I went into this wanting to love it. It has all of my favorite tropes, plus Indian representation, which is sorely lacking in mainstream YA lit. However, this sounded like a boomer trying to sound like a teenager. The slang was annoying to read, and Indian culture was over-stereotyped. It tries so hard to be relatable to the South Asian teenager, but ti comes off as forced and phony.

What a beautifully written story. A strong and vulnerable character. Realistic. Stakes. Emotions. The plot had me throughout the entirety of the story. I strongly recommend this story to readers who love YA.

I absolutely loved the ways in which the author depicted Indian culture, and Rani's struggles with respecting her culture and trying to fit in with "American" culture. The complexities of first love and having a relationship with someone who doesn't respect one's culture shown in such a heartbreaking and honest way. I cringed every time Oliver called her Princess Jasmine or did something equally terrible to fetishize or disrespect her and her family. I was caught a bit off guard by how explicit some of the sexual scenes were, though I did appreciate that teens are getting more representation of these instances to engage with.

Trigger warning for a mention of suicide about 75% in.
This one took a little longer to read than usual. But it was worth the extra time. There's so much to love about this book-- Rani's passion for photography, her relationship with her grandparents in India, and the realization that she deserves better than what a certain character puts her through.
The blurb is right that the plot is mostly about how Rani starts dating a guy that her parents would hate and she struggles to hide the relationship from them. But this ended up being so much more than that. It's not a story about a girl who hates her culture and wants to break away from it in favor of the artsy white boy with tattoos. The relationship soon becomes a problem for Rani, as she realizes that Oliver doesn't want to hide from her parents and seems to have no respect for her needs.
I disliked Oliver from almost the beginning. The first red flag was when he started calling Rani "Princess Jasmine" and "exotic," as if her culture was some kind of fetish to him. And while he takes Rani home to meet his dysfunctional mother early on, he never respects the fact that she doesn't want him to meet her parents. He even shows up outside her house when her entire family is home. At that point, I was practically begging Rani to just dump him already. Which doesn't happen until he makes a big, public gesture that reveals their relationship to everyone in the worst possible way.

*spoiler warning*

I actually liked that Rani's parents never found out that she and Oliver were in a relationship. Even from the mural, all they knew was that he was her friend. Basically every YA book involving strict parents involves the old reliable "shit hits the fan" moment where the protagonists' lies blow up in their face, but teenagers are going to have private lives, and they aren't always found out in some kind of dramatic way. I also liked that Rani's parents were realistically strict, but NOT abusive. Way too often do I see protagonists who end up forgiving their abusers as an ending (looking at you, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali!) but Rani's parents never went out of their way to make her feel like shit.

When a teen falls hard for the bad boy in school, she begins to lie to her parents to stay in the relationship. As she gets closer to him, she finds herself juggling her identity, her culture, and the thrill of first love. Author Anuradha D. Rajurkar showcases the struggle for first-generation Indian American children in a realistic way with a delightful slow burn in her debut novel American Betiya.

Single child Rani Kelkar has her life plan in place: go to college as pre-med and become a pediatrician. She’s following in the footsteps of her aunt in India who would take Rani on hospital rounds during summer vacations to the city of Pune. Of course, that doesn’t mean Rani’s sole focus is her career. Her second love is photography, even if her parents don’t understand it. They see it as a hobby along with everyone else in the Indian-American community that dominates her parents’ social lives.

During a gallery showing where some of her pictures are on display, Rani meets Oliver Jensen. The tattoos, multiple piercings, and intensity of his gaze don’t scare her off, although she’s skeptical of him at first. His own passion for art and interest in hers, though, eases the tension between them. They strike up a friendship, and before Rani knows it she’s starting to like Oliver.

The feelings are definitely mutual. “Like” soon blossoms into “love,” and Rani’s heart and mind are with Oliver all day. Her best friend, Kate, encourages the relationship but cautions Rani not to fall too hard. Kate’s own love life has taught her to hold back, and she doesn’t hesitate to tell Rani to do the same. But Rani can’t get enough of Oliver and finds ways to sneak out of the house to be with him.

The sneaking part is the challenge. Despite the fact that Rani is 18 and by American standards an adult, by Indian standards—her parents’ standards—she’s not supposed to have any romantic attachments at all. Especially not with boys from outside their culture. Add “troubled home life” to the list, which Oliver has in spades, and Rani is managing to break almost all of her parents’ rules at the same time.

