Literary

Book review: 'I'm Fine' tries to unscramble the teenage mind

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 03 May 2019, 10:59 am

Someone has rightly pointed out that, Teenagers are the most misunderstood people on the planet. They are treated like children and expected to act like adults.

Teenagers often go through a period of utter confusion, disgust, failure, anxiety and depression because they feel that no one can completely understand them, and they cannot find an appropriate person with whom he or she can share his or her deep feelings.

Some parents try their best to make them feel comfortable while other teenagers are ignored.

'I’m Fine' by Taanya Kapur deals with such teenage problems and also gives suggestions to get out of these problems.

This book becomes more interesting since it is written by a teenager, Taanya Kapur, who is probably facing these troubles or has faced it sometime before.

Hence, she is aware of most of the worries and anxieties of a teenager.

Divided into 16 chapters, this book highlights all the basic problems of teenagers with specific focus on some of the most important and common worries like loneliness, failure, anxiety, depression, FOMO, parents and so on.

No one can actually surpass this stage and enter adulthood because these situations are needed to shape our mind, behaviour, characteristics and thought process.

Since this period is confusing and depressing, parents or siblings, if any, must be completely supportive.

Teenage girls and boys usually tend to hide things from their parents because they think that their parents cannot understand them since they belong to the previous generation.

Hence, it is always a two-way traffic.

If parents show their care and love for their children and make them feel comfortable, children will have the courage and strength to open up, share things with them and probably get rid of loneliness and depression.

This book brims with optimism and suggestions which would definitely be of great help.

The language is lucid and simple, just right for teenage readers.

Taanya Kapur has done a splendid job by including all the relevant issues in one book so that even parents can read it and understand the teenage mind further and better.

'I’m Fine' is a must-read for every teenager. Just remember, you are not alone!

(Reviewed by Sayantani Sengupta)