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.

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.

A book about people ,their dreams and their realities.The journey and relationship of Amina and Omar is engaging.A bit slow for my liking but worth reading.

This was a great story that followed Omar, a young teen trying to figure out his identity as an Indian-American, and his aunt, Amina, who is also trying to find her identity but within her own life. They journey together as Amina assists Omar and is there for him when his own parents seem to be losing their way. It was such a nice look into the lives of others who may be struggling with something similar.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Beautiful prose and great character development. I truly enjoyed the perspectives of Amina and Omar. I think that she was able to capture the inquisitive lonely nature of a little boy who is trying to find his place in the world. Growing up in an Indian household in the United States, I could completely relate to the struggles of the characters who are trying to retain their culture but still fit in. The post 9/11 perspective from a Muslim family is a voice that needs to be heard more. I also loved Prakash's character. Very few people in the US even know the difference between Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. We are all just considered different. I am so sorry to know that this author is ill. She has so much talent and clearly has a wonderful voice and talent and I really would have enjoyed reading more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

The story is about second and third generation Indian Muslims caught between their ancestral heredity and the country that they were born in.

I have mixed feelings about the book and wavered between 3 and 2.5 stars. While the story was interesting, the main character seemed a little weak and very indecisive. What annoyed me the most was that the chapter told from the 11 yr old kid's perspective make him seem like a 5 year old. His inner thoughts are expressed as for someone who is much less mature than an almost-teenager. He thinks in short sentences that seem out of an infant storybook or a cartoon meant for babies.

Some other inaccuracies showed that the author may not be very familiar with Indian culture. Amina asks her nephew to call her "chachi" which is not the right term for father's sister ("bua"). Amina's mother is mentioned as using red powder in her hair and on forehead which is not accurate for muslim women. Not to mention casket burial, drinking at a funeral and pork/ham/bacon eating at various points. The characters were more atheists than traditional muslims. The whole muslim angle seems very forced just to talk about racism in a post-9-11 world.

Overall, the point of the story seemed unclear with threads like the fabricated royal past of the family just used intermittently with no purpose. There was a lot of blaming on "all the Abduls" by various characters.

Thank you to the author, Forest Avenue Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read, and much more nuanced than I was expecting. Yes, the disconnect between cultural and racial stereotypes being applied to those that know no other culture than the one trying to set them apart, was a big topic. But the emotional cost of human relationships, the gender issues involved in taking a different path than the expectations of others would put upon you, the hope of belonging and being happy... all a part of this family saga, and all done so well. Both of the main characters, Amina and her nephew Omar, are complex and so well-drawn - this is not necessarily the case for secondary characters, but these two carry the book. There are no easy, pat answers given, and the ending leaves things open - but still manages to satisfy. Highly recommended!

5 shining stars!

Ummmmmmm wow. This book was so good. Like, stop reading this review and go mark this as "t0-read" right this second good.

I'LL WAIT.

Ok now that you've done that, let me tell you more about how amazing this book was.

This is the story about an American-Indian family living in America four years after 9/11. The main characters of this story are Amina, a brilliant and self-isolating scientist who is not close to her family, and her nephew, Omar, a 12 year old boy trying to understand his family history, and who he wants to be. They develop a special bond, yet both still feel so lost and alone.

This story is truly heartbreaking. There's a lot of really heavy stuff that happens throughout the book and you'll find yourself rooting so hard for the characters but also so unsure of what you want them to do. It's very raw and real.

This is a story about family, racism, loss, decision-making, isolation and so much more. You will fall for characters, yet be so angry with them at times. You will be totally engrossed in the story of the Abdul family and not want it to end.

I should know, I sat my butt on the couch for seven hours and couldn't put this book down. I loved it so much. I think you will too.

A big thanks to Forest Avenue Press and NetGalley for the ARC and wanting my honest opinion!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #ForestAvenuePress for the advanced readers copy!

The Royal Abduls centers around the bond between Amina, an overthinking self sabotaging botanical scientist, and her nephew Omar, an lonely middle schooler outcast. Each brief chapter is narrated in turn by one of these two loveable if frustrating characters as they struggle to figure out the family's Indian heritage, Islamophobia, divorce and death.

What I loved the most was the way Koya was able to successfully navigate an eleven year old's innocent way of accumulating knowledge, showing the reader how Omar grows throughout the piece. The startling similarity between his thought process and thirty something year old Amina's is slowly revealed.

While the plot progresses in a steady, measured rate, the ending broke my heart completely and almost felt unreal. Regardless, this is a book that will make you laugh and cherish your family a little bit more.