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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
What an AMAZING read! Fast-paced, great sense of humour, tons of mythological AND popculture references, and a truly interesting female lead, - what more to ask for?
I'll admit that my knowledge about the mythology behind this story is at a minimum, but it is still an entertaining adventure to follow, and it's hard not to love. I want more!
I'll admit that my knowledge about the mythology behind this story is at a minimum, but it is still an entertaining adventure to follow, and it's hard not to love. I want more!
Jeg har nu læst første installering i serien om Aru Shah for tredje gang, og jeg er stadig lige så begejstret som første gang, jeg åbnede bogen. Den kan virkelig noget helt særligt, og er magisk, lidt på samme måde som Rick Riordans værker, dog med Rukshana Chokshis eget præg og stemme, så man ikke er i tvivl om, at det er et selvstændigt værk, der nok minder om Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase og de andre fra Rick Riordans univers, men stadig er helt sit eget.
Tempoet er højt, og der sker noget hele tiden, så man aldrig keder sig; humoren er fantastisk, og der er rigeligt med referencer til både andre værker fra populærkulturen, men også samfundstendenser fra 2018, hvor bogen er udgivet. Det er samtidig en påmindelse om barndommens uskyld, der så småt er ved at forandres til de kvaler, der hører ungdommen til; Aru og Mini er i en alder, hvor mange ting forandrer sig, selv hvis de havde været fri for de prøvelser, de her bliver sat over for, og det er et fint undertema at kunne snakke om de følelser, der hører netop de år til.
Sproget er flydende og let, og rammer målgruppen spot on; den må være et sikkert hit hos fans af Rick Riordans serier.
Indien er et stort land med mange myter, og en bog som denne kan naturligvis ikke rumme dem alle. For én som mig, der endnu er relativt grøn i netop denne del af den indiske kultur, er det rart at starte med en "light"-udgave af noget, der i sin fulde størrelse rummer meget mere og er super-kompliceret, og det kan være fint at starte ud i det små for så med tiden at gå på opdagelse i andre aspekter af noget, som man garanteret kan bruge mange timer på at udforske.
Aru Shah vil for mig stadig være anbefalelsesværdig, og er man endnu ikke kommet i gang, har man meget godt i vente.
Tempoet er højt, og der sker noget hele tiden, så man aldrig keder sig; humoren er fantastisk, og der er rigeligt med referencer til både andre værker fra populærkulturen, men også samfundstendenser fra 2018, hvor bogen er udgivet. Det er samtidig en påmindelse om barndommens uskyld, der så småt er ved at forandres til de kvaler, der hører ungdommen til; Aru og Mini er i en alder, hvor mange ting forandrer sig, selv hvis de havde været fri for de prøvelser, de her bliver sat over for, og det er et fint undertema at kunne snakke om de følelser, der hører netop de år til.
Sproget er flydende og let, og rammer målgruppen spot on; den må være et sikkert hit hos fans af Rick Riordans serier.
Indien er et stort land med mange myter, og en bog som denne kan naturligvis ikke rumme dem alle. For én som mig, der endnu er relativt grøn i netop denne del af den indiske kultur, er det rart at starte med en "light"-udgave af noget, der i sin fulde størrelse rummer meget mere og er super-kompliceret, og det kan være fint at starte ud i det små for så med tiden at gå på opdagelse i andre aspekter af noget, som man garanteret kan bruge mange timer på at udforske.
Aru Shah vil for mig stadig være anbefalelsesværdig, og er man endnu ikke kommet i gang, har man meget godt i vente.
I read this middle grade fantasy with my students for book club. It was fun and suspenseful, clearly following the Hero’s Journey. Aru is a 12 year old girl who lives in a museum with her mother. She touches a cursed item at the museum and a demon comes out. She finds out she is a demigod and goes on a quest to get the keys to lock the demon back up. This book has some super cool twists and turns! I also learned a lot about Hindu mythology. However, it was hard to keep track of without the background knowledge and I didn’t always enjoy the experience of reading the book (the writing was good but something bothered me about it-but I am not the intended audience). Most of my students are glad they read it, but none of my students are interested in reading the sequel.
4 stars
4 stars
I loved the character of Aru Shah. It felt refreshing to see someone who is still figuring out their identity and who is full of imagination. She is by no means perfect and she makes A LOT of mistakes, but that’s what makes her so interesting. The world building is so rich and full of little details that only someone with a deep knowledge of the mythology would imbue in her writing.
