Reha is torn between 2 worlds - America where she was born, and India where her parents emigrated from. She wants to be a typical 8th grade girl - wearing the latest fashions, going to dances, and feeling "American" but her parents hold her back at times. As she tries to figure herself out tragedy strikes. She tries to come to terms with this and her hopes and dream on top of having to say good-bye to someone she loves.
A novel-in-verse and #ownvoices - a must read for MG readers!

Wow. Read in one day with tears streaming down my face. This is one of those books where the author tears up your heart so unexpectedly but then at the ends puts it back together in a whole new way. This book spoke to the 10 year old in me that lost her dad to cancer. It also spoke to the adult that is forever changed from that experience.
The fact that this book is written in verse does nothing but add to the effectiveness of this book.

READ THIS. You won't regret it or forget it.

It’s 1983. Reha is thirteen and wants nothing more than to dance, sing, and have fun with her American friends. She loves MTV music videos, tight jeans, and chewing gum, but Amma says, “We are different from Americans. We work hard, we dress modestly, we focus on what is important to succeed...”

Reha is an Indian-American who does work hard — she wants to be a doctor someday, even though she gets queasy at the sight of blood. Her Amma and Daddy want nothing more than to give Reha the life they have dreamed for her. Reha, torn between two lives...

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca is a throwback to the 80s teen life, as well as a story of close-knit families and good friends. I love Reha and her friends, especially Pete and Rachel, her BFF. This book is more than that, too. It’s a story of loving a sick relative, learning about science and medicine, and wondering about your place in the world.

This lovely novel-in-verse is recommended for ages 10 and up. Students will relate to the teen characters and their parents. Adults will re-live those childhood moments of fun, but also fretting. Families can read this book together and enjoy a story of heart-warming generational magic.

My Rating: ****

Reha is Indian-American living the in the Midwest of the U.S. She is often torn between her parents' cultural expectations and the culture of the U.S. Reha is 13 and the story is set in the 1980s when her mother is diagnosed with Leukemia. Reha has made it her mission to be dutiful, virtuous, and excel in school--anything to prevent her mother from getting sicker.
This is a novel written in verse and was a complete gut-punch. The writing was emotive, clear, and Rajani LaRocca does an excellent job in placing the reader in the time and space of Reha's life. Wonderfully done!

Rajani LaRocca's Red, White and Whole is the business!

LaRocca's tells us Reha's story in Red, White and Whole. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Reha just wants to fit in with her American friends. She wants to go to the school dance. She wants clothes bought from a store, not made by her mother.

The author does has such incredible voice as Reha. You remember what it's like to be in middle school and want so desperately to fit in. I loved reading about her Indian culture and her description of their rich foods and traditions. And I truly liked how the red, white, and whole them kept coming up in the story with Amma's job, and the color of the traditional clothing, etc...

I can't say enough good things about this book. My students watched me read this throughout the day, saw me wipe away a tear and asked when they would be able to hear "the story Ms. T can't put down".

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca was a beautiful middle grade novel written in verse that would help any student find their way as a teen and deal with the illness and death of a parent. I will make sure of my teachers have a copy of Red, White, and Whole in their classrooms.

Loved this story. Purchased this YA/middle grade novel for my middle school library. Superb character development, elegant world building, and compelling plotting.

This was a very powerful read. It is written in verse and really explores the idea of trying to fit into two different worlds. I loved the feel of the book and that it takes place in the 80's and we get a good glimpse of that decade. This is a great book for middle school or high school students.

A beautiful telling (in verse) of Reha's story as she navigates two very different worlds: the one she lives in with her Indian immigrant parents, celebrating the holidays and traditions of India; and the one she lives in with her friends from school, enjoying the music and fashion of America. This novel is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Let me tell you what I did not anticipate…laying in my bed last night at 9PM bawling at this book. This YA book, told in prose, was touching, thoughtful, and just so beautifully done.

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE by Rajani LaRocca tells the story of Reha, an Indian American middle-schooler. First, it deals with her feeling a battle between being an American citizen, leaving in the States, with her Indian culture and ancestry. Second, it really focuses on her experience after her mother is diagnosed with leukemia - and the touching moments around that story were incredibly moving.

I hoping to pick up something lighter next, but this was a beautiful #OwnVoices novel that may be a quick read, but is deeply emotional.

CW // cancer; death of a parent; racism

Rajani LaRocca's latest novel is her first in verse. The eloquent language helped ease the heartache of this thoughtful book.

Reha is a 13 year old Indian-American girl who feels like she has one foot in one world, and one in another.

One foot with her Indian Heritage. One with her American.
One with her school friends. One with her Indian friends.

She's angry with her parents for their strict, old-school ways. She wants to go to school dances, wear fun mall clothes and dance to 80's music. Caught up in fitting in with her peers, she doesn't see the small changes in her mom, doesn't realize until her mother becomes very sick.

Reha's journey is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. You will find yourself laughing and crying. Enjoy the ride.

Reha is feeling torn between the American world of school and her Indian culture at home. Why can't her mother understand that she is growing up: “A mother gives you life, nourishes you, protects you, helps you when you’re hurt. But sometimes it feels like too much.” Then her mother becomes ill, and just like that, all Reha wants is for her mother to get well.

While the title alludes to the colors of the American flag, it also refers to blood cells, first because Reha's mother works in a laboratory, and then because she has leukemia.

