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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
This was very cute, and I love the introduction to a mythology with which I am unfamiliar. I like the characters, the story itself was good, in a snarky-precocious-adolescents sort of way. And there are some themes that really resonated with me. I will probably see this series through. Well, as long as there are audio versions available and I don't get distracted :D
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Title: Aru Shah And The End Of Time
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Synopsis: While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
Review: This was so much fun! I really enjoyed Aru Shah as the main character! The humor in this book was great and I’m even more happy that I choose to listen to this as an audiobook! The narrator was perfect! I have been wanting to read this series for quite a while now! I thought it was fitting choosing this book as the last book I read for 2022! I look forward to the rest of the series!
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Synopsis: While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
Review: This was so much fun! I really enjoyed Aru Shah as the main character! The humor in this book was great and I’m even more happy that I choose to listen to this as an audiobook! The narrator was perfect! I have been wanting to read this series for quite a while now! I thought it was fitting choosing this book as the last book I read for 2022! I look forward to the rest of the series!
This is one of those books that I don't really love myself, but am glad exists in the world for other people. I'm sure many young Hindu readers will see themselves in the heroine, and children in general will likely learn a lot about the mythological figures that author Roshani Chokshi has incorporated into her tale. (It's the first release in Disney-Hyperion's "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing line, which is explicitly aimed at delivering folklore-inspired #ownvoices stories from writers of underrepresented cultural backgrounds.)
Where the novel fails for me is in its macguffin-collecting plotline, along with some perpetual wisecracking about things like selfies and Oreos. I haven't read any of Riordan's Percy Jackson series, so I don't know how that compares, but this volume also skews closer to middle-grade urban fantasy than the young-adult epic fantasy I generally prefer. I may check out some of the other RRP titles, and I'll happily recommend this one to a certain sort of reader, but I don't feel particularly drawn to continue on with its sequels.
Where the novel fails for me is in its macguffin-collecting plotline, along with some perpetual wisecracking about things like selfies and Oreos. I haven't read any of Riordan's Percy Jackson series, so I don't know how that compares, but this volume also skews closer to middle-grade urban fantasy than the young-adult epic fantasy I generally prefer. I may check out some of the other RRP titles, and I'll happily recommend this one to a certain sort of reader, but I don't feel particularly drawn to continue on with its sequels.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
I just finished reading this book today and OMG it was such a fantastic read. I loved Aru’s character so much. She may have lied a lot (to try to fit in of course...what kid doesn’t want to fit in), but she has a wild imagination and she’s sarcastic and loads of fun. I’ve heard many stories from my own boss at work about Hindu mythology and it’s pretty complicated stuff. I mean everyone has heard of Greek mythology which can get pretty complicated as well, but Greek mythology is NOTHING compared to Hindu mythology and I applaud Roshani for being able to write something as wonderful as this and introduce us to her beautiful crazy world. I cannot wait until Book 2 comes out next April.
I don’t know why I had such trouble getting into this, but I really struggled with the print and ebook versions. The audio is great though, and I finally found my way into the story. It was thrilling, fun, funny, and full of brave heroines.
I really enjoyed the Hindu atmosphere, which was delightfully dark, and which balanced nicely with Aru and Mini’s middle school personalities.
The whole concept of lifting up #ownvoices to tell their own stories is fantastic. I only managed to make it through one Percy Jackson, but I am disproportionately looking forward to the other books coming from this imprint.
I really enjoyed the Hindu atmosphere, which was delightfully dark, and which balanced nicely with Aru and Mini’s middle school personalities.
The whole concept of lifting up #ownvoices to tell their own stories is fantastic. I only managed to make it through one Percy Jackson, but I am disproportionately looking forward to the other books coming from this imprint.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oookay. Hindu mythology transformed to meet modern-day requirements. I must say, it was fun. Sure, she stretched the characters and their roles in a totally new, and maybe slightly bizarre way — but man, was I glad to see the book based on the tales I grew up with, the tales I've read and heard hundreds of times. The familiar characters peeking from behind words on every page. Finally.
I also loved the sneaky (or maybe not-so-sneaky) thing the author did with Mini's name. Yamini means night/darkness, and considering who her soul father is, it's pretty accurate.
Just. It's just- Indian myths, they're so complex and beautiful and she wrote about them in a way so accessible to everyone. T_T
I also loved the sneaky (or maybe not-so-sneaky) thing the author did with Mini's name. Yamini means night/darkness, and considering who her soul father is, it's pretty accurate.
Just. It's just- Indian myths, they're so complex and beautiful and she wrote about them in a way so accessible to everyone. T_T