When a twist of fate leads Rani from Evanston, Illinois to Pune, India for a summer, she has a reckoning with herself–and what’s really brewing beneath the surface of her first love. They begin dating in secret, but when Oliver’s troubled home life unravels, he starts to ask more of Rani than she knows how to give, desperately trying to fit into her world, no matter how high the cost. The same qualities that draw her in–his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art–make him her mother’s worst nightmare.

Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver. Trigger Warnings: suicide, racism, fetishization, microagressions, alcoholism, drug use Synopsis It was not only beautifully written, but covered so many themes that have been severely underrepresented and rarely discussed within the South Asian community, especially in Young Adult literature. All thoughts and opinions are my own.Īmerican Betiya was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and it definitely did not disappoint. 'A brave, beautiful exploration of identity-those thrust upon us, and those we forge for ourselves.' -Elana K.Disclaimer: I received a free eARC ( Advanced Reader Copy) of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Braiding together themes of sexuality, artistic expression, and appropriation, she gives voice to a girl claiming ownership of her identity, one shattered stereotype at a time. Rajurkar takes an honest look at the ways cultures can clash in an interracial relationship. Winner of SCBWI's Emerging Voices award, Anuradha D. When a twist of fate leads Rani from Evanston, Illinois to Pune, India for a summer, she has a reckoning with herself-and what's really brewing beneath the surface of her first love.

They begin dating in secret, but when Oliver's troubled home life unravels, he starts to ask more of Rani than she knows how to give, desperately trying to fit into her world, no matter how high the cost.

The same qualities that draw her in-his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art-make him her mother's worst nightmare. Perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon, Erika Sanchez and Jandy Nelson.Ī Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022Ī YALSA Best Best Fiction for Young AdultsĪ Cosmopolitan Best 100 Books of All TimeĪ Children's Cooperative 2022 Best Book of the YearĪ 2022 Nerdy Book Club Best Novel Award Winner A luminous story of a young artist grappling with first love, family boundaries and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship.

American betiya book