User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This is a book of my heart. Although the story is fictional, there are so many aspects of this book that were inspired directly from my own experiences growing up as an immigrant in the 1980s. I can't wait to share it with the world, and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating: really liked it
"No matter where I go, America or India, I don’t quite fit."
~ Rating- 4 stars ~
Content/ Trigger Warnings- Racism, Displacement (theme), Blood depiction, Fear of blood, Terminal cancer, Grief & loss depiction, Death of a mother from leukemia, Nightmares, Divorce, Child Abandonment, Head Injury, Pneumonia, Potential Child Abuse (Verbal & Emotional, Physical implied but not confirmed)
-Mention of some of these in the review- "Do you speak Indian? (...) I want to tell her that people from India, just the small sample of Indian people in her own city, speak over a dozen languages. We are Hindu, Muslim, Christian and other religions. We are all different shades, from dark brown to almost as pale as she is. I want to tell her we make more kinds of delicious food than she could imagine. I want to tell her despite our differences, we have so much in common trying to make our lives here. I want to tell her I’ve never studied Tamil and Kannada, the languages my parents speak. Never learned to conjugate those verbs, never learned those curly alphabets. My parents only talk to me in English. I want to tell her when I reach for words in Kannada or Tamil, all my brain can come up with is the French I learn in school, and what I understand of the languages my parents speak is confined to the mundane conversations of home. And when I do try to talk, my accent is wrong, wronger than my parents’ accents when they speak English. But I don’t tell her any of this. Instead, I just say 'No'."
Red, White and Whole is a book everyone needs to read. This is the kind of book adults should read, when they think children have no problems. This is the kind of book teenagers should read, when they want to revisit the innocence of childhood. This is the kind of book parents should encourage little children to read, when they want their kids to read more 'diverse' books. Most importantly, this is the kind of book all Indians should read.
Why? Because
Red, White and Whole is an excellent portrayal of how it feels to be discriminated, to be judged and mocked for something that's not under your control.
"Together, we decide that a hero: Is brave, but not without fear. Because if you fear nothing, how can you be brave? Says what they believe is right. Because if you cannot say what you believe in, how much do you believe in it? Works to make the world better. Because doing something is even more important than talking about it. Acts out of love for others. Because caring for other people is the biggest difference between a hero and a villain."
Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the
only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted—they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha
feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—but they are a universe apart.
"A mother gives you life, nourishes you, protects you, helps you when you’re hurt. But sometimes it feels like too much."
Then
Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick. Reha dreams of becoming a doctor, even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood. She is
determined to make her Amma well again. She’ll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her Amma’s life.
"Blood metallic and earthy, essential, cleansing, the river of life in our veins. Blood binds us to each other, as humans, as kin, parent to child. Thicker than water, it tells all. The stories of our ancestors are written there. But what happens when your own blood betrays you?"
The
plot of
Red, White and Whole was beautiful. I loved every moment of reading the book, and it almost made me cry due to how relatable it was. While I am not Indian American, I am Indian and I've also lived for several years in a foreign country. I understood
Reha's conflict of feeling like she doesn't belong, and Rajani LaRocca does an excellent job at writing this.
"Reha means star. What kind of star am I? A distant one, that sparkles coldly from afar? A red giant, scorching all within its wake? Or like our sun, providing light and warmth and life?"
Red, White and Whole, is a book written in verse. This was the
first book I read in verse, and I definitely want to read more books like this in the future.
"What does the sky do when the moon is gone forever?"
The
writing is wonderful and flows very well.
The main character Reha's pain can be felt on an emotional level. Reha's struggles of feeling like she is a part of two different worlds was so accurate and captivating.
"All our blood cells are born in our bone marrow. Red cells, white cells, and platelets. But sometimes one cell doesn’t follow the rules. Instead of leaving room for the others, sometimes one cell won’t stop dividing until it takes over all the space in the marrow and spills into the blood. It’s a type of cancer. And it’s called Leukemia."
I loved the
dynamic Reha had with her Amma and really felt sad when her mother got diagnosed with Leukemia. The scenes and conversations Reha had with her mother had so much depth and meaning, and I was impressed with the writing.
"My mother’s name is Punam, and that means moon. Her face is as bright as a full moon, always gentle, always changing, but predictable. Like our moon, she only shows us one face. The strong one."
