Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, Tara Anand
on May 13, 2025
ISBN: 0063237539
Genres: Immigrants, Mental Health, Realistic Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

“Fitting Indian” is a YA graphic novel by Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand. Nitasha is an Indian American teenager who feels like she is letting down her more traditional Indian parents and will never live up to the example set by her doctor older brother. She drinks alcohol and cuts herself to deal with the pain. When a drunken moment is shared virally, Nitasha feels like she has disappointed everyone and tries to kill herself. We see Nitasha get help through therapy and from her friends and family and learn how a culture of ignoring mental health continues harming generations. The book deals with a lot of serious topics and is a powerful and needed story. This is a recommended purchase for YA graphic novel collections.

There is a trigger warning at the beginning of the graphic novel about the serious topics covered, which is helpful. The illustrations are  bright and beautiful and do an excellent job capturing the character’s facial expressions.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.