One Word, Six Letters, Adib Khorram
One Word, Six Letters, Adib Khorram
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

One Word, Six Letters

Author: Adib Khorram

Narrator: Arya Shahi, Major Curda

Unabridged: 5 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/17/2026


Synopsis

Two teen boys grapple with identity and accountability and set off a ripple effect within their community after a school assembly is disrupted by a shouted slur.

One Word, Six Letters features sound design and special effects to enhance your listening enjoyment. Listen out for the chilling sound of whispers behind your back and the slamming lockers of a bustling school hallway!

"[Narrators Major] Curda and [Arya] Shahi’s performances make it easy for listeners to empathize with both boys. Sound effects...add texture to the production and evoke the soundscape of high school." — Kirkus

"[Author Adib] Khorram is also blessed with co-narration by fellow Iranian American [Arya] Shahi...who instills Farshid Nafari with a comprehensive emotional range...[and] Actor [Major] Curda affectingly and impressively portrays perpetrator Dayton..." — School Library Journal

★"[A] searing, deeply felt dual-POV novel," —Publishers Weekly, starred review

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.

Timely, raw, and deeply thought-provoking, this novel is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Nic Stone.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company (BYR)

About Adib Khorram

Adib Khorram is a queer Iranian-American author. His critically acclaimed novels include DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY, DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER, KISS & TELL, and THE BREAK UP LISTS. 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.

About Major Curda

Major Curda is a multi-disciplinary mixed Asian-American actor/storyteller who’s collaborated on various projects for Theatre, Film, Television, and Voiceover. Regardless of medium, Major strives to find the humanity in every character and honor the stakes of each world, when narrating they especially enjoy playing with accents/dialects and bringing magical worlds to life. Major has had the privilege of voicing half a dozen audiobooks with Macmillan and they look forward to many more. Major was recently selected to be an inaugural member of the Trailblazer Cohort as part of the Anna Arts Deadline Awards. Emerging Artist/Mentee of The Actors Center. Alumnus of Carnegie Mellon, SITI Skidmore, and Cherubs. @Majorly.MC.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Marieke on March 22, 2026

Powerful. And so important. One Word, Six Letters is YA. Lower YA, maybe even upper MG with fourteen-year-old main characters. And still, this is a story all ages should read. This book is based on a true event. Adib Khorram was giving a talk to an auditorium full of high schoolers when someone interr......more

Goodreads review by Zana on November 17, 2025

"But safety’s all relative, at least here in America, where strangers can come and shoot you in class. As opposed to back in Iran, where the police could come and kidnap you from class, and then kill you later in secret." The second person POV might be a bit of a challenge for some readers, but d......more

Goodreads review by Madison on April 20, 2026

One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram YA LGBTQ fiction, coming of age. During a school assembly, freshman Dayton takes a dare, and shouts the f-slur at a visiting guest. He did it for the money, not really understanding the meaning, much less the impact. Dayton is shunned by his friends, teachers, pa......more

Goodreads review by Emelie on March 04, 2026

He packed so much in this short novel. Timely, engaging and important topics for kids and adults alike! Loved it.......more

Goodreads review by Anniek on April 07, 2026

What a way to counteract a hateful act. Once, Adib Khorram had a student shout a homophobic slur at him during an author visit, and now we have this powerful dual POV story about a kid who shouts a slur as a dare, and the ripple effect that has on himself, as well as a fellow student who suddenly fe......more


Quotes

★"Khorram impresses with this searing, deeply felt dual-POV novel. . . . Urgent second-person narration expertly nails both teens' insecurities and self-perception. The result is a powerfully relevant and affirming story about trying to connect with oneself while navigating homophobia, misogyny, and toxic masculinity." —Publishers Weekly, starred review


"Thoughtfully weaving their stories together, Khorram adeptly explores the nuances of personal character amid the complex context of public shaming. A formidable tale highlighting the repercussions of homophobia in high school."—Kirkus

"The alternating perspectives and second-person point of view immerse the reader in the action. . . . [An] honest and ultimately hopeful story of deciding between what is easy and what is right."—Booklist