I loved all the discussions about Indian culture, and there were so many moments where I was nodding along and smiling, specially the scene where Reha was being taught how to cook.
"God is everywhere, says Amma. He is in every living creature. God has many faces, many forms, male and female, human and animal, and forms we cannot imagine. This is why we do not hurt people, or harm animals. Why we do not eat meat. God’s wisdom is in paper and books. So we do not disrespect them or touch them with our feet. God is everywhere. And I believe it, because I hear God in Daddy’s humming as he shaves, feel God in Daddy’s kiss good night, smell God in the silk of Amma’s sari, see God reflected in her shining eyes, and taste God in the spicy, sweet, piping hot food we eat together. Our parents are God, their words are law."
Red, White, and Whole is one of the best books I've read It is a very short read, but every line is worth it.
"We are together in the dark. Together, we rival the stars in their brightness."
Overall,
Red, White and Whole has everything you would want to read in a book.
It has a good plot, fabulous writing and great characters along with character development. I'd highly recommend it.
"I’m from, India and America, mother and father, past, present, and future. I have one life. That’s all any of us gets. And I know that I will make my way. For all rivers lead to the same ocean, we all look upon the same sky. I will write my own story. Amma’s life, the one she gave to me, is in my heart, my veins, my blood. And she is everywhere."
Thanks to my friend Akshita for the recommendation!
*This book has spoilers for the Star Wars movies and books.* Review written and uploaded on 24th October, 2021. DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite
...............................
This was a beautiful read, and the ending made me teary-eyed. Review to come.
Rating: really liked it
***It's just that I cannot stop crying 😢
*2021 favourite*
"No matter where I go,
America or India,
I don't quite fit."
.
.
.
"I am not expected to like boys,
I am not expected to date.
But all day long on the radio, people sing about falling in love,
about hearts breaking and mending
and breaking again.
And I wonder what it would be like
to follow mine."
.
.
.
*For those who don't want spoilers of Star Wars, give this book a miss if you can.
(*When books spoil things for you when it guesses every single person is well versed with Star Wars. FYI, I have yet to read or watch the series or whatever it is 😩)
.
.
.
Amar Chitra Kathas!
Amen.
Kudos, author for bringing it up.
.
.
.
*The story deals heavily with the themes of immigrants, battling cancer, death and grief.
I know this story has taken a piece of my heart.
Such a good, memorable read.
The story is so close to my heart now because I know what it means to have someone close to you battling cancer.
2021, I love you.
Rating: really liked it
This was supposed to be a buddy read with Nimrat and Akshita, but I couldn't complete it on time. BUT I FINALLY DID IT!!!!
Okay, now let's get back to the book.
Me before reading this:
Me after reading this:
My thoughts about the book:When I opened this book for the first time, I was kind of intrigued by it because it is completely written in verses which is new to me. I loved how the author has described everything so beautifully but I wasn't really into it untill page 50. (Also, this book has spoilers for first three Star Wars movies on pages 58 and 59.) The only thing I did not like about it were the stereotypes about Indians. More on that later.
Together we decided that a hero:
Is brave, but not without fear.
Because if you fear nothing, how can you be brave?
Says what they believe is right.
Because if you cannot say what you believe in, how much do you believe in it?
Works to make the world better.
Because doing something is even more important that talking about it.
Acts out of love for others.
Because caring for others is the biggest difference between a hero and a villain.
The Plot:This story revolves around the day to day life of a 13 yr old Indian-American girl called Reha who is struggling to fit in both her worlds- the Indian one and the American one. A life changing event that occurs in her life to shatter everything and how she tries to bring everything back together.
The Characters:Reha: This is our MC, Reha. Her Parents were born and brought up in India and then moved to America after their marriage and had her. Reha is the only child to her parents and so is pampered by them.(basically she just goes to a private school. that's it.) She is caught up between two worlds - One where her parents are and the one where she wants to be. She always has this feeling of not belonging anywhere. Her parents want her to be an obedient straight A student and she wishes to be like "Other girls". I could actually relate to her to quite some extent but somethings were off for me. She was always like "I'm not like other girls" which was kinda annoying but I'll let it pass. She want's to become a doctor when she grows up. (stereotype #1. NOT ALL INDIAN GIRLS WANT TO BECOME A DOCTOR!!!!)
