Rani Choudhury Must Die

Gr 7 Up–Meghna and Rani, both 17, used to be friends. What are they now? Well, according to Meghna they are bitter archnemeses. Especially now that she’s found out that they are dating the same guy. That’s the last straw. Rani Choudhury must be taken down. But things aren’t really that simple. And after a few difficult conversations, the girls make the decision to work together to expose their awful ex, using the power of science and an international competition to do it. In this coming-of-age romance, Rani and Meghna navigate life, familial expectations, a bad break-up, and the competition as not just women in STEM, but Bangladeshi women in STEM. Jaigirdar’s writing gives distinctive voice to each character in this dual-POV book, and readers will be sucked into the resentment and inadequacy these two feel from the constant comparisons to each other and to the men in their lives, and how that affects their approach to their project submission. Through it all, Rani and Meghna can’t help but support one another, and their blossoming reconnection and solidarity make their romance one that readers just can’t help but be hooked by.