Thank you BookCon and Penguin Teen for this advanced copy of Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram.
Darius the Great Deserves Better takes place after Darius the Great is okay and we find Darius dating hunky Landon, interning at a trendy tea shop and playing on the soccer team. He is still dealing with his clinical depression, worrying about his grandfather in Iran and dealing with local bully Trent.
Like the first novel, Darius approaches everything with his own unique humor and sensitivity. I think readers of all ages will appreciate watching him fumble through his first relationship and his candor about not being ready for sex.
I highly recommend Darius the Great Deserves Better for readers of all ages and I hope Adib Khorram will continue to follow Darius through his senior year and beyond.

Really enjoyed this and will be telling friends about it! I loved the messages in this book and how it went about things.

This is such a soft, deft handling of so many issues and experiences - racism, homophobia, clinical depression, first relationships. Darius's voice is so clear, his world so full and well-inhabited, and Khorram's writing is the same. I did sometimes feel as if it was a little meandering or uneventful - the first book definitely seemed to have more of a plotline, while this is more a slice of life portrayal of school, family, romance and friendship, mental health, work, etc. Sohrab's story also felt notably sidelined, with a major life event mentioned but not delved deeply into, but overall this is a wonderful and worthy addition to any YA collection.

It was nice to be back with Darius and his family, but honestly this book was a bit dull. I feel like there was no real climax - even the key events (which I will omit to save spoiling) didn't really have the impact they could have.
I don't think I'll be adding it to my collection.

This sequel to Darius the Great Is Not Okay was a great continuation of Darius' story, but it is missing one big element: setting. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Setting the previous book in Iran gave the story a uniqueness that set it apart from most books. This is a good coming of age book and fans of Darius will certainly want to follow his journey.

I read this book in one sitting, which doesn’t surprise me. I loved the first book and this one is just as beautiful. I have very little in common with Darius on the surface, but yet he is a character I feel deeply connected to. Adib Khorram does a phenomenally attentive job of addressing topics such as depression, bullying, self-esteem, prejudice, queerness, and so much more (and all of this is done with charm, humor, and sensitivity). I could go on and on about my love of this book. I can’t wait for Darius the Great Deserves Better to come out on the 25th so that I can get a physical copy for my shelves.

Wow I need a hug I loved this book SO MUCH. I have grown so attached the 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 think I loved this even more than the first book (Darius the Great is Not Okay), and I REALLY loved that book. This series is just great and if you haven't read it yet: YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO.

TW: death of a parent/loved one, depression, racism, homophobia, being pressured into sexual acts when you're not ready, coming out

It was so wonderful to be in the headspace of Darius Kellner once again. He is such an incredible character, with his sweet nature and flaws. Reading these pages was like being with a friend you have missed.

This takes place a few months after the Kellners return from their trip to Yazd. So many things have changed... Some for the better, but then again, some for the worse. Darius has a job (well unpaid internship) at a great tea shop, a new boyfriend and a spot on the soccer team. He has become sort of friends with one of his former bullies, Chip. His relationship with his father is better than ever, having really connected during the finals days of their Iran trip. And he is constantly emailing and video chatting with Sohrab.

But, on the other hand, money is tight after the trip they took and both of his parents have to take on more at work, leaving them both drained. Laleh is acting different due to problems at school and she is shutting herself away in her room all the time. His grandfather's health is declining at a rapid rate. And Trent is still as awful as ever, sometimes even more than before.

I truly adored the friendship that blooms between Darius and Chip, something that begins after he returns from Iran. Chip was cruel to him through most of his childhood, right alongside Trent, but he is really making an effort to be friends with Darius, where Trent just gets meaner than ever. Watching Darius maneuver through those new feelings was really incredible. He has to decided if he wants to put all that hurt behind him or not. And then we have the relationship with Landon, the tea shop owner's son. I think that Darius learns a lot about himself and a lot about what he wants at this time in his life emotionally and physically with another boy.

Then, when his father has to go away on an extended business trip, his grandmothers, Grandma and Oma come to stay with them to help out. The relationship is strained between Darius and his grandmothers, which he has trouble with, assuming that since they are all gay, they would have at least some common ground.

I loved the representation of the very real issue Darius and Laleh face with other people (mainly white people) either downright bullying them because of their heritage, or (in most cases adults especially) not knowing how to deal with reprimanding the individuals who judge them so harshly.

