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chelcadventures's review
4.0
“Some friends just have that effect on you.”
I really enjoyed this. It had just the right amount of humor to balance out the sensitive nature of the topics involved. I cried during the last 15% because I heavily related to some of the familial struggles that Darius faced as well as his experience with depression. I greatly appreciated how the book addressed common misconceptions of it. This is such a powerful story for young adults because it explores so many poignant topics in a conceivable and engaging way. All in all, a beautiful, emotional, and impactful read.
I really enjoyed this. It had just the right amount of humor to balance out the sensitive nature of the topics involved. I cried during the last 15% because I heavily related to some of the familial struggles that Darius faced as well as his experience with depression. I greatly appreciated how the book addressed common misconceptions of it. This is such a powerful story for young adults because it explores so many poignant topics in a conceivable and engaging way. All in all, a beautiful, emotional, and impactful read.
mariahistryingtoread's review
4.0
This is the rare example of a contemporary YA book that hooked me from the beginning and kept me on the line the entire book.
Darius is struggling mightily against the weight of his depression and anxiety. Exacerbating his feelings of inadequacy is the internal conflict that often comes from being mixed race. An oft repeated sentiment amongst minorities - mixed race or not, as there are a few factors that play into this - is ‘too *insert race here* for white people, but not *insert race here* enough for the minority group either.
A major theme is Darius trying to figure out his identity amidst a slowly spiraling downturn in his emotional state. If all of that wasn’t enough Darius fears that his relationship with his father has become too distant to overcome and his maternal grandfather is dying right as he’s dipping his toes into his Persian heritage further contributing to his complicated, misplaced ideas of his own significance in the world.
This book is really anchored in what it’s like to be mentally ill. While the severity will often fluctuate over time, being mentally ill is permanent. It can get better or worse at any time depending on the illness for literally no reason or for a reason you haven’t yet been able to suss out. Finding a healthy coping mechanism or the proper medication can be equally as traumatic or exhausting as the illness itself. It can be extremely debilitating and it takes continuous hard work to function on a level adequate enough for society at large.
What makes this book special is how Khorram is able to realistically, effectively communicate how impactful mental illness is on every level. Darius' inner monologue was scarily accurate. In a lot of ways it completely mirrored my own bleak, ruminatory mindset. In the same vein it exposed the absurdity of said mindset. I would find myself getting annoyed with Darius only to take a step back and realize that I have done the exact same thing in similar circumstances. It’s clear from how Khorram writes Darius that he deeply understands how mental illness literally warps the brain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve explained my thought process to someone about a relatively inconsequential decision I’ve made only to realize in the moment how ridiculous my pattern of behavior must seem from the outside. It’s very similar to Darius’ - a kind of one step forward, two steps back mentality.
On the other hand, while I believe Darius is well done, the other characters, with the exception of his father, are not nearly as well developed.
The synopsis plays up his connection to Sohrab a lot, but I was really put off by how one-sided their relationship is. Darius needs a lot of support emotionally that Sohrab is a good friend for providing, however, this is at the expense of Sohrab as a character, as it made me feel as if he existed purely for Darius to vent to. The moment Sohrab needed a little support of his own Darius basically shut down.
It’d be one thing if Darius' arc involved him learning how to balance his needs with the needs of another person. Darius has basically no friends so him not knowing how to navigate certain social situations makes sense. The problem is that that’s not at all what this is about. The dynamic is heavily skewed in Darius' favor and Khorram seems to just think that’s totally acceptable.
I understood why Sohrab was so important to Darius. I understood the underlying implication that Darius had latched on in small part due to a subconscious, burgeoning awareness of his sexuality. I just could not see what Sohrab saw in Darius. I don’t believe anyone should abandon someone just because they need more help emotionally as long it’s not detrimental to your own mental health. All relationships involve some give and take, and sometimes for a friend you shoulder more of their problems because you care about them and you know that in the future they will eventually pay it forward.
