight of their struggles on Darius, and how he takes the time to understand the cause of their anger rather than putting forth the same emotion towards them, learning how they never meant to hurt him. I also learned one of the more commonly presented lessons in this book -- that it's okay to not be okay. As Darius constantly battles the journey of finding himself and what he wants, we can see that he gets stuck in emotional loopholes at times, self-sabotaging himself and bringing himself down. Seeing such behavior has taught me that we can't expect ourselves to be perfect, and we have to give ourselves room to breathe, take a step back, and realize that not being okay is perfectly okay.

A comforting hug to anyone struggling to feel comfortable in their skin and their culture, and a heartfelt reminder that yes, in fact, everything is going to be okay.

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Pacing: 5/5

Overall: 15/15

Recommended for fans of It Ain't So Awful Falafel, Eliza and Her Monsters, and Simon vs The Homosapiens Agenda.