I really wanted to love Rani Choudhury Must Die. It had some truly awesome parts like teenage girls that are very into STEAM and working towards some fantastic projects. Unfortunately, it was brought down by a LOT of teen angst and some really concerning features on an app they were building (it was spyware, and they were not concerned about it).

Also, the first line in the description called it a sapphic romance.. but that was pretty much a footnote. Overall, I just couldn't get invested, but I did think that the narrators did a great job on the audiobook. I'm also don't have a super high tolerance for relationship angst, so this might be perfect for a lot of folks out there!

Thanks to NetGalley, Adiba Jaigirdar, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The queer relationship was written beautifully. I always enjoy multiple POVs in a book, and that was made better by the narrators of the audiobook version - they were incredible. This was a fun, adorable book filled with diversity and representation. And that cover art is STUNNING!

Adiba Jaigirdar’s Rani Choudhury Must Die is a bold, thrilling, and darkly funny exploration of identity, revenge, and reclaiming power. With sharp writing, unforgettable characters, and a gripping plot, Jaigirdar crafts a story that’s as empowering as it is suspenseful. Rani’s journey is equal parts chaos and catharsis, making this a must-read for fans of fierce heroines and stories that challenge societal norms. A wickedly clever triumph.

Adiba Jaigirdar has become one of my favorite YA authors. Her latest work, Rani Choudhury Must Die, is just as hilarious as her previous books, maybe even more so. There’s a great balance of the friendship and romance between our two main girls, as well as the individual character growth. Rani Choudhury Must Die is sweet, sarcastic, and endearing. A truly feel-good novel that also highlights the sexism and misogyny in STEM and the ways in which gender roles truly confine everyone involved.

All the joy and angst you expect from Adiba Jaigirdar is present here and I was so down for this story! I'd kill for a netflix adaptation....

4.25/5 stars

Two things:
1) Women in STEM >>>>
2) I support Rani and Meghna’s rights AND wrongs

I adored this! Adiba Jaigirdar has written another amazing sapphic love story that will be relatable to the target audience and beyond. She was able to capture the vibe of the 00s revenge-com and weave it into a heartwarming story that feels like a love letter to female friendships within the movies.

I can’t begin to explain how much a related to Rani. I am very familiar with the burnt-out gifted kid who has expectations thrust upon them. Meghna took a little longer for me to warm up to, but I completely understand her POV. I can’t imagine being compared to someone 24/7, especially in your formative teen years.

The narrators also did an amazing job at bringing these characters to life. I especially loved Rani’s narrator. The burnt-out cadence in her voice was spot on. This was a delight, and though I wish there were some things I wish were resolved better, this is one everyone would enjoy.

Let's get my biggest issue out of the way first: the title. Rani Choudhury Must Die bothered me because Rani is one of the narrators. Another review suggested Zak Sardar Must Die as a better title, and I have to agree—it would align more with the John Tucker Must Die inspiration.

That said, Rani Choudhury Must Die was a quick and enjoyable read. The plot, about Rani and Meghna teaming up after discovering they've been dating the same guy, was engaging, though I did have to suspend disbelief at times (like how their school advisor never flagged ethical issues in their project). The main themes—friendship, family dynamics, and toxic behaviors—were explored, but some side plots, particularly the family rift, felt underdeveloped.

The dual POV was well done. While I couldn’t always distinguish the voices, I still kept them straight, which speaks to the author’s skill. I appreciated how the book portrayed women in STEM, especially coding, in an authentic and well-researched way.

The book also taught me a lot about Bengali culture, and while Meghna and Rani’s queerness isn’t explicitly defined, it adds an interesting layer to the story. The best part was the recurring joke, "How many Ranis/Meghnas do you know?"—I laughed every time.

Overall, it's a solid, enjoyable read that I’d recommend. I’m excited to check out more from this author.

This was such a cute and heartwarming YA romance! I loved the growth our two main characters, Rani and Meghna, experienced throughout the story, and I was thoroughly hooked on their revenge plotline for their shared cheating ex. The emphasis on them recovering their friendship and realizing there was something more behind it was so well done.

The narrators also crushed it with their portrayal of Meghna and Rani.

Definitely pick this one up for a rivals to friends to lovers story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook to preview.

I am SUCH a fan of Adiba Jaigirdar, I freaking love the Irish accents in the audiobook. This was cute! I mean two brown girls pining for each other but also having that twist of academics throughout it really pushed it to shine. All of the characters were likeable and lent themselves to let readers root for them. I had such fun and definitely recommend for those looking for a lighthearted YA book.

very cute romance. it threw me off at first when I heard the Irish accents, but then I realized I've read this author before! It was a cute former enemies who get back at the guy who dated both of them. Im not Bengali, but my uncle is, so I love Bengali representation. Especially girls in STEM. I may be a new fan of this author! Loved the narration and the sapphic rep!

Meghna and Rani used to be so close, but you could almost call them enemies now. Meghna is so tired of being compared to Rani and coming up short, while Rani feels immense pressure to be perfect. When they realize they've been dating the same boy, they'll put they're differences aside to teach him a lesson.

This book was an entertaining spin on a classic theme, with serious John Tucker Must Die vibes. While it follows a somewhat familiar pattern, this interpretation felt fresh and fun to read. Meghna and Rani are both likeable, and readers will root for them and their growing relationship. It was wonderful to see both leads as women in science.

