Darius the Great Is Not Okay

by Adib Khorram

Paperback, 2019

Status

Book Bag 3

Publication

Penguin Books (2019), Edition: Reprint, 336 pages

Library's review

"Darius Kellner suffers from depression, bullying by high school jocks, and a father who seems to always be disappointed in him.

When Darius’ grandfather becomes terminally ill, Darius, along with his parents and younger sister, travels to Iran for the first time in his life. Iranian on his
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mother’s side and white American on his father’s side, Darius never quite fits in. He’s mocked for his name and nerdy interests at Chapel Hill High School in Portland, Oregon, and doesn’t speak enough Farsi to communicate with his Iranian relatives either. When he arrives in Iran, learning to play the Persian card game Rook, socializing, and celebrating Nowruz with a family he had never properly met before is all overwhelming and leaves Darius wondering if he’ll ever truly belong anywhere. But all that changes when Darius meets Sohrab, a Bahá’í boy, in Yazd. Sohrab teaches Darius what friendship is really about: loyalty, honesty, and someone who has your back in a football (soccer) match. For the first time in a long time, Darius learns to love himself no matter what external forces attempt to squash his confidence. Khorram’s debut novel is filled with insight into the lives of teens, weaving together the reality of living with mental illness while also dealing with identity and immigration politics.

This tear-jerker will leave readers wanting to follow the next chapter in Darius’ life. (Fiction. 12-adult)" A Kirkus Starred Review, www.kirkusreviews.com
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Awards

Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2019)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2020)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2022)
Indies Choice Book Award (Honor Book — Young Adult — 2019)
Garden State Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2021)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Winner — Young Adult — 2019)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (High School — 2021)
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (Finalist — 2019)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — High School — 2022)
Middle East Book Award (Winner — Youth Literature — 2019)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2022)
Westchester Fiction Award (Winner — 2019)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2021)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2020)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — 2019)
Friends of American Writers Award (Juvenile Book — 2019)
Nerdy Book Award (Young Adult Literature — 2018)
Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers (Selection — Young Adult — 2018)
Reading Olympics (High School — 2024)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2018

ISBN

0525552979 / 9780525552970

Barcode

1157
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