Everything Sad is Untrue

Everything Sad is Untrue

 Nayeri, D. (2020). Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story). Abrams & Chronicle Books.

ISBN 9781646140008

Plot Summary:

"A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee," Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family's history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Daniel's story of how they became refugees—starting with his mother's vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense, and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S. Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore.”

(Nayeri, n.d.)

Analysis:

Daniel Nayeri’s storytelling is a heart-wrenching trip through his eyes as a young refugee trying to make sense of a confusing world. None of the Jennifers, Kellys, Brandons, or Jareds in his Oklahoma classroom believe his stories. They have no context for his life experiences and his explanations are priceless. This book will make you look at your own memories and question what is real. He says, “Every side of an explosion looks different…that’s why there is an infinite labyrinth of stories, even in just one family.”

To embrace the essence of Nayeri’s writing, you must surrender to the meandering thoughts of his younger self. He speaks his truth while continually acknowledging the vulnerability of memories. As a child so many things happen to us, like we are afterthoughts in our own plotline. He laments the way the ‘grownies’ withhold information and how it makes his life feel out of control. His family, world governments, peers, and other adults are continually letting him down, but he accepts their mistakes with curiosity and learns the operating rules for his volatile world. 

Brandon Goff, a malicious bully, gives an uncomfortable glimpse of the prejudice that Khosrou (who goes by Daniel, because it’s easier to pronounce) must endure. His step-father, Ray, adds an element of danger as our young narrator witnesses domestic violence in his home. These more serious topics are countered his by poop stories and his thoughts on twinkies and fruit leather. Nayeri weaves myths, legends, and other bits of education into his storytelling. These elements could be a distraction from the plot, but Daniel is so earnest in his explanations that they add character to the book.

This book is a story within many stories, and it will both steal your heart and break it.

 Book Reviews:

This tale is constantly focused on its telling, with references to an imagined audience and reminders of who characters are. The actual audience is a bit of a puzzle, as the twelve-year-old narrator's tale spans a wide range of ages in his life and those of his family members, and the overall sensibility seems more adult than not. An author's note acknowledges the fallibility of memory as well as some deliberate alterations; it is, as Nayeri puts it, "both fiction and nonfiction at the same time."

FLAX, S. (2020). Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story). Horn Book Magazine, 96(6), 107.

Nayeri challenges outright what young readers can handle, in form and content, but who can deny him when it’s his own experience on display? He demands much of readers, but in return he gives them everything. A remarkable work that raises the literary bar in children’s lit.

Khuri, R. (2020). Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story). Booklist, 116(21), 62.

Connections: 

• A study of middle-eastern customs, especially focused on Iran, would benefit from the cultural explanations offered in this book.
• The plight of refugees as they navigate complicated and confusing government institutions is brought to light in this book. This story would add a human dimension to a discussion about refugees around the world.

Awards:

Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award

Christopher Award Winner

Middle East Book Award Winner

National Indie Bestseller

NPR Best Book of the Year

New York Times Best of the Year

Amazon Best of the Year

Booklist Editors' Choice

BookPage Best of the Year

NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection

Publishers Weekly Best of the Year

Wall Street Journal Best of the Year

Today.com Best of the Year

Walter Awards Honor Book

References

Nayeri, D. (n.d.). Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story): Nayeri, Daniel: 9781646140008.          Amazon.com.

Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Sad-Untrue-true-story/dp/1646140001/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JFR72VIZV8OT&keywords=everything+sas+is+untrue&qid=1694654581&sprefix=everything+sas%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1

Nayeri, D. (2020). Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story). Abrams & Chronicle Books.

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5385.