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jess_mango's review
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!
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!
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4/5
Really enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters journey. I found the cover to be absolutely beautiful and the story more so.
Really enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters journey. I found the cover to be absolutely beautiful and the story more so.
chrliesangel28's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
saiyagill's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
etakloknok's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hellocookie's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant debut that explores young love and a journey of self-discovery. American Betiya explores culture, racism, microaggressions, privilege, toxic masculinity, and more through a cohesive and captivating narrative. An excellent contemporary YA that is filled with interesting characters and will surely resonate with many.
ponckumari's review
1.0
DNF
Absolutely unlikable/unbelievable characterization right off the bat. I mean even Devi from NHIE will not do that.
Tried very hard to finish but I am not going waste time I don’t have.
Absolutely unlikable/unbelievable characterization right off the bat. I mean even Devi from NHIE will not do that.
Tried very hard to finish but I am not going waste time I don’t have.
whitneymouse's review
**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my opinions of the book**
I tried so hard to like this book. I wanted to like it. A friend who's opinion I respect quite a bit told me I would love it.
I didn't. I've been trying for the better part of a year to finish this and have just lost interest every time I go back in to finish it. The main protagonist, Rani, is a photographer who falls for what feels like literally the first boy to look at her some type of way. We barely meet Oliver before she's falling all over him. And he's not anything special. He's suuuuuuper boring. They begin secretly dating because her parents don't want her to date. He also is very clueless about her ethnic background, which leads to some tension and some issues (even early on in the book). The exploration of interracial relationships and that cultural tension and identity should be themes I identify with as the biracial child of an interracial relationship who had figure out along the way where I fit into the cultures I was born into. But when the protagonist AND the love interest are both as interesting as watching paint dry, I can't. There are other books that explore these themes that are also engaging. I don't care enough about either of these characters to continue to force myself to finish their story for the book's sake, unfortunately.
I tried so hard to like this book. I wanted to like it. A friend who's opinion I respect quite a bit told me I would love it.
I didn't. I've been trying for the better part of a year to finish this and have just lost interest every time I go back in to finish it. The main protagonist, Rani, is a photographer who falls for what feels like literally the first boy to look at her some type of way. We barely meet Oliver before she's falling all over him. And he's not anything special. He's suuuuuuper boring. They begin secretly dating because her parents don't want her to date. He also is very clueless about her ethnic background, which leads to some tension and some issues (even early on in the book). The exploration of interracial relationships and that cultural tension and identity should be themes I identify with as the biracial child of an interracial relationship who had figure out along the way where I fit into the cultures I was born into. But when the protagonist AND the love interest are both as interesting as watching paint dry, I can't. There are other books that explore these themes that are also engaging. I don't care enough about either of these characters to continue to force myself to finish their story for the book's sake, unfortunately.
mslater116's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Racism, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Addiction
notinjersey's review
4.0
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 listened to this book and it kept my attention throughout. It was a worthwhile listen.