But, Sohrab just met Darius and Darius honestly is not doing all that well mentally at the time of this vacation. I get that he’s a good person so, of course, he’s going to be sympathetic to Darius’ circumstances. It’s just that for the entire book it is never addressed how much Darius is taking from Sohrab or acknowledged that Darius needs to redirect some of that energy to other people at least some of the time to avoid Sohrab getting burnt out. It’s part of the broader problem of Sohrab being flat; Sohrab can’t complain or call Darius out when he barely has anything for Darius to inquire about in the first place. Heck, for all I know maybe Sohrab was born expressly for the purpose of listening to Darius. It’s not like he had anything else going on.
(Minor spoilers here - I’ve already read the sequel. If you had a similar grievance, I’m letting you know now this problem increases tenfold in that book.)
Darius' relationship with his grandparents is poor at first. He’s found it difficult to relate to his grandparents due to his inability to speak Farsi, his general insecurities, and the geographical gap. He never really works to make it any better, but by the end it’s treated as if this massive change has occurred. I can count on one hand the amount of notable interactions both grandparents had with him. And they weren’t really linked together in such a way that I felt like the relationship was evolving. It was more like isolated events held together by the fact that all the same characters were present rather than an expansion on the previously established themes. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the ending didn’t make it as if everything between the three had improved so much. Otherwise, I would have chalked it up to an honest look at how relationships can get better and you can make your peace with where you are in the confines of it, but it will not progress rapidly overnight.
I liked learning about Persian culture. Like Darius I didn’t know all that much, though Darius obviously knows a lot more than I do, so journeying to Iran was like exploring it alongside him. Half the fun of diverse reads is traversing a non-eurocentric setting or absorbing a different culture or gaining insight into other peoples’ lived experiences. This book has all three.
I really liked Darius The Great is Not Okay. I think it’s a great book that is not only enjoyable but informative. Even if you do not have mental health issues like Darius, even if your mental health issues are wildly different to Darius’, I feel this book has an underlying commonality that everyone can find something to relate to. If you can’t relate, I believe you still can appreciate this as a well written, entertaining piece of fiction.
Darius the Great Deserves Better Review
Darius is struggling mightily against the weight of his depression and anxiety. Exacerbating his feelings of inadequacy is the internal conflict that often comes from being mixed race. An oft repeated sentiment amongst minorities - mixed race or not, as there are a few factors that play into this - is ‘too *insert race here* for white people, but not *insert race here* enough for the minority group either.
A major theme is Darius trying to figure out his identity amidst a slowly spiraling downturn in his emotional state. If all of that wasn’t enough Darius fears that his relationship with his father has become too distant to overcome and his maternal grandfather is dying right as he’s dipping his toes into his Persian heritage further contributing to his complicated, misplaced ideas of his own significance in the world.
This book is really anchored in what it’s like to be mentally ill. While the severity will often fluctuate over time, being mentally ill is permanent. It can get better or worse at any time depending on the illness for literally no reason or for a reason you haven’t yet been able to suss out. Finding a healthy coping mechanism or the proper medication can be equally as traumatic or exhausting as the illness itself. It can be extremely debilitating and it takes continuous hard work to function on a level adequate enough for society at large.
What makes this book special is how Khorram is able to realistically, effectively communicate how impactful mental illness is on every level. Darius' inner monologue was scarily accurate. In a lot of ways it completely mirrored my own bleak, ruminatory mindset. In the same vein it exposed the absurdity of said mindset. I would find myself getting annoyed with Darius only to take a step back and realize that I have done the exact same thing in similar circumstances. It’s clear from how Khorram writes Darius that he deeply understands how mental illness literally warps the brain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve explained my thought process to someone about a relatively inconsequential decision I’ve made only to realize in the moment how ridiculous my pattern of behavior must seem from the outside. It’s very similar to Darius’ - a kind of one step forward, two steps back mentality.
On the other hand, while I believe Darius is well done, the other characters, with the exception of his father, are not nearly as well developed.
The synopsis plays up his connection to Sohrab a lot, but I was really put off by how one-sided their relationship is. Darius needs a lot of support emotionally that Sohrab is a good friend for providing, however, this is at the expense of Sohrab as a character, as it made me feel as if he existed purely for Darius to vent to. The moment Sohrab needed a little support of his own Darius basically shut down.
