Adib Khorram
Adib Khorram has published 11 books across 5 series. The recommended reading order starts with Darius the Great Is Not Okay (2019).
Adib Khorram is an Iranian-American author, graphic designer, and tea enthusiast who writes young adult novels. His fiction blends humor, emotional honesty, and nuanced explorations of identity, often focusing on queer protagonists navigating family, friendship, mental health, and cultural heritage. Khorram's voice is both heartfelt and sharply observant, capturing the specific ache of navigating identity when the world asks you to choose sides.
Khorram burst onto the YA scene in 2018 with his debut novel, Darius the Great Is Not Okay. The book earned widespread acclaim and established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary young adult fiction. When he is not writing, he is often found pursuing athletic goals, such as trying to get his 100-yard freestyle under a minute or learning to do a Lutz jump. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- Tagsparanormal-romanceshort-storiesyoung-adultromancefantasyhorrorDescriptionAdib Khorram turns his attention to the timeless terrain of longing and connection in this contribution to the Order of Anthologies series, a collection that asks what endures when everything else falls away. "Eternally Yours" operates in that charged space between the ephemeral and the permanent, where relationships are tested not by circumstance alone but by the weight of time itself—a question that feels particularly urgent in an age when permanence seems increasingly elusive. Khorram, known for his precise emotional architecture and his ability to render queer experience with both tenderness and unflinching honesty, brings those same gifts to this work. The story moves with the quiet inevitability of a river carving stone, tracing the contours of devotion across moments that might otherwise seem ordinary but reveal themselves as foundational. What emerges is not a simple romance but an examination of what it means to choose someone—and to be chosen—again and again, across the small eternities that make up a life. It's a piece that lingers, not because it offers easy answers, but because it understands that love, in its truest form, is less about grand gestures than about the accumulation of small, deliberate acts of staying.Publication dateSeptember 20, 2022Amazon rating4.2/5Print length416LanguageEnglishPublisherViking Books for Young Readers
Order of Children's Books
- Tagschildrennon-fictionDescriptionDarius Kellner is back, and this time he's navigating the delicate terrain of long-distance love and the ache of missing someone who feels like home. After the transformative summer he spent in Iran reconnecting with his family and falling for Landon, Darius finds himself caught between two worlds—his life in Portland and the boy who's still an ocean away, their relationship sustained by video calls and the hope that somehow, they'll find a way to be together again. But love at sixteen is never simple, especially when you're also grappling with depression, the weight of expectations, and the everyday challenges of being a Persian-American kid who doesn't always feel like he fits anywhere completely. Darius is learning that holding onto something precious means more than just wanting it—it means showing up, being vulnerable, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of the connection you've found. The seven special somethings of the title become touchstones, small but significant markers of what matters most when everything feels uncertain. Khorram writes with the same tender honesty that made Darius's first journey so resonant, capturing the particular loneliness of longing and the quiet bravery it takes to keep your heart open when distance and doubt threaten to close it. This is a story about what we hold onto and why, told with warmth, humor, and an understanding of how hard—and how necessary—it is to let yourself be loved.Publication dateFebruary 16, 2021Amazon rating4.7/5Print length40LanguageEnglishPublisherDial Books
- TagschildrenDescriptionWhat does it mean to share something you love with someone who doesn't yet understand it? Adib Khorram's *Tea Is Love* explores this quiet, universal question through the lens of a child introducing their parent to the ritual of Persian tea. The book is a meditation on cultural transmission. On patience. On the small acts that bind generations together. The narrative unfolds with deliberate simplicity. A child prepares tea, step by careful step, for a parent unfamiliar with the tradition. The prose mirrors the process: measured, attentive, unhurried. Khorram doesn't explain or justify. He shows. The steam rising. The color deepening. The sugar cube held between teeth. What sets this apart is its refusal to sentimentalize. This isn't a book about nostalgia or loss, though both hover at the edges. It's about the present tense of love. The way we offer pieces of ourselves, hoping they'll be received. The way food and drink become language when words aren't enough. Khorram writes with the precision of someone who knows that the smallest gestures carry the most weight.Publication dateOctober 28, 2025Amazon rating5/5Print length40LanguageEnglishPublisherDial Books
Order of Darius The Great Books
