Darius the Great Is Not Okay

By: Adib Khorram

Narrated by: Michael Levi Harris

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

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)

This is definitely a must read

When I picked this book for my future reading I thought the cover was cool. That’s it really and I heard about the sequel. I wasn’t expecting to feel like parts of my life were woven into the little scenes here and there. It touched me in so many different ways. I recently lost my grandmother and I was crying by the end of the book because I wished I had one last chance like Darius to have wished her or my grandparents a final goodbye. One that I knew was forever. It’s a great read and may hit a little harder than expected so be careful.

Insanely Immersive and Profoundly Touching

This is a beautiful book, beautifully written and beautifully performed. Michael Levi Harris does an excellent job with all the different voices and accents. I could always tell who was speaking even without dialog tags. And the accents were never hard to understand. Adib Khorram introduces you to Persian culture very naturally, and offers a unique glimpse into what life is like both for people in Iran--of various faiths and social status as well--and for Persians living in America, all wrapped up in a take about family, friendship, love, and depression.

Terrific coming of age story.

Darius the Great is Not Okay was more than okay! It was poignant and heartfelt and educational and insightful.
I loved "being" in Iran with Darius and learning about the culture and history of the area.
His relationship with his grandmother was so precious. This book was heavy on relationships, and not all were good. Although by the end of the book there was hope for some.
I really enjoyed this story, a lot more than I expected. I'm looking forward to listening to the follow-up, Darius the Great Deserves Better. I think Darius is such a compelling character, he stole my heart a little.

I thought the narration was terrific, I'm very glad I listened to the audiobook. Michael Levi Harris did a wonderful job with all the different voices, and there were a lot of them!

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.

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.

Very sweet young adult novel

Thoughtful and sweet novel about friendship and family. The voices were well done and beautifully differentiated characters and portrayed an odd one out main character who is lovable through his self doubt and fears.

trying to fit in

it was a great story full of cultural differences that I as the reader was enchanted and intrigued to learn more about. Darius was a very relatable character with depression and his struggle with his relationships in his family and friends.