Diary of a teenage philosopher

Familiarity with philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and existentialism isn’t necessary to Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary, written by Keshni Kashyap and illustrated by Mari Araki. Here, Tina Malhotra is a sophomore at a private high school in Southern California where existentialism is part of the English honors curriculum. She is assigned to create an “existential diary” in which she attempts to discover the answer to the question nearly all teens are in search of: “Who am I?” Each diary entry is addressed to Jean-Paul Sartre and illustrated with Araki’s simple but expressive line drawings. This comic diary not only serves as a gentle introduction to existentialist principles, but also to Indian culture and mythology via Tina’s Indian heritage. Tina’s self-discovery might be best enjoyed by fellow teenagers, but any adult who would like a brief, thoughtful read won’t be disappointed.

—Vivienne Finche