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Such Great Heights
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26Siya Kumar is done with liars.
Part of the reason Siya joins her school’s mock trial team is to honor the memory of her mother, a lawyer who was killed in a car accident when Siya was just ten years old. Her mom always told her that the truth is like a flame that burns away lies.
When Raj Raghavan, varsity soccer star and mock trial co-captain, seems interested in Siya, it feels too good to be true. Everything is golden until an overnight team bonding session, when Siya accidentally gets locked in a room with another guy until dawn. Even though Siya swears nothing happened, she doesn’t feel like Raj believes her.
At the same time, the details of the mock trial case are suspiciously similar to the circumstances of her mom’s death—which leads Siya to wonder if it was really just a car accident that took her mother’s life.
From award-winning author Rajani LaRocca comes a contemporary retelling of the Ramayana that asks whether seeking the truth is always right thing to do. Sometimes, is the past better left behind?
Part of the reason Siya joins her school’s mock trial team is to honor the memory of her mother, a lawyer who was killed in a car accident when Siya was just ten years old. Her mom always told her that the truth is like a flame that burns away lies.
When Raj Raghavan, varsity soccer star and mock trial co-captain, seems interested in Siya, it feels too good to be true. Everything is golden until an overnight team bonding session, when Siya accidentally gets locked in a room with another guy until dawn. Even though Siya swears nothing happened, she doesn’t feel like Raj believes her.
At the same time, the details of the mock trial case are suspiciously similar to the circumstances of her mom’s death—which leads Siya to wonder if it was really just a car accident that took her mother’s life.
From award-winning author Rajani LaRocca comes a contemporary retelling of the Ramayana that asks whether seeking the truth is always right thing to do. Sometimes, is the past better left behind?
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Rajani LaRocca
36 books567 followersRajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young people, including Red, White, and Whole, which won a 2022 Newbery Honor, the Walter Dean Myers Award, Golden Kite Award, and New England Book Award. Her other books include: Midsummer’s Mayhem (2019), Seven Golden Rings (2020), Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (2021), Much Ado About Baseball (2021), Where Three Oceans Meet (2021), My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris (2021), The Secret Code Inside You (2021), I'll Go and Come Back (2022), and more. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks. To connect with Rajani and learn more about her and her books visit her at www.RajaniLaRocca.com and on Twitter and Instagram @rajanilarocca.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 22, 2026
Review of eARC from Edelweiss
Rajani LaRocca has written fantasy and NIV for middle grade readers (Sona and the Golden Beasts, Mirror Mirror and Red White & Whole) and with Chris Baron has also written for those in early elementary school. Now, she brings her talents to grades 9-12 with a high school drama that loosely aligns with the Indian tale of Prince Rama and his love Sita with themes of truth, perseverance through adversity and staying true to who you are.
Siya was on her high school’s mock trial team as a researcher during her freshman year, but this year she is determined to earn an attorney slot and be only the second sophomore to do it. Competition is stiff and several juniors and seniors stand between her and a position that will get her that much closer to her long held goal of becoming a lawyer as determined to serve others in their quest for justice as her mother was until her untimely death 6 years ago. Readers will be immersed into not only the intense preparation and competition of being on a mock trial team but the drama between team members as well as the mystery of the similarities between the trial specifics and Siya’s mother’s fatal car accident on an icy road when she was in the 4th grade. Siya’s quest for truth and her quickly developing romance with one of team captains coincide with the themes of love and truth in the legend of Rama and Sita and provide asides between chapters centered on the contemporary romance and mock trial season. Also key in the story arc are the relationships between Siya and her older sister and father.
So much to love about LaRocca’s first YA novel! As in her middle grade works, the depth of the main characters’ emotions is heartfelt and realistic and with several different scenarios and personalities represented, most readers will easily find connections to their own lives. The romance between Siya and team captain Raj is at times sweet, at others passionate, and at still others, conflicted and don’t all those things ring true to high school?
*Target age: grades 8-12
*Profanity: only 3 instances with 1 being an F-bomb
*Sexual content: only kissing with one instance when a button on Siya’s shirt is undone but is quickly redone
*Representation: Siya and Raj are Indian American and their food and celebrations are incorporated into the novel seamlessly; mock trial team co-captain Tessa is identified as dancing with her girlfriend at a teammate’s party and in another scene introduces her girlfriend to the team.
*Alcohol: Teammate Lorenzo hosts a party at his home while his parents are away and alcohol is consumed by many of the high school students present.
