A review by dhrish
Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75



This review is going to be an incoherent mess. But the long story made short: if you are looking for a book about: with great mental health representation and conversation, family and the struggles of a first-generation diaspora kid going back home for the first time, I cannot recommend "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" more to you.

I think this review is going to focus on three things that caught my eye while reading:

1) Darius, before going to Iran does stereotype Iran and Persian's a lot. I love how Adib showed that although Darius knew that Iran couldn't just amount to stereotypes still defaulted to them in the beginning because although he is diaspora he had never been to Iran. Darius isn't immune to stereotyping. He isn't a perfect Persian boy and that's ok, he is learning what it means to him to be Iranian.

2) Mental health is important and the journey to managing it is a marathon, not a sprint. I can't tell you how great mental health conversations are in this book. Both Darius and his father have diagnosed clinical depression and it looks different for both of them, from the medication they take to how they manage it. The side effects of medication are also discussed from rapid weight-gain to tranquilising effects of some medication. Darius and his dad don't automatically get along because of this aspect they share either but rather find common ground because of their love of "Star Wars'.

3) No one can fill the place that is yours. Darius doesn't have a lot of friends and Sohrab is his first friend. Throughout this book, Darius feels like an outsider in a place that is supposed to be "home" although his grandparents and extended family do love him their love comes off in the form of invasive questions or comments not understanding why he needs depression medication. He questions whether he does belong. His friendship with Sohrab so brilliantly highlights this point. His friendship with Sohrab also shows the diversity that exists within Iran both religious and ethnic.

Although I have so much to say about "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" none of the sentences I wrote make any sense.
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