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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Straight up Percy Jackson read-alike, but still enjoyable enough. I liked it much more than the author's YA books, and I know plenty of 4-6 graders to recommend this to.
My son and I really enjoyed this book. I thought the ending was never going to end though. Otherwise I would give it 5 stars.
This book was phenomenal. Aru is a scrappy, flawed heroine with surprising amounts of depth. The humor breaks up some very intense moments and the pacing of this book is fantastic. Part of me wanted to savor it and part of me wanted to wolf it down. This would be a great Newbery Award contender. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I'm not sure some of the slang and tonal parts of the book will hold up well over time as they're very "in the moment," but this is a wonderful addition to kids literature and would make a fantastic read-aloud.
What a fun read! I was chuckling all the way through it while moving seamlessly through all kinds of imaginative scenes filled with wonderful Indian folklore. My absolute favorite quote was, “Maybe that's why superheroes wore capes. Maybe they weren't capes at all, but safety blankets, like the one Aru kept at the bottom of her bed and pulled up under her chin before she went to sleep. Maybe superheroes just tied their blankies around their necks so they'd have a little bit of comfort wherever they went. Because honestly? Saving the world was scary." That sets the tone, doesn't it? Perfect for readers 8 to 14 and anywhere above that.
I definitely think any fan of Percy Jackson would adore this book. I can understand why it's a Rick Riordan imprint. Heavy on the mythology (win in my book) and full of friendship and humor! I really liked diving into a whole new world of mythology that I know nothing about and this Hindu mythology is so fascinating. Definitely excited to learn more in the rest of the series!
I really enjoyed this! I didn't love every moment equally and the pacing felt a bit off at times, but the writing in this is extraordinary (like- it went so hard for a middlegrade, it gave multiple existential crises) and Aru is such a unique, interesting character. Cannot wait ro read the rest of this series!
2.5/5 stars.
I’m not sure if this was just a case of the wrong book at the wrong time, or what.
It had everything going for it with humor, pop culture references, mythology, a spunky middle grade protagonist, but for some reason, it just didn’t resonate with me. I was kinda bored through most of the novel. I don’t know if it was that I just wasn’t grasping the intricacies of Hindu mythology or if the writing or pace was off. I’m not sure what it was that didn’t work for me. I do think this would have benefited from being written in first person. I find that humor like this just comes across better from that POV than third person, for me. It also felt a little like it was trying to imitate Rick Riordan’s writing style, without committing 100% to it. I would have preferred it just gone all the way than be a nod to what makes his writing so special. I wonder also if I would have preferred this on audio.
I did really enjoy the mythology elements and learning about a different culture’s mythology and gods. I do wish it was explained a little better because it was very foreign to me, and I did find myself lost a little here and there. I also thought Aru and Mini were fantastic protagonists and incredibly spunky, innovative young ladies. Great role models for the age group this story is directed towards. I can’t wait to see more leading ladies added to their crew in future books.
I do intend to pick up book 2. I am looking forward to it, but I think I’m going to try that installment on audio.
I’m not sure if this was just a case of the wrong book at the wrong time, or what.
It had everything going for it with humor, pop culture references, mythology, a spunky middle grade protagonist, but for some reason, it just didn’t resonate with me. I was kinda bored through most of the novel. I don’t know if it was that I just wasn’t grasping the intricacies of Hindu mythology or if the writing or pace was off. I’m not sure what it was that didn’t work for me. I do think this would have benefited from being written in first person. I find that humor like this just comes across better from that POV than third person, for me. It also felt a little like it was trying to imitate Rick Riordan’s writing style, without committing 100% to it. I would have preferred it just gone all the way than be a nod to what makes his writing so special. I wonder also if I would have preferred this on audio.
I did really enjoy the mythology elements and learning about a different culture’s mythology and gods. I do wish it was explained a little better because it was very foreign to me, and I did find myself lost a little here and there. I also thought Aru and Mini were fantastic protagonists and incredibly spunky, innovative young ladies. Great role models for the age group this story is directed towards. I can’t wait to see more leading ladies added to their crew in future books.
I do intend to pick up book 2. I am looking forward to it, but I think I’m going to try that installment on audio.
