review: One Word, Six Letters

title: One Word, Six Letters
author: Adib Khorram
date: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); March, 2026
YA realistic fiction

Adib Khorram is a queer Iranian American author. His critically acclaimed novels include Darious the Great Is Not Okay; Darius the Great Deserves Better, and Kiss & Tell. Tea is Love is his recent picture book. When he’s not writing, he enjoys yoga, figure skating, electric guitar, food, wine, tea, board games, and explaining to people why Kansas City has the best barbecue. Adib often draws from his own background and interests to write stories that blend themes of identity, belonging, and hope.

One single word with six letters is the impetus for this book. The word never appears in the story, but the cover lets us know it begins with an ‘f’. Khorram drops enough hints to give the word away and even though I’m dwelling on it here, the word itself isn’t the center of the story. It’s about the words we choose to use and the power these words have, regardless of our intention.

Dayton, a high school freshman, takes the bait to yell the word during an author visit.  

Farshid, also a high school freshman, is an unintended casualty of the word’s usage. In alternating chapters, readers experience Dayton’s and Farshid’s personal fallouts. Khorram has written this story in alternating chapters, allowing readers to fully realize the impact of our language on others, and he extends his impact by employing the rarely used second person narrative voice. If I’d been an English major rather than Economics, I could really detail the wisdom of this choice. Suffice to say that it brought a reaction to me when Khorram wrote (repeatedly wrote) “you’re not that kind of guy”. You know, not the kind who intentionally hurts others, who hangs out with bullies, who uses inciteful, demeaning language, who laughs at belittling jokes. Not that kind of guy, right? With this second person narrative voice, Khorram is talking directly to each one of us through his characters. He’s gentle with his characters, he cares about these young people. We can take it.

Put this in your home, and your libraries. Give it to your adult friends who could use a nudge. Read it yourself, with a tissue or two. Yes, it got me!

Be well and do good.

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