DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER

In this follow-up to Darius the Great is not Okay, things are looking up for Darius Kellner.

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 Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally knows what it means to be Darius Kellner.

Then, of course, everything changes. Darius's grandmothers are in town for a long visit while his dad is gone on business, and Darius isn't sure whether they even like him. The internship isn't what Darius thought it would be, and now he doesn't know about turning tea into his career. He was sure he liked Landon, but when he starts hanging out with Chip--soccer teammate and best friend of Trent Bolger, epic bully--well, he's just not so sure about Landon anymore, either.

Darius thought he knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he deserves better.

· Darius the Great is back!: Readers of the Morris and APALA award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay will love reconnecting with Darius just a few months after the first book took place.
· Darius the Great is not straight: This is a queer story outside of the coming-out genre. Darius is out to himself and his family, and now he's figuring out how to navigate his first (and maybe second?) relationship. The romance features big questions (how do you tell your first boyfriend you're not ready for sex?) and everyday joy in a smart, commercial way.
· True teen voice: Darius's self-deprecatingly funny and fresh voice balances lightness and real-kid sensibility with depth and honesty.
· Figuring out cultural identity as mixed kid: Darius is just back from his first trip to Iran, and he's constantly aware of his fractional Persianness. When his little sister Laleh starts getting bullied for being brown, Darius can stand up for her like no one else.
· Living with depression: Darius is managing his clinical depression, but as his dad's mental health starts to suffer, he learns how to return the support his dad has always given him.

Adib Khorram lives in Kansas City, Missouri. When he isn't writing (or at his day job as a graphic designer), you can probably find him trying to get his hundred-yard freestyle under a minute, learning to do a Lutz jump, or steeping a cup of oolong. His debut novel, Darius the Great Is Not Okay, earned several awards, including the William C. Morris Debut Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor.
Author Site: adibkhorram.com Social: @adibkhorram