Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel
Patel, S. (2016). Rani Patel in full effect. Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9781941026502
At 17 years old, Rani Patel's whole world has been turned upside down. She caught her father in an affair, with a woman much younger than him. Now, he's been banished from the house, leaving Rani and her mom to pick up the pieces. Turning to writing rap songs, Rani's choices have led her to the much older, customer Mark, who has Rani trying new things, though they are not always the best. In order to find herself, Rani must navigate through her series of questionable choices to come out strong than before.
Rani Patel feels that she doesn't belong anywhere, and unfortunately that is a feeling that many people, both young and old, can relate to. In Rani Patel In Full Effect, Rani can be impulsive (as seen when she shaves her head very early into the book) and while that may be because she is young, it is also in part due to her family situation, and due to her feelings that she does not belong. Despite the feelings that Rani throughout the title, Rani does manage to find an creative outlet to express herself, with her alter ego, MC Sutra where when MC Sutra is on stage, she commands the stage. If readers relate to Rani, seeing Rani be the best version of herself as MC Sutra may remind them that what they are feeling does not last forever, and finding ways to express yourself or your feelings can be done in through other avenues that are not the traditional means. I did find Rani to be frustrating at times, especially when she kept repeatedly kept going back to Mark, despite her friends and herself telling her she should not go back because she deserves better, but Rani is also young, and she has to learn from her mistakes, which she thankfully does. In the title there is an instance of assault, and molestation is brought up as well, and those are some of the reasons why this title may be suited for high school students.
Rani Patel in Full Effect mentions examples of Rani's culture many times. Examples include Gujarati foods (such as roti, dal and other sweets), many words or phrases were written in Gujarati (with translations provided in a glossary at the end of the book), and the obligation Rani feels to respect her elders. Additionally, there were multiple times where an arranged marriage was mentioned to Rani, though she was always sure to express her non-aligning thoughts. While frustrating at times (due to Rani's actions and choices), Rani Patel in Full Effect is a powerful coming-of-age novel, where Rani is determined to break out of all the cultural stereotypes in her way.
What do readers think of Rani Patel in Full Effect? Kirkus Reviews states that Rani is a "100 percent genuine character that commands this gutsy [and powerful] debut." Finished with Rani Patel in Full Effect and wondering what to do? Rani Patel in Full Effect takes place in the 90s, so an idea for readers to research the rappers that were popular during that time to see which ones may have influenced Rani, and what their most popular songs were, and discuss how the lyrics and how Rani (or you) may relate to them! Sonia Patel. Lew & Low Books also offers a great Teacher's Guide with discussion questions and activities that you can access here. If you enjoyed Rani In Full Effect you may also enjoy Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali.
Some of the Awards and Honors for Rani Patel in Full Effect:
- BookExpo America Editor's Buzz Selection 2016
- Texas Library Associations Top 10 Teen Books 2017
- Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books 2016
- 2017 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
- 2017 South Asia Book Award Highly Commended Books
- Best Social Justice Books - South Asian
Rani Patel in full effect (2017 morris award finalist). Sonia Patel, M.D. (n.d.). https://soniapatel.net/ranipatelinfulleffect
Rani Patel in Full Effect Teacher’s Guide. Lee and Low Books. (n.d.). https://www.leeandlow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rani%20Patel%20In%20Full%20Effect%20Teacher’s%20Guide.pdf
Rani Patel in full effect. Kirkus Reviews. (2016, October 11). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sonia-patel/rani-patel-in-full-effect/
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