A graphic novel has NEVER made me cry before, and I bawled at least 3 times! This is a powerful, heartfelt, and moving story of a south asian teen navigating high school and family pressure while balancing tradition and culture with self expression and individuality. Nitasha never feels American enough to feel accepted by her peers or Indian enough to feel accepted by her family or community. You watch painfully as Nitasha spirals down with lies, self-harm, smoking, and drinking. This book addresses the stigma of mental health in the Indian community, and I loved watching not only Nitasha, but her family and friends learn and grow together to better support each other. I cried both happy and sad tears while reading this book. I can't even begin to imagine how incredibly validating and uplifting this story will be to other teens struggling with similar cultural expectations and pressures. As a white woman, I won't be able to truly understand, but I am grateful for the opportunity to read stories like Nitasha's to learn more about what others may have gone through/are going through.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely a very powerful graphic novel, and the art is stunning. There are a lot of heavy topics like self harm, alcoholism, and sexism from the protagonist’s family. I think this graphic novel is very approachable for younger audiences (though there are graphic depictions of self harm which could be triggering for some audiences). My only real complaint was how quickly the protagonist seemed to get better. While I do think it is great for darker stories targeted toward younger audiences to have hopeful tones, I also think that recovery in this book felt a little too neat and clean.

I love graphic novels in general but it can often be hit or miss because you're trying to condense a fictional novel into short form while trying to elicit the same emotional response. The writing and illustrations have to be phenomenal because you’re trying to capture the essence of a story in what is essentially an adult comic. I feel like this author (and illustrator!) nailed it given how heavy the content was. (In addition to the BEAUTIFUL graphics)

What I expected going into this graphic novel: your standard South Asian trope of fitting into the Western high school experience. What actually transpired: Fitting into the high school experience while diving deep into the mental health of the South Asian community.

This novel felt less like a stereotype of multiple tropes and more like the author’s semi-autobiographical experience. Was there a strict immigrant Indian mom? Yes. Was there a closed off emotionally stunted Indian dad? Yes. Was there some very Bollywood filmy slapping? Of course! These presented alone can unfortunately be true but can also easily become a cliche in many books - South Asians are more than these overdone conventions. However…

There was also underage drinking to the point of excess (something that is never mentioned in your usual South Asian literature and also a major issue that is probably happening in our culture and not often discussed at home and in the online South Asian space). There were multiple scenes of personal emotional trauma (TW: self-harm) leading to a pivotal, tough scene (major TW), eliciting discussions of toxic HS experiences (i.e., the negative effects of social media) but also how our culture can affect the psychology of our mind and the harmful ways which we deal with it. Indians born here trying to go through this experience often don’t have the support system to discuss these crucial milestones (whether it’s our parents or counselors/psychiatrists who can't relate to our shared, nuanced experiences) and this graphic novel highlights the importance of not letting our children reach that breaking point. I loved how the strict Indian mother who is embarrassed of her non-conformist daughter grows, even at her age when you think they will not be able to expand their mind or allow for a different mindset. I hope we can show a book like this to our parents and make them feel not ashamed, but valued so we can normalize discussions around these hard topics and use it as a learning opportunity. I know from my experience alone, my parents while they meant well and wanted to see us succeed did not understand the Western school mindset and often they dismissed our feelings when we tell them otherwise. Hopefully, this will lead to more fruitful conversations within our families.

I think some might find the material to be “trauma porn” but to me, it felt very authentic, especially since I have followed this author on social media. Her own personal journey of sobriety has been refreshing to watch and to see how it plays out in the novel is also very genuine. There was so much she could have tackled within our space - colorism, the pressure to get good grades all the time, navigating mixed identities, etc) but she focuses on the matter that felt true to her story. Also, without having to discuss colorism, the illustrations highlighted all the different skin tones of South Asians from dark to light and I definitely appreciated these little subtleties.

I haven’t read a lot of graphic novels in South Asian drama because there really isn't any, but I am so glad we can now add this beauty to the list of graphic novels for adults. This is a must read for all and not just for South Asians and alike. This is not just a good story but a cautionary tale.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

So, I'm more or less an observer for the cultural elements of this book, although the author talks about how personal many of the events are. But I went into this without fully appreciating how much drinking, self-harm, and suicidal ideation would play into the story. While this story isn't going to match everyone's experience with those feelings, I wish I'd had a book like this in high school. While Chand focuses on the stigma around discussions of mental health (and many other things) in Asian and South Asian populations, the way she explores them resonated with me on a personal level that I was not braced for. I suspect that for people who HAVE grown up in that particular social context, this is going to hit even harder.

