Reviews tagging 'Islamophobia'

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

19 reviews

catpanda1's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Islamophobia, and Mental illness

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

noahsingh's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

tbh an Immediate favourite book, really hit home as someone who is also mixed race and depressed and queer lol would b 5 starts if not for the weird occasional fatphobia:/

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Body shaming, Colonisation, Terminal illness, and Islamophobia

Minor: Torture, Cancer, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement

hylian_narwhal's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Body shaming, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Confinement, and Islamophobia

maggies's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This was not a guaranteed 5⭐️ book. Not until about the last 30%, when I realized the characters had wormed their way into my heart. I want to give Darius, and his parents, and his grandparents, and his sister, and Sohrab, and even Chip a big ol hug. They all need it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Self harm, Racism, Islamophobia, Terminal illness, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Cancer

ana1s's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

3.5

The best parts were dariuses character growth, the immersion into Iran's culture and the family dynamics. Looking forward to an evolution of his relationship with Sohrab!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Racism

Moderate: Fatphobia

Minor: Islamophobia

martapsalvado's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

I really loved this book 🧡 It is very character-driven, not a lot happens, but you get to really know the characters and see how this trip changes them, and specially how they change each other. It's about family, friendship, self-identity and, in the author's words, "how depression can affect a life without rulling it".

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Terminal illness, and Fatphobia

Minor: Suicide, Islamophobia, and Self harm

yoursupremewrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Khorram has written something truly special with this book. Centered around a young queer Persian boy going to his mother's hometown to see his grandparents for the first time, Darius The Great Is Not Okay does a lot of work in a short amount of time. Add to it that the main character Darius is a complete nerd/weeb who interjects with sci-fi puns and comparisons in every chapter kept me smiling the whole way through. Khorram also did something incredible in giving Darius a new best friend that results in one of the best platonic male relationships I've seen in a book in a while. This story also tackles mental illness, but in a way that doesn't define Darius as his one facet, it's there, he acknowledges it, it is forever present, but it's just a sliver of who this sweet boy is. Plus, he loves tea, his abject love for tea is downright adorable. And Khorram takes the time to teach you not only about different kinds of tea that Darius loves, but also about Persian tea and customs that Darius is getting to learn about with you the reader while going to see his grandparents. All in all. A precious story and another wonderful addition to the YA queer canon. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Death

imstephtacular's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Bullying, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming

Minor: Alcohol, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

jamieschecter's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Bullying

Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Body shaming, and Death

Minor: Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization