A very interesting book to read, and at the same time was a very different experience for me.

I had a very weird experience with this book, I did enjoy the story, The characters were great, I was falling in love with Omar, Prakash, and Amina I felt like this was going to be a really good love story or that at one point Omar was going to get what he deserved, It really was good but here is where I get all confused as I really liked the book but still I kept feeling some emotions that were not pleasant.

The whole story was very sad, there were no feelings of happiness or love at any point. If you're looking for a love story this is not it. I always wanted someone to finally acknowledge Omar and I felt like everyone was so busy with their own problems that no one care how alone Omar felt, in his parent's mind, everything was ok with him, in his aunt's eyes he had to survive alone whatever life threw at him and with time he will feel better. I really never understood why they kept giving excuses not to talk to Omar and not to support him as he needed.

The Royal Abduls is a story about a family who is having a hard time to embrace their culture, they really don't want to acknowledge their roots, they make every excuse not to remember the past and not even to teach Omar what is the difference and the real traditions, he was so eager to understand who he was but nobody had the time to really help him grow, I felt like Omar was sad every single moment of his life and nobody seat with him to see what was going on.

The Royal Abduls talks about a family who is struggling to live in a country, where people don't understand their traditions and kept thinking they were terrorist, the typical stereotype the world assumes when they see someone wearing a Hijab, who looks Arab to assume he is a bad guy trying to destroy or to do something evil.

Amira kept putting so many walls even when she knew where her happiness was, I really never understood why she kept denied herself no matter if she knew, she was making a mistake, she was always trying to put walls around her and the people that love her. Amira was the character that I really like not only because she was the more mature and more easily approachable but also because she had always a small kind of gesture for Omar.

Mo and Marcy were also so closed off and so immersed in their problems and feelings that they never had the time for Omar. I felt like they were so selfish like many things would have happened if they had better communication in the first place.

After reading the Royal Abduls I found something similar to other books that I've read before about Indian culture, I'm not sure if is something cultural but every book I've read that speaks about Indian traditions the characters never talk, as in they never had a good communication, they're always very closed off, they don't like to speak, it is as if the culture is this way, that they don't acknowledge the emotions or feelings of a woman and children as if they dont have a voice. This is only MY perception in the books that I've read but in no way, I'm saying or suggesting this is the case in real life.

The Royal Abduls was a good read, even if it is not what I was expecting and was not really what I was looking for but the story is good.

4.5 stars- Loved this light in tone and easy to read book of substance. This is the story of Amina, a young Indian-American scientist who is figuring herself out. She has her work, her family, and a romantic interest but feels isolated. Saying more would spoil it, but this book is about family culture, growing up, and making life choices. This book could be for you if you liked the Netflix show Never Have I Ever (which is also great) or books like Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows. This book is very readable and was perfect for me- engaging read but not too heavy, just the right amount of interesting characters and cultural identity.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

"The Royal Abduls" is the story of an Indian-American family living in Washington DC immediately post-9/11 and is told from two POVs, that of Amina, a botanical scientist who is the daughter of immigrants, and Omar, her 11-year-old nephew who yearns to know more about his heritage. Through their experiences and those of the people around them, the author tackles themes of identity, racism, anti-Muslim sentiment, gender discrimination, family dynamics, and finding balance in one's life.

I was immediately drawn in by the premise of this book but something about it didn't click for me. I never felt like I understood why the characters were behaving the way they did and it was hard for me to care about them when their motivations seemed so confusing. I did appreciate the author's writing and the different perspective she offered on the American experience - I just wish it had been with more depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forest Avenue Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I applaud the writer's aims with this book. And, as a story, it's an important one to be told and retold in many ways. Beyond racism and religious fundamentalism, the themes related to familial loyalty, ethnic pride, and individualism are definitely worth exploring through the lens of immigrant lives. However, the narrative overall feels loose and lacking in pace. Certain authorial choices about where to dwell longer and where to speed things up don't quite make sense given what the writer seems to be trying to accomplish with the characters in particular scenes. Overall, I still found the book a worthy read but not moving enough for me to write an entire review for it. My sincere apologies.

This book is really unique as it came to me at the appropriate time, I was looking for something that realistic and that dramatic, however, I liked the happy end.
This novel is talking about an American/Indian family in the US after 9/11, about how it is difficult to be a woman, named a Muslim name and struggle to fit in you weird community.
Finally, I want to thank the gifted writer, Ramiza Koya, for the great writing quality.

