Adib Khorram lives in Kansas City, Missouri. When he isn't writing (or at his day job as a graphic designer), you can probably find him trying to get his hundred-yard freestyle under a minute, learning to do a Lutz jump, or steeping a cup of oolong. Visit Adib at AdibKhorram.com or follow him on Twitter @AdibKhorram. You can find more of my reviews of books from TIME's Best YA Books of All Time here.
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's a Fractional Persian—half, his mom's side—and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life. Darius has never really fit in at home, and he's sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn't exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they're spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city's skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Farsi version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Abid Khorram's brilliant debut is for anyone who's ever felt not good enough—then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.
Darius the Great is Not Okay follows the titular character, Darius Kellner, visits his extended family in Iran for the first time in his life. Darius meets his grandparents, Mamou and Babou, along with a whole slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins that he's only known through pixelated images. Khorram takes care to explore all the nuance of these relationships—the complicated feelings Darius has as he meets his relatives, who feel new but also who he's known for a long time; the culture disconnects and the way he often feels left out or displaced; and especially the joy of meeting relatives who understand you, after a long journey. Khorram is an expert storyteller, able to distill incredibly complex emotions down into easily digestible prose. I felt like I had climbed into Darius's suitcase and visited Iran with him, that's how close I felt to the story, and how much I felt like I was experiencing this alongside him.
Darius had issues at home in Portland, and traveling all the way around the world did nothing to ease them. In fact, things come to a head in Iran with his father, his younger sister, and his mother. Mostly. Khorram explores Darius's relationship with his father, which is complicated, to say the least. Darius is a bit of a nerd, shy, and in-his-head. His father wants more for him, but doesn't always express it in the best way. Thus, the two are at a sort-of crossroads in their relationship that leaves Darius feeling stuck in his head, and displaced from his place in his own immediate family. Khorram examines and writes this relationship with care. I believe it to be the best-written element of the book; there were several times I caught myself almost-crying, or completely shocked by some of the behavior. I felt that there was a lot of heart in this part of the story, and is a huge part of why the story is so strong.
This story also dives deep into friendship, and teenage social cues. Darius becomes close friends—indeed, best friends—with Sohrab, the boy who lives down the street from his grandparents. They play soccer, hang out during large events, and talk. Their friendship is uncomplicated, in that they feel comfortable doing everything together. Khorram makes this friendship one of Darius' brightest points, by expertly juxtaposing it with the horror that Darius faces from other boys his age. He is bullied at school and deflects racist comments, and always acts low-key about it. But with Sohrab he doesn't have to pretend to be anyone other than who he is. Sometimes, it is having a friend like this who is a mirror that allows us to be happy with who we are. I love that Darius got this friendship in his life before he went back home, because more than anything, it really makes readers believe that he will, indeed, be okay.
This complex, immensely readable exploration of identity is one of the best young adult books I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time, and it's truly no surprise as to how it ended up on TIME's Best YA Books of All Time list. For more, visit Adib at AdibKhorram.com or follow him on Twitter @AdibKhorram. You can find more of my reviews of books from TIME's Best YA Books of All Time here.
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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