- Tagsyoung-adultchildrenDescriptionWhat does it mean to belong when you exist between two worlds, fluent in neither language, at home in no single place? Darius Kellner is a self-described Fractional Persian—half Iranian through his mother, more versed in Klingon than Farsi, more comfortable with Hobbit etiquette than the customs of his own heritage. His first trip to Iran arrives weighted with the certainty that he won't fit in there any better than he does back home, a conviction reinforced by his clinical depression and the awkwardness of explaining antidepressants to grandparents who don't quite understand. Then he meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and the trip transforms into something unexpected. Their days unfold in a rhythm of soccer games, shared faludeh, and long conversations on a hidden rooftop with the city sprawling beneath them. Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and in that single act of renaming, Darius discovers a version of himself he didn't know existed, one that feels startlingly right. Adib Khorram's debut navigates the terrain between hilarity and heartbreak with remarkable precision, capturing the specific loneliness of never feeling quite enough and the quiet miracle of a friendship that makes you feel seen. This is a story about depression, heritage, and the unexpected places we find ourselves, rendered with warmth and an eye for the small moments that reshape a life.Publication dateAugust 20, 2019Amazon rating4.6/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherPenguin Books
- Tagsyoung-adultchildrenDescriptionSince his trip to Iran, Darius Kellner has been navigating a life that finally seems to be settling into something recognizable—a repaired relationship with his father, a best friend just a Skype call away in Tehran, a first boyfriend named Landon, varsity soccer, and an internship at his favorite tea shop. For a teenager who has spent so much time feeling uncertain about where he fits, this newfound equilibrium feels like progress, like the beginning of understanding who Darius Kellner actually is. But equilibrium, as Darius quickly discovers, is a fragile thing. His grandmothers arrive for an extended visit, and their presence raises questions he can't quite answer—do they even like him? The internship that was supposed to be a dream turns complicated, Sohrab's silence on the other end of the line grows louder, and his father's business trip leaves a gap that feels wider than geography. And then there's Chip Cusumano, former tormentor and current soccer teammate, whose unexpected friendship introduces a confusion Darius wasn't prepared for, even as he tries to figure out what Landon means to him. What emerges is a portrait of a young man caught between the comfort of okay and the terrifying possibility that he might deserve something more—a question that asks not just who he is, but who he's willing to become.Publication dateAugust 25, 2020Amazon rating4.7/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherDial Books
Order of Love on the Vine Books
- TagsromanceDescriptionFarzan Alavi sits alone at a VIP table in Kansas City's newest wine bar, nursing a fresh heartbreak with expensive pours he didn't ask for. The sommelier—sharp-eyed, confident, impossibly attractive—thinks he's someone else entirely. Someone important. A food critic with influence. The mistake leads to flirtation, then to a meal that tastes like seduction, then to a night neither of them planned on remembering quite so vividly. When the truth comes out, they laugh it off. David Curtis has no time for relationships anyway—he's laser-focused on becoming a master sommelier, a grueling test that will take him far from Kansas City. Farzan, meanwhile, has just inherited his family's bistro, a responsibility he never expected and isn't sure he wants. They part ways. Clean break. No complications. Except Farzan needs help running a restaurant he barely understands, and David needs a study partner who won't judge his obsessive tasting notes. What starts as a practical arrangement—knowledge for companionship, mentorship for distraction—quickly ignites into something neither can ignore. The chemistry that sparked over wine and mistaken identity hasn't faded. But David's future is elsewhere, and Farzan is tethered to his family's legacy. Some things, no matter how intoxicating, come with an expiration date.Publication dateAugust 27, 2024Amazon rating4.3/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherForever
- TagsromancefantasyDescriptionWhat happens when the person you've been avoiding becomes the one you can't stop thinking about? In Adib Khorram's *It Had to Be Him*, we're drawn into a story where attraction and resistance collide in the most inconvenient way possible. This is a romance that understands the messy truth of falling for someone who disrupts everything you thought you wanted—someone who challenges your carefully constructed walls and makes you reconsider what happiness actually looks like. Khorram brings his signature warmth and emotional honesty to a tale that feels both swoonworthy and deeply human, exploring the tension between protecting yourself and taking the risk of letting someone in. The chemistry here isn't just about stolen glances and witty banter, though there's plenty of that. It's about two people navigating their own vulnerabilities, their own fears, and discovering that sometimes the right person is the one who sees past your defenses. Khorram writes with a tenderness that never tips into saccharine, grounding the romance in real stakes and genuine emotion. This is a book that reminds you why we read love stories in the first place—not just for the happy ending, but for the journey of becoming brave enough to reach for it.Publication dateSeptember 2, 2025Amazon rating4.3/5Print length382LanguageEnglishPublisherForever