I loved the queer representation in this, with not only Darius coming into his own and discovering who he is, but the trans rep with his grandmother. It is all done really beautifully.

This book was so full of both love and sadness and I am so thankful to have read it.

Darius the Great Deserves Better slowly glides us back into the life of Darius Kellner, instantly reminding us why we loved Darius the Great is Not Okay. There had been some wariness about the fact that Darius had come out as gay and gotten a boyfriend all behind the scenes, but it doesn't feel like it. The moment the book starts, you can sense the journey Darius had taken, what had led him to the present moment.

It's hard for me weigh my love for Darius the Great is Not Okay versus Darius the Great Deserves Better, and declare one worthy because they both tugged on some very sensitive heartstrings of mine. The first book had focused on developing friendship and strengthening familial relationships that Darius already had. This one focuses on traversing the perilous waters of romantic attraction and relationships, all the while Darius' established relationships worsen due to things out of his control. It painted a beautiful contrast, while also being reminiscent of the past. I loved watching Darius approach his family members differently than he would have in the past. denoting how he had grown in the first book. We see him become more confident with his thoughts and feelings, while also experiencing anxiety over new things and old. The book perfectly emulated the constant struggle a person with anxiety and depression faces. It faces the fact that even if you are doing well, you will never be completely rid of it. Through the course of the book, we see Darius realise and deal with his anxieties. He learns to prioritise and love himself, bit by bit.

The tone is very consistent in both the books. I think, the only way I can describe it is as mellow. The way the story progresses and the characters react feels incredibly realistic and simplistic. There is no manufactured drama and the narrative continuously pushes Darius' feelings over some big, weird love triangle, the fallout, or the aftermath. It doesn't feel something out of a cringy teen rom-com; it feels real, tangible, mellow. Which is what made me love this book, that it is rooted in reality not some exaggeration of it. It doesn't once shy away from discussing topics like body dysmorphia, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia and of course, depression and anxiety. It does all of these things in a way that it feels like you are having a conversation with your best friend, rather than preaching it. It doesn't tell, it shows. All the while maintaining this mellow filter over it, which makes it a beautiful and warming read. If you loved Darius the Great is Not Okay, you will love this one. If you haven't read Darius the Great is Not Okay, you should immediately correct that mistake.

Thanks to Dial Books for providing me an ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-arc of the book!
It’s been awhile since I’ve found a book and quite literally couldn’t put it down to the point I read the book in a day! I don’t even know where to start with this book. I adored Darius The Great Is Not Okay, so I knew that the sequel would be no different. I loved being able to see all Darius’ growth since the first novel and see him make new friends, build new relationships, and see him be the great big brother he is. The family dynamic in this book was amazing, especially when it came to Laleh and Darius’ sibling relationship. Darius the Great Deserves Better was overall a fantastic sequel and I can’t wait to read more from Adib Khorram in the future!

There’s a gentleness to Khorram’s writing that is hard to put into words. Perhaps it is the effervescence Khorram employs when describing Darius’ love for tea or the abundant love Darius has for his family. No matter what it is, the writing style feels as soothing as a hot cup of perfectly prepared tea on an autumn night, calming and reinvigorating in equal measures.

This, quite like the first novel, is a character-driven story. We get everything the first book gave us, but somehow it just feels like more. More fleshed-out, more emotionally sound, more captivating.

Darius has so much on his plate and is incredibly overwhelmed but doesn’t know how to articulate it. Since his trip to Iran to visit his dying grandfather, he has come out as gay, found a cute boyfriend, joined the soccer team and made new friends, and even scored an internship at the coveted tea shop that he’s always dreamed of working at. Really, everything that could go right, did. And yet, Darius isn’t happy. His family is struggling with money issues after all the expenses of their trip to Iran, his sister is being bullied at school and called ‘terrorist’, his boyfriend Landon is pressuring him to have sex even though Darius knows he isn’t ready yet, the work at the tea shop is making him anxious and harried, not to mention that his newfound friend and teammate Chip, who used to be a silent bystander when Darius got bullied, is still friends with homophobic jerk Trent while also making Darius’ head and emotions spin like a rollercoaster. On top of that, his grandfather is still dying and his best friend lives half a world away and suddenly isn’t around to chat to anymore, either. Pair that with Darius’ depression and self-doubts about his body and his soccer skills, everything is just too much.