Rajani LaRocca has written fantasy and NIV for middle grade readers (Sona and the Golden Beasts, Mirror Mirror and Red White & Whole) and with Chris Baron has also written for those in early elementary school. Now, she brings her talents to grades 9-12 with a high school drama that loosely aligns with the Indian tale of Prince Rama and his love Sita with themes of truth, perseverance through adversity and staying true to who you are.
Siya was on her high school’s mock trial team as a researcher during her freshman year, but this year she is determined to earn an attorney slot and be only the second sophomore to do it. Competition is stiff and several juniors and seniors stand between her and a position that will get her that much closer to her long held goal of becoming a lawyer as determined to serve others in their quest for justice as her mother was until her untimely death 6 years ago. Readers will be immersed into not only the intense preparation and competition of being on a mock trial team but the drama between team members as well as the mystery of the similarities between the trial specifics and Siya’s mother’s fatal car accident on an icy road when she was in the 4th grade. Siya’s quest for truth and her quickly developing romance with one of team captains coincide with the themes of love and truth in the legend of Rama and Sita and provide asides between chapters centered on the contemporary romance and mock trial season. Also key in the story arc are the relationships between Siya and her older sister and father.
So much to love about LaRocca’s first YA novel! As in her middle grade works, the depth of the main characters’ emotions is heartfelt and realistic and with several different scenarios and personalities represented, most readers will easily find connections to their own lives. The romance between Siya and team captain Raj is at times sweet, at others passionate, and at still others, conflicted and don’t all those things ring true to high school?
*Target age: grades 8-12
*Profanity: only 3 instances with 1 being an F-bomb
*Sexual content: only kissing with one instance when a button on Siya’s shirt is undone but is quickly redone
*Representation: Siya and Raj are Indian American and their food and celebrations are incorporated into the novel seamlessly; mock trial team co-captain Tessa is identified as dancing with her girlfriend at a teammate’s party and in another scene introduces her girlfriend to the team.
*Alcohol: Teammate Lorenzo hosts a party at his home while his parents are away and alcohol is consumed by many of the high school students present.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Siya lives on the East Coast with her father, a software engineer. Her older sister, Asha, is in college, and her mother was killed in a car accident when she was in fourth grade. Her best friends are Max and Grace, who stood by her after her mother’s death. Now in high school, Siya wants to win a position as an attorney on the Mock Trial team after previously serving as a researcher. Also on the team is Raj, whom she thinks is attractive. She does make the team as an alternate, but when another member drops out, she gets her wish and is the fourth attorney. The case proves to be a difficult one, since it bears more thana passing resemblance to her own mother’s death. There were no questions about her mother’s single car accident on a snowy night, but the Mock Trial case paints the woman who died as having personal and professional troubles as a lawyer, and the insurance doesn’t want to pay because the death is treated as a suicide. In trial competitions, Siya sometimes has to argue that the insurance company should NOT have to pay out. This leads her and Raj to try to find out if the case really was meant to reflect her mother’s reality, and leads to some family secrets being revealed. Raj, whose mother is a state senator, is hard to date because of the public scrutiny he is under; at one point, unflattering pictures of the two are published, and someone even locks Siya and another team member under the stage in order to get compromising pictures. Along with the story, we see a parallel look at the traditional Indian tale of Rama and his wife Sita, as well as transcripts of Mock Trial testimony. Siya has a lot of family issues to unpack as the Mock Trial team heads to the state semifinals.
Strengths: Other than Holms’ Sunny takes the Case, I can’t think of any other books with Mock trial teams, so this was interesting. The plot is developed well, and the layers of history are unveiled in an interesting way. The parallels to the story of Rama and Sita will appeal to those who like legends. The best part about this was the romance between Siya and Raj, and I loved how they were able to be on the team together and respect each other. There aren’t a lot of twists to the mystery, but it is revealed slowly and realistically.
Weaknesses: While the legal case aspects of this were interesting, this book might appeal more to high school readers who have more knowledge about Mock Trial. There is a tiny bit more mature content; one f-word, some alcohol consumption at a party (neither Siya nor Raj drink), and some light petting. Personally, I felt that Siya should have left well enough alone, and knowing the family history, her father should have encouraged her NOT to participate in the case. Some secrets are better left buried.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like young adult books with family problems and legal issues, like Myers’ classic Monster, Haddix’s Full Ride or Morgenroth’s Jude.
