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Darius the Great Deserves Better
(Darius the Great #2)
by
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 Sohr ...more
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 Sohr ...more
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
August 25th 2020
by Dial Books for Young Readers
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Adib Khorram
Correct, Landon is on the right and Chip is on the left.
Adib Khorram
Nothing more is planned for now, but this one was a surprise, so who knows!
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Darius the Great Deserves Better (Darius the Great, #2)

I’ve not cried this much since...well, since Darius the Great is not Okay
I just finished one of my most anticipated books of the year, the sequel to one of my all-time favourite books. And now I can breathe again. I was so scared. Writing a sequel to a beloved, special book is a frightening and difficult task but Adib pulled it off.
This book is set a few months after Darius' family's return from Iran, where they visited Darius' grandparents. Now that school has started again, Darius is part of t ...more
I just finished one of my most anticipated books of the year, the sequel to one of my all-time favourite books. And now I can breathe again. I was so scared. Writing a sequel to a beloved, special book is a frightening and difficult task but Adib pulled it off.
This book is set a few months after Darius' family's return from Iran, where they visited Darius' grandparents. Now that school has started again, Darius is part of t ...more

Wow I need a hug I loved this book SO MUCH. I have grown so attached to Darius and his entire family and I would love nothing more than to read book, after book, after book following them moving through life together. I wish I had something more profound to say other than just screaming "I REALLY, REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK AND YOU ALL NEED TO PRE-ORDER IT AND READ IT WHEN IT COMES OUT," but this book turned me into the best kind of happy/sad mush and that is all I can currently muster. I honestly th
...more

Sep 24, 2019
Tucker (TuckerTheReader)
marked it as not-released-tbr
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
lgbtqia

[pointing to Darius] that’s my emotional support soccer gay

My favorite contemporary of all time is getting a sequel and the announcement made me burst into spontaneous tears. HOW WILL I SURVIVE UNTIL I CAN READ THIS?????

4.5 stars, rounded up.
Adib Khorram's new novel, Darius the Great Deserves Better , is a beautiful, heartwarming, and emotional story about family, friends, love, identity, sexuality, mental health, self-esteem...and tea. Lots of tea.
Darius Kellner, the protagonist of Khorram's terrific Darius the Great is Not Okay , returns, and it is so good to have him back. When the novel opens, things are going well for Darius. He has a boyfriend, Landon, an internship at a fancy tea shop, he plays on ...more
Adib Khorram's new novel, Darius the Great Deserves Better , is a beautiful, heartwarming, and emotional story about family, friends, love, identity, sexuality, mental health, self-esteem...and tea. Lots of tea.
Darius Kellner, the protagonist of Khorram's terrific Darius the Great is Not Okay , returns, and it is so good to have him back. When the novel opens, things are going well for Darius. He has a boyfriend, Landon, an internship at a fancy tea shop, he plays on ...more

“I am happy,” I said. “I’m just depressed too.”
My depression was part of me. Just like being gay was.
A part, but not the whole.
My depression was part of me. Just like being gay was.
A part, but not the whole.

After learning tons about Perisan culture in Darius the Great is Not Okay, I was overjoyed to read a second novel following Darius and his family!
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Upon returning from their visit to Iran, Darius is forced to adjust back to life in America. He misses his best friend Sohrab, as well as his mother’s family that they had to leave behind.
Now Darius is a part of the Varsity soccer team at school, he’s getting along great with his dad, and he has a boyfriend. Just w ...more
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Upon returning from their visit to Iran, Darius is forced to adjust back to life in America. He misses his best friend Sohrab, as well as his mother’s family that they had to leave behind.
Now Darius is a part of the Varsity soccer team at school, he’s getting along great with his dad, and he has a boyfriend. Just w ...more

It's not often Contemporaries get sequels, and I was so so softly glad to be back with Darius. 😭💛 Book one was so gentle and introspective, emotional with really deep character arcs. I got attached to Darius and his struggle with depression and fitting in and connecting with his Iranian roots as he visited for the first time and fixing his relationship with his dad.
The sequel is set back in the US, and mostly follows Darius' family as they go through a rough time. Obviously his grandfather is dy ...more
The sequel is set back in the US, and mostly follows Darius' family as they go through a rough time. Obviously his grandfather is dy ...more

