Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

 Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram - 320 pages

Darius Kellner is going through a rough time - he's bullied at school, suffers from depression and weight gain from his anti-depressants, and can't quite seem to bond with his father.

Darius is half Persian - his mother is Persian and his father is white.  He's spent his whole life in the United States, but when his maternal grandfather falls gravely ill, the family takes a trip to Iran to say their goodbyes. Darius and his little sister finally have the chance to meet their extended family, and see their roots.

Darius has never had many friends, but quickly bonds with Sohrab, his grandparents' neighbor, who is a boy his age.  They spend hours playing football (American soccer), taking in the sights and history of the city, and having deep, meaningful conversations.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming book, and I absolutely loved it.  I felt that Darius was such a well drawn out and completely relatable character who was able to grow and mature throughout the book.  The descriptions of Iran were just beautiful - I often would stop reading to look up the specific places and monuments mentioned.  This book has a sequel, and you can be sure it's going on my TBR!