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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I'm mad it took me so long to pick this one up! It was such a fun and engaging read!
Aru Shah and the End of the Time is one of the original Rick Riordan presents books and introduces middle grade readers to Hindu mythology. It follows main character, Aru Shah, who lives in a museum with her curator mother. Unfortunately, Aru has a difficult time making and keeping friends. When a group of her classmates visits the museum, Aru tries to prove that the museums Lamp of Bharata is cursed even though she's not supposed to light. She unknowingly releases the Sleeper who freezes time and then it becomes Aru's job to save them all by finding the five Pandava brothers from the well-known Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata.
What Worked: This was a fun and engaging read. As someone who is not as familiar with Hindu mythology, Chokshi did a MARVELOUS job pushing me to expand my cultural knowledge. There is an accessible guide in the back that I utilized frequently to stay on track with the introduction of the various gods and goddesses. The story is action packed and filled with so many various twists and turns. My favorite part of this story was probably the character development. Aru has a difficult time fitting in and making friends. Through her journey, she meets another character by the name of Mini who pushes Aru to do a lot of self reflection. Aru isn't always a likeable character and she has a bit of a reputation; however, I appreciate that Chokshi gives her the opportunity to grow and develop. It mirrors the same challenges and growth that a lot of middle grade readers will see in themselves. I also appreciated the growth that we see in the relationship between Aru and her mother. It's clear that Aru feels alone in the world since doesn't know much about her father and her mother is absent due to expeditions. Fortunately, there is a section of the book that focuses on her absense and how it causes Aru to feel. Additionally, the reveals in this book are jaw dropping! I wasn't expecting the true identity of the sleeper and it made the novel that much more intense.
What Didn't Work: This was such a good read so there wasn't much that didn't work; however, I did find the beginning to be a little slow. There were also some scenes that felt all over the place.
Overall, this was such a good introduction to the series and I'm excited to continue one with Aru and the rest of her friends.
Aru Shah and the End of the Time is one of the original Rick Riordan presents books and introduces middle grade readers to Hindu mythology. It follows main character, Aru Shah, who lives in a museum with her curator mother. Unfortunately, Aru has a difficult time making and keeping friends. When a group of her classmates visits the museum, Aru tries to prove that the museums Lamp of Bharata is cursed even though she's not supposed to light. She unknowingly releases the Sleeper who freezes time and then it becomes Aru's job to save them all by finding the five Pandava brothers from the well-known Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata.
What Worked: This was a fun and engaging read. As someone who is not as familiar with Hindu mythology, Chokshi did a MARVELOUS job pushing me to expand my cultural knowledge. There is an accessible guide in the back that I utilized frequently to stay on track with the introduction of the various gods and goddesses. The story is action packed and filled with so many various twists and turns. My favorite part of this story was probably the character development. Aru has a difficult time fitting in and making friends. Through her journey, she meets another character by the name of Mini who pushes Aru to do a lot of self reflection. Aru isn't always a likeable character and she has a bit of a reputation; however, I appreciate that Chokshi gives her the opportunity to grow and develop. It mirrors the same challenges and growth that a lot of middle grade readers will see in themselves. I also appreciated the growth that we see in the relationship between Aru and her mother. It's clear that Aru feels alone in the world since doesn't know much about her father and her mother is absent due to expeditions. Fortunately, there is a section of the book that focuses on her absense and how it causes Aru to feel. Additionally, the reveals in this book are jaw dropping! I wasn't expecting the true identity of the sleeper and it made the novel that much more intense.
What Didn't Work: This was such a good read so there wasn't much that didn't work; however, I did find the beginning to be a little slow. There were also some scenes that felt all over the place.
Overall, this was such a good introduction to the series and I'm excited to continue one with Aru and the rest of her friends.
I just read the novel for the first time this year so it was nice to get to the graphic novel adaptation! Here's the link to my review of the novel if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2179433114
Written very well. Great for young kids who want to get into fantasy books.
Learning about different mythologies can be daunting, but I've always had an interest in learning them. Roshani's take on the Pandava brothers is so much fun. The book explains the story without making it feel like you're reading a textbook, which is something I always admire about middle grade mythologies. I have to thank my friend for getting me to read this and I look forward to the rest of the quartet!
The cover alone made me want to pick this book up, and I would swear Rick Riordan really wrote this because it sucked me in just like his books do.
So refreshing to read something that feels so familiar, like it knows well the child I once was (and what that kid needed to read!) I would recommend this to any person who loves Percy Jackson, young or old. And I would recommend it on its own merits to anyone who loves a good middle grade read, and to young south and southeast asian people especially.
Interesting enough characters, but everything seemed to be too fast. The whole book happened in a few days and involved trips to the Underworld and different parts of the world, with no training for the girls, yet they had the skills.
A little too convenient.
A little too convenient.
*3.5
For me, this picked up around the 50%-60% mark. I did enjoy the fast-paced storytelling, but at the start it threw me off a bit.
I read this for Battle of Books, which some of my students are participating in. Maaaybe, i'll continue with the series.
For me, this picked up around the 50%-60% mark. I did enjoy the fast-paced storytelling, but at the start it threw me off a bit.
I read this for Battle of Books, which some of my students are participating in. Maaaybe, i'll continue with the series.