Sep 25, 2020
Meags
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lgbt,
cover-lust,
cute-kids,
romance,
geektastic,
fave-characters,
mm-faves,
mm,
young-adult,
disability-illness-mentalhealth
4.5 Stars
Darius the Great Deserves Better continues the coming-of-age story of Darius Kellner, a gay Iranian-American high-schooler, who loves drinking tea, plays on his school’s soccer team, and works tirelessly to manage his anxiety and depression so he can live a happy and healthy life.
In this sequel, Darius, now out to his family and friends, experiences his first-ever relationship with a boy named Landon. Every kiss and touch are both exciting and terrifying for the always shy and body cons ...more
Darius the Great Deserves Better continues the coming-of-age story of Darius Kellner, a gay Iranian-American high-schooler, who loves drinking tea, plays on his school’s soccer team, and works tirelessly to manage his anxiety and depression so he can live a happy and healthy life.
In this sequel, Darius, now out to his family and friends, experiences his first-ever relationship with a boy named Landon. Every kiss and touch are both exciting and terrifying for the always shy and body cons ...more

"Ghorbanat beram is one of those perfect Farsi phrases you can't quite translate into English.
The closest thing is: I would give my life for yours.
Sometimes it was just hyperbole.
But for Sohrab, it was literal."
"And it didn't feel like Sohrab either, who felt like the kind of person I could count on for anything. Who knew me inside and out. Who accepted all my flaws and still made me wish I could be better."
"How do you explain the fear that someone you love might stop loving you all of a ...more
The closest thing is: I would give my life for yours.
Sometimes it was just hyperbole.
But for Sohrab, it was literal."
"And it didn't feel like Sohrab either, who felt like the kind of person I could count on for anything. Who knew me inside and out. Who accepted all my flaws and still made me wish I could be better."
"How do you explain the fear that someone you love might stop loving you all of a ...more

Sep 24, 2019
Helia
marked it as to-read
DARIUS THE GREAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BOOKS I'VE GENUINELY SEEN MYSELF IN AND IT'S GETTING A SEQUEL I'M CRYING
To know that an Iranian writer can write a book about an Iranian kid and his experience living between two cultures, and that the book was popular enough to warrant a sequel? It means everything to me.
I'd been invisible prior to reading that book and I didn't even know it. I can't wait to see Darius again.
29/12/2019 Edit: We have a cover!! Thank you for all the likes <3 if you want to re ...more
To know that an Iranian writer can write a book about an Iranian kid and his experience living between two cultures, and that the book was popular enough to warrant a sequel? It means everything to me.
I'd been invisible prior to reading that book and I didn't even know it. I can't wait to see Darius again.
29/12/2019 Edit: We have a cover!! Thank you for all the likes <3 if you want to re ...more

Thank you PenguinTeen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love Darius. I didn’t think I could love him anymore than I already do, but I proved myself wrong. Heck, I love the whole family and I freaking loved this entire book. I loved seeing Darius’s growth from the first book and throughout this book. His love for teas is like no other and it was all those simple moments of him talking about or making tea, that I realized how much I cherished this book. I enjoyed seeing Darius make ne ...more
I love Darius. I didn’t think I could love him anymore than I already do, but I proved myself wrong. Heck, I love the whole family and I freaking loved this entire book. I loved seeing Darius’s growth from the first book and throughout this book. His love for teas is like no other and it was all those simple moments of him talking about or making tea, that I realized how much I cherished this book. I enjoyed seeing Darius make ne ...more

4.5
darius is MY crybaby gay rep
darius is MY crybaby gay rep

This novel was even better than the first one and I'm itching for a third installment in this series. After two books, I have deeply connected with Darius and all I want for him is happiness. My favorite part about these books is the depression representation. It is the most accurate portrayal of the mental illness that I have suffered that I have ever come across. It makes me feel for Darius and his father, who also suffers from depression, even more. I also had a lot of fun with the love trian
...more

