The Karma Map

by Nisha Sharma

A youth group’s temple road trip through India is a liberating escape for a former mean girl and sunshine boy to explore their past and their feelings for each other in the much-anticipated novel about self-discovery by the award-winning author of My So-Called Bollywood Life.

Born and raised in the US, Tara Bajaj hides her family secrets. With beautiful clothes, a popular social media presence, and a spot on the Rutgers High Bollywood dance team, she does it well—until her carefully cultivated image shatters. Shut out by friends and with her future in flux, Tara accepts a guide position for a youth group’s temple tour through North India. Rediscovering the heart of her ancestry is as good a place as any to start over.

Silas D’Souza-Gupta is an aspiring photojournalist retracing the journey his two mothers took when they fell in love. The last thing he expects on this road trip through his roots is a girl with a history of her own. As Tara and Silas embark on remote pilgrimage sites from Punjab through the Himalayas, they discover what it means to be a child in the Indian diaspora, the significance of karma, and the healing power of love.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Travel, India

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2023

About the author

Nisha Sharma is the critically acclaimed author of YA and adult contemporary romances including My So-Called Bollywood Life, Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance, The Singh Family Trilogy and the If Shakespeare was an Auntie series. Her books have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly and more. She lives in Pennsylvania with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew. You can find her online at Nisha-sharma.com or on TikTok and Instagram @nishawrites.

Reviews

[Fanna]

everyone, calm down, this has a grumpy girl + sunshine boy romance.

[Shaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

*bi rep
*grumpy sunshine

WHAT a perfect read. Sharma’s story of a mean girl’s redemption through self and literal exploration is an absolute delight from start to finish.
Tara is so easy to empathize with and Silas is freaking adorable like I can’t get enough of him.

What really shines through in this beautiful story is Sharma’s very intentional love letter to India.

Whether it be through food, religious and cultural landmarks or nuanced rumination’s on the trials and tribulations of diaspora kids, Sharma shines a beautifully descriptive light on what being Indian means to her all while exuberantly proclaiming her love for her motherland. This felt much more inherently personal than her previous works I’ve read and I am very grateful for the sharing of this story.

I truly don’t believe there is a genre Sharma would be out of her depth on. Every release is more wonderful than the last.

[•.~*Izzy*~.• · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ super cute and quick read, but they were a bit younger so i feel like i didnt fully connect with them, but i really enjoyed learning more about indian history and culture and i had fun nonetheless.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding yourself

A great book. More than the religious and diversity messages in the book, it sends an important message about social media. Words, texts, and pictures hurt. I liked the message about the characters on their own personal journeys but finding each other as well.

Tara was the IT girl in high school until she wasn't her fall from grace was published all over all over social media. So she decided to use it to fight back, villifing her even more in the process. Can getting away from her family, carrying her secrets on a religious pilgrimage, allow her to find herself or take her further from who she is meant to be?

Silas has struggled with his Indian identity all his life. Also struggling to reconcile the religious/spiritual belief whilst being raised by two loving moms. He hopes a religious trip following in their footsteps will help him link to the past and find his future.

I lije that all the characters are smart (in their own way) and not one dimensional Everyone has their own thoughts and quirks. Some likeable some not. Great character and relationships development.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Adored this

[neha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

THIS WAS SO CUTE and i loved all the topics that were touched on, but especially the different perspectives of the diaspora experience. silas and tara were SO cute together i’m really glad they didn’t fall prey to some annoying miscommunication trope that was stretched out for too long or anything. most of all, i loved all the descriptions of india and the food, i’m longing to go back <3

unfortunately, it all felt a little too rushed, especially at the end. i wish we got more information about what happened once the trip was over, or just a little more development. the pacing was just off because the beginning was slow and then it suddenly sped up. cute ending nonetheless though.

[Kelsey Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read much about India or Hinduism and I learned a lot about both throughout this cute story. I also appreciated that there was a lot of LGBTQ representation.

[rach⭑ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭑

Listened to this on audio and it was super cute. I love Nisha’s books!!

[Jess • justpeachyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most wholesome, tender, heartwarming, adorable romances I've ever read omg 🥹 I have no words for how much I love these two. Everything about this book is so freaking charming!!

🩷 bi MMC (!!!!)
🩷 dual pov
🩷 reverse grumpy x sunshine
🩷 coming of age
🩷 identity in diaspora
🩷 healing after heartbreak
🩷 road trip through Northern India
🩷 mouthwatering food descriptions
🩷 no third-act breakup
🩷 healthy communication
🩷 nonbinary and lesbian rep (side characters)
🩷 amazing audiobook narration
🩷 nuanced discussions of cultural identity, spirituality/religion, and sexuality

[S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this audiobook on kindle unlimited and was instantly drawn in by the title. Karma is one of my favorite words so thought this would be an interesting read. It was!! I didn’t know anything about the book but was instantly drawn in between the relationship of the male and female protagonists. It had good representation of LGBT as well. It was more then a normal relationship as they helped each other and it took a while for them to get together. It was just so good overall and I would definitely recommend.

