I am glad that I am part of this generation of book community when every group or collective or race has been given equal chance to be represented through various stories in this modern literature era.

And with this comes my 28th read of the year, and second for this month, which is Adib Khorram's Darius the Great is not Okay. This book has been on my radar since it was published late 2018 and blessed that I was able to snag a copy when our local bookstore went super sale this summer.

This book features the story of Darius Kellner, a half-American half-Persian young adult who has been diagnosed with genetic depression, a mental disorder he inherited from his dad which made him have a way more flexible feeling than usual. With this comes a lot of thoughts, mostly sad thoughts, as Darius manage to survive his daily struggle in the monotonous setting at Chapel Hill High School, a place that tolerates Zero Bullying but also shelters some basic stereotype of Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy. But the fate suddenly turned the table as the Kellners heard the news that their Babou, Ardeshir Bahrami who has been diagnosed with brain tumor, is not getting any better. Then, the Kellners sudden plan to book a flight to Iran happened which, unknowingly, will make Darius' life be changed.

This book is a story of finally finding your identity. Though the character of Darius Kellner has been early established as a Star Trek fan who usually doubts himself and normally calculates interaction with people whom he feel awkward interacting with, Darius' charcter development is still noticeable as he journeyed from being a Chapel Hill High wallflower to being an infamous soccer star in Yazd, Iran. I love how Adib subtly made me feel attached with Darius everytime he experienced something new, from visiting the lands where his roots are really are to finding an unexpected best friend who managed to stay with him through thick and thin.

Also, this book highlights a great story of friendship. I like how Darius and Sohrab instantaneously clicked the moment they first met at Babou's fig garden during the Kellners' first morning at Yazd. Though their connection was challenged along the way, this book goes to show that genuine friendships remain intact whatever storm hinder the path. Darius and Sohrab's friendship made me think how awesome it would be to have a follow-up book featuring our two MCs being successful football star players of both USA and Iran. That would be nice.

I also like how this book introduced me to the wonderful world of Iran. And I also notice a lot of similarity with the Persian culture with ours here in the Philippines. I like the idea of taarofing, or the act of being hospitable to your guests which is commonly practiced and well-noted in most Asian countries. I also feel the same towards family celebration for I was from a big clan and we always tend to have huge celebration especially during Christmas and fiesta. Also, this book highlighted how beautiful and magical the places in Iran are, I like to visit the Khaki Kingdom, the ruins of Persepolis, and stay in Yazd to witness the astonishing architecture of Jameh Mosque's minarets and celebrate with the locals during Nowruz. Ugh.

Lastly, let me stress this out. This book features a main character who suffers from depression and I think that this book is timely and relevant to read during this generation when most people silently battles with depression and anxiety. After finishing this book, it will make you question yourself, when was the last time I asked how my friend was doing with his/her life. Ask your friend. Ask your family. You may not notice but everyone's facing a battle they never talk about. Ask them before it's too late. Ciao.

Rating:4.5 stars