I just finished and this was truly such an amazing way to end my weekend.
I have so many feelings. Words are hard, but I can safely say that I love Darius as a character, and I loved this sequel. I want to take the whole series and start rereading immediately--that is how much I loved this.
It's definitely a different time of Darius' life than what we saw in Darius the Great Is Not Okay. You absolutely could pick this up without reading book 1--but why would you want to? Nonetheless, Darius is no ...more
I have so many feelings. Words are hard, but I can safely say that I love Darius as a character, and I loved this sequel. I want to take the whole series and start rereading immediately--that is how much I loved this.
It's definitely a different time of Darius' life than what we saw in Darius the Great Is Not Okay. You absolutely could pick this up without reading book 1--but why would you want to? Nonetheless, Darius is no ...more

It’s really rare a contemporary YA book to get sequel, I love “Darius The Great Is Not Okay’ – visit Iran became one on my wishlist just because of this book –I was super happy to know we get a sequel for that book cause I really want to see “something happen” between these 2 characters I love in “Darius The Great Is Not okay”
*spoiler alert* It didn’t happen here but somehow this book works for me
I love how Adib Khoram always knew how to write depression in his story, it felt so relateable and y ...more
*spoiler alert* It didn’t happen here but somehow this book works for me
I love how Adib Khoram always knew how to write depression in his story, it felt so relateable and y ...more

I wonder what my assigned FBI employee must think when they see me come on here every other day in the middle of the night, just crying my eyes out, to throw yet another 5 star rating at a book.
I love these books so much. I love each and every word within them. I love Darius. His story is the sort that just sucks you in so much that you will forget about your own life. I've said in my review for book 1 that my favourite aspect was Darius's voice, how well it fit his character, and how clear of ...more
I love these books so much. I love each and every word within them. I love Darius. His story is the sort that just sucks you in so much that you will forget about your own life. I've said in my review for book 1 that my favourite aspect was Darius's voice, how well it fit his character, and how clear of ...more

May 26, 2020
Anniek
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2-ya,
fat-mc,
3-contemporary,
asian-author,
author-of-colour,
mc-of-colour,
1-2020-releases,
asian-mc,
depression,
lgbtq
I've been wanting a sequel ever since I first read Darius the Great Is Not Okay in 2018, and couldn't be happier that we were actually blessed with one. The first book was so special, and I can confirm this one is as well.
It actually took me a while to get into this book. I reread book 1 first and dove in right after finishing that, and because of that, I had some trouble adjusting to the tone of voice. Because this book is set a few months after the first book ends, and Darius goes through a lo ...more
It actually took me a while to get into this book. I reread book 1 first and dove in right after finishing that, and because of that, I had some trouble adjusting to the tone of voice. Because this book is set a few months after the first book ends, and Darius goes through a lo ...more

darius really deserve the best! please read this duology, you won't regret!
...more

I have been anticipating this book since it was first announced, because its predecessor has a small piece of my heart forever, and so it's fitting that this is pretty much the first book I picked up after a months-long reading slump. I don't really have anything articulate to say, except that like the first book, this one squeezed my heart and made me feel both happy and sad and just... human. It was so great to see Darius build upon all the growth and knowledge about himself he gained over the
...more

4.5 Stars
CWs: Incurred bullying, racism, xenophobic comments, homophobic comments, descriptions of anxiety and depressive episodes, some toxic relationships, explores early signs of what could be emotional abuse
When I heard that this book was announced, I was so excited to have even more Darius content in my life, but I was also curious to see if a sequel to a contemporary YA story could hold up to the original. Now that I've read this book, let me just say: I am SO glad this story exists.
Ri ...more
CWs: Incurred bullying, racism, xenophobic comments, homophobic comments, descriptions of anxiety and depressive episodes, some toxic relationships, explores early signs of what could be emotional abuse
When I heard that this book was announced, I was so excited to have even more Darius content in my life, but I was also curious to see if a sequel to a contemporary YA story could hold up to the original. Now that I've read this book, let me just say: I am SO glad this story exists.
Ri ...more

