Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Everything Sad Is Untrue

I started this as an audiobook and could not get into it. The second half I switched to reading the ebook and that went better! This book is aimed at YA readers and I like how the author writes so casually and authentically. What I struggled with at the beginning is there isn’t a consistent plot throughout the book - it jumps a lot between Persian myths, stories about his ancestors, and then his own memories as a child. I found it hard to follow when listening so I would recommend reading this over listening to it.

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emilydrojas's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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sarah984's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

It took me a while at the beginning to figure out how to read this book, but once I got into it, I couldn't stop reading. At first it feels like a lot of vignettes only connected in that they're about the same person, but gradually it all comes together. The author's "kid" voice is really well-done.

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bookthia's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

4.25

What a beautiful funny moving creative memoir. Told through the lens of memories of his 10 year old self, Daniel Nayeri is an Iranian refugee living in Oklahoma with his mother and sister. His father remained behind in Iran. The book is intended for a YA audience, as the multiple references to poop will reveal. But the themes are deep and meaningful as Daniel deals with bullying, discrimination, abusive relationships, etc while also receiving beautiful acts of generosity and kindness.

On the surface, the book is a collection of stories, some true and some untrue, about Iranian life and culture, his childhood in Iran (where his name was Khosrou) his journey to America, and his experiences as an immigrant. On a deeper level, Daniel is trying to weave a tapestry of narrative that mimics the oral storytelling history of his homeland.

Highly recommend this one. I recommend that parents read first before giving to a child under 12.

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cassidy's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

This book was so 🥺🥺. I forget the word in Farsi that they used (edit: mazloom) but it really describes this book because I just want to give Daniel a hug. Anyways, I really felt like I was reading something that a 12 year old wrote and the wisdom/naïveté mix worked really well. Only reason it’s not a 5 is because it was just so sad at points and I guess I should’ve known this because it’s written in hindsight but I just wanted to know if he was gonna be okay

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erinwolf1997's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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