I love reading stories about the South Asian diaspora and this YA novel provided such a good perspective on growing up Indian-American. Not everyone's story is the same and I love reading as many as I can. In American Betiya, Rani is an Indian-American teenager who strives to meet her parents expectations of her while also attempting to fit in. Rani feels like an incredibly relatable character as many Indian-Americans, including myself, have to work to find the perfect balance between things we want as teenagers and the expectations of the adults around us. This pressure is definitely amplified during high school and I think Rajurkar captures this really well in this book.

The romance in this book is very interestingly developed. Rani and Oliver have several obstacles to face from the onset and I think Rajurkar really highlighted the complexities and the differences in cultures really well throughout the book. Rani's relationship with her best friend Kate was also great to read. I love how Kate is supportive of Rani and fully embraces her culture as all fantastic friends should.

American Betiya is a fantastic book that really encapsulates what it means to be a South Asian-American teenager. The idea of balancing all the different aspects of your culture as well as attempting to fit in is all too relatable and I think these overarching themes were handled really well. I wish there was a book like this when I was in high school and I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

I tried to read this book before it came out, but had to put it down because it wasn’t doing anything for me. Over two years later, I tried again and sadly it didn’t get much better for me. I loved that, for the most part, Rani wasn’t self-hating or ashamed of her culture. And I enjoyed seeing her reconcile with not being very religious but still partaking in religious customs and holidays. So, this book hit the mark for me when it came to the exploration of identity, but the romance made it a tough read.

Oliver was earnest but so very corny. And it was hard to like him because we never get a chance to really know him before the cringe happens, especially with his attempts at Indian references. I could understand why he was the way he was because of his upbringing, but his obsession with Rani and desire to be a part of her family was a lot. The only thing their relationship had going was the physical aspect.

The book also felt a bit too long, and there were several scenes that I thought went on for a while without adding anything to the story or our understanding of the characters.

The book did end up making me cry toward the end because of all the feels with Rani and her family, and the ending was satisfying in a bittersweet way. So I don’t hate that I read this, but it was average at best.

I wanted to love this book, and I did enjoy it, just not as much as I would have liked. The relationship between Rani and Oliver is so toxic almost from the beginning and I had a hard time getting past that. I understand that this was kind of the point of the plot, but Oliver was so dislikeable that it was hard to buy into the romance.

The friendship between Rani and Kate was amazing, and I love how Kate is so absorbed into Rani’s family.

Rani’s relationship with her family is also good, aside from her lying and keeping secrets about Oliver. I think that her parents would have been open to a relationship with someone outside the Indian community when Rani is older, but they would have never accepted Oliver, and not just because they were in high school, but because of the way he treats her.

One of the parts I really liked was Rani finally standing up for herself with Oliver and recognizing her own issues.

I have complicated feelings about the ending. Oliver obviously hasn’t changed at all, but in some ways Rani takes a step back as well. I mean ultimately she is strong and chooses what is best for her, but the temptation was there.

This is a great book and a beautiful story, but it just didn’t quite work for me. Maybe because I had recently read another book with a couple with similar backgrounds that worked, so the disrespect and racism from Oliver was more jarring? I don’t know, read the book for yourself and see what you think.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 ☆

Sometimes in stories like this, we see the characters fight against false, narrow-minded or fetished versions of their cultures but behind their behind-the-scenes lives barely have anything to do with their cultures. I love how Rani's love for her culture didn't begin or end with proving Oliver wrong.

Speaking of Oliver, his relationship with Rani started promisingly, but as time progressed and the secret meetings dragged longer, his love and appreciation of Rani started to make me feel uncomfortable and I realised that there were signs from the very beginning but like Rani, I missed it.

Rani's relationship with her family, despite its complexities, was really heartwarming to see. Her friendship with Kate and Henry was lovely too.

As for my issues, there was an abruptness to the writing that I'm not a fan of. And while I understand how microaggressions are sometimes way harder to address than open racism, there are lots of times when Rani should've spoken up but she barely showed any emotion at all. Also, I'm gonna be vague so I don't spoil but some subplots was pulled up and dragged at times but were completely disregarded at other times. It would be okay in a lot of cases, but this book didn't carry it in a way that made me feel satisfied in the end.