Darius the Great still had more to say and I'm so glad I was able to read them. This sequel is even more wholesome than the first one and Darius's relationship with his family and friends is still the purest thing on Earth. I enjoy reading him grow accustomed to his Teen Television Drama of a life, deal with Level Nine Awkward Silences, and figure things regarding passion and love out in his own.
I honestly just wish there are still more books to come instead of having only a duology because I'm ...more
I honestly just wish there are still more books to come instead of having only a duology because I'm ...more

Darius the Great DOES deserve better! Bless his sweet heart!
I love how this book doesn't pull any punches about mental illness and how it can affect whole families. The frank discussion Darius has at one point, that he can be happy and still be depressed, was wonderful to see on the page! I loved how Khorram talks about micro aggressions, and how words can hurt, and how apologizing without changing anything, without even trying to not do it again, makes the "I'm sorry" so meaningless.
Like the ...more
I love how this book doesn't pull any punches about mental illness and how it can affect whole families. The frank discussion Darius has at one point, that he can be happy and still be depressed, was wonderful to see on the page! I loved how Khorram talks about micro aggressions, and how words can hurt, and how apologizing without changing anything, without even trying to not do it again, makes the "I'm sorry" so meaningless.
Like the ...more

I know nothing about this book and I'm so freaking excited for it !!
...more

I was thrilled to hear we were getting more of Darius and his family. I knew (hoped!!!) Darius had more to say and share with us. And I was right. This boy…well you just have to meet him.
So much has changed since we last saw Darius in Iran visiting his family. Due to financial worries, his parents are working constantly. His Dad is even out of town for work, which in turn, brings his grandmothers to stay to help out. But his Dad’s parents are hard to talk to and connect with, which only seems to ...more

A beautiful sequel to a beautiful book. Darius is the most neurotic, thoughtful, nerdy protagonist and I just want to give him a HUG.
While the first book focused on his feelings of inadequacies in being Persian American, the second discusses his feelings regarding boys, his physical appearance (there’s some great parts about male body image — even mentioning stretch marks — that are powerful!), parental relationships, and boundaries.
These books are so introspective and beautiful and I wholeheart ...more
While the first book focused on his feelings of inadequacies in being Persian American, the second discusses his feelings regarding boys, his physical appearance (there’s some great parts about male body image — even mentioning stretch marks — that are powerful!), parental relationships, and boundaries.
These books are so introspective and beautiful and I wholeheart ...more

i don't know where to begin with this book. i didn't expect this, that's for sure.
i definitely didn't expect to cry, much less sob like i did. rtc, but a final favourite of the year for sure.
(probably all time too.)
i truly didn't think this book could mean as much to me as the first one does, but it just cemented the fact that i am so much like darius and it hurts. ...more
i definitely didn't expect to cry, much less sob like i did. rtc, but a final favourite of the year for sure.
(probably all time too.)
i truly didn't think this book could mean as much to me as the first one does, but it just cemented the fact that i am so much like darius and it hurts. ...more

"That's the thing about silences. Sometimes they keep coming back."
CW/s: depression, death in family, financial struggles, homophobia (challenged), microaggressions/racism (challenged), mention of immigration.
I'm was so excited for this book and it definitely delivered for me. Honestly looking back at Darius The Great Is Not Okay, it was definitely a 5 star read. I really loved it so getting to step back into these characters and their story, it was ah-mazing.
This was takes qui ...more
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Adib Khorram is an author, a graphic designer, and a tea enthusiast. If he's not writing (or at his day job), you can probably find him trying to get his 100 yard Freestyle under a minute, or learning to do a Lutz Jump. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where people don't usually talk about themselves in the third person. You can find him on Twitter (@adibkhorram), Instagram (@adibkhorram), or on
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Darius the Great
(2 books)
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As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of young...
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“Being depressed doesn’t mean I’m not happy. It’s like, happy is one color. And depressed is another color. And you can paint happy, and then paint a little depression around the edges.”
—
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“You deserve people in your life who make you happy, Darius. No matter what. Just remember that. Okay?”
—
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