It’s a lot to deal with on a good day, it’s insurmountable on a bad one. Khorram takes his time letting Darius explore his feelings and manages to make all these topics flow together seamlessly. I was feeling and rooting for Darius throughout the novel, hoping he would find a way to be happy without having to compromise the things he loves, or his own beliefs.

There were so many things I loved, but let me just tell you the four that stuck out the most to me. First, the mental health discussion. Darius lives with depression just like his father does; it’s something they are very open about. Darius’ boyfriend Landon asks once whether Darius’ father is still depressed and that made me roll my eyes because it was so relatable. It’s tiny comments like these that hurt people dealing with mental illnesses because others are still waiting for them to get better and don’t understand that you can be both happy and depressed at the same time. Depression doesn’t leave the premises when happiness comes around, it still remains at the edges waiting to creep back in and I loved how Darius described it.

Second, the topic of homophobia was handled incredibly well. For the longest time, Chip doesn’t understand why Darius feels uncomfortable that Chip is still friends with Trent, a boy who has bullied Darius in the past both in racist and homophobic terms and still does to this day. Chip tries to defend himself and Trent, saying that being friends with Trent doesn’t change the way he feels about Darius, yet he remains silent when Trent says hurtful things to Darius. Instead, Darius’ other friends on the soccer team stand up for him and while that was heartwarming (Darius deserves the world), it was also important to watch Chip realise that just because you’re friends with someone who knows you’re queer doesn’t automatically make them an ally.

Third, the way the book handled discussions of racism. Darius’s sister Laleh is getting her first taste of racism in this sequel and it broke my heart. Darius, who loves and supports his sister unconditionally, tries to help the best he can because he has been there, and is still there. Yet the teacher looks the other way when Darius tells her that Laleh’s school mates have called her ‘terrorist’ and ‘Lolly’. It was frustrating to read and it must be more frustrating to experience, especially when you try your hardest to make people face what’s happening to young kids and nothing is done about it.

Fourth, Darius’ and his body issues and being pressured into sex. It’s so rare to see guys in YA who are insecure about their bodies and I loved how Darius was getting more confident, but still fearing his boyfriend seeing him naked. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that it’s okay, that we’ve all been there. Darius’ self-consciousness about his body is also what makes him uncertain whether he wants to go further with his boyfriend and I was so proud of him for telling Landon no but really angry at how Landon made it about himself and was trying to pressure Darius because he had been so patient with him. I think we see a lot of this sort of pressure in novels surrounding girls (and rightly so) but I felt like it was important to show that it’s not just girls that get pressured into doing things they don’t want to. And that it’s okay to wait if that’s what you want, no matter what your partner tells you. Going at your own pace is never wrong.

I’m sneaking in a fifth because one of the things that stuck out to me in this novel was how Darius, when not knowing someone, would automatically default to talking about the individuals with they/them pronouns and not commenting on their gender identity or as what they were presenting. It felt so natural and made my heart soar every time it happened.

As passionate and sensitive as its predecessor, Darius the Great Deserves Better invites people back into Darius’ whirlwind of a life and offers up the knowledge that it’s okay to want more from life, even if you don’t know what that more will look like yet.

Full disclosure - I absolutely adored Darius the Great #1, so I was predisposed to love the sequel. This book did not disappoint. Darius is this wonderful mixed up and thoroughly lovable kid and even though I am very likely not who Khorram was writing this book for, I totally connect with Darius and just want the best for him. I think everyone has been there - it seems like things are improving and you may have figured a few things out and then bam! Everything hits the fan. Yeah. Been there.

Like with the first book, I will likely be shoving this one into many hands. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoyed Darius the first time, but if people haven't read the first one, they should really get on that. It made my heart smile and feel all cozy. There were also a few tears, but in a good way.

Darius the Great Deserves Better is a story about communication and family, friendship and discovering ourselves. It's a book overflowing with emotions and heart. Darius' entire life has changed since he returned from Iran and he might just be finally figuring out what it feels like to be Darius. But Darius realizes that the things he thought would fit into place, are actually more complex. It's a story about expectations, new experiences, and tea.

I don't have many notes for Darius the Great Deserves Better because it was a book that held on and didn't let go. Time travel was invented while reading because all of a sudden the afternoon was gone and I was covered in tears. This book is an emotional journey of discovery as Darius has to figure out how to speak up for himself. How to figure out his limitations, navigate his depression, and question his future.

