Darius the Great is Not Okay

Adib Khorram

Darius is a high school kid in Oregon. His mom is Persian and therefore Iranian culture has been at least part of his culture. He describes himself as a 'Fractional Persian'. Like his Dad, Darius is on meds for depression, and other than the meds, really the only thing they have in common is the hour each night they spend watching an episode of Star Trek together. When the family plans a trip to Iran to visit his grandparents, Darius is simultaneously excited and nervous. Most of the book takes place in Iran, and follows the development of Darius identity, his family relationships, his illness and his friendships. I really liked this story telling and found the treatment of mental illness atypical for fiction. It was not overly dramatic, but became a part of life, which I imagine is how most people look at their mental health. I like the moderately nerdy Darius and the relatively muted tones throughout. Seems like an authentic life. 

4 stars (out of 5)

Zara Hossain is Here

Sabina Khan

Zara Hossain is a Pakistani teenager going to school in Corpus Christi Texas. Her dad is a pediatrician at the local hospital and the hospital has been sponsoring the family work visa and progress toward green card for the past 14 years. Zara has been the target of some recent bullying at school which ultimately gets out of hand. Underlying the immigration/racial stresses, Zara is also discovering her first love as a young bi- woman. The stress there comes not from her parents, who are supportive, but from the stress associated with the family of her girlfriend. In many ways, Zara is experiencing some typical teen trauma (or more likely - teen trauma typical for immigrant or gender minorities). But the telling of it feels formulaic and Zara's experience is interesting, but not enlightening to me in any real way. 

2 stars (out of 4)

You Should See Me in a Crown

Leah Johnson

A YA fairy tale. Liz Lighty is a musician looking to go to her dream school on a scholarship. But when she doesn't get the scholarship, the only way to get to school is to run for and become Prom Queen, which comes with a $10,000 scholarship. Let the drama ensue. As with most fairy tales, this is completely predictable in how the protagonist underdog overcomes all odds to win the prize. But in this case, the story checks off all possible modern underdog-isms: Race, Sexuality, Class, Social Status, Health, Wealth, Family Status, etc. etc. etc. It is almost like Johnson tried to say 'Let's do all of this at once so that when we talk, all cards are on the table'. That said, knowing that this is a fairy tale, the middle section is remarkably engaging. The setup almost lost me, and the finale was unnecessary. But the journey kept me. It could be interesting as a discussion piece, but know that you will have to spend time discussing the silliness first, before you can dive into the important issues.

3 stars (out of 4)