- TagsromanceDescriptionManny Soto is standing at the crossroads of his own romantic comedy, except he's not sure he believes in the genre anymore. A hopeless romantic who's spent years devouring meet-cutes and happily-ever-afters on screen, he's starting to wonder if love like that exists for someone like him—a gay Iranian-American guy who's never quite fit the mold. When he lands an internship working on a film set, he's thrust into the glittering, chaotic world of moviemaking, where the line between fiction and reality starts to blur in unexpected ways. What unfolds is a sharp, tender exploration of what it means to write your own love story when the scripts you've been handed don't reflect your life. Khorram crafts a narrative that's as much about self-discovery as it is about romance, asking whether we can ever truly separate the stories we consume from the ones we live. Manny's journey is funny, aching, and deeply human—a reminder that the most important relationship we build is often the one with ourselves. This is a book for anyone who's ever questioned whether they deserve the kind of love they dream about, and for anyone ready to rewrite the ending.Publication dateSeptember 8, 2026Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherForever
Order of Standalone Novels
- Tagsyoung-adultDescriptionHunter's standing in front of a camera again. The lights are hot. The script is in his hands. He's an actor, and this is what he does—except now the role feels different. Because this time, the boy he's supposed to kiss isn't just a scene partner. It's complicated. It's real. And the whole world is watching. Adib Khorram brings us into the glittering, high-pressure world of Hollywood where every moment is scrutinized and every relationship is potential tabloid fodder. Hunter is navigating fame, family expectations, and the terrifying vulnerability of letting someone see past the performance. The industry demands perfection. His heart wants something messier. Something true. This is a story about what happens when your private life becomes public property. About the courage it takes to be yourself when everyone has an opinion about who you should be. Khorram writes with warmth and honesty, capturing both the intoxicating rush of new love and the very real fear of exposure. It's a romance, yes—but it's also about identity, authenticity, and finding your voice when the cameras won't stop rolling. Sweet, tender, and deeply felt.Publication dateMarch 22, 2022Amazon rating4.1/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherDial Books
- Tagsyoung-adultromanceDescriptionJackson is standing at the edge of his senior year when his boyfriend breaks up with him, and suddenly everything he thought he knew about love and himself feels uncertain. The carefully constructed life he'd built—complete with plans for prom, graduation, and a future together—crumbles in an instant, leaving him to navigate the wreckage alone. What follows is a tender exploration of heartbreak and healing, told through the lens of a boy learning to rebuild his sense of self after loss. Jackson turns to lists—breakup lists, to be exact—cataloging everything from songs that remind him of his ex to reasons why the relationship ended, trying to make sense of the chaos in his heart. These lists become both armor and compass as he stumbles through the messy, painful work of moving on. But healing isn't a straight line, and Jackson discovers that letting go means more than just forgetting someone. It means confronting the parts of himself he'd hidden away, reconnecting with friends he'd neglected, and learning that his worth isn't defined by who loves him. The world around him—school hallways, family dinners, quiet moments alone—takes on new weight as he slowly finds his footing again. Khorram writes with quiet empathy and unflinching honesty about first love, first loss, and the courage it takes to start over. This is a story about the particular ache of young heartbreak and the surprising resilience that emerges when we allow ourselves to feel it fully.Publication dateApril 2, 2024Amazon rating4.6/5Print length336LanguageEnglishPublisherDial Books
- Tagsyoung-adultDescriptionSometimes the hardest thing to say is the thing you've been feeling all along. Adib Khorram brings his signature warmth and emotional honesty to this contemporary YA romance about friendship, identity, and the courage it takes to speak your truth when everything feels at stake. The story follows a young person navigating the complicated terrain between friendship and something more—that aching space where every glance means too much and every word feels weighted. When you've built your world around someone who might not see you the same way, how do you risk it all by saying what's in your heart? Khorram captures that particular brand of teenage longing with tenderness and authenticity, exploring not just the fear of rejection but the deeper question of who you become when you finally stop hiding. This is a book about the words we can't say and the ones we finally do. It's about queer identity, the families we choose, and the messy, beautiful process of figuring out who you are when the world keeps telling you to be someone else. Khorram writes with the kind of emotional precision that makes you remember exactly what it felt like to be that vulnerable, that hopeful, that terrified of losing everything by asking for what you want.Publication dateMarch 17, 2026Amazon rating4.8/5Print length216LanguageEnglishPublisherHenry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Frequently Asked Questions about Adib Khorram
Adib Khorram writes books in several series and as standalones. The Darius The Great books, Darius the Great Is Not Okay (2019) and Darius the Great Deserves Better (2020), are best read in the order they were published. His Love on the Vine series, starting with I'll Have What He's Having (2024), also has a specific sequence. The Seven Special Somethings series for children, which began with Seven Special Somethings (2021), should also be read chronologically. Standalone novels like Kiss & Tell (2022) can be read at any time. For a general starting point, Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a good introduction to his work.
