Fitting Indian
A Graphic Novel
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · May 13, 2025
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.
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- Who it’s for
- Family expectations and mental health meet in an emotionally direct teen graphic novel.
- Themes
- Mental health stigma, Family expectations, Belonging
- Genres
- YA Coming-of-Age Comics, Mental Illness for Teens, Self-Harm & Cutting
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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. An American Library Association's 2026 Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 book list pick!
Continue reading
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.
Belonging, Honestly
Family expectations and mental health meet in an emotionally direct teen graphic novel.
Come here for
- The friction between family expectations and finding your own footing
- A candid look at mental health stigma and honest community
Expect
- High school tensions and difficult questions of self-worth
- A serious, direct treatment of self-harm
Where it sits
| Mental Illness for Teens | 64% |
|---|---|
| YA Coming-of-Age Comics | 56% |
| Self-Harm & Cutting | 48% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- YA Coming-of-Age Comics
- Diverse YA Graphic Novels
- Multigenerational YA Stories
- YA Stories About Parents
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Asian American YA
- Hindu YA
- Depression for Teens
- Mental Illness for Teens
- Authors
- Jyoti Chand
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- May 13, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Mental health stigma · Family expectations · Belonging
- Reading lane
- YA Coming-of-Age Comics