Darius doesn’t think he’ll ever be enough, in America or in Iran. Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows moreabout Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it’s pretty overwhelming—especially when he’s also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom’s family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything. Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what’s going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don’t have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he’s spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab. When it’s time to go home to America, he’ll have to find a way to be Darioush on hisown. (taken from goodreads.com)
Darius has always felt like he was different. He’s only fractional Persian, he doesn’t have as many friends as the other kids in his class does, he isn’t on a sports team and his relationship with his father is strained. When Darius’s grandfather in Iran gets sick, his family goes to visit to visit, giving him the opportunity to do so many new things.
I absolutely loved this book more than anything. I don’t know why I hadn’t read this book earlier, but I am so happy I finally got around to reading this.
The writing was easy to get sucked into, making you feel fully enveloped in the story the minute you start reading.
Darius has depression and so does his dad, its one of the few things that have in common. As the story progresses and they go to Iran to visit his family, slowly Darius and his dad start to talk about more especially what its like when you love someone whose depression hits a low they have never experienced before. I love how Darius and his dad are able to build a deeper connection and while its because they both suffer from depression, they are able to understand each other better.
When Darius goes to Iran, he meets a boy his age named Sohrab and they become fast friends. He is one of the first friends Darius has ever had and they are each others best friends. The friendship they develop is real, solid and so sweet. Since Sohrab knows Darius’s grandparents, they spend a lot of time together at his grandparents home and they play soccer together.
If you’re looking for a fun, sweet, heartfelt and amazingly well written story about friendship, growing up, and learning to accept yourself I highly recommend you check this one out!