Darius Kellner isn't sure he fits in anywhere. At school, he's the Fractional Persian, the kid who sticks out as being just a bit different. At home, he struggles to connect with his dad, who is Zero Persian but rather a blond Teutonic ideal. He doesn't speak Farsi like his mom and little sister. Even the way he makes tea seems called into question.
But when his grandfather is diagnosed with a brain tumor, Darius is thrown into his most fish-out-of-water situation yet: Iran. He is in a country where he doesn't understand the customs of know anyone-- not really even the family he's there to visit and has only spoken to through a computer screen. But in this strange world comes Darius's first real friend and a greater understanding of who he is. He might live up to his great namesake after all.
I would call this book a "quiet contemporary." The story is entirely character driven. I really enjoyed this. I did think Darius was a little to hard on his dad and it was weird the way he refered to him as a Ubermensch. I think this is being marketed as LGBT but there is only the vaugest hint of that. This is a simple, sweet coming of age story set in a culture rarely written about in English.
Thank you to Bookish First for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
But when his grandfather is diagnosed with a brain tumor, Darius is thrown into his most fish-out-of-water situation yet: Iran. He is in a country where he doesn't understand the customs of know anyone-- not really even the family he's there to visit and has only spoken to through a computer screen. But in this strange world comes Darius's first real friend and a greater understanding of who he is. He might live up to his great namesake after all.
I would call this book a "quiet contemporary." The story is entirely character driven. I really enjoyed this. I did think Darius was a little to hard on his dad and it was weird the way he refered to him as a Ubermensch. I think this is being marketed as LGBT but there is only the vaugest hint of that. This is a simple, sweet coming of age story set in a culture rarely written about in English.
Thank you to Bookish First for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.