Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

20 reviews

amberinbookland's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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kitstbr's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad 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

3.75

So, audiobooks aren’t really my thing, because I feel like they’re harder to focus on, but I really liked this one! I liked how the focus of the book was how Darius’ relationships with his family change and how you can see that also shift the way he thinks about himself a little bit.

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n_asyikin_'s review against another edition

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hopeful reflective sad 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

A moving coming-of-age story that depicted one's attempt at finding their place in a world that didn't seem welcoming. Darius the Great is Not Okay also showed what it was like to live with a chronic mental illness while facing the stigma associated with it.

Both raw & gentle, Darius' story tugged at my heart-string. What stood out for me was the insight into how depression influenced one's life, and how that in turn, shaped everyone's interactions with you. Khorram wrote it in a way that felt like Darius was only expressing his inner most private thoughts - and that rawness spoke volume. But more than that, Darius stood out through his narration. In his melancholy & quietude was a boy with a strong voice & unique insights. Truly, one of my favourite narrators in recent times.

You'd the joy of knowing a boy with his love for tea & Star Trek, whose gentle heart meant he adored being a caretaker - especially to his much younger sister, who has so much love that you'd wish he realized how much love the world has waiting for him in return.

It was also about finding your own people, be it your flesh & blood or the platonic (or more) kinds. I loved how many scenes reminded me the permanent impact fleeting moments can have. And more importantly, when your emotions gripped you, it can feel like they would be constant when they were, like everything else in life, were just passing by. As Darius might say,

life has a way to bend the space-time continuum (A perfect analogy for the themes explored!), and sometimes, we'd struggle under its weights - trying to live through it, and that's okay.

Also, I think it's important to look at how Darius' father responded to his condition as well; a perfect example of good intent gone awry, highlighting the necessity for self-awareness (which may be gained from psychoeducation, providing critical insights experience alone couldn't provide). Coming from a family that have history in various forms of mental illnesses, this was significant to contemplate upon.

Compassionate in its exploration of mental illness (MI), Darius the Great is Not Okay was honest with its depictions. It didn't try to romanticize the difficulties that came with living with MI, didn't try to dramatize anything either. But most importantly, it was hopeful in its message. Such a decadent read!

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lesbianelvira's review

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but all that did was move the lump down to my heart.”
“I loved my little sister. When I looked at her, I felt the same way as when I stared into the ancient flame of the Atashkadeh. Or when I heard the azan ring out across the city.”

These are a couple of my favorite lines. Darioush is so easy to love and understand, as are all the main characters eventually. This book was a beautiful journey, I’m excited to seek out the second book in the future.

Minor critiques were reading Israel (rather than Palestine) being named very early on in the book, so frankly I searched to find that Adib Khorram isn’t actually pro-Israel before continuing reading (signs pointed to supporting Palestine). Additionally, I had wondered the root of having Darioush identify specifically as Persian rather than Iranian. Maybe because, without saying for readers, that society accepts the “historic” name rather than the heavily smeared one. If not, it does read like implicit rhetoric of Persians being different™️ from (read:better than) Iranians.

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kaabtik's review

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emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

Homecoming. That's what I would describe this book. It's coming home to a place you've never been in and finding your seat at the table. I resonate so much with Darius and a lot of the family dynamics here I've experienced first hand. I hold this book close to my heart.

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miachalupa's review

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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

4.5

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caidyn's review

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emotional 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? Yes

4.5

All I knew about this book was that 1) people loved it and 2) the author's local to me. And that it was gay in some fashion. I'm a little disappointed about the queerness -- I was hoping for something more out there. But I still loved the book! I loved how it focused on confronting not fitting in, bullying, depression, and father and son relationships. It was such a great read. I entirely plan on reading the next book in this because I want to see what the next chapter is.

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