Siya lives on the East Coast with her father, a software engineer. Her older sister, Asha, is in college, and her mother was killed in a car accident when she was in fourth grade. Her best friends are Max and Grace, who stood by her after her mother’s death. Now in high school, Siya wants to win a position as an attorney on the Mock Trial team after previously serving as a researcher. Also on the team is Raj, whom she thinks is attractive. She does make the team as an alternate, but when another member drops out, she gets her wish and is the fourth attorney. The case proves to be a difficult one, since it bears more thana passing resemblance to her own mother’s death. There were no questions about her mother’s single car accident on a snowy night, but the Mock Trial case paints the woman who died as having personal and professional troubles as a lawyer, and the insurance doesn’t want to pay because the death is treated as a suicide. In trial competitions, Siya sometimes has to argue that the insurance company should NOT have to pay out. This leads her and Raj to try to find out if the case really was meant to reflect her mother’s reality, and leads to some family secrets being revealed. Raj, whose mother is a state senator, is hard to date because of the public scrutiny he is under; at one point, unflattering pictures of the two are published, and someone even locks Siya and another team member under the stage in order to get compromising pictures. Along with the story, we see a parallel look at the traditional Indian tale of Rama and his wife Sita, as well as transcripts of Mock Trial testimony. Siya has a lot of family issues to unpack as the Mock Trial team heads to the state semifinals.
Strengths: Other than Holms’ Sunny takes the Case, I can’t think of any other books with Mock trial teams, so this was interesting. The plot is developed well, and the layers of history are unveiled in an interesting way. The parallels to the story of Rama and Sita will appeal to those who like legends. The best part about this was the romance between Siya and Raj, and I loved how they were able to be on the team together and respect each other. There aren’t a lot of twists to the mystery, but it is revealed slowly and realistically.
Weaknesses: While the legal case aspects of this were interesting, this book might appeal more to high school readers who have more knowledge about Mock Trial. There is a tiny bit more mature content; one f-word, some alcohol consumption at a party (neither Siya nor Raj drink), and some light petting. Personally, I felt that Siya should have left well enough alone, and knowing the family history, her father should have encouraged her NOT to participate in the case. Some secrets are better left buried.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like young adult books with family problems and legal issues, like Myers’ classic Monster, Haddix’s Full Ride or Morgenroth’s Jude.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Such Great Heights is an upcoming YA novel dealing with grief, healing, and uncovering the truth. The book follows Siya, a sophomore in high school who is passionate about justice and who wants to be a lawyer on her school’s mock trial team. Despite her excitement about joining the team, Siya is quickly disturbed by the details of the case file they are handed, which mimics details eerily similar to the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. While Siya is struggling to keep a professional distance between herself and the case, she also develops a romance with the captain of her mock trial team, Raj Raghavan, and the two quickly form a deep bond. Mirroring the story of Sita and Rama in the Hindu epic The Ramayana, Siya’s story explores the depths of a daughter’s love for a deceased mother, combined with her desires to honor her memory and seek justice for those around her. The main characters are Indian-American, and the supporting cast are either identified as being of South Asian descent or white.
I really enjoyed this book, and felt that the author did an excellent job portraying grief and healing from Siya’s perspective. LaRocca represents mental illness accurately, especially in showing how certain conditions can be hereditary. The treatment of Siya’s sister Asha’s depression by her family was very refreshing, and it was so important to show how supportive and encouraging they were of her receiving treatment. The presence of Siya’s mother, Lalita, haunts the narrative in a very Twin Peaks-like way, and LaRocca successfully shows how much impact her mother had on not only her family, but on the community around her as well. I found the use of her death as the basis for a mock trial case compelling, not just as a catalyst for Siya’s investigation, but also as a critique of how true crime often sidelines the victim’s family, reducing real tragedies to loosely fictionalized entertainment. The supporting cast of characters, from Siya’s family to her friends on the trial team, was a great addition to the story. The book also does a great job of incorporating mock trials into the story, and illustrating their actions for readers who may not be familiar with their format. The melding of Sita and Rama’s story with The Ramayana was intriguing, and I appreciated the insertion of sections from the original text between chapters to make the parallels clearer to readers. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
I really enjoyed this book, and felt that the author did an excellent job portraying grief and healing from Siya’s perspective. LaRocca represents mental illness accurately, especially in showing how certain conditions can be hereditary. The treatment of Siya’s sister Asha’s depression by her family was very refreshing, and it was so important to show how supportive and encouraging they were of her receiving treatment. The presence of Siya’s mother, Lalita, haunts the narrative in a very Twin Peaks-like way, and LaRocca successfully shows how much impact her mother had on not only her family, but on the community around her as well. I found the use of her death as the basis for a mock trial case compelling, not just as a catalyst for Siya’s investigation, but also as a critique of how true crime often sidelines the victim’s family, reducing real tragedies to loosely fictionalized entertainment. The supporting cast of characters, from Siya’s family to her friends on the trial team, was a great addition to the story. The book also does a great job of incorporating mock trials into the story, and illustrating their actions for readers who may not be familiar with their format. The melding of Sita and Rama’s story with The Ramayana was intriguing, and I appreciated the insertion of sections from the original text between chapters to make the parallels clearer to readers. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this book, and I think my teen students in grades 8-10 will enjoy and relate to it as well. The mc, Siya, is thoughtful and hardworking, yet realistic, and she reminded me of some of my students. Some students will (sadly) be able to relate to the grief she feels over the loss of her mother, which is portrayed sensitively. Other students would deeply connect to the pressures of mock trial, and others would be drawn to the romance plot.