It’d be one thing if Darius' arc involved him learning how to balance his needs with the needs of another person. Darius has basically no friends so him not knowing how to navigate certain social situations makes sense. The problem is that that’s not at all what this is about. The dynamic is heavily skewed in Darius' favor and Khorram seems to just think that’s totally acceptable.
I understood why Sohrab was so important to Darius. I understood the underlying implication that Darius had latched on in small part due to a subconscious, burgeoning awareness of his sexuality. I just could not see what Sohrab saw in Darius. I don’t believe anyone should abandon someone just because they need more help emotionally as long it’s not detrimental to your own mental health. All relationships involve some give and take, and sometimes for a friend you shoulder more of their problems because you care about them and you know that in the future they will eventually pay it forward.
But, Sohrab just met Darius and Darius honestly is not doing all that well mentally at the time of this vacation. I get that he’s a good person so, of course, he’s going to be sympathetic to Darius’ circumstances. It’s just that for the entire book it is never addressed how much Darius is taking from Sohrab or acknowledged that Darius needs to redirect some of that energy to other people at least some of the time to avoid Sohrab getting burnt out. It’s part of the broader problem of Sohrab being flat; Sohrab can’t complain or call Darius out when he barely has anything for Darius to inquire about in the first place. Heck, for all I know maybe Sohrab was born expressly for the purpose of listening to Darius. It’s not like he had anything else going on.
(Minor spoilers here - I’ve already read the sequel. If you had a similar grievance, I’m letting you know now this problem increases tenfold in that book.)
Darius' relationship with his grandparents is poor at first. He’s found it difficult to relate to his grandparents due to his inability to speak Farsi, his general insecurities, and the geographical gap. He never really works to make it any better, but by the end it’s treated as if this massive change has occurred. I can count on one hand the amount of notable interactions both grandparents had with him. And they weren’t really linked together in such a way that I felt like the relationship was evolving. It was more like isolated events held together by the fact that all the same characters were present rather than an expansion on the previously established themes. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the ending didn’t make it as if everything between the three had improved so much. Otherwise, I would have chalked it up to an honest look at how relationships can get better and you can make your peace with where you are in the confines of it, but it will not progress rapidly overnight.
I liked learning about Persian culture. Like Darius I didn’t know all that much, though Darius obviously knows a lot more than I do, so journeying to Iran was like exploring it alongside him. Half the fun of diverse reads is traversing a non-eurocentric setting or absorbing a different culture or gaining insight into other peoples’ lived experiences. This book has all three.
I really liked Darius The Great is Not Okay. I think it’s a great book that is not only enjoyable but informative. Even if you do not have mental health issues like Darius, even if your mental health issues are wildly different to Darius’, I feel this book has an underlying commonality that everyone can find something to relate to. If you can’t relate, I believe you still can appreciate this as a well written, entertaining piece of fiction.
Darius the Great Deserves Better Review
remmslupin's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
jennrocca's review
4.0
I loved the story and the characters. This was an excellent, young teen-accessible discussion of depression. The cultural exploration was excellent as well.
I didn’t love the writing. For example, the way Darius spoke felt forced; his speech mannerisms just didn’t ring true. Characters were constantly described as “squinting” at each other. The image it created didn’t feel natural.
But the story itself and its message rise above my problems with the writing.
I didn’t love the writing. For example, the way Darius spoke felt forced; his speech mannerisms just didn’t ring true. Characters were constantly described as “squinting” at each other. The image it created didn’t feel natural.
But the story itself and its message rise above my problems with the writing.
nikolinaza's review against another edition
5.0
Actual rating: ♾️
It's been a while since the last time I'm ugly crying because of a book. Darioush made me show my rawest emotion while following his journey in Iran.
Also I don't regret for impulsively buying its sequel even before I'm reading the first book
It's been a while since the last time I'm ugly crying because of a book. Darioush made me show my rawest emotion while following his journey in Iran.
Also I don't regret for impulsively buying its sequel even before I'm reading the first book
skye_line709's review
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? It's complicated
4.75
rianne1134's review
challenging
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? It's complicated
4.75
dream_11's review
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? Yes
3.5
sarahsunil's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0