Darius is not Great, But Pretty OK

Yeah, so there was not a lot of drama in coming to a conclusion about what should move on for our little West side group, and from what I’m hearing from the most connected man in the world (Hello, Mr. Smilanich!) all of our larger group also felt that Darius The Great Is Not Okay is the book to go forward into the next round. And I’m Ok with that, but here’s the thing: I’m just OK with that. I didn’t love this book and I didn’t really dislike Saints and Misfits, so I’m having a little trouble working up the necessary pique or passion that I usually try to channel in these things.

They were both generally interesting novels with narrators who I wanted to learn more about, even as they - sometimes subtly and sometimes didactically- taught me some interesting things about their complex social and cultural lives. The teen angst runs pretty deep in both novels and there are times when both characters can grate a bit, not only because of their heartfelt expressions of anguish (and what self-respecting teen novel doesn’t have a bit of that?) but also through their failure to see the other people in their lives as fully functioning entities, rather than just role players in their dramas. I know, that’s probably asking a lot as we’re not typically operating at peak empathy in those challenging teen years, but one of the reasons that I think Khorram’s novel emerges as the victor here is that Darius actually ultimately moves past this kind of insular world view, prompted, yes, by a literal trip abroad. He doesn’t just gain self understanding, he does so by ultimately embracing a more fully realized vision of those around him, most notably, his dad, but also the other members of his family, and even relatively peripheral characters like Chip.

In contrast, I’m not sure Janna - who undoubtedly learns some important things about herself and finds her voice in the face of trauma - really sees the other people in her life - including some interesting characters (I’m thinking a novel narrated by Sausan would be highly entertaining) - as little more than functionaries in service of her journey to self-discovery. Again, maybe that asking a lot from a book that - while it deals with a range of challenging and important topics - is ultimately a pretty breezy read, and I mean that in a positive way: I think there are a lot of kids who would enjoy the story arc and the ongoing multi-faceted “drama” of it all. Darius The Great is Not Okay is not without some teen drama as well, but ultimately, it has a little more depth and nuance. I think they are both solid novels,from young writers with something to say, with not insubstantial (if not overwhelming) writing chops that would be good additions to your school library. If you had to pick one, though, we’d recommend Darius The Great is Not Okay.