A good place to start with Adib Khorram is Darius the Great Is Not Okay, published in 2019. This novel introduces Darius, a Persian-American teenager who travels to Iran and discovers his heritage. It explores themes of identity, family, and belonging. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award. Following this with Darius the Great Deserves Better, the second book in that series, provides a continued narrative arc. Khorram also writes standalone novels and a series for younger readers, but the Darius books offer a strong entry into his writing style and thematic concerns.
Some of Adib Khorram's books are part of series that are intended to be read in a specific order to fully appreciate the character development and plot. The Darius The Great books and the Love on the Vine series, for example, follow a narrative progression. However, Khorram also writes standalone novels, such as Kiss & Tell and The Breakup Lists, which can be read independently of any series. For the Seven Special Somethings children's series, while there is a chronological order, individual books may still be accessible to younger readers on their own, though reading them in order is recommended.
Adib Khorram writes both series and standalone novels. His series include the Darius The Great books, the Love on the Vine books, and the Seven Special Somethings children's books. He has also published standalone novels such as Kiss & Tell (2022), The Breakup Lists (2024), and One Word, Six Letters (2026). His work spans different age groups, with the Darius books and Love on the Vine series generally aimed at young adult readers, and Seven Special Somethings for children. This variety allows readers to choose between ongoing narratives and self-contained stories.
As of early 2024, Adib Khorram has written at least 11 books that have been published or are scheduled for publication. This includes two books in the Darius The Great series, two books in the Seven Special Somethings children's series, and three books in the Love on the Vine series. He has also authored three standalone novels. Several of his books are scheduled for release in 2025 and 2026, indicating a continued output of new work. The exact number of published works may grow as more titles are released.
The first book Adib Khorram wrote and published was Darius the Great Is Not Okay, which was released in 2019. This young adult novel introduces the character of Darius Kellner, a Persian-American teenager navigating his identity and his family's heritage during a trip to Iran. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It established Khorram's voice and thematic interests in exploring cultural identity, family relationships, and personal growth. This debut novel set the stage for his subsequent works.
The most recent book by Adib Khorram is Eternally Yours, published in 2022. This is part of the Order of Anthologies. His upcoming books include The Breakup Lists (2024) and I'll Have What He's Having (2024), which are standalones and part of the Love on the Vine series respectively. He also has books scheduled for 2025 and 2026, including Tea Is Love, It Had to Be Him, and One Word, Six Letters. Therefore, while Eternally Yours is a recent publication, new titles are forthcoming.
Adib Khorram writes books primarily for young adult and middle grade readers. His work often explores themes of identity, culture, family, and relationships. The Darius The Great series, for example, delves into the experiences of a Persian-American teenager. His children's books, like Seven Special Somethings, focus on early learning and emotional development. The Love on the Vine series appears to be geared towards young adults as well, often featuring romantic elements. His standalone novels also tend to fall within the young adult contemporary fiction genre.
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We verified the reading order for Adib Khorram's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: April 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Adib Khorram Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/adib-khorram