A review by jess_mango
American Betiya by Anuradha D. Rajurkar

4.0

Rani is an Indian-American teenager who has always obeyed her parents. She is eighteen and a senior in high school and has a passion for photography. Her parents want her to go to school for something more serious and Rani doesn't want to disappoint them. Then Rani meets Oliver, who is just the sort of guy that her parent's won't like. He's a white guy with lots of tattoos and an artist. Rani is drawn to Oliver because of his love of art and Oliver seems fascinated by Rani's Indian culture. Rani grapples with the new emotions of a first love and the complexities of a cross-cultural relationship, which she decides to keep a secret from her parents since they don't want her dating at all. This was a story that had just the right amount of angst and edginess. This is not a saccharine sweet teen romance. We are not dealing with the "perfect Indian daughter" here and Rani makes decisions that she fears would shock and disappoint her parents. Rani is a relatable protagonist trying to live a life that strikes a balance between being her own person and being a good daughter. There are lots of messages in here about pursuing your own dreams, being true to yourself, and also fetishism.

What to listen to while reading...
Oh! Sweet Nuthin' by The Velvet Underground
True Colors by Cyndi Lauper
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae
Dreaming of You by Selena
Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!