Darius the Great Is Not Okay
  • Published: 20 August 2019
  • ISBN: 9780525552970
  • Imprint: Penguin Books US
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $19.99

Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Formats & editions
Paperback
20 Aug 2019
Hardback
15 Sep 2018
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Hilarious and heartbreaking, this unforgettable novel is for anyone who's ever felt not good enough--then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.

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.
  • Published: 20 August 2019
  • ISBN: 9780525552970
  • Imprint: Penguin Books US
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $19.99
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Also by Adib Khorram

Bijan Always Wins
The Breakup Lists
Kiss & Tell
Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story
Darius the Great Deserves Better
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Praise for Darius the Great Is Not Okay

TIME's 10 Best Young Adult and Children's 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. . . . 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

"Heartfelt, tender, and so utterly real. I'd live in this book forever if I could." --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"I love this story, and the way it combines the bitter of adolescence with the sweet of friendship and family. Brewed together they make a beautiful, memorable book." --Laurie Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak

* "First-time author Khorram's coming-of-age novel brings to life the sight, sounds, smells, and tastes of [Iran] . . . as it shows how a boy who feels like an outcast at home finds himself and true friendship overseas." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Filled with insight into the lives of teens." --Kirkus, starred review

* "[Darius's] cross-cultural story will inspire reflection about identity and belonging. . . . Give this to fans of Adam Silvera and John Corey Whaley." --School Library Journal, starred review