Rani Patel In Full Effect

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Rani Patel, a Gujarati Indian teenager working in her family’s restaurant and convenience store on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i, has been sexually abused by her father, something the 16-year-old has kept secret from her overworked and withdrawn mother. With her father’s new girlfriend in the picture, Rani struggles with her identity, shaving her head and flirting with the much older Mark, despite warnings from her friend Omar and crush Pono. Invited to perform for an underground rap group, Rani finds validation through her alter ego, MC Sutra, as she becomes the first female rapper on the island. Meanwhile, she and her mother search for the strength to reject the harmful men in their lives and form a stronger bond between themselves. Patel sets her powerful debut novel in 1991, filling it with bygone rap references and an electric verbal blend of Gujarati, slang, Hawaiian pidgin, and the rhymes Rani crafts. Patel compassionately portrays Rani’s entangled emotions, lack of self-confidence, and burgeoning sense of empowerment as she moves forward from trauma. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
Rani Patel, daughter of Gujarati immigrants, feels isolated for more than one reason on the Hawaiian island of Molokai in 1991.Readers first meet Rani as she shaves her head following her discovery of her father's affair with a "barely out-of-adolescence homewrecker." That this is the traditional gesture of a widow takes on ever greater significance as the story progresses. Her mother distant, her crush on the handsome, (mostly) Native Hawaiian Pono unrequited, Rani's only comfort is in hip-hop and the rhymes she lays down--until Mark, a hot, older haole who works at a nearby resort and patronizes her family's convenience store, shows some interest in her slam poems and in her. When, as MC Sutra, Rani's invited to audition for hip-hop club 4eva Flowin', she finds community--and complication. Rani relates her tale in an energetic, often wry present-tense account that effortlessly enfolds unitalicized Hawaiian and Gujarati as well as Hawaiian pidgin and hip-hop slang; import if not exact meaning should be clear to readers, and a glossary fills in the gaps. Rap's political side is, like Rani, "in full effect," as she takes on some of the traditions that have critically injured her family in electric slam poems. Author Patel is a psychiatrist, and a concluding note explains that although Rani's recovery from incest is unrealistically speedy, it can stand as a model for victims. A powerfully particular, 100 percent genuine character commands this gutsy debut. (Historical fiction. 14-18)

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Starred review from October 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-On Molokai in the early 1990s, Rani Patel lives the life of the ultimate outsider. A quiet class council member of Indian descent whose relationship with her parents is deeply dysfunctional, she takes comfort only in hip-hop and rap. Her unrequited crushes on two local guys lead her into the underground rap scene, where she tests her skills as MC Sutra, but as she begins to forge an identity, her family and romantic relationships threaten to pull her under. Rani is a flawed character whose poor choices make her somewhat unlikable but also reflect a realistic reaction to her troubled family past-her mother ignores her, and her father sees her as a wife replacement (the book contains instances of incest). The teen seeks love and acceptance wherever she can find it, and through rap she is able to express her struggles and discover a community that embraces her unreservedly. The dialogue, which incorporates a bit of Hawaiian pidgin, Gujarati, and hip-hop slang, can require the use of the included glossary but enhances the understanding of Rani's place at the convergence of multiple cultures. Her story will appeal to readers who prefer gritty, darker fiction without a pat, happy ending, and characters who don't always overcome their challenges but must face them repeatedly. VERDICT A strong, unique choice for YA collections.-Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* As the only Indian girl in her entire Hawaiian town, 16-year-old Rani often feels like an outsider. She finds some comfort and empowerment in rap and slam poetry, and when she learns about an underground hip-hop crew in her town, it seems like she's finally found the perfect respite from her home life, which is marred by her parents' intensely traditional marriage, her father's brazen infidelity, andworst of allthe lingering trauma of the sexual abuse her father inflicted on Rani for years. That's a lot for her to handle, but when Mark, the older man who runs the hip-hop crew, starts taking a special interest in her, it seems like he's the perfect solution to her problems, despite her friends' warnings. Debut author Patel offers a unique perspective in Rani, whose punchy first-person narrativepeppered with early-90s hip-hop references; Hawaiian, Hawaiian Pidgin, and Gujarati phrases; and her own slick rhymes packed with an empowering feminist messagecommendably and strikingly stands out in the YA landscape. While Rani's recovery from her trauma is unrealistically speedy and conclusivesomething Patel, a psychiatrist, freely admits in her author's notemost teens won't skip a beat, since Rani's voice, oscillating from righteous anger to thrilling pride, swooning crushes, and heartbreaking insecurity, will resonate with many, even those with little to no familiarity with Rani's background. Vivid, bold, and passionate.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)