Everything Sad is Untrue - Daniel Nayeri

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This is the fictionalized autobiography of a young boy named Daniel, who was born in Iran and moved to the US as a child. It's framed as a report he's giving to his class, and so although it's a grown man writing his autobiography, it's through the eyes of his child self. It's an interesting choice, and I thought it worked. Its target audience is apparently Middle Grade kids, but it worked as a book for adults just as well.

Daniel uses a Persian story-telling style, where there are stories within stories, like the 1001 Nights, which he refers to often. He tells stories he's heard about his grandparents and parents, his memories of Iran, escaping from Iran, and his first years in America as a refugee in the 80s. It's funny and sad and eye-opening, and really clever. It says a lot about racism and the refugee experience, and teaches a lot about Persian culture. I listened to it on audio, and thought it was great that way because it uses oral storytelling techniques. It deserves all of the awards it won.