I think the biggest reason why I immediately fell in love with American Betiya and Anuradha D. Rajurkar's writing is that I could see so much of myself in Rani. She was the type of character I desperately wanted to read about when I first got into reading YA romances when I was in 9th grade. But I never found a book that had a character that looked like me or felt like someone I could relate to in depth.

American Betiya has changed all that. For the first time, I have a found a book that has resonated with immensely. From the beginning of the story, with Rani in the gallery to the end, I saw so much of myself in her. I think I was a lot like Rani when I was in my last year of school; worried about college applications, having family pressure and expectations to live. It made me feel for her a lot more than I had expected because I had gone through a similar thing.

Now her relationship with Oliver was unique. And at first, I could see why Rani was so enamored with him, but the further I progressed into the story, the more odd I felt about the way he was acting about Indian culture. And I could see that Rani was also feeling the same way. Anuradha D. Rajurkar has captured this feeling masterfully well and what she wrote as thoughts in Rani's mind was exactly what I felt. And I think this is what elevated American Betiya for me. It's a book that has some really adorable romantic scenes, but at its heart it's also a book about self-acceptance and acceptance of your culture.

I will 100% recommend this book to anyone and everyone because it's a book that should be read by all.

This is my first book I’m reading here and first book tour too thanks to HOV and the publishers for this eARC.
I’m a big India 🇮🇳 fan so reading this was good.

Love brewed in an American pot.
A story of love, family, culture, community, betrayal, immigrants and racism.
That moment when Chai ☕️ meets Coffee ☕️.
Rani, an Indian-American falls in love and secretly dates him knowing her parents forbids her till after college.

One thing I soo loved is the love and how together the immigrants from India in America were- one big family still living the India-way in America. Celebrating their various festivities, being there for each other and passing on their culture and traditions to their offsprings.

It’s sad Oliver and Rani - their love couldn’t stand the test of time.But in all I like that Rani made that closure with Oliver.

“I know the kind of love that feels like freedom.”

It’s 4 stars for me.

I absolutely loved this book! To start the cover is gorgeous and is what first drew me in, but that aside I was swept up in Rani's story and the everyday interactions of her and her family. Getting to read about her family's culture was fascinating and definitely had me looking things and terms up on my own outside of reading!
One of the strongest pulls I felt this story had was the representation of a interracial relationship. I feel like more stories like this deserve to be written and told! It's not always easy (as we see with Rani) and sometimes you have to make hard choices but sometimes new discoveries and beauty can come out of the experience for both persons involved.

Overall I would rate this book 5 stars for its message and how the author effectively handled the execution of said message onto the page. Well done!

American Betiya was a really interesting 3.5 star read for me. As a South Asian girl who grew up in America, I related to Rani's experience as an Indian American girl in high school. Though she wants to be a pediatrician, Rani also has this passion for photography that isn't exactly encouraged by her parents. She is expected to focus on her studies and being a "good girl" in their South Asian community, which also means NOT dating boys. So when she meets Oliver, a typical "bad boy" artist, and starts dating him, she faces the constant paranoia of her strict parents finding out, something I believe many brown people can relate to, regardless of what secrets we are keeping from our parents.

Rani's relationship with Oliver seems to exist in a balloon of happiness and chemistry, even fooling her best friend Kate. However, it becomes clear to the reader, and subconsciously to Rani, that Oliver's actions and reactions to Rani's lifestyle, parents, and culture is full of microaggressions. Along with that, their relationship is obviously very codependent, leading to some emotionally toxic behavior. The root of most of these problems is Oliver's refusal to comprehend and accept Rani's inability to tell her parents about him. Rani is risking everything by being with him, as South Asian parents/community often very unfortunately care a lot about reputation, appearance, and propriety. It's a very ingrained aspect of our culture that Oliver, and likely many non-brown people, just don't understand.

Though my feelings for this book are mixed, it is clearly a story that needed to be told. It's not often that microaggressions in an interracial relationship, especially with a South Asian main character, are as artfully handled as by Anuradha Rajurkar!

Thank you so much to Anuradha Rajurkar and NetGalley for this eARC for an honest, ownvoices review!

This is a beautiful #ownvoices book that I would recommend to all of my friends. I wasn't sure what to expect, but a friend I work with on Project LIT told me that I needed to request it and read it. Glad she told me to and glad I did. We are planning to discuss it at our YA Pub Day chat in March.

