One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram
Publisher summary: Freshmen Dayton and Farshid couldn’t be more different—or so it seems.
When Dayton takes a dare and shouts the f-slur at a visiting author during a school event, it sets off a chain reaction that forces both boys to face parts of themselves they’d rather ignore.
Dayton, grappling with the fallout of his actions, faces rejection from his friends, disappointment from his parents, and a growing awareness of the harm he’s caused. Meanwhile, Farshid is left to untangle his own feelings—about himself and about the quiet struggle of coming to terms with his queerness in a world steeped in heteronormativity.
As their lives unexpectedly intersect, Dayton and Farshid must reckon with what kind of men they want to become and whether they have the courage to defy toxic masculinity and societal expectations.
My Thoughts: One Word, Six Letters accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time. The title itself is extremely effective. It alludes to the word that Dayton shouts out, but also has a brevity to it. In addition, having four words with a comma in the middle gives a feeling of two sides which could hint at the dual perspective. There is a surface simplicity with additional depth.
The novel bounces back and forth between Dayton and Farshid, but is told in second person which may feel a little strange for readers. Seeing the word you over and over again is unusual, but in this way, the reader is really pushed to experience the events from each of the points of view. Readers are standing in place of the characters. Initially, I wasn’t sure if that structure would work for an entire novel, but it was an excellent choice for helping readers see the characters more thoroughly and perhaps have more understanding.
This story provides a look into the emotional upheaval that one act can cause not only for the intended target, but also for the immediate community and of course, the perpetrator. The initial act has consequences, but there are ripples that almost seem without end.
My Recommendation: Get it soon. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys contemporary realistic fiction. It would also be a wonderful book for a book club or in a classroom where discussion is encouraged. There’s a lot to think about involving the characters and how they make their choices, but also in how society and culture can lead to situations like this.
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 224
Review copy: Library copy
Availability: On shelves now
Extras:
Video interview with author on The Hub
Global Read Aloud (which starts in October) and Educator links
Q&A at The Nerd Daily