I don't generally read a lot of young adult realistic fiction, but when I do, I prefer to read the ones heavy on meaning and double heavy on emotion. This one covered both of those perfectly. The story follows Darius as he takes his first ever trip to Iran to visit and stay with family there. There is a lot going on here. Darius suffers from depression and takes medication, as does his father. His father is also overbearing and extremely rigid, which makes Darius feel as though he doesn't matter. There is also a bit of personality confusion as it relates to his ethnic identity. Where does he belong? With whom does he fit in? And lastly, there is a subtext that indicates that Darius is gay, but still in the closet. All these issues make this a heavy, but breathtakingly beautiful read.