In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It’s everything he’s ever wanted–but what if he deserves better?
Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran, a lot has changed. He’s getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, varsity soccer practices, and an internship at his favorite tea shop, things are falling into place.
Then, of course, everything changes. Darius’s grandmothers are in town for a long visit, and Darius can’t tell whether they even like him. The internship is not going according to plan, Sohrab isn’t answering Darius’s calls, and Dad is far away on business. And Darius is sure he really likes Landon . . . but he’s also been hanging out with Chip Cusumano, former bully and current soccer teammate–and well, maybe he’s not so sure about anything after all.
Darius was just starting to feel okay, like he finally knew what it meant to be Darius Kellner. But maybe okay isn’t good enough. Maybe Darius deserves better.
Darius the Great Deserves Better
By adibkhorram
Audible Review
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 5 out of 5 stars
Darius Deserves all the Stars
I loved this story, even more than Darius the Great is Not Okay, and I thought that was a really wonderful coming of age story. But Darius the Great Deserves Better was even better. Darius deserves all the stars. I laughed, I cried. I wish we could follow Darius through high school and college, through finding his one true love and getting his happily ever after. Adib Khorram has created such a special character in Darius.
This book was heavy at times, and very real. But it was also sweet and cute, and I just wanted to wrap Darius up in a hug.
It covered so many relevant topics for a high schooler, I really felt for Darius and all the different things he was dealing with and going through. He’s just too precious and I’m sad to say good-bye.
Michael Levi Harris does such an awesome job narrating these books. He really brings Darius to life and makes it feel like you are right there with him, almost as if you’re watching things play out instead of just listening. I enjoyed his narrations of the secondary characters as well, especially Mamou, Darius’s grandmother. She was the sweetest and MLH was really able to show that side of her. I loved everything about his performance.
A poignant read about self-identity, love, family, and sexuality set against a backdrop of cultural coming-of-age. This story follows Darius Kellner—at a point of self-acceptance and exploring what that means—when everything starts to unravel once again. He is maneuvering relationships between his boyfriend, Landon, and his soccer teammate Chip Cusumano, his grandmothers, the connection with his Dad, a job, and a recent trip to Iran.
I started the book with high expectations, not realizing I picked up book 2 instead of book 1. I would have liked to come to this story with some of the foundations established in the prior book, since this one picks up right where the previous book ended. Overlooking that, this story still read seamlessly on its own.
The strengths of the book include an honesty in the writing, strong character development, and a real relatability in addressing teen issues like consent, sexuality, and the intersection of culture and society. It was a poignant and heartfelt read. I did find at times that I wasn’t sure where the story was headed, as there wasn’t a lot of plot driving it to an end result.
Overall, I thought this was a solid story with strong characters that readers will relate to, but I would have liked to have a bit more plot to carry the story forward.
Thank you BookCon and Penguin Teen for this advanced copy of Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram.
Darius the Great Deserves Better takes place a few months after Darius the Great is Okay and we find Darius in his junior year, dating hunky Landon, interning at a trendy tea shop and playing on the soccer team. He is still dealing with his clinical depression, worrying about his grandfather in Iran and dealing with local bully Trent.
Like the first novel, Darius approaches everything with his own unique humor and sensitivity. I think readers of all ages will appreciate watching him fumble through his first relationship and his candor about not being ready for sex.
I highly recommend Darius the Great Deserves Better and I hope Adib Khorram will continue to follow Darius through his senior year and beyond.
A perfect blend of affirmation, hope, and love. Adib Khorram is one of my favorite authors of today.
Adib Khorram has done it again. Darius the Great Deserves Better is a gift of a novel, hiting all the right notes like a perfectly balanced tea — heartwarming and hilarious and beautifully honest. Fans of Darius Kellner, rest assured: This is the sequel we deserve.
I’m absolutely in love with this book. Adib Khorram has written another wise and charming tale that explores all the complexities of intersectional identities with heart and humor.
Khorram manages the impossible: A stunning follow-up to Darius the Great Is Not Okay that stands alone as a masterful exploration of love, grief, and desire. This isn’t just a book I needed as a teenager; it’s one I need right now.
Khorram explores the intersection of Iranian and queer identity with aching tenderness and realism. This book is like a cup of tea that is as comforting as it is bold. I love it.