Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Teen Tuesday: Everything Sad is Untrue: a Novel by Daniel Nayeri

Everything Sad is Untrue: a Novel by Daniel Nayeri. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Read by the author. Listening Library, 2020. 9780593168417.

Teen Tuesday features Everything Sad is Untrue: a Novel by Daniel Nayeri. Ten-year-old Khosrou stands in front of his fifth grade class in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is a target. He is the only Iranian in the mostly white town. His classmates and teachers can't pronounce his name and so, he is now Daniel and he's a storyteller, just as Scheherazade was - telling stories to save his life. How did the son of a physician and a dentist who lived in luxury in Iran end up fleeing with his mother and sister? His classmates learn Daniel's story slowly, as does the reader because, while often humorous, it's very painful. They also learn about Persian kings and princesses and kindly doctors. The story zigs and zags and, while it requires a bit of patience, like any long story, it is satisfying.

This compelling and complex autobiographical novel won the 2021 Printz Award. 

The audiobook was narrated by the author and was outstanding. Mr. Nayari's storytelling skills shine here.

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