✿audio book source: kindle unlimited

[Navneet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nisha Sharma never fails to disappoint I swear. I absolutely loved this book, I think it’s got to be one of my all time YA favs.

The book made me wanna experience India like this, with a new group of people and learning about the rich history. I liked that the book brought up so many issues - farmers protest, being a diaspora kid, immigrant families etc. there’s so much to learn from this book while enjoying the character developments, chemistry, and the relationships. The vibes of this book were immaculate!

I love Silas, he has my whole heart.

and omg when they were talking about how McDonald's in India is better, YES 100% every single fast food place there>>> book had me wanting to teleport to India. It also took me back to when I had visited Kashmir, so it was a nice trip down memory lane.

however, i wish we got a little bit more after the trip ended rather than just being thrown into the epilogue.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story with a difference. Full of heart, while touching on some topics that you might not immediately link to a cute romance.
Our main character, Tara, has been raised in the US but her parents have always taken her to India for pilgrimage. They want her to understand their Hindu beliefs, but as someone living in the US things do not seem quite so natural to Tara.
When we meet her she has just taken the decision to throw a metaphorical bomb into her carefully cultivated life. Her dance team was everything to her, but when a friend turns and Tara learns they plan to use secrets for an unfair advantage she stands up for those impacted. It costs her friendships, and Tara is in a fragile state when she signs up to be a summer tour guide in India.
Also on the tour is her nemesis, family friend Sunny, who caused a lot of Tara’s problems. Thankfully, the other tour guide Silas who is trying to examine his beliefs while coming to terms with his queer identity proves himself a good friend.
Set in a very unfamiliar background it was exciting to read about their trip and to see it through different perspectives. At its heart this was a cute romance, but it had such a positive message about identity that it was hard not to warm to it.

[Kitty Kolektor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara is the survivor of Mean Girl style bullying. She takes a job as a junior counselor on a spiritual tour through India, disconnecting from all social media and the “old” her. Along comes Silas, another junior tour guide. He takes the job to recreate photos from his moms trip on a similar spiritual tour for a photojournalism contest. He “sees” the real Tara and I was here for every minute of it.
Throw in the “unlikeable” protagonist, 10 diverse high schoolers who are all on the trip at their parents insistence, gorgeous religious sites, food that had my mouthwatering, and an annoying whistle, and you have yourself a 5 star read.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You had me at grumpy girl and sunshine boy YA romance but most importantly the author love letter to India.

I have read my fair amount of Nisha Sharmas work but I have to say that this novel in particular felt so personal to me.

Silas is freaking adorable and Tara is just so relatable.. talk about your mean girl redemption era filled with Indian culture, Food, and being a kid from the diaspora reconnecting with your roots! UGH I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this incredible novel! I highly recommend it

[Meg Fry Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story! I love how the kids built their own community on a trip that none of them really wanted to be on. There was a lot of self and society reflection, and making some hard decisions once figuring out what was best for the person trying to heal. The epilogue also had a cute surprise!

I want to learn more about the foods and places in this story and come back and reread it so I can enjoy it even more.

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Well written, descriptive scenes to make reader’s feel like they’re actually joining the tour through India.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very sweet YA romance/coming of age book.

Tara’s journey of self discovery was a beautiful thing to witness. Silas was a golden retriever, but he was also super willing to learn and eventually shared honesty with his parents as well.

As a white American woman, reading this book was a learning experience for me. I feel like I understand the culture and religion more, and I respect the different viewpoints regarding those. I don’t feel like I can elaborate on that, but I appreciate the opportunity to learn.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and wish there were more books to come so that I can see Silas and Tara grow more. But I’m grateful to the ARC and the invite into Nisha Sharma’s hype team!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look. I will read absolutely everything Nisha Sharma writes and I will love it. What a perfect contemporary YA read. The journey of self-discovery (or even rediscovery) that both Tara and Silas experience as they participate in a pilgrimage through northern India was a joy to read. Whether it’s reading about food (omg I was so hungry the entire time), her descriptions of the landmarks and scenery, reflections on being a part of the diaspora or even discussions of queerness, I was enthralled. My only real complaint is that I wanted more of it.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to look up terms as I was reading, but it didn't take anything away from the story. I enjoyed learning about the culture, the history, and the country.

[tejal · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute story, great representation but the pacing felt off to me and the ending rushed.

[Anusha Ketepalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the south asian novels I’ve read didn’t do it as well as this one did in the accuracy of the Indian-American first gen experience. It was perfect.

[Jasmeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read a YA novel and starting with Nisha Sharma new release was the best choice. The Karma Map was perfect. To me it was a love letter to immigrant children who are born and raised in western societies. I found myself relating to these characters when I was a teen whenever it came down to their culture and western identities and trying to find that balance and in the end try to hide it. Always with comments like you’re not too Indian or even Australian but you’re just a person. For me it took a while to embrace my culture and like Tara I do respect and value some things from my faith and culture there are just some things I cannot agree with.

This book made me miss India. I haven’t been back since I was 11 or 12 years old and I love reading about people visiting the golden temple. It’s one of my favourite places in the world and favourite place to visit in India. Would always go each time will visit. I love how in every book Nisha describes food made me very hungry especially for the maccas (McDonald’s) aloo tikki burger. Really wanted it. This book made me want to visit some of these places maybe for the next time I go back. Shimla has always been on the list.

Now the characters. I love all of them even Sunny at one point 🤣. The teenagers on the trip made it amazing with their teasing of Tara and Silas then always making random references to Bollywood movies with cliches. There were so much laugh out loud moments with them. Tara and Silas are so cute together. They balance each other out every well they were made for each other from their first meeting. And Sunny he was annoying from the start of the book but then at the end he was okay. I kinda would like to see a book about him and where he ends up cause I feel like his storyline isn’t over yet. I am very much hoping for another novel with some of these characters 😅.

Now I am very much looking forward to reading Taste Like Shakkar!!!! 6 more months until it’s released 🥹 I really want to read it.

[Ameeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a special book for me. Nisha Sharma wrote The Karma Map as a love letter to India and while penning the experience from her North Indian diasporic lens. The exploration of gender identity, sexuality, religion, and sense of belonging were covered in depth throughout this novel about a youth group trip through North India on their pilgrimage of religious sites.

I have read other books by Nisha Sharma, so I quickly recognized Tara from another novel, which made her a much more likable character from the beginning. Tara is on the outs with everyone at school so taking off for two months as a junior guide .is maybe the restart she needs before heading to college in the fall. The last thing she expects is to meet Silas, the incredibly sunny junior guide, who is determined to keep breaking down her armor.

I loved this book for the beautiful description of the sites they visited, the foods they ate, and the continuous exploration of being from the US visiting India, looking similar to those around you and still feeling like an outsider. This is a sentiment I have felt often in my life both at home in the US and when visiting my family in India. I related heavily to so many of the characters and appreciated Sharma's development of the various kids on the youth trip in addition to Tara and Silas.

I've become a huge fan of reading the author's notes whenever they are available and I recommend reading them before starting to read. I also valued the notes for potential trigger/content warnings being right at the beginning of the book.

Nisha Sharma, I look forward to reading your next book. Before I sign off, can we all just take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this book's cover?! STUNNING!

[Sujata Neidig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great YA book that centers around Indian culture from the perspective of American born kids who are in the teenage years. Tara is the central character and experiences extreme bullying in her senior year of high school, impacting her plans for life after college and leaves her very lonely. She decides to take a job as a Junior Guide on a pilgrimage designed for middle school kinds in India, one that she herself went on a few years earlier at her parents' insistence. She is able to use this trip as a way to figure things out about herself, self-realization and growth, through the relationships and friendships she builds during the several week pilgrimage. She also gains more thoughtful and expanded perspectives about India and it's culture than what she had from being raised by her religious parents (especially her mom who teaches Hinduism). Another Junior Guide, Silas, has different reasons for joining. He was adopted by his 2 Indian mothers from Goa and wants to connect to his roots while also documenting the experiences his moms had as gay women from when they met on the same pilgrimage to current day. This is a heartwarming story about teenagers blossoming into young adults.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: bullying, classism, toxic friendships, drug abuse, gaslighting, shitty parenting, homophobia

3.5 stars

I grabbed this ages ago and then put off reading it for literal months for no apparent reason. I was pleasantly surprised when I DID get around to reading it. I didn't feel like the grumpy/sunshine aspect of the story shone quite as strongly as the blurb indicates that it does, in part because it wasn't so much that Tara was grumpy so much as the kids had preconceived notions about her and she keeps herself to herself as a result.

Silas' story had perhaps more character growth than Tara's did, but both of their stories were compelling. My one complaint is that this somehow felt too long and too short at the same time. It didn't feel like it covered as many weeks as the story apparently covers, and it sometimes felt like the two protagonists spent more time at McDonald's than they did supervising the kids or exploring India.

Still, I enjoyed this story more than I enjoyed Sharma's adult romances, so I guess that's something.