DNF at 27%

This one just wasn't for me. I went into it thinking it was going to be about a Desi girl falling in love with a white boy and them trying to navigate their relationship as an interracial/intercultural relationship. It was... the opposite. They do start a relationship, but then the entire book is like an Indian parent's warning of what will happen if you date outside of your culture/race. Oliver, the boy, fetishizes Rani and their relationship turns really toxic really fast. Now I'm not saying this doesn't happen, because it does A LOT, but even own-voices reviews (that I sought out) claimed the white characters were like caricatures of racism and were so overdone and over the top. Subtly was nowhere to be seen. I think it's definitely important to have stories about interracial relationships like this one where it highlights a power imbalance, but the way it was written was terrible in my opinion, and left an icky feeling.

Idk!!!!! Maybe it's because I'm white and my husband is Punjabi and getting to the point where we had blessings to get married was such a fuuuucking struggle that this message of warning about dating outside your culture frustrated me on such a personal level.

Not for me!

I really wanted to like this book, but the writing felt both lacking and too informative at the same time. I don’t need to know the exact details of her friend/herself pulling out of a parking spot, one or two is fine, but all of it makes it insignificant. This was one example, but the over detailed actions kept happening. There was very little emotion to the writing and I could not connect to it. The main character was making every bad choice she could make and was showing no signs of improvement or self awareness over halfway through the book. I kept trying to convince myself I liked it the whole time, but eventually I accepted its fate. Based on the writing and content I would recommend it to 14-16 years olds.

This was a very well-written and engaging YA contemporary and at first glance it tells a familiar story of a young girl "caught between two worlds" growing up in a very traditional household. But Rani's story is uniquely her own, and there is a lot of nuance to the family and relationship dynamics here.
I found some aspects of the toxic relationship storyline a bit intense and difficult to read at times, but it's still a book that's appropriate for slightly older YA audiences.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

American Betiya follows Indian American Rani Kelkar and American Oliver. Oliver's tattoos and art draw Rani in, however those things are her mom's worst nightmare. They begin dating in secret but as Oliver's toxic home life unravels, he asks of Rani much more than she can give.

#OwnVoices Reflection:

While I am not Indian American, I am an Indian living in the Caribbean (westernized world). I saw so much of myself in Rani that it made me finally put words to what I feel.

Hinduism was portrayed in great simplistic length. It was heartwarming seeing the representation of puja and some of our religious festivals, not just the commonly spoken about Diwali. What I enjoyed even more was that these dates corresponded to those of the 2021 Hindu calendar making it all the more real.

Rani raised excellent points. As a person from a strict Hindu household, it is indeed hard to explain to others our situations because they just won't get it. That does NOT make our families bad people as shown in the book. They have sacrificed so much and know the harshness of the world that they just want to protect us in any way they can. It may not be the right way but it is done from a place of love.

I applaud the author for raising awareness on the stereotypes people may not realise they portray - from calling an Indian Princess Jasmine to men using the sari to objectify a woman's sexiness to name a few.

So many persons choose what they want to take from our Indian culture while looking down on the rest, and this should not be the case. Everything is the way it is for a reason.

This book definitely went beyond and all for me. I hope you welcome it with open arms. Give it a chance. ❤

First of all the cover on this book is stunning and immediately captivates you. It does contain mentions of suicide.

I think this book is incredibly important for young adult readers. It tackles a lot of topics like abusive relationships, racism, suicide, the pressures to fit into a culture that is different than the one your parents grew up in. It's a book I would have benefited from as a teenager who grew up with immigrant parents and had to figure out what I wanted versus my parents expectations.

You really feel for Rani as she experiences all these new things.

It was such a good book, i read it last year and had to take a break from reviewing because of my exams so I was MIA but since now i am back i thought of giving it review. It tell the story of a Indo American teenager girl and what difficulty she faced as cultural differences and much more.
It's cover was my most favourite part and writing was also engaging and easy understandble.