This is a really amazing book about a girl discovering herself and her identity. There are so many important messages that so many young adult books tend to completely skip over that this book covers with great detail. The author doesn't try to sugarcoat any of the tougher subjects and doesn't try to make Oliver seem like a better person then he was. Even though at times it seemed like Rani was taking a while to come to this conclusion about him you soon realize that its an important part of her self growth. By the end of Rani's trip to India towards the conclusion of the book she learns to not be ashamed of her culture and to have respect for herself and her own boundaries.

Thank you Netgalley and the publicist for allowing me to read this eARC! I absolutely enjoyed it. American Betiya is a young adult contemporary book written that shows the perspective of an Asian growing up in America.
First of all, Rani’s perspective was excellently written. Rani learned how to love her culture, her religion, and everything important to her. She learned how to see past everyone’s opinions and focus on what she wants. The feelings of comfort Rani felt when she was closer to her heritage and religion are similar to my own. As a South Asian myself, it was relieving to see this as an Indian in this generation. The fear of embarrassment-of judgment, the stereotypical aspects applied to the race, the discrimination, and racism were so familiar and was reflected well throughout the book. From the beginning, Oliver gave me uncomfortable vibes. His trying to fit in with her family, and showing an unusual interest in Rani’s culture was sufficient to show he was obsessed. Oliver's behavior irritated me and I was glad to see Rani finally see through that veil of emotional manipulation and strengthen her relationship with Kate and her family.
This book showcases all the emotions perfectly and was well written. It focuses on self-development, and the challenges POC might face in our diverse developing society. I highly recommend it, and urge everyone to take a minute to read it!

American Betiya is a book I think more POC teens should read. Especially as we are cultivating a culture which talks more openly about cultural appropriation and racist comments. There are the hate crimes, the blatant racism, and the discrimination. But it's also in the little comments over dinners, nicknames, and emotional manipulation. At times, American Betiya was difficult to read, because as readers we can, hopefully, see the red flags. But as a woman of color, I can see their echoes in my life. The comments I brushed off, the phrases I heard in the corner of rooms, and the unspoken silences.

I wish that teen me had read this book. Knew not to laugh away those moments that made me uncomfortable. To recognize the comments for what they were. And what happens to Rani is worse than I ever experienced. American Betiya is about the lines that are so easily laughed off, but are ignorant and become insidious. A line between our attractions and fetishizing them. It's also a story about love, about toxic relationships, and the need for self-independence.

This YA novel tackles a very tough subject - racism against the South Asian community in a neoliberal city where the prejudice often takes place in the form of microaggressions. This book is made for someone like me - a South Asian girl who grew up in a neoliberal suburb and has grown up to marry a white man.

American Betiya's main character, Rani, is an artist who wants to be a pediatrician. She meets Oliver, a "bad boy" artist type and quickly begins a secret-from-her-parents relationship with him. She ignores the red flag actions he takes (calling her Princess Jasmine, mimicking her dad that he's never met, etc.), although a part of her brain is screaming that what he's doing isn't okay. She's also got her best friend, Kate, and her family, including her visiting grandma and ailing grandfather in India to worry about.

I'll start with the good: this book is sex-positive, covers microaggressions in a thoughtful way and Rani, the main narrator, is multifaceted and interesting. There are, however, some things I will note about this book that I didn't particularly enjoy:

-The narrative is VERY anti-marijuana. I do not partake, but I also think there is no need to be judgmental of others who do - the book clearly has an anti opinion of marijuana, and it gets to the point where the author treats it as if it's literally equivalent to heroin.
-The dialogue feels stilted and unnatural at many points of the book.
-This is a small point, but it really took me out of the book. Rani has theoretically been to India multiple times and is ingrained in her culture. But she has no idea what a tandoor is when she sees one. Girl, I've never been to Pakistan and I have lost a lot of my culture since moving out of my parents', but I know what a tandoor is!!

Al in all, the book got 3 stars from me. It's a good book with a gorgeous cover and an interesting premise. Thank you to Anuradha D. Rajurkar, NetGalley and Random House Children's for an eARC of American Betiya in exchange for my honest and unfiltered review.

Precise Rating - 4.5

I was provided with an ARC as I was tour host for Hear Our Voices.

TW: Use and abuse of drugs, addiction, loss of a loved one (grandparent), grief, gaslighting, manipulation and lies, cultural conflict, racism among others.