Amazingly good from a debut author . Well told. Taunt and emotional. As a woman who is considered a minority because I am not white I really empathized with the characters who don't know where they belong, don't fit in and are not wanted. Read this riveting book by an author I absolutely want to read more from. A must read. Happy reading!

Loved this look at an Indian-American family’s experience in the United States. Great character development and wonderfully written. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book was an emotional one for sure. Books about life during and right after 9/11 are always difficult and emotional, but this is the first one that I have read from the perspective an Indian family, and I know that is even more difficult. I can never pretend to understand what it was like to be seen as a terrorist just for the color of my skin, but my step dad (who was born and raised in Pakistan) and my husband (who is 1st generation Iranian American) can so I have heard these stories and heartbreaks first hand. The Royal Abduls packs a lot of emotional punches and had some pretty heavy content so it is not for the faint of heart, but for a reader who likes to gain perspective on other people's experiences, this book is for you. I did feel the ending was a little anti climatic and open ended, but the author obviously intended it to be so, I just like my stories to be neatly tied up at the end so I know how things turned out, but overall this was a beautifully written book.

What will you do if you have found that you're not accepted in your society because of your colour, religion, race, ancestors or even you name? What will you do if every member of your family expects more than you can do and blame you for not doing anything? What will you do if you lost people you loved most? What will you choose your career or your family?
You will face all these questions and you experience the answers in a great realistic manner of narration.
I really liked this novel as it touched my heart deeply and I do recommend it.

The Rpyal Abduls bravely counters the situation of Immigrants trying to survive in America. After 9/11 things changes drastically for Muslims, in particular. The story follows a small Indian-American family, each individual fighting their own battles.

Omar is confused child, being born into a house of brown Muslim father and a white mother, Onar constantly finds himself in a conflict of identity. I felt the worst for him, he only wanted to explore his roots, know where he came from, why he looked the way he did, why everyone called him names based on his race even though his family wasn't a practicing Muslim family.

Then there is Amina, independent, successful, headstrong but also selfish, unable to walk an extra mile for loved ones. Amina's character proved that shortcomings in childhood does effect you in adulthood too. I think she was so tired of being constantly judged becaus eof her looks that she became determined to be successful in her field. Along the way, she also forgot to live a happy life.

Mohammad, or Mo, is Omar's father. He's an uncommunicative, closed-off father. Mo and Marcy, like many others were high school sweetheart. What irked me about them was that Marcy knew Mo from the beginning, she saw him change from a boy to a man, she knew what her husband was like yet she blamed everything on him, blamed him for not being talkative enough, expressive enough. Whereas Mo, who had endured identity crisis himself as a boy should have been there for his son. He should have tried to have a better relation with his as compared to the one he had with his father. He believed putting food on the table and paying the bills was enough.

The Royal Abduls is a heart-wrenching story about a striving family, It's about family, love, the wrong choices we make, and paying for them. Its about being there for our family and regrets, All in all, it left me feeling extremely sad but also hopeful.

This was more heartbreaking than I thought it would be. Ramiza Shamoun Koya's use of the dual narrative (alternating third-person POV between Amina and her nephew Omar) works really well and gives the reader more insight into not only these two characters, but also the world around them. It was upsetting to see that the main interfaith/intercultural relationship (that of Omar's parents Marcy and Mo) fell apart in such an intense way, but in a way it served to highlight Omar's struggle with his identity and culture.

'The Royal Abduls' is an absolutely superb book and one that left me feeling really sad that its author's debut book may well be her last. With writing of such high quality, I want more from Ramiza Shamoun Koya but this may well not be possible for her.

At the heart of the book is an unlikely heroine. Amina likes moths but isn't so crazy about people. She doesn't make friends easily, tries to avoid getting involved in romantic relationships, and gets involved with her own family rather reluctantly. I'm not particularly introverted myself, but I loved Amina's different way of approaching life and could relate to her preference to be out in the countryside looking for moths rather than dealing with the day to day politics of life in her research lab and her complicated family.

Every heroine needs a side-kick and Amina's is her 11-year-old nephew Omar. The book is pitched as (yet another) post-9/11 exposee of racism in modern America. From my point of view, race was a minor player in the prejudices faced by the characters. At 11 years old, Omar could have been picked on just as easily for a handful or other 'differences' - wearing glasses, having red hair, or being a bit geeky - just as easily as for being a bit 'brown'. As the child of a US-born American of Indian heritage and a white mother (surname Benoit - sounds French or French Canadian, I forget if it's mentioned) he is torn between wanting to know more about his heritage, and perhaps a bit of disappointment that his father and grandparents aren't Indian enough or Muslim enough. Yet somehow the kids at school want to call him a terrorist. Kids! Little sods.

