Fitting Indian
A Graphic Novel
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
This debut teen graphic novel from social media influencer Jyoti Chand and rising star illustrator Tara Anand follows one girl’s journey navigating high school and her mental health within a traditional South Asian family. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and Tillie Walden’s Spinning.
All Nitasha’s parents want is for her to be the perfect Indian daughter—something she is decidedly not. Everything she does seems to disappoint them, especially her mom. They just don’t get that she’ll never be like her doctor older brother. To make matters worse, she’s never quite felt like she belongs at school either, and lately, her best friend, Ava, and her crush, Henry, seem to be more interested in the rich new girl than in her.
Alcohol takes the edge off, but when that doesn’t work, Nitasha turns to cutting. She can’t stop asking herself: Will she ever be enough for her friends or her family? Or even for herself?
This authentic and powerful teen graphic novel shines a light on how harmful the stigma of mental illness is and how lifesaving a community that is honest about mental health can be.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nitasha Gupta struggles to be the "obedient Indian robot" her parents expect her to be, especially considering her exemplary older brother is a doctor and engaged to a stereotypically perfect Indian lawyer. To deal with her feelings of inadequacy, Nitasha drinks before attending the Arya Samaj temple her paternal grandmother leads every Sunday and self-harms when her parents' standards overwhelm her. Things at school become more stressful when her best friend, Ava, starts hanging out with new student Chloe. While at a family gathering, her parents see a video of Nitasha drunk and in her underwear; to escape the resulting blowback, Nitasha attempts suicide. As she recovers from the event, she endeavors to develop healthier coping mechanisms. Debut author Chand emphasizes how intergenerational and cultural expectations exacerbate Nitasha's mental health challenges, while unadorned panels by Anand (My Name Is Long as a River) highlight the supportive characters who help Nitasha, her parents, and their community at the temple reckon with these pressures' aftermath. "Inspired by my own life," as noted by Chand in back matter, this searing graphic novel directly and honestly confronts mature issues and suggests that healing is only possible if communities reject the societal stigma that prevents people from seeking life-saving support—a critical reminder for readers. Ages 14–up.
