Darius The Great Is Not Okay

 

Darius The Great Is Not Okay

Today, I am going to be talking about the book, Darius the Great Is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram. The book starts by introducing Darius Kellner, a sophomore in high school in Portland, Oregon. He has a younger sister, named Laleh, who is in second grade. Their father, Stephen, is from Europe, and their mother, Shirin, is from Iran, and these parents immigrated to the US. Darius’s father, who suffers from depression, constantly criticizes Darius in ways which make Darius believe his troubles are his own responsibility. Darius's ethnicity, as well as his physical and mental state make him a prime target for bullying at school. But at home, he and his family are still connected to Iranian tradition by talking to his mom’s side of his family through video calls, as well as celebrating Persian traditions. Life is normal, until his grandfather is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, prompting Darius’s parents to take their family to Iran for the first time. Having never been to Iran before, Darius is extremely nervous, especially because he doesn’t know how to speak Farsi, unlike Laleh or his mom. For the first few days, he is lonely, as most of his family doesn’t understand what it means for someone to be depressed. Enter Soharab, one of his neighbors. Soharab believes in Bahá'í, a faith that is unpopular in Iran. This status as an outsider allows him to connect to Darius, also an outsider, and truly know him for who he is. Soon, they do everything together, from traveling to playing soccer and celebrating festivals. As they spend more time together, Darius is reborn, as a more energetic and happy person. But how does his family adapt to this new Darius? To find out, read the book for yourself.

Personally, as both my parents are immigrants from India, I feel like I can relate to Darius in the sense that, when my parents take me to their home, I become a different person, with the newfound freedom of being able to go visit relatives on my own, washing my own clothes on my own, and being able to play sports with other kids my age. This book highlights all the main points of visiting family abroad, and how it allows Darius to connect to his roots, in the same way that it allows me to connect to my roots.

Another key aspect of this story is relationships. While I don’t want to give away too much, one of the hidden beauties of this story is watching Darius and his little sister interact. They clearly love each other very genuinely, and it’s sweet to see how they laugh and play together. Darius feels self-conscious about playing with dolls and tea parties with Laleh, but he doesn’t even care, because he loves his sister that much.

This book isn’t exactly something that puts you on the edge of your seat, nor is it something that will make you fall asleep. It's a novel that you read, not for adrenaline, not for comedy, not for romance, but for the satisfaction of watching this character grow and develop to become so much more than you can even imagine. Reading this book is like raising a child: there are ups and downs, and it isn’t a straight path, but with that child growing into an adult, there is nothing that will make you happier.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a feel-good novel, just to blow a few hours, this is for you. If not, you can forget this book exists. And on that bombshell, it's time to end. Goodbye.

-Sri