realistic & hopeful

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This book follows Darius Kellner as he visits his mother's home country of Iran for the first time in order to say goodbye to his dying grandfather. It explores cultural differences especially concerning masculinity, and is a very realistic portrayal of chronic depression that I could have used when I was a teen.

While Darius is in Iran he makes his first true best friend, Sohrab, who makes a point to include Darius in the soccer games that the boys in his grandparent's town play together. Darius has never had a loyal friend like Sohrab before, and he has a tough time navigating what Sohrab's intentions may be, often being defensive due to his own insecurity.

I felt that this book was written incredibly realistically and Darius was a very believable teen narrator with insecurities, quirks and flaws that fleshed him and other characters out in a way that makes them incredibly relatable and makes you want to stay with these characters forever.