Yet the closer they get, the more Rani starts to feel like things are spinning out of control. Oliver’s mother is an alcoholic, and his sister is having trouble maintaining secure relationships of her own. Oliver turns to Rani more and more for emotional support, but what he demands from her becomes harder for her to handle and give. Soon it becomes clear that Rani will have to make a choice: Oliver or herself.

Author Anuradha D. Rajurkar captures the intensity of teenage relationships with perfection. Rani’s struggle to balance everything in her life, including her photography, with the need to be with Oliver rings true. So, too, does Rani’s willingness to compromise on her own values and morals. In the heat of the moment, she makes choices that favor Oliver but bother her the next day. The heedlessness with which teenagers go full throttle in anything is on perfect display here.

At times it may be hard for readers to buy into Oliver’s cluelessness about Rani’s cultural heritage. They both attend the same large high school known, as Rani points out several times, for its diversity and promotion of various backgrounds. Yet at times, it seems as if Oliver is discovering everything about the Indian culture afresh. In today’s world of social media and globalism, his all-encompassing naivete is hard to believe.

Rani, too, comes across as naïve in some moments. A brief encounter meant to show the existence of racism and Rani’s reaction both seem contrived, a narrative device to remind readers and characters alike that prejudices still exist in our current times. As sure as Rani is that breaking her parents’ rules is the right decision, in some scenes she comes off a little too doe-eyed to be believable.

The internal struggle she faces regarding those rules is all too real, however, and first-generation South Asian readers will completely relate. While a conversation at the end of the book with Kate comes off as a touch preachy, overall readers will enjoy this book. I rate American Betiya as Bordering on Bookmarking it.

Thank you to Random House Children's & Books Forward for the free ARC!

I really loved this YA book, it was beautiful. Early on it felt like it could be a little predictable but then it was so much more than I could have imagined. I hate to give anything away, it truly was a beautiful story about first loves, growing up, family and culture.

This book truly shook me to my core. I wasn't really expecting much going into it, but by the end I just felt so seen and understood as an Indian women. I genuinely think this book was something high school me needed and I think that's why it holds so much value for me now when I read it because it has all the messages and themes middle school and high school me needed to hear to value and appreciate herself and her culture. I loved the juxtaposition of being between worlds. Being too American, not being American enough. Being too Indian, not being Indian enough. The way this book was written the author did a phenomenal job being very raw and real with her characters and situations. This book was messy, the characters made lots of mistakes, but what teenager doesn't. I think the mistakes and messiness made it even more believable and relatable to the audience. I cannot sing enough praise about this book. I just really loved it!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

This book was a really good read at first i was going to give it a 3 star rating because of the way that the relationship/connection happened so fast between Rani and Oliver but as i started to read more it wasnt as “ clingy “ and forced.

One of my favorite parts of this book was learning more about indian culture and reading about alot of yummy food.

It also touched down on alot of topics on society but i dont want to mention which one im talking about because i dont want to spoil..

The thing i also liked about this book was it wasnt just a romance novel it talked about Rani and Also olivers paths in Art and Photography and also touched down on each families and stuff they went through as well.

I also LOVE this cover.

Overall great book!

A girl stuck between first love and her traditions, trying to find who she is and who she will be in the future. A gripping story about the boundaries of love, from our friends, from first love, from family, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship. The story follows Rani Kelkar, an artist who has always been on course to follow her parents path, until she meets another fellow artist. Oliver is an artist, with tattoos and piercings, and a difficult life. Oliver and Rani fall for each other instantly, and fast. Their relationship starts off great, but all the red flags start showing up, from micro-aggressions, gas-lighting, clinginess, blame, and even making Rani question where she stands. Their relationship spirals and watching it go further and further down was a difficult read but you feel so much for Rani and you understand her difficult decisions. I absolutely loved reading this book and was rooting for Rani through her entire journey. As someone who has experienced many of the things Rani did in this book, I really appreciated the realistic depiction of how toxic relationships can be, and how there can be relationships in which your own culture is appropriated. This is an excellent read that I would highly HIGHLY recommend this book. It deals with finding your identity in your culture, setting boundaries, looking for the right signs in relationships, family and culture, and finding what makes you happy in the end and embracing it and letting go of the things that hurt you,

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved American Betiya and found it super relatable though I'm Mexican-American and not Desi-America like our main character Rani is. I'm sure that there is a lot of other people who are children of immigrants have faced the same struggles as Rani does in this novel - caught between your culture and who you want to be.

