Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram is a realistic fiction novel following the life of protagonist Darius Keller, a sophomore in high school in America, child of an Iranian mother and white father. Darius has felt that he has never fitted in, as he is bullied in school, has communication issues with his dad, has clinical depression, and feels that he is not white nor Iranian. However tides turn when he must urgently go to Iran for the first time with his family to visit his dying grandpa. There, he meets Soharab, his grandparents’ neighbor, and finally finds someone who understands him and can get along with him. This story does a great job of creating an experience that makes it easy to empathize with the protagonist, and gives an insight into a life with depression and parents of different ethnicities, but lacks on showing a large part of his school life in America. Nonetheless, this story deals with the topics of friendship, family,depression, and fitting in, and readers who like realistic fiction including high school characters with everyday struggles may like this novel.
Review by Samhitha