I was intrigued by the mystery - was the mock trial case inspired by Siya’s mom’s death?! - but I wanted a bit more of a juicer ending. Another question was left unanswered (no spoilers), which felt true-to-life, but I also wanted a resolution to that question instead of a realistic conclusion. In terms of genres, “Such Great Heights” could conceivably be shelved under romance, mystery and realistic fiction…in my school, it would get the most attention under romance. The romance itself is fairly chaste - while there are on-the-page kisses, other activities are merely implied, to a close reader.
Overall - I 100% recommend this story and I look forward to purchasing it for my school library once it is released this summer. Thank you to Rajani LaRocca for generously gifting me this copy at the MSLA conference! It will go into a student’s hands next!
I was intrigued by the mystery - was the mock trial case inspired by Siya’s mom’s death?! - but I wanted a bit more of a juicer ending. Another question was left unanswered (no spoilers), which felt true-to-life, but I also wanted a resolution to that question instead of a realistic conclusion. In terms of genres, “Such Great Heights” could conceivably be shelved under romance, mystery and realistic fiction…in my school, it would get the most attention under romance. The romance itself is fairly chaste - while there are on-the-page kisses, other activities are merely implied, to a close reader.
Overall - I 100% recommend this story and I look forward to purchasing it for my school library once it is released this summer. Thank you to Rajani LaRocca for generously gifting me this copy at the MSLA conference! It will go into a student’s hands next!
March 13, 2026
Siya knows what she wants: to excel at mock trial, in part to honor the memory of her lawyer mother, who passed away when Siya was little. But her team’s case bears an eerie resemblance to the circumstances of her mother’s death, and with her relationship to one of her mock trial teammates complicating matters, she begins to question what she thought were some big truths in her life.
I really enjoyed this book. Siya is both likable and realistic, and while the dramatic events of the storyline sometimes push the bounds of credulity, it’s an excellent exploration of what can happen when what we believe to be true is turned on its head, and that sometimes going through difficulties and disillusionment is necessary to see the truth and begin to approach the world as it really is.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this book. Siya is both likable and realistic, and while the dramatic events of the storyline sometimes push the bounds of credulity, it’s an excellent exploration of what can happen when what we believe to be true is turned on its head, and that sometimes going through difficulties and disillusionment is necessary to see the truth and begin to approach the world as it really is.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Such Great Heights
by Rajani LaRocca
A book about coming of age. The story shows how a young Indian American girl deals with the loss of her mother. The ideals of her future. And the grief of her widowed father. With many strong role models this book is needed in the increasingly diverse school environment. It shows Indian culture and its adaptations to American society. How accepting your past is the only way to continue your future.
by Rajani LaRocca
A book about coming of age. The story shows how a young Indian American girl deals with the loss of her mother. The ideals of her future. And the grief of her widowed father. With many strong role models this book is needed in the increasingly diverse school environment. It shows Indian culture and its adaptations to American society. How accepting your past is the only way to continue your future.
March 21, 2026
My biggest qualm with this book is how much of the plot is given away by the synopsis and it blows some things out of proportion. That aside, this is a powerful story about a girl learning about her family, her culture, and herself. Very well done. Touches on many important topics about integrity and friendship. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews