Book Review: American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar

Title: American Betiya
Author: Anuradha D. Rajurkar
Genre: Coming of Age; Contemporary; Romance
Publication Date:
Publisher: 

Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver. The same qualities that draw her in--his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art--make him her mother's worst nightmare.

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. 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.

 

 

 

Rating

*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest and unbiased review*

 

Hello Fellow Readers,

 

This is a great book that delves into many topics that with our current social climate are needed. Rajurkar gives you such a realistic view of not only high school romance but into Indian American Culture. Rajurkar also isn't afraid to get into some bold topics such as toxic love, fertishization of women and racism. The main Character, Rani, is a high school girl who has artistic dreams but also wants to live up to her family educational expectations. She then meets Oliver, a white boy who her parents would never approve of. 

Their relationship becomes a whirlwind of intense love, and rebellion. At first, you think this is a typical high school romance but soon you realize that Oliver's obsession with Ran is disturbing and he's not treating her like a human being but like some sort of exotic creature he can show off. You can't help but get emotional over the relationship, whether it's anger, frustration, or sadness. Rani is amazing (as is her relationship with Kate [her best friend] and her family) and we get to see her amazing transformation from shy teenager to young college woman. My favorite part of the book was the epilogue because you can really see Rani's growth and development.

Overall, an amazing YA book