This book is seriously almost as amazing as its prequel. I was expecting it to be very different, but it very much sticks to the same hard topics and overall very important themes.
The characters are all very complex and well rounded to the point where even the side characters could each have their own short story if not entire book.

Fun read and especially centered on young adults making appropriate choices. Allows the gay world freedom in the present climate.

I adore Darius and all of these characters! I hope that there is another Darius book in the future.
This book we really saw Darius becoming his own person after having come out in the first book. He is still dealing with a lot, having depression, being fractional ethnicity, he still gets bullied, but he has found a solid group of friends. He experiences his first boyfriend and navigates his feelings in that relationship.
He is dealing with family dynamics and having to help his sister navigate her own bullying. Darius is such a good guy and has such a hard time seeing that about himself. I think I really like him because I can relate in the depression area and how it is hard to see yourself through others eyes and be proud of yourself.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I love the main character Darius. He’s kind of funny and very frank about whatever he is feeling. In this book, he grapples with is dad’s depression, his family’s financial troubles, and a death. He also finds happiness with his first boyfriend, a new job, and newfound feelings of belonging (thanks to being in the soccer team). I’m excited to see what the next chapter of Darius’s life will be.

I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I will say that I did NOT read the first one as I avoided the synopsis because I wanted to be surprised (I do this sometimes).. and surprised I was LOL!

Darius the Great Deserves Better was so so so good. I cannot express this enough. It made me want to immediately go and read the first book as like I stated above, I didn't read it. A few months after Darius' return from Iran, he becomes part of the soccer team and is enjoying his life with his boyfriend. Though, he still struggles with mental health issues (which I think is completely realistic). Things change quickly for him as he is pressured to have sex, his classmate Chip (total hottie) has a best friend who engages in homophobic slurs, his grandpa is dying, his best friends are ignoring him... UGH!

Through it all, Darius' teammates are always so supportive of him which made my heart sing. I really loved how he uses neutral pronouns for people that he doesn't know, Sohrab being an amazing friend, his new relationship with his father which apparently was not so easy going in the first book, and thoughtful and sensitive discussions about mental health, racism, and homophobia. There were so many instances where I just wanted to bawl my eyes out but I kept them dry so I could keep reading!

I do think that the ending is left somewhat open. I am curious as to what happens with Sohrab and Chip, and with his grandmas confessions how that will play out as well. I am definitely going to go back and reread the first book because I just adored Adib Khorram's writing style. It really spoke to my queer heart.

Ever since I read _Darius The Great Is Not OK_, I've been anxiously awaiting the sequel to find out what happens when Darius returns home to Portland after his life-changing trip to meet his mother's family in Iran. Khorram's second installment is well worth the wait.

Back at Chapel Hill High School, Darius seems to be living a charmed life: he's on the varsity soccer team, he and his dad are closer than ever, he has a boyfriend. and he's doing an internship at his beloved Rose City Teas. But he's still struggling with his anxiety and depression, and the knowledge that his mother's father is dying of cancer on the other side of the world still worries him and casts a shadow over the family. And of course, those Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy are still tormenting him.

Khorram writes about the lived experience of anxiety and depression so well, capturing the ways in which the slightest things--a look, a harsh word, even a change int he weather--can completely alter one's mood. And he also does such a beautiful job here of navigating the awkward wonder (and horror) of teenage sexuality.

At times I felt like Khorram was maybe trying to do *too* much with this book; for example, the storyline with Darius' grandmothers felt a little forced to me, too much like trying to replicate the plot about Darius' maternal grandparents in the first book. I also wanted more Laleh! She's here, but her story arc and her character aren't as fully developed as they might have been.

On the whole, though, I loved reading this and was delighted that the novel's ending suggests that there's more of Darius' story yet to come!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

This is my idea of comfort read. I love being in Darius' world where the focus is on kindness, thoughtfulness, grace, Star Trek and TEA. Now Darius has everything that he thought he wanted: a boyfriend, a place on the soccer team, a closer relationship with his dad, and an internship at a local tea shop. But maybe this is not enough? Maybe he deserves better. Journey with Darius as he struggle to explore who he really is and to be brave enough not to settle for the things that aren't right for him.