School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 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

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

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, and rst of all e 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 narrative ppered with early-90s hip-hop references; Hawaiian, Hawaiian Pidgin, and Gujarati phrases; and her own slick rhymes packed with an empowering feminist message mmendably and strikingly stands out in the YA landscape. While Rani's recovery from her trauma is unrealistically speedy and conclusive mething Patel, a psychiatrist, freely admits in her author's note st 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.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. (Oct.)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Rani Patel finds strength in her rhymes, in her flow, in her rap, which she really needs since her father has left and her mother will not even speak to her. The guys around Hawaii do not see her as more than a friend. In her senior year of high school, she is really lonely and missing the attentions of her father now that he has moved on to a girlfriend only a little older than Rani. When Mark, a thirty-one-year-old who regularly visits her workplace, becomes more than friendly, she is thrilled to have male attention againso thrilled that she ignores the warnings of her friends and the familiar signs of abuse. Her relationships are going bad, but Rani has always dealt with her heartache by writing rap lyrics, so throughout these difficult times, Rani's talent flourishes, earning her a spot in an underground rap group in Moloka'i.This is a story of a young woman trying to define herself outside of a family molded by repeated emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Rani uses rap to tell her story and often mentions the late æ80s hip-hop that is pulling her through her best and worst times. Ultimately, she tells a story of a misguided cultural patriarchy, the difficulty of recognizing and leaving abuse behind, and the importance of finding support and healing with those who need it too.Elisabeth W. Rauch.