The Best at It

The Best at It is a 2019 middle grade coming-of-age book by debut author Maulik Pancholy. Pancholy drew on his personal experiences with sexuality, cultural identity, and mental health to create protagonist Rahul Kapoor, a gay Indian American boy managing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

The Best at It is a bildungsroman that follows 12-year-old Rahul through seventh grade in Indiana’s Greenville Middle School. Rahul is bullied about his sexuality and Indian heritage and decides that becoming the “best” at something will make people respect him. He pursues several interests with the help of his best friend, Chelsea, and the support of his family, eventually earning a spot on the Mathletes team. Over the course of the novel, Rahul discovers his sexual orientation, embraces his heritage, and seeks professional mental health help for OCD. The Best at It deals with themes like finding and accepting one’s identity, navigating mental health, and the adverse effects of bullying.

This acclaimed book was named a Stonewall Honor Book, an ALA Rainbow List Selection, a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Older Readers Selection, and a Scripps Spelling Bee’s Bookshelf Selection. The audiobook, narrated by Pancholy, was awarded the New York Times Best Audiobooks for Road Trips with Kids and the Paste Magazine Best Audiobook of the Month.

This guide refers to the 2019 Original Thought Productions Inc. paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of anti-gay bias, bullying, racism, and mental illness. 

Plot Summary

On the last day of summer before seventh grade, 12-year-old Rahul Kapoor and his best friend, Chelsea Wilson, pause their video game so that Rahul can race against his grandfather, Bhai, in his wheelchair. Their race is interrupted by Rahul’s school bully, Brent Mason, who is with Rahul’s neighbor and childhood friend Justin Emery. Rahul notices that Justin looks taller and stronger than last year. Brent makes fun of Rahul’s running and Rahul’s dad’s band, Bollywood Supply. Justin does not join in.

Rahul dreads starting school. He performs “checking” behaviors—double-checking the locks and checking his school supplies. In math class, Brent sees Rahul doodling hearts. Brent starts pestering Rahul about whether he is gay. Both the math teacher, Mr. Hayden, and Chelsea ask Rahul if Brent is bothering him, but he doesn’t answer truthfully.

At home, Rahul’s mom’s friends, the “Auntie Squad,” are planning next year’s International Bazaar, a cultural showcase. Nandita Auntie makes comments about Rahul marrying Chelsea, and his dad’s friend Vinay Uncle says that they can only hope Rahul marries Chelsea. Later, Rahul hears his parents talking about Vinay’s comment. His dad thinks that Vinay has a point, but his mom is angry. Rahul critiques his reflection, wishing that he looked like Justin. Rahul worries that something bad will happen if he doesn’t double-check the house locks.

Bhai unsuccessfully tries to get Rahul to talk about why he checks the locks. Bhai tells a story about how Rahul’s grandmother became the best student in her engineering school, proving her bullies wrong. Rahul decides to become the best at something.

At school, Brent continues to bully Rahul, manipulating him into trying out for football. Chelsea is hesitant but agrees to help, showing Rahul the basics so that he can try to become the best at football. During tryouts, Rahul barely gets past the half mile and 20 push-ups. In the scrimmage, Brent tackles him, and the coach calls an ambulance.

Rahul’s foot is hurt, and his parents argue. Rahul’s dad agreed to let Rahul try out—even though he knew it was dangerous—because he cares about what Vinay thinks. While watching videos with Chelsea, Rahul decides to become the best at acting.

Chelsea helps Rahul take headshots, though he hates his appearance. He brings the headshots to an audition for a local bank commercial. Rahul is so nervous that Chelsea tries to put powder over his sweat, but the color is too light. Rahul keeps it on, liking how it lightens his skin. He edits his headshots to make his skin appear whiter and his nose smaller. On the audition intake form, he changes his mom’s answers about his biographical information to make him seem whiter. Justin is also at the audition, and Rahul thinks that many of the boys look “perfect” like Justin.

In the audition room, another person of color, Wyatt, is glad to see Rahul. The white casting directors dismiss Rahul, saying that he isn’t right for the commercial. Later, Chelsea tells Rahul’s mom that Rahul was racially discriminated against. Rahul’s parents complain to the bank, but their grievance is dismissed.

At the assembly later that week, Rahul tries to talk to Justin about the audition but gets trapped in the cool kids’ section for the morning assembly. The Auntie Squad arrives dressed in saris to discuss the International Bazaar. Rahul is mortified, but the popular girls think that the saris are cool. Brent bullies Rahul about the saris. Chelsea is excited about the event and wants to participate.

Rahul’s obsessions and checking behaviors grow more prominent. Bhai tries to talk to Rahul, asking if he likes Justin. The next day, Justin finds Rahul and apologizes about Brent. Rahul realizes that he didn’t finish his math homework and quickly completes the problems, impressing Justin. Rahul asks Mr. Hayden if he can join Mathletes.

Rahul works hard preparing for the district Mathlete competition over winter break. The Mathletes struggle to work together, but Mr. Hayden thinks they’re a strong team. At the district competition, Rahul feels like he failed the individual test. Someone makes racist comments about their team before the event, which unites Rahul’s team. They win first place and move on to the state competition, and Rahul earns first place in individuals.

On the ride back home, Rahul’s teammate Jenny Ikeda asks him to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Rahul usually goes with Chelsea, but this year, she wanted to ask Rahul’s Mathlete teammate David. Rahul agrees to go with Jenny, even though the thought scares him. He doesn’t agree to go over to her house to help with the costumes.

At the dance, he does not ask Jenny to dance, which frustrates her. He notices Justin instead, which draws Brent’s bullying. In the hallway, Rahul tells Chelsea that he thinks he is gay. She is compassionate and supportive, but Rahul panics when someone overhears them, blaming Chelsea.

Before the Mathletes’ state championship, Rahul isn’t talking to Chelsea or Jenny. At the competition, he rooms with Jai Parikh, who immigrated from India. When Jai expresses surprise that Rahul knows about Indian snacks, Rahul realizes that he hides his knowledge of his heritage. Being with Jai makes him feel less different. Their team does not place, and Rahul gets fifth in individuals.

Bhai tells Rahul’s dad about Rahul’s checking, which leads to a supportive discussion. Rahul agrees to see a therapist. His dad says that he and Rahul’s mom love him no matter what. This prompts Rahul to think deeply about his identity for the next week.

For the International Bazaar, he decides to wear a kurta. He apologizes to Chelsea, who is performing a dance with a popular kid, Trina, alongside the Auntie Squad and Bollywood Supply. Brent mocks Rahul’s kurta. Rahul’s Mathlete friends stand up for him, as does Justin. Brent begins to make comments about Rahul having a crush on Justin, eventually starting a physical fight with Justin. Rahul breaks up the fight and affirms that he is gay. Everyone supports Rahul, and Brent leaves.

Bollywood Supply’s performance alongside the Auntie Squad, Chelsea, and Trina’s dance offers a mashup between Bollywood classics and modern rock music. Rahul has tried to resist signs of his Indian identity, but he decides to contribute to the event next year. They have a Holi celebration during the performance. Rahul tells Justin that he doesn’t have a crush on him but wants to be friends.

At home, Rahul sees his body covered in Holi powder and is happy with his reflection for the first time. He tells Bhai and his parents that he is gay. Later, over their two-way radios, Bhai tells Rahul that he taught him an important lesson: You don’t have to be the best; you just have to be yourself.