I’m not sure how much was unconscious decision on Khorram’s part for Darius’s characterization to be the way he is thanks to being depressed.Īs far as depression representation goes, there’s a stark lack of self-awareness which makes Darius even more closed off. The nerd references throughout the novel already make him a little inaccessible to readers, myself included, though I appreciate his passion for it. When he visits Iran with is family to meet his declining grandfather and extended family for the first time, he discovers radical love and acceptance in the form of a deeply personal friendship with another boy in the neighborhood: Sohrab.ĭarius’s sole personality traits seem to be that he is a trekkie, and he loves tea. I can see the book’s appeal to some readers, but it consistently missed the mark for me.ĭarius has a lot of problems: no friends, a mall job he hates, bullies, and the crushing expectations of a father who seems perpetually disappointed in him. A tepid 3 stars from me, though I’m rounding up from 2.5 if I was allowed to award half-stars on goodreads. Darius the Great might not be okay, and unfortunately for this book, it’s just skimming the bar for “okay”.
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