Fitting Indian: A Graphic Novel

by Jyoti Chand, Tara Anand (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063237551
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	115 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Jyoti Chand, a.ka. @Mamajotes across social platforms, is a dynamic writer, comedian, and passionate advocate for self-care and maternal mental health. FITTING INDIAN is Jyoti’s first book and she is currently working on her second graphic novel with First Second Books, among other creative projects. Jyoti’s work inspires others to embrace the joy and authenticity in their own lives. With a foundation in stand-up comedy and improv, Jyoti captivates audiences through her highly engaging content across social and digital platforms, offering an unfiltered look into the realities of motherhood. Represented by Haley Henning at Glossary Artists. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University Originally from Los Angeles, she now resides in the Chicago suburbs with her family. Follow her journey at @mamajotes or visit her at mamajotes.com

Tara Anand is an award-winning illustrator and visual artist from Mumbai, India, based in New York City. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the LA Times, on Netflix, and more. Fitting Indian is her debut graphic novel. Visit her at taraanandart.com/about.

 

Editorial Reviews

"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." — Publishers Weekly

"This keenly observed graphic novel touches on rarely discussed themes of alcoholism, mental health, self-harm, and emotional avoidance in South Asian communities... the portrayal of overbearing immigrant parents and the pressures of high school feel true to life. The illustrations make interesting use of color, with sepia-tinted panels for scenes from the past and pinks, blues, and purples enhancing more dramatic situations. A candid... exploration of mental health challenges in South Asian families." — Kirkus Reviews

Anand makes excellent use of the graphic novel format, using color shifts to illustrate memories versus the present and wordless panels to draw the reader into the quiet, dark moments where Nitasha feels entirely alone and unable to resist self-harm; body language makes clear Nitasha is not okay no matter how many times she insists she is. An unguarded author’s note from influencer Chand identifies how much of this story is drawn from her own experiences, and a list of support resources for teens is a thoughtful addition. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Chand’s raw, vulnerable writing builds upon her own mental health struggles and alcohol misuse to challenge those who have sought to control the lives of South Asian women and girls rather than uplift their autonomy... Recommend alongside YA books addressing culturally specific stigmas around mental health." — Booklist

From the Publisher

2025-03-08
Sixteen-year-old Nitasha’s gnawing feeling that she doesn’t fit in keeps growing.

At home, she feels burdened by her traditional Indian parents’ expectations that she excel academically and pursue medicine. Fraught family dynamics and maternal nagging to master domestic chores for her future husband further suffocate Nitasha and narrow her options. Growing apart from her best friend and her crush, who both present white, translates into heightened insecurity about her looks. Nitasha copes by using alcohol and self-harming (her cutting is explicitly shown). At a high school party, her drinking gets out of hand, and a slut-shaming video of her spreads on social media. Nitasha’s delicate mental health shatters, and she attempts suicide (contrary to widely recommended practices, her method is detailed in the illustrations). When her family and broader support network rally around her, Nitasha feels supported and initiates a mental health support group within her religious community. This keenly observed graphic novel touches on rarely discussed themes of alcoholism, mental health, self-harm, and emotional avoidance in South Asian communities. Though some plot points lean into melodrama, the portrayal of overbearing immigrant parents and the pressures of high school feel true to life. The illustrations make interesting use of color, with sepia-tinted panels for scenes from the past and pinks, blues, and purples enhancing more dramatic situations.

A candid if potentially triggering exploration of mental health challenges in South Asian families. (content note, resources)(Graphic fiction. 16-18)

Kirkus Reviews