Beautiful, gut wrenching, and honest about how to be true to yourself when you are first generation American. How to find out who you are and how not to forget where you come from.

I listened to this novel in verse with my library app. It tugged at my heart strings and felt very close to home as it dealt with a cancer diagnosis. This story is set in the 80s which is when I grew up, so it was nostalgic. I loved the emotion conveyed about Rena’s feelings of being caught between American culture and the Indian culture of her family. This will be a great read aloud next year for my Embracing Heritage unit.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you #Netgalley for a chance to read Red, White and Whole. Perfect for my fifth graders--I got s copy for my classroom that is already loved!

So good! Great novel in verse about family, loss, and the 80s! I would hand to readers who enjoyed Clap When You Land and Other Words for Home.

13-year-old Reha is caught between her very traditional Indian parents and extended Indian community and her American school and friends. On the weekends, Sunita is her best friend and they do "Indian" things while during the week, Rachel is her best friend and they work on school projects and do American stuff. Reha's Mom is taken to the hospital on the night of the school dance and her world gets even more complicated.
Written beautifully in verse, this novel captures the push and pull Reha feels. A sense of intimacy is created by the poems and the format lends itself well to the topics of grief and loss.

I forgot to come back here! I really appreciate the print copy you sent me. This was moving and sad and just great.

This is a really beautiful book with important representation of an immigrant/refugee experience. Writing the story in verse made it incredibly accessible and not time consuming.

I absolutely loved this middle grade book. The writing was beautiful and the author wove storylines so well through the many poems. It felt super connected and powerful. I can’t wait to recommend this one to students!

My heart and emotions right now! 😭💔✨📚 I added this book to a cart to preorder later (I did this about halfway through reading) because it is THAT GOOD! Thanks again to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.

This book is written in verse about a young girl, Reha, who is torn between two worlds and wants to please both, but ultimately wants to become her own person. Reha is Indian American and learns a lot from her parents and their culture/traditions, but realizes she wants to be more like her friends. Reha and her mother have their differences, but they find many things that connect them, and that includes their names. Reha’s mother eventually becomes ill and we go on this journey with Reha and how she handles the illness and what it takes to be a hero. This book had me tearing up at points and makes me want to hug my mom and never let go. This book is definitely going to be hard to stop thinking about and you can bet I’m going to be talking this book up all year long. Well done, Rajani LaRocca! A top read for 2021 ❤️❤️

I love a good novel-in-verse and this one delivers! I gained insight into how it feels for immigrant families to be part of two different worlds. Also loved the 1980s setting!

4 stars. This book was very enjoyable and would be great for a young middle school student or an upper elementary student. It is hard hitting and hits on many topics. Would highly recommend.

For the average reader, this books starts out with two strikes against it: an historical setting and the verse novel format. With both of these elements we have to ask ourselves if they're really necessary. Regarding the format, it's a largely emotional journey. Reha's story is one of finding her place in the world. She's between cultures, doesn't completely fit in with her American peers but too far removed from her parents' culture to feel like she truly belongs there. Trying to live up to their expectations and understand their influences. Since most of the plot is focused on her emotions, the verse format is the best one for this book. Now, it's set in the 90's. With an historical setting that recent it can feel unnecessary. The differences are subtle but important, mostly related to connections. Reha's family is divided by distance. Communication takes time, making them more isolated from literal family and thus crating family and community wherever they can. For this particular story the 90's setting makes sense, though it may be harder for young reader to understand. This may be a tough read for middle graders but it's worth the effort.

I have already purchased this book for our students to use next year. We are about 50% Asian/Indian population, so I know my students will relate to this storyline. I loved that the story was written in verse and it really brought a lot to the story. I think students will really relate to this story as were the adults who read the book.

A gorgeous novel in verse that will be a great addition to any collection. It was amazing the voice and character that were developed in so few words. The family dynamic is one that allows for connections and creates those windows and mirrors that we need.

Red, White, and Whole is a beautiful novel in verse. Reha is a child of immigrants trying to find her place in the world as she feels split between her life and friends at school, and her separate existence with her Indian American community. This is a story about finding your true home, friendship, identity, and unconditional love. I cried so hard. Just astounding.

Reha feels caught in the middle - between the 1980s lifestyle of her friends and the Indian traditions of her family. She especially feels disconnected from her mother. But that all changes when her mother gets sick. Soon the things Reha was caught up in don't seem as important. She even goes so far as to volunteer to be a bone marrow donor for her mother even though she is terrified to the blood work she will need. Can Reha help restore her relationships and feel whole?

What there was oh the book I enjoyed. As a poetic narrative it moved along quickly. I read it as an eBook and I was a bit taken aback when I went to finish it tonight and saw I was already 85% done. I wish there had been more to the story!

Well, this book made me cry a whole bunch!

I’m a big fan of books in verse in general, but this one is especially well written. LaRocca brings Reha to life and captures those feelings of trying to figure out who you are in middle school. But Reha has extra complications of trying to be American/Indian enough and navigating life with a sick parent.

Such a beautiful book!

This was a very engaging read. I think most kids will identify with Reha's feelings of being torn between her parents' expectations and her desire to fit in with her peers. The verse makes it a fairly quick and accessible read. It's a very moving book and a lovely middle grade read.

“I have two lives.
One that is Indian
One that is not.
I have two best friends.

One who is Indian
One who is not.

A powerful start to this lyrical book about Reha, the only child in her family. The author structures the story around an Indian tale about the God of Death and the bargain a woman makes for her husband.

Reha navigates middle school while her mother becomes sick, and she and her dad struggle through to a new normal all while pleading for the life of her mother.

This book had me in tears.