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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
*I received an early DRC for free from edelweiss and the publisher. This does not affect my rating.*
I loved this book SO MUCH! It was so awesome to read about awesome girls doing awesome things! This book was a nonstop adventure, and it was FUNNY! And sweet! I seriously cannot wait to meet more of the Pandavas. I can't recommend this one enough!
I loved this book SO MUCH! It was so awesome to read about awesome girls doing awesome things! This book was a nonstop adventure, and it was FUNNY! And sweet! I seriously cannot wait to meet more of the Pandavas. I can't recommend this one enough!
Entertaning book about a seventh grade girl who lights a cursed lamp and releases a very bad demon. I really enjoyed it!
I haven't read any of the Rick Riordan books so I can't compare, BUT I loved this one. The amount of time I took to read it doesn't reflect my enjoyment, for sure, I'm just in a slump. I love that middle grade is fulfilling my need (and the need of tons of middle grade kids) for sharp, witty, female protagonists. Especially when those books include cultures and mythologies that aren't Greek, Roman, or Norse.
Aru is a delight--she's funny but movingly human and relatable--even for those of us who are well past the age of 12. Mini is great, too, with her anxieties and her immense capacity for friendship and support. This book is cute, exciting, funny, and fun all the way through.
Aru is a delight--she's funny but movingly human and relatable--even for those of us who are well past the age of 12. Mini is great, too, with her anxieties and her immense capacity for friendship and support. This book is cute, exciting, funny, and fun all the way through.
When peer pressure leads to possibly the end of the world. Aru has to embark on a adventure of extraordinary proportions.
We finally finished this as a read aloud. We really enjoyed it, but didn't read as often as we wanted. It's written in a style like Rick Riordan but with Indian mythology. I liked the main heroine. She's imperfect but likeable.
I’m so glad a book like this exists for middle grade! I loved the Hindu Mythology setting and it was fun to be immersed in completely unfamiliar territory for a fantasy. I learned a lot but also I think it would take several more exposures to really feel like I understand all of the different creatures and personalities. Aru was also an entertaining character and I would definitely recommend this for my students
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Before the pandemic, I read the first two Aru Shah novels and loved them. I didn't keep up with the releases after that, but now that all five books are out, I will be going back and rereading the first two then moving ahead through the series and all the way to the end.
Everything I remember enjoying about this book held true during my reread: Mini is a lovely and hilarious character; Aru is a fascinating protagonist; and Chitrugupta is my favorite side-character. There were also many elements of the story that completely slipped my mind and captivated me as though they were new the second time around. For example, I forgot about Boo, the Sleeper's mysterious connection to Aru, and Chitrugupta's "this is what a feminist looks like" shirt.
Revisiting this story was very enjoyable, and I'm glad that I've refreshed my memory before moving on to the last three books. I'm looking forward to rereading the sequel next, although I plan to space out each book so that I can remember more clearly which events happen in which installment.
Everything I remember enjoying about this book held true during my reread: Mini is a lovely and hilarious character; Aru is a fascinating protagonist; and Chitrugupta is my favorite side-character. There were also many elements of the story that completely slipped my mind and captivated me as though they were new the second time around. For example, I forgot about Boo, the Sleeper's mysterious connection to Aru, and Chitrugupta's "this is what a feminist looks like" shirt.
Revisiting this story was very enjoyable, and I'm glad that I've refreshed my memory before moving on to the last three books. I'm looking forward to rereading the sequel next, although I plan to space out each book so that I can remember more clearly which events happen in which installment.
A solid middle grade novel that showcases Indian mythology throughout. It was neat to see how the mythological beings intertwined with the story and it was also interesting to see how similar some are to the more popular Greek mythology.
I thought the pacing was a little slow. The plot was very predictable and things magically fell into their lap often but that’s fairly common with middle grade. I liked that Aru Shah was flawed but had redeeming qualities. Mini was also enjoyable and I loved her references to Filipino culture since that’s rare for me to see. Most of the banter was pretty cheesy but a few times it made me chuckle. Overall a good start to a middle grade series and one I’ll pass along to my kids.
52Books2022 Reading Challenge: A person of color as the main character
I thought the pacing was a little slow. The plot was very predictable and things magically fell into their lap often but that’s fairly common with middle grade. I liked that Aru Shah was flawed but had redeeming qualities. Mini was also enjoyable and I loved her references to Filipino culture since that’s rare for me to see. Most of the banter was pretty cheesy but a few times it made me chuckle. Overall a good start to a middle grade series and one I’ll pass along to my kids.
52Books2022 Reading Challenge: A person of color as the main character