All in all, I think Aru Shah and Percy Jackson would get along very nicely
All in all, I think Aru Shah and Percy Jackson would get along very nicely
This was a cute middle grade novel that kids need. I liked that this book had gods that were not greek in it, and even more a character that was not white. I like the humour in this book, both by Boo and Aru. I like how real Aru was as a 12 year old, doing the things that a typical 12 year old would do (embellishing stories) and being her best self. I liked the banter between Aru, Boo and Mini and I liked learning about the different gods. A great quick read!
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Sexism, Violence, Grief
This was such a fun middle grade read! I loved the characters and the plot dearly and cannot wait for the next installment to be published!
This book definitely reads at a much younger level than similar books I’ve read. I get that the target audience is a much younger generation, but it usually isn’t as obvious with other books I’ve read. I was hit or miss on Aru throughout the story. I wish she would’ve started recognizing the need to tell the truth sooner, but observing how her relationship with Mini shapes her was truly inspiring. My favorite thing about the book, though, was the mythical lore surrounding the gods. I’ve always loved reading about different cultures and their gods - Greek, Roman, Nordic, so this story fit right in with that. All in all I enjoyed the story enough to see where the next story takes us.
Heroines, they get the job done.
There is an underlying theme in this book, of beings (be they houses, horses, gods, or birds) being disappointed in the Pandavas being reincarnated as girls. And then the girls just go and wreck their world view by proving that they can be heroic just as well as any man. I love this narrative, and I appreciate the message it is sending to the younger generation.
Another message I loved, being different isn't a bad thing. Aru doesn't fit in at school. She doesn't fit the mold of "rich white kid" and she doesn't have what most would consider to be a typical home life. And while at times she does lament her life and her relationship with her mom, I never got the impression that she wished to be just like everyone else. Only to belong, which contrary to a lot of beliefs, is not the same thing.
Aru's relationship with Mini is also fantastic. I love how they very much FELT like siblings, and not just two people who have been told they are family. They bicker, they help each other, they're their for each other, and they drive each other crazy. As a person with a sister myself, I find this very accurate.
Aru is general is just a very relatable character. She lies a lot, sure, but I never got the feeling that she lied about things that mattered. She wasn't a cheater or a thief or bully. She just told lies. And I appreciate that, in the end, her lies weren't just painted as this awful thing that she needs to over come, but a skill she needed to learn to utilize better and deploy with more thought.
I've been looking forward to this book for a long time, and now that I've finally gotten the chance to read it, I'm not disappointed. The mythology is one I find very interesting and am eager to learn more about, and the book does a good job of weaving a foundation for the mythos into the story so that it is easily understood by people who may not be familiar with it (like me). Having read a few Rick Riordan Presents books, and coming off the Star Daughter, I can tell you that that is not something we should take for granted.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is a great blend of funny, and exciting, and educational, and teaches important lessons about defying the norm. I really loved this book.
There is an underlying theme in this book, of beings (be they houses, horses, gods, or birds) being disappointed in the Pandavas being reincarnated as girls. And then the girls just go and wreck their world view by proving that they can be heroic just as well as any man. I love this narrative, and I appreciate the message it is sending to the younger generation.
Another message I loved, being different isn't a bad thing. Aru doesn't fit in at school. She doesn't fit the mold of "rich white kid" and she doesn't have what most would consider to be a typical home life. And while at times she does lament her life and her relationship with her mom, I never got the impression that she wished to be just like everyone else. Only to belong, which contrary to a lot of beliefs, is not the same thing.
Aru's relationship with Mini is also fantastic. I love how they very much FELT like siblings, and not just two people who have been told they are family. They bicker, they help each other, they're their for each other, and they drive each other crazy. As a person with a sister myself, I find this very accurate.
Aru is general is just a very relatable character. She lies a lot, sure, but I never got the feeling that she lied about things that mattered. She wasn't a cheater or a thief or bully. She just told lies. And I appreciate that, in the end, her lies weren't just painted as this awful thing that she needs to over come, but a skill she needed to learn to utilize better and deploy with more thought.
I've been looking forward to this book for a long time, and now that I've finally gotten the chance to read it, I'm not disappointed. The mythology is one I find very interesting and am eager to learn more about, and the book does a good job of weaving a foundation for the mythos into the story so that it is easily understood by people who may not be familiar with it (like me). Having read a few Rick Riordan Presents books, and coming off the Star Daughter, I can tell you that that is not something we should take for granted.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is a great blend of funny, and exciting, and educational, and teaches important lessons about defying the norm. I really loved this book.
Amazing and funny. Loved seeing Hindu purana in a new light through this book.