The novel is written in first person present tense, which make the reader feel like that they are right there with Reha as she struggles with the ways in which her mother’s hospitalization is changing everything she has come to depend on. You can see Reha maturing over the course of the book as she realizes what is really important.

The short chapters and economy of words in this novel in verse cut to the heart of Reha's thoughts and feelings: her yearning for her mother to get well, trying to be the perfect daughter, straddling between two worlds. LaRocca’s portrayal of Reha’s pain and guilt, along with the details from the 1980’s, lend a very personal feel to the story.

I am so glad I read this book it is beautifully written the story weaves together in such and easy way and you just become lost in it. The story of a young girl trying to figure out how she fits in between her parents culture and American. While she is trying to figure that all out her mom becomes ill. I was sucked in right away with her way of writing and I could not put this book down. The best book I have read so far this year hands down, across all genres. A true work of art.

Thank you to Net Galley and Quill Tree Books for this digital ARC.

I absolutely loved this middle grade novel in verse. Told from the perspective of 14 year old Reha, this novel gives readers an idea of what it is like to live between two cultures. While navigating normal middle school challenges, Reha must also contend with cultural expectations from her mother and Indian American community. When her mother falls ill, Reha feels even more divided. Is she a normal 14 year old? Is she an Indian American teen? Is she the daughter of an ill mother? Told with heart and compassion, this story puts the reader right inside of Reha's thoughts and leaves us rooting for her to find her own path.

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review. 80s. Poetry. Music. Culture. Family. Future. Self. Grief. Friendship. This book had it all and it was beautiful and memorable.

This is a heartbreaking middle grade novel about a 13 year old girl in the 1980s. She struggles between two different lifestyles, that of her American friends and her traditional Indian parents. When her mother is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she relies on her Indian folklore to help her through the grieving process. This is a beautiful historical fiction story written in verse that will be sure to leave a lasting impression on every reader.

This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read! This is 100% going to be on my top 10 books for 2021, probably even top 5. Halfway through my arc of this, I placed my pre-order for the physical copy because I knew already this book was/is going to hold a special place in my heart. I had no idea what this book was about before starting which made it even more special to me. I loved how vulnerable and heart wrenching this was. I read another review of this book that said as soon as they finished they wanted to hug their mom and I have to agree. Can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy and do a reread.

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca is a story told in verse about thirteen year old Reha who struggles in identifying who she is when she’s the only Indian student at her private school and also part of a family and community that embraces her heritage. Is she American, or Indian, can she be both?
Reha loves and adores her mother but worries she’s not meeting her mother’s expectations and chafing a bit under the weight put under her when she wants to live like her friends.
Amidst her struggles her mother, or Amma, gets sick, and is diagnosed with leukemia.
Reha has a whole new set of struggles ahead of her now, but maybe if she’s the perfect daughter it’ll be enough to bring her mother back to her.
***
This was an emotional read. As someone who lost their mother to cancer it definitely hit hard.
The verse style of storytelling makes reading this story a breeze, I found myself tearing through this book aching for Reha and wanting for things to be okay.
The story beautifully weaves Reha’s heritage into the story painting beautiful images, and I was hungry every time they talked about food. (It all sounded delicious.)
Red, White, and Whole builds a story about family, community, and friendship and how we really aren’t in it alone, even if we feel like we are. Reha gets many important lessons on that throughout the book.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Who doesn’t love to see themselves in a character? Red, White and Whole by Ranjani LaRocca introduces 13 year old Reha and her search for her place in the world. Her parents see her as a traditional Indian girl, but Reha’s heart beats to the comfort of American friends, and, importantly, American music. 80s pop music is the soundtrack for Reha’s story, told in verse. This is a compelling tale of fitting in as Reha puts together the pieces of the puzzle of her life as her Amma struggles for her own.

Thoughts: Red, White, and Whole is a book that originally caught my eye as a book that my 8th Graders would love and connect to. I have seen this parent-child struggle up close in the classroom, and many of my students would probably strongly relate to this book. The references and relationships ring true. What I didn’t expect is how much this book would speak to me, too!

This book drew me in quickly- I love the novel-in-verse style. The descriptions, characters, and storyline were clearly meticulously created, and it developed into a stunning story. While It’s not a completely new-to-me tale (think Devi Vishwakumar In Mindy Kaling’s “Never Have I Ever”, with a more serious tone), it is beautifully told and I was hooked into Reha’s story. My mom might recognize some of the 80s musical references more than I did, but that’s just me. My thoughts are that this book is sweet and relatable. Definitely worth picking up!

5 stars

WHAT a fantastic novel!

_Red, White, and Whole_ features Reha, who is endearing and round, particularly in light of the brevity of this work. She struggles with a sense of placelessness: not fitting in the U.S. and not fitting in India. Much of her attention focuses on the discrepancies between cultures and expectations, and unlike many of her literary peers, her focus is really just on defining in most cases versus privileging one over the other. Reha's relationships with friends, with possible romantic prospects, and especially with her family members are moving and meaningful, and this comes to light most obviously when Reha's mother is diagnosed with Leukemia.

There are aspects of this novel that are devastating, but I also loved it. The final message and tone - in the true fashion of works written for this target audience - are hopeful in the face of despair.

Highly recommended -