A very fun romp for a younger middle grade audience. We get to follow Aru and Mini as they have to save the world from the Sleeper complete with a Mushu-Zazu-type animal sidekick. I loved that Aru really has to self-reflect and confront why she feels the need to constantly paint her life as more than what it is. She's so afraid of not being enough that she lands herself in all sorts of trouble (this book). I loved Mini in this. I think it's because I know people very much like Mini in real life, so seeing her point all all the possible ways that they could die was making me laugh. I also thought that Mini was a good representation of what can happen when you're a part of two strong cultures. Both sides of the family want to make sure you aren't ignoring the importance of their culture, but that can sometimes come across as dismissing the importance of the other.
I think Chokshi did a fantastic job of weaving Hindu deities and legends into the story. It does have a similar feel to the Percy Jackson series because many of the deities are very silly and make you question how they've lasted as long as they have being as incapable as they are. Even the scene where Aru and Mini meet their first baddie was similar to Percy's and Annabeth's trip to the Emporium. The chapter titles are just as silly as the Riordan's chapter titles (which I love them both). So it seems like Chokshi may have borrowed Riordan's formula a bit, but I don't mind. It was a fun time! Aru and Mini constantly have sassy lines. I have a child's sense of humor, so I was enjoying the jokes a lot.
There were a couple of things I did love though. I like a good pop culture reference as much as the next reader, but some of the dialogue seemed to be lifted straight from other stories. For instance, toward the end of the story, the scene where the characters are like, "whew that was close. more adventure to come" were uncomfortably similar to the lines from the ending of The Goblet of Fire movie. I like references, but it may have been a bit more of a crutch in this. I also unfortunately read this via audiobook, and I very much disliked the narration. The narrator elongates the words at the end of almost every line of exposition, so it just sounds like she's whining the entire time. Holy moly, it is grating. I had a difficult time deciding if the writing was good or not because the narration made it so annoying. Definitely recommend reading this physically rather than on audio, but in the end I did enjoy the story and look forward to seeing more Hindu deities in the rest of the series.
I think Chokshi did a fantastic job of weaving Hindu deities and legends into the story. It does have a similar feel to the Percy Jackson series because many of the deities are very silly and make you question how they've lasted as long as they have being as incapable as they are. Even the scene where Aru and Mini meet their first baddie was similar to Percy's and Annabeth's trip to the Emporium. The chapter titles are just as silly as the Riordan's chapter titles (which I love them both). So it seems like Chokshi may have borrowed Riordan's formula a bit, but I don't mind. It was a fun time! Aru and Mini constantly have sassy lines. I have a child's sense of humor, so I was enjoying the jokes a lot.
There were a couple of things I did love though. I like a good pop culture reference as much as the next reader, but some of the dialogue seemed to be lifted straight from other stories. For instance, toward the end of the story, the scene where the characters are like, "whew that was close. more adventure to come" were uncomfortably similar to the lines from the ending of The Goblet of Fire movie. I like references, but it may have been a bit more of a crutch in this. I also unfortunately read this via audiobook, and I very much disliked the narration. The narrator elongates the words at the end of almost every line of exposition, so it just sounds like she's whining the entire time. Holy moly, it is grating. I had a difficult time deciding if the writing was good or not because the narration made it so annoying. Definitely recommend reading this physically rather than on audio, but in the end I did enjoy the story and look forward to seeing more Hindu deities in the rest of the series.
The first book in a planned quartet by Roshani Chokshi. I thought this was wonderful and could see this being a life long favorite with children just like His Dark Materials and Harry Potter. Aru Shah is a heroine for the ages and I was so reluctant to put this book down. Not going to lie, there were a few rough spots here and there with flow and a few times I may have went, well this just seems like an obstacle to keep the story going. I loved the mythology, the characters, and the setting. Any book that returns to the Night Bazaar is always going to be an instant win for me.
"Aru Shah and the End of Time" is about 12 year old Aru Shah. She and her mother live in a museum (I know, I may have squealed with delight) called the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta, Georgia (I maybe squealed again). Aru feels a bit lost. Her mother is always gone looking for antiquities, she is at a new school where she feels like she doesn't fit in, and she lies (and feels bad about it). One of her lies catches up to her and three of her classmates arrive at the museum to confront her. Feeling pressured, Aru does something she has been told to never do, she lights the Lamp of Bharata which causes her world to turn upside down. Soon Aru finds out she is one of a reincarnation of brothers (soul, not biological) who are children of the gods. Aru is to seek out her fellow family and see about going against someone called "The Sleeper" before he wakes Lord Shiva and the world ends.