I was drawn in to this one immediately by the cover. Idk what it is about this one, but I love it so much! Two brown girls looking at each other in longing, and there’s books and a computer there? Ugh so cute. And the pages inside are just as cute. Trust me!

Ok so this starts off when two girls find out the dude they think they’re dating is also dating someone else. And the someone else is actually a certain someone they don’t like. This whole part of the plot was weird to me because even though they found this out, it seemed like neither one of them wanted to break up with the asshole. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why. They both kept making excuses. And like I’m sorry, once I find out something like that, the very thought of them pisses me off. They were truly weirding me out.

They took FOREVER to get together too. I wasn’t as into as I could have been because they were fighting for so long. And that one girl was ANNOYING. I said like 7 times while I was reading it, Girl leave them both alone lol She was so insecure and mean and it made me hate her. And its usually hard for me to outright hate a character, but not this time.

The two of them together was cute tho. But we don’t spend enough time with them at all. By then its the end. I went into this thinking it was a romance and a little disappointed because it was not. Just like she said it they were giving him that if they went through with doing the project the way they originally were going to, I thought it was really ironic that she said that because that’s what the whole book ended up being about.

But overall I did like the messaging that girls can do what ever they want and of course the women in STEM overall thing. But to have it be about this and still mostly about how this stupid boy almost ruined everything for them and then didn’t even treat them right was a bit counter productive. I’m glad she talked about some of the struggles they were going through tho.

This was disappointing, but still good. Idk how to explain that, really. I think I was expecting something else. I wanted them to find the dude, break up with him and then find each other immediately. But we didn’t even get a variation of this. I hope if nothing else this review will put you in a different mindset so you don’t go in thinking you’re getting one thing and get something else. And just a reminder to everyone, I am not an enemies to lovers girlie, so this very well may just not have been my jam. Idk, read it and let me know what you think.

Rani Choudhury Must Die is an engaging and clever YA RomCom. The characters are likeable and realistic and will draw the sympathy or readers. I especially liked the ending. Highly recommended for collections where contemporary YA circulate well.

Rani Choudhury Must Die was yet another fun and endearing release from Adiba Jaigirdar.

I loved how much growth both of our main characters experienced by the end, and the romance was super sweet, too!

3.5 so 4 rounded. I did not like Meghna at all in the beginning. I didn’t understand her dislike in Rani. Literally nobody did. and Zak just…got away with everything. Like they just decided it was all good now and he can go be a cheater some more and nobody cares. The romance wasn’t as believable. It seemed very random. Rani also seemed too good and Meghna too bitter. It felt a little one sided. And 90% to even get to any romance is criminal. I did really like the friends and Meghna’s older brother. He had some solid advice that anyone could relate to.

3.5 stars. This was cute. I enjoyed the audiobook and the characters. Having two Pakistani MCs who had to deal with culture, family, community, and expectations in their own way was the primary story, and the romance was almost incidental, which is how I prefer it.

Nothing stood out as especially good or bad- this was a feel good YA novel.

3.5 stars

This was a fun story; friends to enemies to rivals to friends to...? I feel like this was another book that I'm just too old to read. It's about once friends, now enemies, Rani and Meghna and how they deal with the fact that both of their their boyfriends is actually the same person. He's been cheating on both of them, for different reasons, so they team up to beat him at the big science exhibition.

I appreciated the look at culture and how that plays into expectations, in school achievements, relationships, society, and more. And how challenging it can be to be a part of a small community, and to be the first generation of your community to be growing up in a different culture from what your parents grew up with.

Overall, a fun, light read, though a bit on the young side for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.

I've read a few stories by Adiba before and while I liked the ones I've read in the past this one was a bit hard for me to get behind. First, I LOVED Rani as a character. I related to her so HARD so it was difficult to hear Meghna basically TEAR INTO her the entire story. I couldn't understand why Meghna hated Rani so much and when she did explain herself, I didn't like the explanation. Rani was right when she argued with her, Meghna's hatred of Rani was unwarranted. Meghna had no idea what Rani was going through and had no right to try to sabotage Rani and her project! In my opinion the book should not have been called "Rani Choudhury Must Die" It should have been named after Zakash who was the REAL villain of the story and who faced ZERO actual consequences from anyone during the story. That was the most frustrating part of this whole novel. I understand that we shouldn't focus solely on that cheater but he should have had SOME consequences for his actions.

4.5 rounded up

Cuuute besties->to academic rivals -> to lovers.

Meghna has always come second to her old bestie Rani even before they had a falling out. She is hopeful that at this year’s science fair she will finally beat her. While at the competition she finds out her boyfriend is also dating Rani behind both of their backs. Meghna wants to work with Rani to take him down and maybe take Rani down with him?

I liked that this was in dual pov and that the reason for their falling out included their families. It was a fun story and the narration was great.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

I thought this book was very interesting and cute! I giggled, I blushed, I gasped. I thought the premise of the book was very interesting and I really enjoyed the STEM aspect. I also appreciated that these WOC don’t exist in a vacuum, and they do mention things like colorism and misogyny. The cultural aspects of this book were really lovely, and I also liked the representation of multiple LBGBTQ+ characters outside of the main characters (Meghna’s friends). Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book! A cute little sapphic YA novel.