Rachel: Rachel is Reha's
American best friend. (who divides best friends into categories?). Rachel is like Reha. She studies, reads books and listens to music, doesn't wear make up because tHeY aRe NoT LiKe OtHeR gIrLs and she wears glasses because OnLy StUdIoUs PeOpLe wEaR gLaSsEs. Overall as a character, Rachel is a great friend. She is with Reha at her best and her worst. She supported her when her mother was in the hospital and she was with her when Pete asked her for the dance. She was very encouraging towards Reha. I liked her.
Sunny: Sunita a.k.a Sunny is Reha's
Indian best friend.(Even though they both live in the States) She is the polar opposite of her. She does make up, has siblings and goes to public school. But they both have one thing in common(apart from being of Indian origin), they both love music!!! Sunny is also a great friend. She was there for her at her worsts.
Pete: He is Reha's bench partner in English and the only boy she talks to because they sit together in one of their classes. No other reason. Like seriously? Do these boys have fangs? are they gonna kill ya? (Stereotype #2. WE ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO BOYS!!!!) anyway, back to Pete. So this guy is really sweet. when Reha decided to not talk to him because sHe HaD tO fOcUs On HeR sTuDiEs as her mother wanted her to, he was so worried about her and her mother's depreciating health. He confronted her, he let her stay at his home in the evenings because her father couldn't pick her up from school. I just love this guy. I also love this guy's ideas about heroism.
It's about what happens when the bad guys fight back, and fight back hard.
It's about learning how to be a hero in spite of the fact that your dad is the most evil guy in the universe.
So these were his thoughts about Luke Skywalker in the movie 'The Empire Strikes Back'.
Reha's Parents: I cannot talk much about them because then that would be a huge spoiler.
But I'll just say that they migrated to the United States of America in search of ✨opportunities✨ and a better future. Her father is a civil engineer. Her mother works in a Haematology lab at a hospital. This is also why Reha wants to become a doctor. Because her mother works at a hospital.
The Stereotypes:1) NOT ALL INDIAN GIRLS WANT TO BECOME A DOCTOR. My parents tell me that when they were young, their parents had this standard principle that if they had a son, he would become an Engineer and if they had a daughter, she would either be married of at an early age or become a doctor. They did not have choices. And because this book is set in around 1980s, I'll let this go off.
2) WE ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO BOYS. Sure, our parents tell us to keep some distance from boys but they do not restrict us from talking to them. They are humans after all. But again... this book is set in 1980s... so I'll let that pass too.
3) WE CAN SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH. There was this conversation between Reha & Sunny and a dude at the food court, where he screamed in their face
"DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH???" Like, Of course she can! Do you ask that question to other customers as well? I was really offended by that.
Did I enjoy this book?
Yes.
Will I pick it up again?
Maybe
Will I suggest it to everyone?
DEFINITELY
Rating: really liked it
Be right back, I'm gonna go hug my mom now and try not to bawl my eyes out
Rating: really liked it
[illness and death of mother from cancer, racism (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
I don't know if I'm becoming more emotional or I'm choosing incredible books. But this is the first time as long as I can remember that I have actually cried; Winter? I shedded a few tears. Letters to the Lost? I felt a lump in my throat. But this book...there were actually tears streaming down my face, and no matter how many times I swallowed the lump in my throat- it always came back.
It seems a bit surprising that a middle grade book can make me cry, instead of all those popular books like The Lunar Chronicles, The Gilded Ones, The Gilded Wolves, Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, etc. But no. I'm sorry, but I can no longer see myself crying for any of those. Why? Well...
I have never, ever, EVER, related to someone so hard in a book. Someone may have a similar personality to me, but I don't live in a world where cyborgs are common, or the Fae exist. This book focuses on a first-generation Indian American girl trying to find out where she fits in: India or America? That's me. Period. I'm Indian, and I was mostly raised here, in the US. The struggle is real.
Wanting to go to dances, but asked to study? Yep.
Wanting to choose the clothes you wear? Yeah.
Struggling to find a balance between American and Indian culture? Yes.
