4.5/5 Stars: ‘Darius the Great Is Not Okay’ is a Young Adult, Contemporary by Adib Khorram; ‘Darius the Great Is Not Okay’ is a gentle, heart-warming and utterly captivating cross-cultural, coming-of-age novel that delivers a profound message of hope for any teen who is struggling with depression, or felt they would never fit in. There's no sex or violence or profanity-laced dialogue in ‘Darius the Great Is Not Okay’, it is simply an almost-impossible-to-put-down story told by a nerdy teen with a wicked sense of humour, who, like so many boys and girls in high school, is picked on simply because he has different interests and looks different. The book ripens into an exploration of understanding one’s identity - both personally and culturally. Khorram’s debut novel is an affectionate portrait of Iran: the food and aromas, the rich traditions and eclectic culture; the somewhat choppy first-person narrative also explains Farsi phrases and their complex etymology. As Darius’s palpable discomfort begins to give way, readers will understand that home can be more than the physical place you live, and that people who make you feel at home can come into your life unexpectedly.