The illustrations are beautiful, and the physical details of the characters are so beautifully rendered. Nitasha starts out the story complaining about her parents and her culture, which put my little antennae up... but as the story progresses, she ends up connecting to and fighting for the people in her community who are experiencing unacknowledged mental health issues, ranging from depression to abuse and even bipolar disorder. I also found her relationships with her white friends to be really interesting, since they remain dynamic. Her best friend, Ava, isn't perfect, and her crush from school has flaws, but they went in a different and more nuanced direction than I was expecting. Likewise, her relationship with her childhood friend and first crush starts out with shared social context, but becomes deeper---and, at times, more painful---because of a complicated series of choices Nitasha makes throughout the book.

All of this is delivered in a way that's accessible to teen readers. Several of the characters have frank discussions about their depressive episodes and their self-harming behavior, and it was SO refreshing. Chand treats the subject with the weight it deserves, but without kid gloves. I have immense respect for any story that tackles a subject this heavy and personal, and "Fitting Indian" manages to balance both the extreme lows of depression with vibrant, loving, color-saturated highs. I loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I might very well buy the book after its release, as it's one I'd love to share with friends.

All I can saw is WOW. Please note the trigger warnings at the beginning of the novel and only read it if you are able (tw: self harm, substance abuse, suicide)! Fitting Indian is a coming of age graphic novel about a girl, Nitasha, that is too American and yet too Indian. This was a beautiful real story that takes hard topics and truly makes it into art. I cried three times when reading this graphic novel. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the graphic novel Fitting Indian.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children’s and HarperAlley for letting me read this graphic novel early. All thoughts are my own!!

This graphic novel was very powerful and moving. It handles heavier topics and discusses them in such beautiful way. I adore how relatable Nitasha is. I’m not South Asian, so I cannot speak on the representation there, but as someone who was once a teenager, I can relate to her in that regard.

Her journey through this book was raw and emotional and heavy. Watching her family and friends rally around her to care for her had me crying. Nitasha’s relationship with her brother was so sweet, and his role in this story made me tear up a little. She’s so young and full of complexity, and I really want to just give her a big hug. Her and Nick’s friendship was one of my favorite parts in this graphic novel. I just love this book okay!!

The art was stunning, and I loved the color and vibrancy. The illustrations did such an amazing job of conveying the characters’ emotions. I really love this graphic novel, and I can’t wait for everyone else to read it in May!

"Fitting Indian" is a young adult graphic novel by Jyoti Chand. Nitasha is a teenager trying to get through high school, but she isn't living up to her Indian parents' high expectations (get good grades, no dating, become a doctor, etc.) while her perfect older brother is a doctor and engaged to marry an Indian American lawyer. When a drunken night at a party leads to a devastating viral video of Nitasha, she doesn't feel like she can handle her parents' disappointment. This book handles some very difficult topics, including self-harm, suicide, unfair expectations, and cultural differences. A must-buy for any YA graphic novel collection.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand and illustrated by Tara Anand is a YA graphic novel dealing with depression, suicide, and emotional abuse. Nitasha is a sixteen-year-old first generation Indian-American dealing with the constant pressure from her family to be a ‘Good Indian Girl’ and deals with it by drinking and self-harming. When a friend of a friend takes a video of Nitasha and posts it online, Nitasha faces a lot of backlash from her community and it pushes her over the edge.

The art has a very unique style that celebrates the diversity of face and body shapes of the cast. I really liked how a monochrome panel or two was used to show a strong emotional moment for Nitasha and her family. It’s the small details that really help to carry the weight of those moments without being too jarring. I loved the use of colors, especially the bright pinks used for lotus blossoms. We also get a panel that shows Nitasha is in touch with her sexuality without showing anything graphic. I celebrate the choice to include that because too many young women are ashamed of their sexuality and it is perfectly normal to have those feelings or not as a teenager.

As someone who has dealt with depression my whole life but dealt with it very differently, I cannot say that I saw myself reflected in Nitasha’s experiences, but that’s a big reason why I liked it so much. Teens do reach for alcohol to deal with difficult feelings if they have access to it, like many adults do, and self-harm is, unfortunately, a problem that we really do need to keep addressing so young people don’t feel ashamed to get help but also know that it is a form of harm. The video take of Nitasha is a form of revenge porn and it breaks my heart every time I remember that teenagers have to live with the reality that anyone who is upset at them or just bored could upload a video of them half-dressed or completely naked online and the poster might not get the consequences they deserve. It’s dealing with a lot of issues, including inter-generational mental illness and social stigma, but they are things young people have to live with.

