Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book):
In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It’s everything he’s ever wanted–but what if he deserves better? Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran this past spring, a lot has changed. He’s getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally knows what it means to be Darius Kellner.
Then, of course, everything changes. Darius’s grandmothers are in town for a long visit while his dad is gone on business, and Darius isn’t sure whether they even like him. The internship isn’t what Darius thought it would be, and now he doesn’t know about turning tea into his career. He was sure he liked Landon, but when he starts hanging out with Chip–soccer teammate and best friend of Trent Bolger, epic bully–well, he’s just not so sure about Landon anymore, either.
Darius thought he knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he deserves better.
MY OPINION: ****
I'm rarely a fan of sequels, especially in YA novels that would have been fine as standalones. However, I found myself smiling just as much as I did in the first book while reading this one and ended up enjoying it extremely. While there were parts of it I didn't like, I found the book as a whole to live up to its predecessor and capture Darius's spunk and personality yet again from a different perspective and in a different setting.
I very much resonate with Darius. I love his character, his personality, and everything about him. I think he goes through a lot of mental health struggles that many teens can feel recognized by, and I liked how the author didn't make Darius's depression his entire personality and instead built it as another part of himself. I loved reading about Darius's struggles and inability to understand why he felt the way he did about certain things, and enjoyed seeing him fight past some of his biggest obstacles with the renewed help of his friends and family.
This book explores Darius as a teenager a lot more than it did in the first book, in my opinion. He begins navigating his first romantic relationship and he gets to explore his sexuality and identity a lot more so in this book than in the first one. I like that theme in YA, especially when it's done well, and while there were certain details that I felt were very unnecessary and could have been taken out, we get to truly see the "real" Darius in this sequel.
Darius really begins to expand upon his relationships with a lot of different people in this book, even more so than in the first. He helps his sister navigate the harsh climate at school with racist microaggressions and bullying spurred by prejudice. While I obviously hated that a little girl had to go through that from such an early age, it felt very realistic and heartbreaking. I liked how Darius stood up for his sister when nobody else seemed to, especially since he's been through many similar situations. We get to see more of Laleh and her personality than we did in the first book, which I enjoyed.
Darius also has his first real boyfriend, Landon, the son of Darius's boss at the new tea shop the two boys work at. I personally disliked Landon and found his character to be quite aggravating but I liked seeing the relationship between the two develop. While I wasn't really feeling the chemistry, I think that was sort of the point as Darius navigates his feelings and coming to terms with his lack of equal reciprocity to Landon's feelings for him. We also get to see a lot of important discussions on sex and consent, especially when two people have different levels of experience in those fields. I didn't like how Landon always seemed to push the issue, and it sort of rubbed me the wrong way. However, it did allow for important commentary on the importance of consent and being "ready" for such a big step.
*minor spoilers*
In the first book, Chip is described as Darius's main bully's best friend who doesn't really stick up for Darius. I personally dislike the trope where the bully (or friend of the bully) acts homophobic because they are actually queer themselves. I think it's overused to justify bullying because of internalized homophobia, and I especially don't like when the bully and the victim end up liking each other. This is less present in this book, as Chip and Darius don't ever really date, but there are some less-than-platonic feelings happening there. It's been done in a lot of books and shows and I usually am not a fan. However, I did like Chip and saw the merits to his character. I was more lenient since he wasn't Trent, the main bully. I do think he could have spoken up in support of Darius, but in the end, he was a fairly okay person who I think truly cared about Darius.
*end spoiler*
I loved reading Darius's inner dialogue and really jumping into his head. Many YA books try to copy this style but don't quite meet my expectations. However, I personally love the way Khorram really developed a unique voice for Darius and made him lovable, relatable, and, at times, pitiful.
I wish we had more of Sohrab in this book. Obviously, the boys live in two separate countries but it would have been nice for him to have been a bit more present. I do think the elements of culture and Persian identity that existed in the first book were more muted in this one, especially since it does not take place in Iran itself. However, I liked seeing more of Darius's grandmother and his family and seeing those dynamics.
I'm not sure if we're going to get a third book but I really hope we do because I feel like there were a lot of unresolved relationships and factors of this book that could be expanded upon in a third. However, it did feel like a nice place to end overall as things in life aren't always resolved. If there should end up being a third book, it would be on my auto-buy list immediately.
Overall, I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fun, cute, realistic journey into a young boy's brain, exploring identity, romance, relationships, and personal growth.
Main Character: Darius
Sidekick(s): Landon, Laleh, Chip, Sohrab, family, etc
Villain(s): Homophobia, discrimination, depression, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.
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