American Betiya is a poignant, relevant and a beautifully narrated story. It has its flaws but they can be easily overlooked ad ignored.

Rani is an Indian girl living in the States. Much like most brown parents, her's are very strict and have a very different view of the world. They want her to focus on her studies so that she can stand on her own two feet. They don't approve of dating and surely have never had discussions around sex. Rani tries to keep up with them. she tries not to disappoint them even if it means that she has to sometimes not do the things that she really wants to do. Rani loves photography but has plans for becoming a doctor as it's what her parents want too. Rani's photographs are being exhibited at an event where she comes across this tall and brooding yet undeniably attractive, Oliver who has his paintings up for display. They meet, talk, and connect. Soon, they become friends and despite the cultural differences, they feel that they can make it work. Rani who never really had American males as close friends is obviously a little concerned but her best friend, Kate steps in and ensures that Rani and Oliver get some alone time as she handles Rani's parents. The more Rani ad Oliver get to know each other, the more they feel the pull towards one another. Even before anyone can have a say, they are dating. But, dating is not easy. Dating is even more difficult for someone who has never dated and is forbidden to date. So, Rani soon finds herself in a place where she struggles to be the ideal daughter, a supportive and understanding girlfriend and a good best friend. What she does, how she does and what happens in the end, for that you'll need to pick this book up!

I think that the story is done really well. It deals with themes like cultural differences, race and ethnicity, religion, racism and segregation, toxic relations, drugs and addiction among others.

I found the writing to be simple yet effortless. The story was easy to get into and the characters were well fleshed out. Since it's written in the first person, you get a first-hand account of what Rani feels, is going through and why does what she does.

Oliver is a complicated guy. He definitely loves Rani but has a lot of things that he needs to help himself with. The decision that Rani takes, in the end, is a valid and rational one. And yet I keep wondering what if she had chosen otherwise. How would have that impacted Oliver? The guy is not bad, he has just messed up thanks to his horrible childhood and present-day home life. I think that he has the emotional range to change and get better no matter who says what.

Finally, coming to the representation of brow people in the book. Since this is an #OwnVoices, I was not surprised to see that Anuradha was able to capture the essence of being an Indian, a South Asian in a western country so well. But what was pleasantly surprising was the fact that how she was not only able to include the essence but also use the complexity of brown culture to use as an element to drive the story forward.

I liked how art played such a great role in this book. For someone like me who enjoys painting and crafts, this felt relatable and real. I enjoyed both the character's creative outlet and how they both used it as a widow to escape into calmness.

The only thing that really felt very unnecessary was a sub-plot that we follow for a guy called Nilesh who was the ideal guy for the community until he started doing drugs and got caught up in the mess. In my opinion, this entire storyline can be removed and yet the book wouldn't lose much of its essence.

Besides that, I liked everything that it had to offer. When I went into this book, I was not sure how it would turn out to be, but now that I have read it, I think I can say that it's worth picking up.

A heartfelt and honest story about first love, family, and the way those two worlds do and don't fit together. Rani, the main character, especially shines as a young woman who is allowed to be confident and capable, but also to question herself and make mistakes. A lovely read! <3

The key theme of the book is how Rani, an Indian origin American, handles her cross culture relationship with Oliver right under her parents who are very old-school and rigid about dating. She keeps her relationship a secret from her parents to mainly not hurt their feelings which Oliver never seems to get. The way Rani feels about having to explain her culture and on why certain traditional things mean more than they seem is very well handled, be it about Indian clothes or about being vegetarian. I totally related to the story and how irritating the stereotypes can make you. About her family, I felt they were too rigid for current times as most Indian families I know in the US are more casual about relationships these days.

This will definitely come under a mature YA novel. From the relationship perspective, this would help young readers to notice the red flags that Rani missed. I was happy that Rani embraced her culture and learnt life lessons from her failed relationship. I absolutely hated Oliver especially the way he dealt with Indian culture and him being young wouldn't work as an excuse in this case.

A lot of South Asians will relate to this book perfectly!

I wished the title had something other than ‘betiya’ which is an endearment term for daughter in Hindi language but in general not a lot of readers will not understand it and miss out on this book as not even all Indians would understand this word.