Amina is a post-doc researcher for a prof who treats her (and most of his team) like trash and indulges in inappropriate relationships with female subordinates. Nasty. She's dealing with the multiple whammy of being brown, nominally Muslim (the whole family drink, eat whatever they want and Amina's father Abdul was known to all his white colleagues as 'Alan'), and a bit of a sociophobe. Omar chips away at Amina's reserve, introduces her to a potential boyfriend (a not very Sikh Sikh) and drags her into his problems with school and divorcing parents, giving her possibly the first non-dysfunctional relationship in her life.

If you want a book where lots happens, it's possibly not the one for you. But if you like a slow burn where people expand their horizons and realise important things about themselves and their lives, then I highly recommend The Royal Abduls.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review. It's my 6th book from Netgalley and the first one I've loved.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I, personally found that the choice of writing style made it very difficult for me to connect with the characters. I felt that their voices were stilted and monotone and bled into each other.

The story had an interesting concept and I really enjoyed the bonding scenes between Amina and her nephew however I wish that was the greater focus rather than the family troubles that seemed to take over the book.

I’m not a fan of books where the strong, independent female lead character is afraid of dating. I immediately lost interest. Not because of the dating but because the direction of the book took a stereotypical nose dive.

This novel is truly something special. Beautifully written and achingly real, as an Indian person I felt very seen by this story. I found this book thought-provoking and moving, and I loved the two main characters, Amina and her nephew Omar. A lovely, thoughtful look at race, culture and identity.

I was up until 3am finishing this book and then another hour to process it. As a teen librarian, I know that Omar's point of view will help me better understand what my teens are experiencing. The pacing was phenomenal right up to the final impact. The characters are unforgettable.

A moving story of family of Amina an Indian American scientist and her relationship with her American born nephew Omar.Omar who is so fascinated by his Indian heritage that he adopts an Indian accent.A book about America after nine eleven,A story that immediately involved me and gave me a lot to think about race in America.Areally wonderful read will be recommending.#netgalley#TheRoyalAbduls

I loved this book about an American/East Indian professor, Amina, who grew up in the US with Indian parents. The main characters were so beautifully written., I especially loved Omar, Amina's nephew. The book addresses post 9-11 racism and prejudice that non-white people continue to encounter on a daily basis. The stories of the characters and their attempts to connect and heal were heartbreaking and beautiful.

I received this book as a free ARC from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

This book is told from Amina and Omar's point of view and alternates back and forth very well. I really enjoyed how Ramiza Koya was able to construct the two narratives to coincide with each other but differ in their child and adult ways. It showed the deeper needs and confusions of each character and situation.

There was lots of heartbreak and emotion poured into this story. Without giving away spoilers, Ramiza Koya was able to drive the wedge of separation amidst a family even deeper. I was not expecting the turn, and it really filled out the book as a whole. (When you read it, you will understand what turns I am talking about and why I can't give more details!)

What I really loved about this novel was the author's way of making the reader understand the need for understanding one's identity and trying to make sense of the world around them. The characters were confused about their culture, love, family, future, and past. My heart went out to all of them and I wanted more than anything for them to be happy.

This book ended without wrapping up some of my biggest questions! It was one of those beautifully constructed and intensely frustrating endings. But it did give me hope for the characters and a desire to define my own identity.

This book really was just like dropping in on a family and seeing all of their meaty parts.

And by that I mean the parts we keep hidden away from everyone. Even from ourselves sometimes.

This, this feeling of dropping in, this intense caring that forms, can only be accomplished with rich character development, thoughtful dialogue and rich writing. This book has all of that. Several times while reading I found myself saying “hmph!” and “whoa” and “wow, that’s good.” I have to admit that I was neither interested in nor excited about the scientific parts of Amina’s life. But the fact that I wanted to keep going, that I could overlook the stuffy parts about something in which I was so uninterested speaks loudly to the author’s ability to keep her reader engaged and keep simmering a desire to delve deeper into the dynamics of this family—where no one knew, truly, how to love.

I could’ve kept reading for chapters and chapters.

Excellent work.