Rani is a teenage girl is an artist and at the beginning of the novel, she meets fellow artist, Oliver. Unlike Rani, Oliver is white. He also has tattoos which is a big no-no in the eyes of Rani's mother. Through out the book, Rani is conflicted between following the rules and doing what's expected of her versus secretly dating Oliver.

While Rani and Oliver's relationship is an important part of the book, the real love story in this book is between Rani and figuring out who she is.

**Review to be posted on Goodreads/blog two weeks before publication date

Let me start by mentioning the breathtaking cover. I would have bought it for that alone. After reading the excerpt I knew I had to read this book. I assumed it would be good, but I didn’t expect it to really touch upon emotional subjects that are usually scrubbed clean in most love stories. It showed the tough parts of relationships and tackled the issues head on. This is the book I wish I had in high school. It’s an important book for everyone trying to find themselves and their voice. The imagery was beautiful and the thoughts so heartfelt it doesn’t feel like I can do this book justice in a review. This story is a must read. I urge everyone to check it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I'll cut straight to the chase—Anuradha Rajurkar's AMERICAN BETITYA is the young adult contemporary novel I needed growing up as an Indian-American teenager.

It was effortless to relate to Rani Kelkar's journey amidst love and heartbreak to Indian culture and the racism that often follows, sometimes from the most unexpected places. Her coming-of-age is characterized by the staples of the genre (career aspirations, first and young love, parental conflict), but also transcends the tropes it is founded upon. AMERICAN BETIYA focuses not on what defines Rani's journey, but Rani herself, which makes for an incredibly compelling read that connects you to the characters instantaneously. And honestly, it was so refreshing to see an Indian American teenager face such unique challenges without losing herself or her identity, which isn't often portrayed in mainstream media.

Simply put, AMERICAN BETIYA is a must-read for anyone, regardless of if you're Indian, American, or somewhere in between. I highly recommend this wonderful story and will likely be screaming about it for the rest of my life :)

I would like to thank Anuradha D. Rajurkar and NetGalley for an advanced copy of American Betiya in exchange for an honest review. Once in a great while, a book comes along that you know will leave an ever-lasting impact on your heart. This is without a doubt one of those books. One aspect that I truly loved with this book was the struggle between culture and love and how much one is really able to give up to please their partner. Rani’s struggle to please everyone around her including her family, friends, and boyfriend is heavy but extremely important for young adults to read while experiencing their first love.

Rajurkar is an immensely talented author in that Rani’s building anxiety surrounding her relationship really shines through, even during those mundane scenes that are included. Overall, her character building is extremely strong. Even small characters such as Rani’s best friend Kate is such a large presence throughout. I could never thank Rajurkar enough for writing this book. I will absolutely be buying copies for my family and friends.

This book is EXQUISITE. Seriously one of the most gorgeously written, deeply emotional and nuanced books I've ever read.

The main character, Rani, felt so real to me. She jumps off the page, and I wanted to be friends with her! Her romance with Oliver starts out with such fireworks and fizz - Rajurkar perfectly captured the chemistry and heat of falling in love for the first time, which is one of my favorite things to read in books. I was completely drawn into Rani’s life and her struggle to hide her secret relationship with Oliver, and balance who she's becoming with the family-oriented girl she was before he blazed into her life. There were so many moments where I had to just stop and press my hand to my heart.

There's also a section of the novel set in India and I LOVED everything about it. The sensory descriptions and the movement around the bustling, vivid city were so lovingly rendered, and it was the perfect backdrop for the strong forward pull of emotions and motivations throughout that section. The ending of the novel was pitch-perfect, and subtly and effectively drove home the themes of the novel.

The writing is simply phenomenal. This book has that lovely magic that makes me just unmoor and trust that the author is going to take me on a gorgeous emotional journey. I was expecting romance and got SO much more. Rani’s story is real and powerful and tackles topics of culture collide and toxic relationships that few have done with this amount of grace and nuance.

A stunning debut. I'll be reading everything Rajurkar writes!

DNF at 52%

American Betiya follows Rani, an Indian-American teen who meets a white boy named Oliver and begins dating him in secret. However, as the two continue to spend more and more time together, Oliver starts fetishizing Rani and her culture, and it’s clear that he is abusing and taking advantage of her. It was so enraging to read about this, and I found myself very angry during many points of the story. (Thankfully, other reviewers have mentioned that the book does not end with Rani staying with Oliver and continuing to deal with his manipulation, which I am so happy about.)