I personally loved the message of hope that was so prominent in the second half. Some readers might not connect to it because it is so very hard to get help and to change a community that is more traditional and looks down on those who have a mental illness, but I think teens in the middle of these situations need that hope. I certainly did and I couldn’t find any fiction that felt hopeful that was also tackling these themes when I was that age. Everything felt doom and gloom and like there was never going to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but there is a light. Some people find that light sooner than others and Nitasha finding it in realizing she has people who love her touched me.

Content warning for depictions of revenge porn, underage drinking, self-harm, a suicide attempt, emotional and physical abuse by a family member, and being ousted from a community

I would recommend this to fans of graphic novels exploring mental health but want something for young adults and readers looking for a book about depression that has a hopeful message at the end

this is a stunning debut, i dont know what else to say. nitasha's story is so raw and real, especially with her family. it's impossible to not feel for her.

First off, I'd like to say that I think the beginning of the blurb is very misleading. The only thing this book and Never Have I Ever have in common is an Indian protagonist. Other than that, they are very different! The show is a lighthearted rom-com that occasionally touches on serious topics, so I expected that based on the description. It was much darker and more serious than I expected. That being said, I thought it tackled very heavy topics in an approachable and digestible way. It wasn't fluffy and unrealistic and I'm sure many people can relate to cultural pressures and disapproval from parents.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Alley, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Fitting Indian on May 13, 2025.

I haven't cried this much over a book in a while. So many moments absolutely gutted me, but Jyoti Chand eventually put me back together by the end. Between Nitasha's personal feelings depicted visually and textually, and her stuttering relationships failing one by one, I felt so much empathy for her and her situation. We could see the spiral occur page by page, and by the end I couldn't tell if I was crying sad tears or happy tears because there was such a mixture of hope and struggle in this book.

So many teens struggle with mental health problems but are routinely ignored by their family, friends, or trusted adults. Or, as in Nitasha's case, sometimes the support comes too late or at a time when the person doesn't want to receive it. To see Nitasha's friends and family all rally for her and adjust their own perceptions of mental health to support her was heartwarming and a necessary message for so many.  

If you're looking for a powerful, poignant, emotional, relatable story with gorgeous art and compelling characters, I highly recommend this one!

This was a deep and mind provoking graphic novel that examined a variety of different issues. I thought the author's struggle with her identity was deep and meaningful. While her struggle with identity was specific, the variety of other issues like self worth, self harm, and alcohol could and can be understood universally. I liked the sprinkle of trance to balance our the deeper topics.

This was an incredibly powerful and deeply personal debut YA graphic novel that features a South Asian teen struggling with anxiety, depression, alcohol addiction and self-harm. Nitasha comes from a traditional South Asian family where they don't speak about mental health issues and where the community as a whole places a huge stigma around anyone with mental health problems. When a viral video upends her life and causes a rift in her family, Nitasha goes to a dark place. Luckily with the help of her family, friends and therapy, she is able to find a light amidst the darkness and stand up for more mental health support in her community. This is such an important book and is sure to resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended, especially for fans of books like In limbo by Deb JJ Lee or Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: suicide attempt, depression, anxiety, self-harm, alcohol abuse

A YA graphic novel debut by social media influencer.
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Nitasha feels like she has to be the perfect Indian daughter all the time, especially when she’s compared to her older brother who is a doctor and marrying the perfect Indian girl. But all she seems to do is disappoint those around her. To make herself feel better Nitasha drinks in secret and self-harms. When a video of her drunk and almost naked goes viral on social media, she hits her breaking point and a discussion about #mentalhealth struggles becomes a necessity.
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I. Adored. This. Book. When I started it I thought it was going to be a high school drama book filled with cliques, boyfriend-stealing, etc. but it became so much more than that. Not only did Chand bring to light a topic that is more important now than ever before, she also noted how mental health issues are seen in the Indian culture. There’s a strong stigma that needs to be addressed and I think the author did a fantastic job of doing just that. Fans of Glass Girl and Spinning will connect with this one too. 5 ⭐️ for this upper young adult title releasing May 13!

CW: self-harm, suicide attempt, alcohol, alcoholism, mental health struggles, domestic abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, hospitalization