I really enjoyed this book. This was definitely a very mature YA book, so I would probably give it an age rating of 16-18. The book was very open about Rani's relationship with Oliver. I think this is the first book that I have read that discusses the festishization and tokenization that South Asian women face in relationships. I liked Oliver wasn't romanticized and his actions were not excused. This book provokes some interesting questions about how second generation Indian Americans go about in their romantic endeavors. This was definitely an interesting book to read around Valentine's day, that's for sure. I would recommend this book to any older teenagers who are coming into their identity and want to start exploring romantic relationships but do not know what red flags to look for. I think the topic and content of this book is really important and valid; but I personally wasn't pulled into the story or attached to the characters, so that is why I am not giving the book five stars.

A story about first love, dysfunctional love, racism, family obligations and friendship. American Betiya is Rani's amazing story of finding first love, navigating her friendship with Kate, keeping her secrets from her traditional Indian parents, and learning more about herself and them than she thought. It's an amazing story about Rani's quest for breaking free of her family's world, but learning to embrace the traditions and culture in a new light. Definitely recommend. I can't explain how amazing it is.

American Betiya was truly an amazon story that followed the life of Rani and her romantic experience with Oliver. Each chapter was full of something new and many different emotions were shown that rung through me as if I was feeling the same as Rani was. I didn't want the story to end as I was so interested in the culture that was explained and just the story itself was very amazing to read. I am so delighted with the epilogue that was at the end of this book as it fit perfectly into the story and ended in the best way possible for Rani's future. I truly enjoyed this book and I am so excited for this to release as other people should definitely be reading this!

I really loved the exploration of relationships in this YA novel. Rani's relationship with Oliver is rife with all of the steamy tension I wanted and Rajurkar's exploration of how race impacts their relationship is a take not explored enough in other YA books I've read. But my favorite relationship journey is the one with Rani's mother - loving, overprotective immigrant mother trying to understand and guide her American daughter determined to carve out her own way.

This is an engaging, sometimes very fun, sometimes much deeper, YA novel. I appreciated its focus on a first-generation southeast Asian immigrant teen and her desire to set herself apart from her family and cultural expectations while also realizing that her family and culture ARE not only valid but important and worthwhile. That's a somewhat reductive description of a very nuanced novel, but I loved how the novel purports to focus on a stereotypical 'bad boy'/good girl romance but almost immediately complicates that dynamic. I couldn't stand love interest Oliver from nearly the first page, with his exoticizing interpretation of MC Rani's photography, and the novel rewards the skeptical reader eventually by expanding away from a simple romance arc.

Ah, where to begin with this book.

The story opens with Rani, the protagonist, presenting photographs she took at an art show. Enter Oliver, the quintessential bad boy with tattoos and a troubled past—Rani’s parents’ worst nightmare. Put the two in a relationship, and you have this novel!

There were many things I liked about this book. American Betiya will probably hit close to home for a lot of young, first generation American women (or honestly, a lot of young women with incredibly strict parents). First, I love all the representation that South Asian women are getting in literature nowadays! I found myself really relating to Rani’s need for secrecy and her struggles in an interracial relationship; the author did a great job handling those. I think the author also did an excellent job getting into the mindset of a high school senior and the excitement of your first love—this book made me feel sixteen again.

Now to the not-so-great parts... At times, dialogue was what mostly drove the story forward. It felt as if I got a lot of details through some banter between Rani and her best friend. And because of this, I felt like more could have been done with the “supporting characters” like Oliver and Kate to make them more three dimensional. The story did a lot of telling versus showing. Additionally, there were certain parts of the book that made my skin crawl. While I was ultimately satisfied with the way these plot points were dealt with, it was incredibly disconcerting to read the fetishization of Rani’s culture.

Overall, not a bad read. The book had a satisfying ending and a good message. A solid 3/5 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say about this treasure of a book? Beautifully written. The complexities of wanting to blend and understand what our parents are attempting to shelter us from

I loved this story about a girl falling in love. I know what it’s like when someone fetishizes your for your race/exoticism, but you love them so you ignore it.

I loved the story of Rani and her first love. How you wonder if this is what it’s supposed to feel like. The bliss of feeling seen and special. This will not be a book forgotten by me for a long time.

I’ll be real. As a person of color, I feel like this story tells of our struggles, wanting too look past hard things.
I loved it and i feel like the blurb did not do it justice. Please read and understand what I r deal with , 4.5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


All opinions are my own. Thanks @netgalley for providing this eArc

OH wow I LOVED THIS!! The characters were so authentic. I really liked Rani, an Indian American girl negotiating two cultures and forbidden love. She is very smart and has character. Her boyfriend, her family and best friend are beautifully portrayed as well.