Aru made me laugh. However, will admit that at times I got frustrated with her. Her trying to make excuses for her lies didn't really sit well with me. Chokshi has her face some repercussions for that, but still. She also does something I thought was a necessary cruelty that sounds like it's going to come back at her later in her life. I honestly don't know what choice I would have made.
Not going to lie though, my favorite in this story had to be her fellow soul sister Mina. Mina is me all over. The two of them going off on a quest to save their families and the world was great. I also maybe laughed at the dismay everyone had that girls were doing the saving of the world thing and not boys.
Aru due to being kept in the dark about her past is going purely on instinct. Mina is going based on the fact that her family has known about the pandavas. I also loved that Mina is Filipino and Indian. Her talking about her family and grandmothers was pretty cute.
We have other characters we meet (gods, their chariots, The Sleeper, the Seasons, and the two sisters teacher/mentor/flying pigeon called Boo).
I do have to say that it was kind of a cop out for Chokshi to show us parts of Aru's mother's history but not have them discuss it.
The writing was so good. I became familiar with some of the figures mentioned in this book because I have read and devoured "The Star-Touched Queen" "A Crown of Wishes" and "Star-Touched Stories."
The flow wasn't that great though after the initial start, I think the chapter endings needed to be tighter IMO. It did feel after a while though a little bit to me that Chokshi threw too much in this first book. It just read as overly long in places. Plus a few times Aru and Mina would be upset with each other and it felt like it was just done away with too fast. I get it's the first book though so I let that go.
This book is the same setting as the "Star-Touched Queen" series. We hear about the Night's Bazaar (and get to see it again too!) but we get a new adventure that we realize is going to be dealing with these mythical brothers (now girls it seems) who are going to be reunited. We also get an inkling that something dark may be coming for Aru.
The ending set things up nicely for the next book in the series, very interested to see where that book goes next.
"Aru Shah and the End of Time" is about 12 year old Aru Shah. She and her mother live in a museum (I know, I may have squealed with delight) called the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta, Georgia (I maybe squealed again). Aru feels a bit lost. Her mother is always gone looking for antiquities, she is at a new school where she feels like she doesn't fit in, and she lies (and feels bad about it). One of her lies catches up to her and three of her classmates arrive at the museum to confront her. Feeling pressured, Aru does something she has been told to never do, she lights the Lamp of Bharata which causes her world to turn upside down. Soon Aru finds out she is one of a reincarnation of brothers (soul, not biological) who are children of the gods. Aru is to seek out her fellow family and see about going against someone called "The Sleeper" before he wakes Lord Shiva and the world ends.
Aru made me laugh. However, will admit that at times I got frustrated with her. Her trying to make excuses for her lies didn't really sit well with me. Chokshi has her face some repercussions for that, but still. She also does something I thought was a necessary cruelty that sounds like it's going to come back at her later in her life. I honestly don't know what choice I would have made.
Not going to lie though, my favorite in this story had to be her fellow soul sister Mina. Mina is me all over. The two of them going off on a quest to save their families and the world was great. I also maybe laughed at the dismay everyone had that girls were doing the saving of the world thing and not boys.
Aru due to being kept in the dark about her past is going purely on instinct. Mina is going based on the fact that her family has known about the pandavas. I also loved that Mina is Filipino and Indian. Her talking about her family and grandmothers was pretty cute.
We have other characters we meet (gods, their chariots, The Sleeper, the Seasons, and the two sisters teacher/mentor/flying pigeon called Boo).
I do have to say that it was kind of a cop out for Chokshi to show us parts of Aru's mother's history but not have them discuss it.
The writing was so good. I became familiar with some of the figures mentioned in this book because I have read and devoured "The Star-Touched Queen" "A Crown of Wishes" and "Star-Touched Stories."
The flow wasn't that great though after the initial start, I think the chapter endings needed to be tighter IMO. It did feel after a while though a little bit to me that Chokshi threw too much in this first book. It just read as overly long in places. Plus a few times Aru and Mina would be upset with each other and it felt like it was just done away with too fast. I get it's the first book though so I let that go.
This book is the same setting as the "Star-Touched Queen" series. We hear about the Night's Bazaar (and get to see it again too!) but we get a new adventure that we realize is going to be dealing with these mythical brothers (now girls it seems) who are going to be reunited. We also get an inkling that something dark may be coming for Aru.
The ending set things up nicely for the next book in the series, very interested to see where that book goes next.