My whole life, I have always felt I don't have a sense of belonging. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of amazing friends, which make my life incredible, but generally, as a city, or even country--I feel like people still look at me funny. People will talk English to me slower here, and in India, people will ask me a bunch of questions on what America is like. In America, to strangers, I'm a foreigner, even though I'm not. In India, I'm American, and just not treated the same. Of course, I have amazing friends both here and in India who know otherwise. ;)
I also loved how well the parents were portrayed in this books. It felt like I was reading a book about my parents. In a lot of the books, authors try to portray Indian parents as extremely strict, making them seem selfish and villainous. But it's really not the case. While they can be really strict, they do want the best of their children. My parents are the most selfless people I know in the world, and they are strict af. That is their way for caring for me, and keeping me out of trouble. I just simply loved how well Reha's parents were portrayed.
Also, the Indian terms and vocabulary were not overused, and not underused. It was perfect and went well with each verse.
That ending though... (view spoiler)
[I was really rooting for amma...why'd she have to die?? Her letter made me tear up so badly. (hide spoiler)] is what broke my heart. I have never felt so emotional about this, but it really got to me.
Also, I did not expect this book to be in verse! I opened to book when I got home, and not going to lie I was disappointed at first. I never cared much for poetry in books. But the verses flowed to well, I had such a great time reading this. I wouldn't have had this written any other way.
To conclude, this book was so enjoyable and incredibly relatable. I felt like she was writing about me (which is extremely self-absorbed I know lol) in every single page.
I love the life lessons in this book, and how the author portrayed Indian culture. Perfection. Hands-down one of my best reads of 2021.
Rating: really liked it
The ending was so emotional i have tears in my eyes
it was so sad and heartwarming
I loved this! ❤️🥺
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to Harper Collins & HarperKids for sending me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own. This was such a lovely novel in verse, I truly cherished the story of Reha. Reha is a young Indian-American girl. She's torn between two worlds: her life at school in the USA and her life at home with her Indian family. She feels increasingly disconnected from her parents and then she learns her mom is very sick.
Red, White, and Whole is an intimate look at what it feels like to have your identity feel torn in two. I loved Reha's curiosity and her love for her friends and family. This book was so wholesome, though it did make me tear up at the end. The amount of unconditional love Reha and her parents have for each other was so sweet. I loved it a lot.
Reha is such a bright young star and I loved seeing her learn more about herself and what she wants. I think she'll achieve great things and I loved seeing part of her life.
Rating: really liked it
July 02, 2020: THE COVER IS HERE and- cutenessss.
June 10, 2020: This has just been announced by the author and I'm so very excited for this middle-grade story about a young daughter of Indian immigrants; no number of such books can be many. None.
Rating: really liked it
Never have I ever shed this many tears over a book before.
This book absolutely broke me. All I want to do is curl up into a ball and sob until every memory I have of this book just fades. The pain is too much!
It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, but so full of hope at the same time.
I don't know if it was the best time for me to read it. But I'm so very thankful that I did.
Rating: really liked it
Book 128 of 2021
Wow 💔
✨Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca ✨
Red, White, and Whole is a middle grade novel in verse that packs a heartbreaking punch.
It's a short book, but you'll be rooting for the characters in no time at all. I was crying at the end of this book, but it's one I'll definitely read again.
Reha is a young girl who's dealing with one of the worst things ever - having your mom battle for her life. We get to see how this affects Reha and her father, and how the community they have around them steps up to help in their time of need.
Family, friendship, and community are at the heart of this book. Reba's parents are immigrants, and we see how this plays into the plot. Indian culture shines in this book, with elements of tradition and food.
The characters were great and the writing was awesome. The audiobook narrator did such an amazing job with this one and as always, I always recommend listening to novels in verse as audiobooks.
I enjoyed reading this a lot, and I would definitely recommend it.
🌟
L
Rating: really liked it
A beautiful novel in verse set in the early 1980s about a young teen whose parents immigrated from India. Reja navigates two worlds, an Indian one and an American one. Then her mother is diagnosed with cancer and her life changes again.
Will her mother survive? How will this experience change Reja's relationships with her family and friends?
This is one of those books about a teen that you can feel comfortable giving and recommending to the tweens in your life. I can see why there is a lot of buzz about this book.
Rating: really liked it
I didn't think I was going to cry in this book at all. But here I am.
btw, this was a buddy read with Akshita and Mrunal! Thanks for reading it with me!
Rating: really liked it
It's heartbreaking!
From author's note "We all contain multitudes, and not only is that okay, it is essential."
Highly Recommended.
