- Fitting Indian
- by Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand
- HarperAlley/ HarperCollins Books
- Publication Date: May 13, 2025
- ISBN-13: 9780063237537
Nitashi Gupta is having a rough junior year. She is struggling with her traditional Indian parents, the boy she likes is taking another girl to homecoming, and she’s worried she’s losing her best friend. She’s using alcohol and cutting to cope. But when a humiliating picture of her goes viral, it all becomes too much, and she lands in the psychiatric ward after a suicide attempt. Through the help she receives there is definitely making a difference, it’s going to take some work to help her family and friends overcome the taboos and cultural misconceptions about mental health.
Chand’s story is a gritty look at teen mental health. Teens will be inspired by Nitashi’s growth into a passionate advocate for mental health. Though some of her family and friends’ attitudes about mental health make it difficult for her to receive the help she needs, she finds several advocates within her community who support her as she tries to challenge unhealthy attitudes. Anand uses a palette of rich jewel tones that effectively illustrate Nitashi’s moods.
Offer this to teens who have been inspired by other books offering insight into teen mental health issues such as Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, and Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar features another Indian American teen who finds solace in creating art.
-Heather Christensen