Windows & Mirrors: Darius the Great Is NOT Okay

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences.

This week we are featuring DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY by Adib Khorram!

Darius doesn’t exactly fit in anywhere. He’s Fractional Persian (half Persian), but speaks better Klingon (Star Trek fanatic) than his mother’s native language of Farsi. He believes he’s a failure in his dad’s eyes. He’s tormented by bullies in high school. He’s also overweight and suffers from clinical depression.

When Darius (named after Darius the Great, one of Persia’s greatest rulers) learns that his Iranian grandfather is dying, his family decides to visit Iran. It will be Darius’ first trip to his mother’s home country, and he’s pretty sure he won’t fit in there either. But then he meets his grandparents’ neighbor Sohrab and everything changes. Soon, they’re spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop hangout. Sohrah introduces him to mint syrup and soccer and buys him an Iranian National Football (soccer) Team jersey. For the first time in Darius’ life he belongs somewhere.

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Like Sohrah, I wanted to be friends with Darius from the minute I met him. He’s funny, philosophical, loves tea and Star Trek. But he’s also struggling to understand himself, how he fits in in his family and in the world. I’m a sucker for books that help me learn about other cultures. After reading DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY, I understand some of the interactions I’ve had with Persian friends much better now. DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY is a brilliant story of male friendship, identity, family, and belonging that is big-hearted, hilarious, and refreshingly real. Darius isn’t okay–he’s terrific! I highly recommend the book for ages 12+.

DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY has earned starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly, and it was selected as a 2018 BEA Young Adult Buzz Book. It releases on August 28th. Preorder from your favorite bookstore today!

Adib Khorram is an author, a graphic designer, and a tea enthusiast. If he’s not writing (or at his day job), you can probably find him trying to get his 100 yard Freestyle (SCY) under a minute, or learning to do a Lutz Jump. He was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, though his father is from Iran. To connect with Adib check out his website or follow him on Twitter or Instagram.