LitPick Review
Nitasha is struggling and no one else can see it - not her Indian parents whose only wish is for her to be an obedient daughter nor her best friend Ava who seems to trust the new girl more than Nitasha. She doesn't fit in, whether at school where she's one of the only Indian kids or at home, where she knows she could never measure up to her perfect doctor brother. Alcohol dulls the knowledge that Nitasha is everything but enough, and eventually so does cutting. And all it takes is one viral video, one dark, lonely night for everything to go from bad to worse. This powerful story, inspired by the author's own experience as an Indian American kid, touches upon the stigma of mental health in traditional South Asian communities and how far support and awareness can go for those with mental health issues.
Opinion:
For a debut graphic novel, this book really surpassed my expectations. Nitasha was written in such a way that whenever she cried, I found myself crying along with her. The rest of the characters were as compelling and well-written. The motivations of Chloe, the main antagonist, were especially understandable. The art was lovely and the effort taken by the artist was evident. The end was gratifying as well; the loose ends were all tied up.
This is a story for those who have thought of their culture as anything other than ‘normal’. This is also a story for those who don’t understand the pressure of mental health and why anyone would want to kill themselves. It is something that will tear your heart up into infinitesimally unsalvageable shreds, yet also have you smiling at the end: if Nitasha could go through what she did and still recover, you can do anything.
