bladelikesbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
5.0
In this novel, we see Darius struggle socially, internally and also within his family unit. Darius is bullied at school by racist peers and just general assholes and when he reaches out to his father for help, he portrays textbook toxic masculinity and blames Darius for the bullying. He’s the perfect example of being your child’s first bully.
Due to the illness of a loved one, Darius’ family goes to Iran for a trip. During this, we see many culture differences and Darius’ struggle with not feeling “Iranian enough”. He forms a friendship while there that is just wonderful for him and really helps him build confidence and connection and who helps him feel like he belongs. I really think this friendship with Sohrab truly healed some parts of Darius that he was really struggling with. It was truly a beautiful depiction of friendship. I was so sad when Darius had to go back home.
I really felt for Darius when he was struggling with wanting to be more involved in his family on his Iranian side but not knowing how to communicate. I have family struggles myself so it’s safe to say I cried throughout the majority of this book. Darius and his dad have a really great conversation where his dad apologises and explains why he acts the way he does and that one conversation was so healing in their relationship.
I think this book does a great job of portraying familial relationships in such a real and honest way and it really resonated with me. This is definitely one of my favourite books of all time and I can’t wait to read the sequel. Also, I loved the afterword and I really appreciated the inclusion of helplines at the end of the book.
Representation - Bahá’í (SC); Depression (MC); Fat (MC); Iranian/Persian-American (MC); Muslim (BGC); POC (MC)
TWs/CWs - Blood; Bullying; Death; Death of a Parent; Fatphobia; Homophobia; Institutionalised Racism; Islamophobia; Medical Detail; Racism; Stool; Suicide; Suicide Attempt; Suicide Ideation; Terminal Illness; Toxic Masculinity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Bullying, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Blood
aexileigh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Fatphobia and Suicidal thoughts
maple_dove's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.0
The main character, Darius, is Iranian-American, clinically depressed, fat, and has Father Issues.
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would, to be honest. It's sad yet has a lot of hopeful and happy moments. I also liked the social commentary on schools trying to be inclusive, but explains why most of these efforts ultimately fail. The part on where Darius didn't feel "enough" (in this case, not "Iranian enough") is very relatable to a lot of POC living in the States.
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would, to be honest. It's sad yet has a lot of hopeful and happy moments. I also liked the social commentary on schools trying to be inclusive, but explains why most of these efforts ultimately fail. The part on where Darius didn't feel "enough" (in this case, not "Iranian enough") is very relatable to a lot of POC living in the States.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Fatphobia, Ableism, Bullying, and Body shaming
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Religious persecution (moderate)amandalorianxo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
I loved how relatable this is written for an upper middle 8th grade student and even high school / college. We learn so much about depression, Iran and the culture within. I am so glad this book exists. Some of the dialogue / inner monologue is a little repetitive but minus that, kudos for a book that doesn’t bring down people with mental health concerns and recognizes plus sized boys without bringing them down. There is a tiny hint that Darius may not be straight but I believe that gets explored more in the sequel
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Fatphobia
thestoriesjar's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Ich bin selbst halb Iranerin, kann aber leider kaum persisch sprechen (nur die einfachen Dinge). Außerdem bin ich wie Darius auch mit Depressionen diagnostiziert. Ich weiß zwar Einiges über die Kultur und war auch schon 6 Mal dort, jedoch kenne ich das Gefühl des „nicht persisch genug sein“ nur zu gut. Ich habe mich in vielen Situationen wiedererkannt und musste bei bestimmten Verhaltensweisen die ich von meinen persischen Verwandten kenne immer mal wieder schmunzeln. Ich wollte das Buch gar nicht ablegen, weil es so liebevoll geschrieben wurde. Außerdem denke ich auch, dass es interessant für Leute sein kann, die noch nicht viel über den Iran und seine Kultur wissen und es diesen etwas näher bringen kann. In dem Buch geht es aber nicht nur über den Iran, sondern auch um so vieles mehr (z.B. Freundschaft, Mobbing, …).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Racism
haley49's review against another edition
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
3.75
It was good and sweet as a story of growing up, discovering yourself and reconnecting with your family. It was an easy and emotional read but for whatever reason I didn’t resonate with it like I’d hoped to. I’m not sure if it was the younger humor or voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Fatphobia
Moderate: War, Racism, Homophobia, and Bullying
Minor: Sexism and Colonisation
adalinemccormick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Body shaming
emcat591's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Religious bigotry, Racism, Fatphobia, and Mental illness
marissasa's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
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
4.5
This book is full of so much heart and genuine emotion. Darius has a strong narrative voice and I felt like I had a good image of his character from the start, with all his Star Trek references and self-doubts. I related to the same struggles Darius did of not feeling like he belonged in his family's country because he grew up in America, didn't know how to speak Farsi, and didn't get to grow up with his grandparents in their hometown. The awkwardness and "feelings we know but don't talk about" energy that Darius had with both his dad and his Iranian family are so real to the daddy issues and child of immigrants experience. This book also had one of the most accurate depictions of being depressed as a teen and how hard it is to talk about depression in Asian cultures that I have seen. It made it even more heartwarming and heartbreaking in the moments between Darius and Sohrab where we got to see them become friends who respected and validated each other, physically affectionate without it being thought of as weird, and be able to both talk without walls up and sit in comfortable silence together. I loved learning more about Iranian food and culture alongside Darius. I loved how this book portrayed different forms of non-romantic love and how deeply they can change your life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Racism, Grief, Bullying, Death of parent, Mental illness, Fatphobia, and Cancer
vampire_burrito's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia and Suicidal thoughts