This was a sweet contemporary graphic novel about an Indian-American teen wanting to learn more about her heritage. I thought the cartoonish art style worked really well to convey the coming-of-age themes and make it appeal to both middle grade and older readers. There was some great commentary on identity and self-discovery but, ultimately, it failed to really delve into these topics.

My biggest problem was the weak plotline. Chanani’s attempt to touch upon several different issues - from bullying to family to feminism - could have worked if the story had more narrative. A dialogue and art-focused medium did not allow these plot threads to be explored to their greatest potential, only briefly touching on each one and then moving on. This split up the story into awkward little sections and it felt incredibly disjointed. The bullying was never really addressed, for one, and the comic competition was also rushed and underdeveloped. I wanted more from Priyanka’s relationship with her uncle and how that was resolved.

The magical realism element also did not work in my opinion. While I thought the colouring in those sections were gorgeous, it was confusing. I have no idea how Priyanka remained so calm in those scenes! The explanation was overwhelming, a tad too info-dumpish.

Characterwise, I know Priyanka's story is definitely going to resonate with a lot of readers. The family focus was also wonderful. I loved that the story also touched on being the child of an immigrant.

Overall? I think that this is going to be an important story for a lot of readers but it was too short and rushed for my personal taste. In my opinion, the story would have worked better in a written format with illustrations. Priyanka was definitely a sweet protagonist but I wanted more from her.

🍂 Rep: Priyanka (mc) Indian-American; #ownvoices representation; primarily Indian cast.

🌻 Trigger warnings for bullying, sexism and illness/hospitals.

Blog • Twitter • Instagram