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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
What a wonderful conclusion to such a precious story. I absolutely loved the themes and messages that were woven throughout. Aru Shah was such a relatable, funny, and endearing protagonist to follow for the past five books. The same goes for all the other characters, from fearful but loyal Mini to headstrong but incredibly brave Brynne. The characters went through such a beautiful, transformative journey in this book. They grew and proved themselves as heroines and simply as humans - accepting their weaknesses and letting them become strengths. I mean...
"Yes, she was smaller. Yes, she wasn't as powerful. But there was strength in that perspective. When someone chose to see you as only small and weak, it made them careless. Careless enough not to notice when a small and weak thing crept past their expectations and laid a trap they didn't expect."
and
"But Mini wasn't powerful in spite of her fear. She was powerful because of it. Fear made her anxious, yes, and panicky, yes, and sometimes oversensitive, yes, but it also made her feel deeply, see clearly, think carefully."
and
"All this time, she'd been worried about what people expected from her, what would they think of the things she did or didn't do. But what about her? What about what she thought was right? Granted, she didn't even know what that looked like, specifically... but maybe she'd figure it out if she just, well, showed up."
Each revelation coming from a different characters lowest point. There was something so satisfying about seeing the fears of each character laid out in front of us and themselves - the fears that we've seen from the moment the characters were introduced to the reader - and watching them accept that part of themselves and move forward. Realizing that there can be strength in weakness, a reason for our fears (as long as we control them rather than them controlling you), and power in the simple act of just showing up when you're needed - even if you don't have all the answers. Like, ugh - wow.
This is just the book series I would want all kids to read. It definitely filled the Percy Jackson-shaped hole in my heart. Hoping to get more series out of this world because by the last three books, Chokshi really proved herself as a strong Middle-Grade author and I wanna see what the Potatoes do next. (Yes, the characters named their group the Potatoes and as much as I'd love to say that 23 yr old me rolled my eyes at that, I actually found it hilarious - my humor has really regressed since moving home lol)
"Yes, she was smaller. Yes, she wasn't as powerful. But there was strength in that perspective. When someone chose to see you as only small and weak, it made them careless. Careless enough not to notice when a small and weak thing crept past their expectations and laid a trap they didn't expect."
and
"But Mini wasn't powerful in spite of her fear. She was powerful because of it. Fear made her anxious, yes, and panicky, yes, and sometimes oversensitive, yes, but it also made her feel deeply, see clearly, think carefully."
and
"All this time, she'd been worried about what people expected from her, what would they think of the things she did or didn't do. But what about her? What about what she thought was right? Granted, she didn't even know what that looked like, specifically... but maybe she'd figure it out if she just, well, showed up."
Each revelation coming from a different characters lowest point. There was something so satisfying about seeing the fears of each character laid out in front of us and themselves - the fears that we've seen from the moment the characters were introduced to the reader - and watching them accept that part of themselves and move forward. Realizing that there can be strength in weakness, a reason for our fears (as long as we control them rather than them controlling you), and power in the simple act of just showing up when you're needed - even if you don't have all the answers. Like, ugh - wow.
This is just the book series I would want all kids to read. It definitely filled the Percy Jackson-shaped hole in my heart. Hoping to get more series out of this world because by the last three books, Chokshi really proved herself as a strong Middle-Grade author and I wanna see what the Potatoes do next. (Yes, the characters named their group the Potatoes and as much as I'd love to say that 23 yr old me rolled my eyes at that, I actually found it hilarious - my humor has really regressed since moving home lol)
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, War
Minor: Sexism
memory altering
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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:
Yes
This was overall a solid conclusion to the series. Aru’s adventure has been fun to follow. She’s a great protagonist, and I enjoyed watching her growth throughout the series. The side cast is also great, of course, with my favorite being Aiden.
This is just a fun middle grade series with great exploration in Hindu mythology.
The pacing was pretty good (kinda started lagging in the latter half though) but I felt like this book honestly needed to be longer. The final resolution during the big battle felt cheap and it was too easy. One or the side characters always get less screen time due to plot reasons, which for the final book was quite disappointing (in this case it was Kara and Aiden).