For me the true standout in American Betiyah was learning about Indian culture. I loved the close family relationships, the mouthwatering descriptions of food, and even though there were many strict expectations they came from a place of love. I wish the book had explored more of those topics instead of the angsty relationship of the teens. Rani and Oliver's love affair was a bit intense and controlling. I had a hard time believing that headstrong Rani would put herself into such turmoil. I did love the ending though and how Rani remembers to be true to herself.

I love the coming of age romance in this one. There was a lot to unpack and the author did it beautifully. The main character has to navigate family and responsibility against her own wants which can be a very tricky situation. The author did a lovely job of putting that on the page in a relatable way.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

American Betiya follows Rani as she falls for a boy at her school, and struggles with her feelings for him in the face of her parents not allowing her to date. She starts dating Oliver in secret, but from the beginning, there are microaggressions from him that she looks past. As their relationship develops, she starts breaking more and more rules, all in the name of love.
American Betiya is a powerful book about love, who we are, and how to reconcile the different things that make us who we are when they stand at odds with one another. It's sweet, heartbeaking, and ultimately empowering.

American Betiya made me a total emotional wreck. I'm not an Indian American, but I can understand the thinking of other people about Indian women to an extent. Author Anuradha Rajurkar just pointed finger in the direction of those stereotypes more clearly. I loved Rani's character. She's a really vivid character. Her best friend Kate's character was also wonderful. But, probably the most interesting character of this book was Oliver. He was perfect example of those people who doesn't really understand Indian cultures or boundaries. Also, he was the kind of person who loves to flaunt their severe flaws , like drug addiction, unapologeticaly; but loves to criticise others flaws. In the whole book, he sets an example, about what love shouldn't be, or how lovers shouldn't behave to their partner. He was the reason, Rani realised how small minded people can be, and how they use love as a pathetic excuse to do whatever they desire. Rani's character development throughout the book was beautiful. She was a mentally strong woman. I loved the ending of the book, it's not the usual so called happy ending. It's an happy ending of a different kind, more precious.

American Betiya is a book that is not afraid to be REAL! Written from the perspective of an 18 year old girl living as a daughter of migrants, this story has a strong storyline backed by a powerful narrative style.
Rani is just about to graduate and go to college but brought up in a strict household, she has never dated before! When her gaze clashes with a tattooed artist across the Gallery where her photographs are being showcased, she realises this is going to be different.
Oliver is the quintessential artist who has a laser sharp focus on his work and is making a name for his style. When he sees Rani surrounded by her boisterous, glittering family at the gallery he wants to know more about her.

The story, true to its name is a journey of clashing cultures, love that is sometimes sweet and sometimes painful and a protagonist who needs to accept herself! Rani is an American teen but also Indian at heart and that comes with its own set of rules and ideas. Oliver, while loving Rani’s differences, doesn’t truly understand her or her family. For him her ‘Indianness’ is a cool, artsy aspect of her... something she can switch on or off! What follows is a relationship that is fraught with difficulties, real life issues that I can seriously relate to (like being asked how I manage to speak English so well - yes this happened to me, for real) The story also touches on how addiction and alcoholism can affect people’s lives even if they’re only touched by it indirectly.

My favourite part about the book is the journey Rani takes to accept herself - including her culture and her differences! Eventually finding the best version of her and a group of friends who love her for herself! The strong bond between Rani and her bestie Kate really made the book a fun read. Their banter and wit is a great break from the serious issues that are brought up throughout the story. This book was quite a revelation and I put it at a strong 4.5 stars - meaning I will be rereading this one soon to discover aspects of it I might have missed!!

American Betiya shows us the struggle between family tradition and the teenage desire for love. Rani is Indian American whose family does not allow dating. Oliver, a teen with a difficult home life, does not understand her inability to bring him home to her parents. Oliver has a lot of struggles himself, but the way he fetishizes and manipulates Rani is very cringe worthy. He uses her as an inspiration in his art and although Rani feels uncomfortable by this, as well as the things he says, she doesn't have the experience to know that what he is doing isn't right. I thought this was a worthwhile read.

I found this storyline interesting. I wasn’t over the moon about the book but I did like it. It was something different from a typical romance but it always good to do something different right? Lol

I am disappointed with this book. I was expecting one thing and received another. It had potential but it was not well writtten.