Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Twenty-eight-year-old Nao Brown, who’s hafu (half Japanese, half English), is not well. She’s suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and fighting violent urges to harm other people. But that’s not who she really wants to be. Nao has dreams. She wants to quiet her unruly mind; she wants to get her design and illustration career off the ground; and she wants to find love, perfect love. Nao’s life continues to seesaw. Her boyfriend dumps her; a toy deal falls through. But she also meets Gregory, an interesting washing-machine repairman, and Ray, an art teacher at the Buddhist Center. She begins to draw and meditate to ease her mind and open her heart—and in doing so comes to a big realization: Life isn’t black-and-white after all . . . it’s much more like brown.
Is The Nao Of Brown appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This graphic novel deals honestly with OCD and intrusive violent thoughts in a young woman seeking healing through meditation and art. Mental health struggles are central but handled with compassion toward recovery.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include mental illness, ocd, and violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Older teens dealing with mental health issues will find a compassionate, realistic portrayal of living with OCD and finding ways to heal.