Darius the Great Is Not Okay

De: Adib Khorram

Narrado por: Michael Levi Harris

Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran. Hilarious and heartbreaking, this unforgettable debut introduces a brilliant new voice in contemporary YA.

Winner of the William C. Morris Debut Award.

“Heartfelt, tender, and so utterly real. I’d live in this book forever if I could.” (Becky Albertalli, award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda)

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 Persian version of his name - and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab.

Adib 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.

©2018 Adib Khorram (P)2018 Listening Library

Reseñas de la Crítica

William C. Morris Debut AwardAsian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature; Publishers Weekly Flying Start; TIME's 10 Best Young Adult and Children's Books of 2018; Boston Globe Best Books of 2018; Wall Street Journal Best Books of 2018; BuzzFeed Best YA Books of 2018; Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2018; Kirkus Best Books of 2018; New York Public Library's Best Books of 2018; Book Expo Young Adult Buzz Panel Selection; Indies Introduce Selection for Fall 2018; Indie Next Top Ten Pick for Fall 2018

“Layered with complexities of identity, body image and mental illness that are so rarely articulated in the voice of a teenage boy of color. Khorram writes tenderly and humorously about his protagonist’s journey of self-acceptance, making it hard not to want to reach through the pages, squeeze his hand and reassure Darius that he is, in fact, going to be O.K.” (The New York Times)

“Reminiscent of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (better known in movie form as Love, Simon) and Angie Thomas’ phenomenal The Hate U Give, the novel chronicles a politically aware teendom where microaggressions are as much an everyday obstacle as untamed acne and humdrum mall jobs… Darius the Great Is Not Okay will have you craving a freshly steeped tea, an episode of Star Trek, and a glass of faloodeh - all courtesy of one delightful package.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“This is the hilarious and heartbreaking story of Darius: a clinically-depressed, half-Persian lonely American teenage Trekkie who heads to Iran for the first time to meet his mom’s family.” (Cosmopolitan)

My 8/11/14 yo enjoyed

They don’t often get into the audiobooks I put on in the car, but they liked this instantly and my 8yo told me it was his favorite book as we were finishing it 🥰

A window into a beautiful culture

It was a great story it was lacking in a certain department but I guess that why there is book 2 :)

Great narration - KSU

Amazing Narration! Read this book for Kansas State University 2019. a book of many themes that relate to early college students.

My students LOVED this book!

I am a high school teacher, and I taught this book to a class of students who are low-performing in English. They absolutely LOVED this book! They stayed engaged with the story throughout the entire unit, which is rare for this group of kids. An absolute game changer. 10/10!!!

It’s better than OK

I love this book, and when I say love, I’m in love love with this book. Truly an amazing and inspiring tale. And it’s not a memoir. Truly a beautiful story .

Good Story

I really enjoyed Darius’s story. My favorite parts were meeting his family members in Iran. I thought there would be more to his story with Sohrab, but I am okay with it simply being a lasting friendship for both of them. I also love the recurrence of “your place was empty” and the way depression is portrayed. Darius’s depression shows with a higher frequency than other stories in which the characters are diagnosed. It was satisfying to finally hear from his father as well.

Perfect Story!

This is a perfect book, combined with real world experience of a teenager. An absolute must read. :)

Solid teen book

Darius the Great is Not OK is a good coming of age story. It addresses father-son dynamics, living in a bi-cultural and multilingual family and dealing with regular teenage emotions alongside the ups and downs of depression. As a teacher I could see some of the chapters leading to great discussions about social and family dynamics that kids deal with in real life. The most awkward scene is when the topic of penises come up when kids are showering after a soccer game because the other kids notice Darius in uncircumcised and looks different.

glimpse into a different world and culture

Loved peering into the Persian culture and the world of depression. This is a beautiful story of growth, friendship, and family. The narration is well done, especially the different voices and second-language vocabulary. This story was such a delicious treat each night before bed, I missed the characters after the book ended.

Loved the writing and the presentation.

I loved everything about this book; acceptance, family, love, loss, depression, friendship - it has it all!