March 2019 read for Books & Boba.

I adore everything about Darius: his honesty and vulnerability, his love of tea, unapologetic references to LOTR and Star Trek, how sweet he is to his little sister, and his sense of humor. Hyphenated-American (Persian-American, Asian-American, etc.) is its own unique identity, and I can absolutely relate to feeling caught between two cultures — as well as how depression and possible anxiety (in my case it's more the latter; for Darius, it's primarily the former) exacerbates the feeling of not belonging or being wanted. But it's not all heartbreaking or sad; Khorram does an amazing job of showing how mental health is just one aspect of Darius's life: a particularly influential aspect, true, but not the only one that matters.

This story is so heartwarming, with its emphasis on family and friendship, as well as the nuances of both. It's not all fun day trips or soccer (non-American football) victories; there's drama and misunderstandings and hurt feelings throughout, because that's how life is. And yet at the end of the day everyone is there for each other, whether or not you're physically in the same place.