Parents' Guide to

Down and Across

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Teen searches for grit in sweet coming-of-age story.

Book Arvin Ahmadi Coming of Age 2018
Down and Across Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In DOWN AND ACROSS, Iranian American teen Saaket, or Scott as he prefers to be called, is desperate to break free of his suffocating parents and find his own way in life. His father keeps pushing him toward prestigious, high-earning career paths, but Scott isn't interested. The problem is that he doesn't have any of his own ideas about his future. He's never found a passion or stuck with anything. When his parents leave him alone for a month, Scott abandons the research internship his dad set up for him and takes off for a few days in Washington, D.C. His goal is to get advice from a renowned Georgetown professor famous for her theories on success. On his way to D.C., he meets Fiora, a free spirit and crossword enthusiast. As two days turn into more than three weeks, their friendship leads to some interesting adventures and new friends for Scott, who learns a lot about the world, his family, and himself.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2):

This coming-of-age story is cute but a little too fill-in-the-blanks formulaic, which is ironic given the crossword theme that runs throughout. In Down and Across, author Arvin Ahmadi writes teen dialogue well and creates in Scott a character you want to root for. Scott feels the push and pull of loving his parents but also chafing under their overbearing demands. Arvin shows the stress some children of immigrant parents experience. Scott's parents sacrificed to come to America and put their hopes and dreams onto him. Because so much of his life has been planned for him, Scott's never had a chance to figure out who he is or what he wants to do. The book doesn't have much of a plot: It's a series of Scott's interactions and adventures when he runs away to Washington, D.C. The characters he meets are fairly standard YA fare: Fiora is straight out of the manic pixie dream girl trope, but with a little bit more depth; Trent is an over-the-top nice Southern gentleman; and Jeanette is a high-strung religious conservative.

On the positive side, in meeting these people who are so different from him, Scott learns to be a keen observer of human nature and learns a lot about himself. Though the story drags here and there, Down and Across is a sweet and earnest read.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the representation of immigrant families in movies, television, and books, like the Ferdowsi family in Down and Across. Immigrants parents often risk a lot to go to America, leaving friends and family behind. Do you think it is fair for them to expect their kids to work hard to honor those sacrifices? Should the kids be more appreciative? Or should the parents let the kids have the freedom to choose their paths?

  • How do you you feel about stories where kids take off and don't tell their parents where they are? What are the real-life dangers of this, as opposed to the way it works as a plot device in a story?

  • Are you a person with interests and passions? What are they? If not, why do you think you haven't connected with anything yet?

Book Details

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