Darius Kellner has never felt like he truly belonged anywhere. He gets teased at school for things beyond his control. At home, his father watches and sighs at his every move. Being half-Persian, half-white makes him feel disconnected from his family in Iran, especially because the only way they ever connected was through a laptop screen. He even feels disconnected from his younger little, who was taught to speak Farsi while he wasn’t. His clinical depression makes him feel more alienated than anything else, and his medication is always forcing him to answer awkward questions from other people who don’t seem to understand. In fact, Darius relates more to his love of Tolkien and Star Trek than anything else.
When his grandfather falls ill, Darius and his family pack and fly to Iran. This allows Darius to meet his Persian family, and to see his seemingly-stoic grandfather for the first and last time. In Iran, he meets Sohrab, a neighbor and friend of the family. Sohrab immediately feels like home to Darius. The pair quickly become best friends. Through his friendship with Sohrab, the boy who understands him and never tries to change him, and through his immersion into Persian culture, Darius begins to piece himself together. He truly begins to understand where his family came from and what it’s like to have a real connection to someone. Surrounded by his newfound friends and family, Darius begins to understand who he is, and that it’s not only okay, but sometimes great to just be yourself and live in the in-between.
Adib Khorram paints an all-too familiar picture about what it’s like to grow up in America and be disconnected from the culture your family came from. When your family is from another part of the world, you will never truly have the same experiences that they did if you’re growing up in another country, and because of this, Darius and his struggle to fit into his own family hits home. It also strongly captures what it’s like to live with depression and how much that can take a toll on the way you see the world. Khorram never tries to hide the fact that both Darius and his father have depression, and that really makes his characters all that much more relatable. Mental illnesses aren’t spoken about enough, and if they are, they’re usually very hush-hush, so to see it spoken about in such an open manner gave me hope.
This book is about finding yourself, finding friendship, and forgiving yourself for not being what everyone else wants you to be. It’s beautifully written and it makes even the reader feel right at home. Everyone should look forward to this book.
When his grandfather falls ill, Darius and his family pack and fly to Iran. This allows Darius to meet his Persian family, and to see his seemingly-stoic grandfather for the first and last time. In Iran, he meets Sohrab, a neighbor and friend of the family. Sohrab immediately feels like home to Darius. The pair quickly become best friends. Through his friendship with Sohrab, the boy who understands him and never tries to change him, and through his immersion into Persian culture, Darius begins to piece himself together. He truly begins to understand where his family came from and what it’s like to have a real connection to someone. Surrounded by his newfound friends and family, Darius begins to understand who he is, and that it’s not only okay, but sometimes great to just be yourself and live in the in-between.
Adib Khorram paints an all-too familiar picture about what it’s like to grow up in America and be disconnected from the culture your family came from. When your family is from another part of the world, you will never truly have the same experiences that they did if you’re growing up in another country, and because of this, Darius and his struggle to fit into his own family hits home. It also strongly captures what it’s like to live with depression and how much that can take a toll on the way you see the world. Khorram never tries to hide the fact that both Darius and his father have depression, and that really makes his characters all that much more relatable. Mental illnesses aren’t spoken about enough, and if they are, they’re usually very hush-hush, so to see it spoken about in such an open manner gave me hope.
This book is about finding yourself, finding friendship, and forgiving yourself for not being what everyone else wants you to be. It’s beautifully written and it makes even the reader feel right at home. Everyone should look forward to this book.