[Rachel R · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ THIS BOOK

4.5 (rounded up)

Rep: Bi MC, Pan(Side character), f/f couple (Silas’ parents), South Asian Rep
Genre: New Adult
Trigger warnings: Bullying, Addiction, Homophobia, Casteism

- Grumpy Sunshine Romance
- Coming of age, self-discovery
- Queer representation and discussion
- Healthy relationship dynamics between MCs
- Important topics discussed: religion, spirituality, sexuality, and other struggles of being part of the diaspora

Such a cute thought-provoking story! ♡
This book is a beautiful coming-of-age story about self-discovery, as two teens join a temple youth tour group in India post-high school. The author captured the struggles of being part of the diaspora perfectly through the voices of the main characters. As the book progressed, we naturally dived into deeper discussions about difficult topics. There were many thought-provoking moments about religion, spirituality, and what it means to be a second-generation Indian. The characters go through a journey of self-discovery and I loved every moment of it. As a second-generation Indian child myself, this book reverberated deeply for me, and I’m sure that it would be for other Indian children or any POC for that matter.

Although the book focuses a bit on the love story of Tara and Silas, I believe it was a secondary complimentary plot line. The first being about each character gaining a better idea of what it means to be Indian and going on their own personal growth journey. The characters truly transform by the end of the book.

That being said, I LOVED the connection between Tara and Silas. Really enjoyed the natural progression of Tara’s and Silas’ love story. They both grew spiritually and mentally together. Their relationship was healthy throughout the story; they had healthy communication, were consistently supportive of each other, and constantly pushed each other to be the best version of themselves.

OKAY, BUT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SILAS. OMG Silas was such a refreshing breath of air, such a gentleman. He understood boundaries, consistently had clear communication, supported his love interest, etc. It is soooo rare to find a ‘perfect’ and ‘respectful’ man in books these days, let alone in real life. Definitely my new favorite book BF!

The author did a wonderful job discussing Indian culture, religion, spirituality, and family dynamics. One of the things I appreciated most about this book was the author's ability to make complex concepts accessible and easy to understand for those not familiar with Hinduism. The book is well-written and engaging, with a writing style that is both conversational and insightful.

This book truly emphasizes the love/hate relationship that many second-generation kids have with their Indian identity. But I think it also helps us appreciate the culture more, and take from it what we believe is part of our sense of identity.

Thank you to Nisha Sharma and the team for the physical ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Maggie (fck amaz0n) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

THIS IS THE YA THE PEOPLE WANT! (It's me, I'm the people.)

The Karma Map in a snapshot:

☆Vibrant, beautiful setting!
☆Plentiful QPOC and Desi representation!
☆A male love interest that models healthy masculinity and who gives his girl space to solve her own problems!
☆A relationship with healthy communication and dynamics!
☆A novel that is clearly an absolute love letter to the author's home country, India.♡
I absolutely adored The Karma Map. It tells such a beautiful story of second-generation Desi teens visiting India and reconnecting with India (and themselves in the process). It's a beautiful story about connection, healing, identity, and also confronts important social issues like casteism and LGBTQ-phobic attitudes.

I found it to be absolute chicken soup for the soul and I'm not even Desi. I imagine this book will reverberate so deeply for so many Desi people and other POC and children of immigrants.

Also, I have to say, Silas is definitely on my list of best book love interests. Loved loved loved him.

The only real reason I rated it 4.5 instead of 5 is because the end felt very abrupt. I'd have liked for more time to be spent wrapping up loose ends. But it was still a lovely ending and wasn't a deal-breaker for me at all.

I freaking devoured this. Truly, there wasn't a moment that I could put it down and I read it cover to cover. I 100% will read this again in the future and might even get a physical copy for myself. I wish every YA novel were this good! So excited to read more from Nisha Sharma.

If you love contemporary YA, travel-centered stories, and/or novels with South Asian rep, and haven't yet read The Karma Map, DO IT! (Yes, I am peer pressuring you. But I promise you'll be glad you did!)

Many thanks to Skyscape and to Nisha Sharma for the eARC, which I received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Karleah Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up.
I really enjoyed this! It's a cute, wholesome, grumpy+sunshine contemporary YA. I didn't know an awful lot about India or Hinduism or the anxieties of diaspora, and this felt like a very gentle introduction to all that.
It felt adjacent to Mean Girls crossed with Never Have I Ever, and it was just a pretty easy, funny read.
I loved the focus on differentiating religion between being part of a social institution and the spiritual, personal nature of understanding it for oneself.
The ending did feel a bit rushed/wrapped up, but it wasn't too bad for a YA.

[wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nisha’s writing is so immersive and had me googling places on India wishing I was there! I loved learning about a different culture in this book and all the food references as always has me so hungry! My only complain is that I wish it was longer and that we had more time with her sister.

[readingonarainyday · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️

This was a cute, young adult book with romance but it also explores themes like identity, family dynamics, and being your true self. 
 
Also, just love a book with a map!