I really loved the Indian culture so beautifully represented in this book! Even the little things, such as Rani comparing her aunties and uncles to a wedding baraat, or Rani’s mother cooking roti and daal, truly warmed my heart. Rani’s best friend Kate was also amazing, and I adored their friendship and how wonderfully it was written!

I think my biggest problem with this book was Rani herself, though, as I simply could not connect with her. Many of the decisions she made contradicted one another, and it seemed as if she was just serving as a punching bag for the plot rather than acting like a three-dimensional character. I also found myself confused during many parts of the novel, as there were strange time jumps between chapters that threw me off. Also, the writing style was bland and boring to read, and just led to me feeling even more disconnected from Rani as a character. I think that I was also a bit unprepared for the content in this book, as the fetishization and racism was very hard to read, so that was another factor that played into my DNF.

Please don’t let my opinion discourage you from picking this up, though, as my DNF was mostly a case of “right book, wrong time"! I'm sure many other people will love this book, so take my review with a grain of salt.

Thank you Anuradha for FINALLY giving me a YA book I can relate to and that I definitely needed when I was a teenager. I knew I would be able to relate to a lot of the issues the main character, Rani Kelkar, faces because we both have experienced growing up as a Desi-American teenager. I mean the struggle of strict parents but wanting to follow your heart is a tale as old as time. Also, the crushing pressure to be the model of success and do better than your parents is certainly a theme a lot of immigrant children can relate to. Moreover, the struggle to explain that to your friends and make them understand is a whole other obstacle on its own.

I loved that Rajurkar was able to show all those issues and themes while still giving me the sweet first-love teen romance I want in my YA books. Yes, it's about her culture and religion but at the same time, she is just a teenager trying to figure out how she fits into the world and her identity. She’s still a teenager trying to understand what love really is and what she wants in a relationship. She’s a teenager trying to figure out what her career will be. Those are topics every teen has probably grappled with. I know I certainly did!

This is a realistic YA book I definitely recommend to teens (and adults), and especially those struggling with cross-cultural life. I will likely be shoving this onto my Desi-American friends as well too haha. Overall, I was beyond honored to have read this ARC and I’m excited for the world to be able to read it.

I absolutely loved this book, especially the characters and I think the plot is very rich, this book is about an Indian American girl trying to deal with family, tradition, and love while trying to find herself, it was beautifully written, and also the cover is gorgeous.

I loved how Rani's story played out. I could understand certain aspects of the story since I'm also an Indian is America. There were a couple of ideas that weren't exactly right but the message was good and strong.

A beautiful and moving story, reminiscent of I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. YA readers will connect with Rani’s struggles to define herself, her journey of first love, and the expectations of her family. This title will serve as a starting point for meaningful discussions regarding boundaries, cultural appropriation, and interracial relationships. Highly recommended.

Breathtaking , unique, such a thrilling pleasure to read this beauty! I love to get lost in those books centered around multicultural interests and thankfully ownvoices give us a great chance to meet with powerful, creative indie authors who introduce us different approaches opening into vivid, original lives, traditions, cultures.

Please don’t hesitate to add this book on your very special tbr but not just add, please schedule a special reading time and dive into it blind!

I truly enjoy Rani Kellar’s story who is Indian American high school girl, struggling between satisfying her family’s expectations by studying science, being an A grader, staying away from troubled boys and pursuing her own artistic dreams, dating with a white boy her family never and ever approves, crossing dangerous lines with her secret rebellious feelings which are about to blast and ruin everything she’s worked for.

Some parts of the book was truly bold, disturbing, realistic and extra harsh, shaking you to the core, giving you emotional turmoil!

Especially Rani’s abusive, somewhat obsessive relationship patterns with Oliver ached my heart deeply. Oliver’s fetishism and his need to define his girlfriend like an exotic creature instead of living, breathing human being, minor aggression facade of their bonding made me clench my fists, grit my teeth! I barely soothed myself and restrained my anger!

I loved Reni’s inner journey: the way of handling the intense pain of true and forbidden love, her discovery of her own sexuality against the cultural taboos, the way she learns to stand for herself, sharpening her artistic skills even though she acts against her family’s wishes, her unique, genuine relationship with her friend Kate!
Yes, I loved this book so much! I truly devoured the pages at one sit! I couldn’t leave it! It was riveting, intriguing and addictive!

It took its place at my all time favorite YA reads! And I’m looking forward to read more works of the author sooner! I’m giving my five Indian, emotional, motivational, inspirational, unputdownable, heartfelt stars! It was one of my best reading experiences I’ve lately had!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/ Knopf Books for young readers for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.