The ending left a lot to be desired for me. There was potential to create a more nuanced story based on how the plot was resolved, but it’s never explored. That’s it for my non spoilery thoughts.
This series is definitely worth the read though!
***SPOILERS***
Aiden’s “death” was contrived. Like there was no reason for that other than to fuel the miscommunication trope and create more drama. Additionally, when Aiden returns during the big battle, Aru is confused as to how he returned (as was I) and he said he would “explain it later.” HE NEVER DOES!
Kara was one of the best characters in the series. She brought a lot of complexity to the war, and as Aru’s foil, Kara is everything Aru could have been if the Sleeper had kidnapped her. Her wavering loyalty made her really compelling, so when she kills the Sleeper, that adds a whole other layer to her and just the story overall. Unfortunately, my biggest gripe with this series finale was the lack depth post big battle about Kara. Both Kara, Aru and their mother loved a monster who used to be a man. Aru is so torn throughout the series about the Sleeper because she knows he is evil, but it also her father. When Kara makes the split second decision to kill the Sleeper, that’s gonna have a lot of emotional fallout! The 3 have to grapple with the relief and grief ( and anger at Kara) and for Kara, a lot of guilt. BUT THATS NEVER EXPLORED. I wished we would have gotten more about how the Pandava sisters felt about her and her punishment bestowed by the god. No one had any sympathy for her and her punishment was unfair. To forget everything not only hurts her, but her sister and friends and her mother who just got her daughter back only to be taken away again.
Anyways, it was just a lot of wasted potential at the end to explore deeper themes and create a more nuanced story.
This is just a fun middle grade series with great exploration in Hindu mythology.
The pacing was pretty good (kinda started lagging in the latter half though) but I felt like this book honestly needed to be longer. The final resolution during the big battle felt cheap and it was too easy. One or the side characters always get less screen time due to plot reasons, which for the final book was quite disappointing (in this case it was Kara and Aiden).
The ending left a lot to be desired for me. There was potential to create a more nuanced story based on how the plot was resolved, but it’s never explored. That’s it for my non spoilery thoughts.
This series is definitely worth the read though!
***SPOILERS***
Aiden’s “death” was contrived. Like there was no reason for that other than to fuel the miscommunication trope and create more drama. Additionally, when Aiden returns during the big battle, Aru is confused as to how he returned (as was I) and he said he would “explain it later.” HE NEVER DOES!
Kara was one of the best characters in the series. She brought a lot of complexity to the war, and as Aru’s foil, Kara is everything Aru could have been if the Sleeper had kidnapped her. Her wavering loyalty made her really compelling, so when she kills the Sleeper, that adds a whole other layer to her and just the story overall. Unfortunately, my biggest gripe with this series finale was the lack depth post big battle about Kara. Both Kara, Aru and their mother loved a monster who used to be a man. Aru is so torn throughout the series about the Sleeper because she knows he is evil, but it also her father. When Kara makes the split second decision to kill the Sleeper, that’s gonna have a lot of emotional fallout! The 3 have to grapple with the relief and grief ( and anger at Kara) and for Kara, a lot of guilt. BUT THATS NEVER EXPLORED. I wished we would have gotten more about how the Pandava sisters felt about her and her punishment bestowed by the god. No one had any sympathy for her and her punishment was unfair. To forget everything not only hurts her, but her sister and friends and her mother who just got her daughter back only to be taken away again.
Anyways, it was just a lot of wasted potential at the end to explore deeper themes and create a more nuanced story.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Torn about the rating, so I’ll just put the stars on the high end ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m sad to see this series coming to an end. It was great to see the Potatoes growth, though.
I’m sad to see this series coming to an end. It was great to see the Potatoes growth, though.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
No
This is a really great conclusion to the series. Chokshi's writing is clever and fun, while the characters are brave and good. Aru, Aiden, and the rest of the Potatoes work so hard to save the world and are willing to sacrifice anything. Kara and the Sleeper are more complex than they first appear and the overall plot is moved forward very cleverly. I'm glad that I read this series and expanded my own knowledge of the Hindu belief system.
adventurous
funny
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-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