Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Darius the Great Deserves Better

This book actually changed my way of thinking and perceptions. The characters in this book, the way they are potrayed, it felt awesome. All of the characters are not loveable.
Darius has the best parents in the whole world. They are very expressive towards Darius and his little sister, Laleh. Especially Darius's dad, he is very affectionate. He kisses Darius, hugs him.
And also Darius's mamou and babou, they are the best. Actually, I really missed them in this book. Yes there were mentions of them. They face times with Mamou weekly. And yeah, Also Sohrab too.
And Chip is Darius's friend now.
As usual, Trent is the most Hateable character in this book. OMG! He is an asshole... Literally. He bullies Daruis, calling names, having homophobic comments right in his face. I really wanted to beat the shit out of him.
There were sad moments too.. The most important one was when,

Babou died. I really cried and wept hard. The way Darius was remembering his Babou and also his mom and Laleh.

And the second one was when

Landon and Darius broke up. I didn't cry. But I was sad. There should have been more communication with them. There should have been more understanding. Landon made it clear, that sex is important to him, but he should understand that he can't force Daruis into sex. That's not how it works. There should have been a proper talk about it.

There were so many words that felt like a quote.
Daruis always has self doubt and overthinking because of his depression. And the way him and his father share it, was a great thing to read. And mom sharing her worries. But overall, it was a great ride.
I'm glad that I read this book. And yeah, you should read the first book called "Daruis the great is not okay", to understand this book and characters more.

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nikia4's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first book, but it was still a lovely and comforting read. It’s honestly incredible how many storylines Khorram manages to weave together cohesively, a worse author would have written a book that felt overstuffed. I especially appreciated the subplots about Darius’s dad suffering from depression and Darius’s anxieties/their communication about the parent’s depression, and Laleh’s experiences at school. Darius is such a beautifully written character with so much softness and empathy and love and you get pulled into those feelings when reading these books. I really appreciated how many storylines weren’t perfectly wrapped up but still got a fulfilling ending because they ended on a hopeful note - it felt a lot more realistic and comforting than everything working out perfectly.

My main criticism is that maybe Landon and Darius’ storyline was too much of the same/took too long to build to an inflection point and it got kind of boring waiting for their relationship to end, but I guess it was also realistic to Darius’ character and what he was going through for the realization to take him longer. The tension with Chip/Trent in parallel also felt like a lot of the same for too long, and I wish the conflict between them happened a bit earlier so the nuances of that relationship could be explored more, but maybe the author is leaving it open to another book.

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annakh16's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Protect. Darius. at. all. costs! The title of this book is spot on. He does deserve better.

I’m glad this sequel was good. There is a wide range of (often tough) themes handled beautifully - grief, depression, family, first relationships, sexuality etc etc. It is lovely seeing such a complex and nuanced young character.

I also found the accountability refreshing - it wasn’t all “forgive and forget” (which I feel like happens sometimes in YA), but the characters had all the necessary conversations, which were also written very well. There were some great life lessons in there.

I would’ve liked to see more of some characters - Sohrab and Steven especially - but I think putting them aside was needed to make space for the new plot lines, so I get it. We still got some sweet moments with both. I also found Darius’ feelings about his relationship with Landon very relatable personally.

This series will stay with me, I’ll miss it. The sequel definitely cemented this as a new favourite YA contemporary.

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adalinemccormick's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Didn't like this one as much as the first one but still thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the openness of mental illness/health, the struggles of being lgbt+, the struggles of being non-white, the struggles of having family/friends in another country, and how all of it connects to an individual like Darius. As a Fractional myself, I understand so much of his struggles. I also liked seeing all the positives in his life like making new friends and connecting with his family. Sohrab is still a great bestie even if he wasn't so present in this one, and I liked seeing Chip step up as a friend as well even though he def had moments that pissed me off.

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queerloras's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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ladygetslit's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-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

5.0

Such a great follow-up that can truly stand on its own! I absolutely love Darius: he’s kind, and dorky, and thoughtful, and strangely insightful. I appreciate the nuanced perspective on depression, and how it’s not something that necessarily goes away, and having it also doesn’t mean you can’t be happy in your own way.

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mswarning's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I preferred the first book with Darius exploring Iran and his Iranian heritage. This sequel lagged for me with a lot of tea and tea tasting.

Read for Whateverathon 2022 for host fave (first book in the series), continue a series, and borrow a book.

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