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noragracereads 's review for:
Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi
**4/5 stars**
Aru Shah and the End of Time is exactly what it's promised to be: the Indian mythology version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. But this is a book of its own and it's an important book. Percy Jackson had his time to shine: now Rick Riordan has stepped aside to let an author of color write about her culture and create a character that she wishes she had to look up to (like Percy) when she was young.
This first book in the Pandava Quartet is jam-packed with mythical being cameos and Indian myths that non-Hindu readers are likely not acquainted with. This means that Chokshi has a lot to teach and readers have a lot to learn! I feel more informed after finishing Aru Shah. It's critical that young readers are exposed to non-Western cultures because it 1) validates the experiences of non-Western young readers of color and gives them stuff to relate to and 2) encourages tolerance of diversity and forces white Western readers to empathize with people outside their bubble.
Sometimes this book was bit slow. Aru and her Pandava sister Mini run around from place-to-place for 3/4 of the book getting into pretty formulaic troublesome situations. They'll get somewhere, have a run in with a bad guy or meet a good guy who gives them something helpful, and then narrowly escape to move on to the next place. While this allowed Chokshi to introduce cool mythical beings and concepts, it didn't make for a compelling plot. However, at the end of the novel, the stakes feel much higher and Aru has undergone significant growth, with more growth to come. Books 2&3 have much to address and develop—I'm excited to read them!
Aru Shah and the End of Time is exactly what it's promised to be: the Indian mythology version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. But this is a book of its own and it's an important book. Percy Jackson had his time to shine: now Rick Riordan has stepped aside to let an author of color write about her culture and create a character that she wishes she had to look up to (like Percy) when she was young.
This first book in the Pandava Quartet is jam-packed with mythical being cameos and Indian myths that non-Hindu readers are likely not acquainted with. This means that Chokshi has a lot to teach and readers have a lot to learn! I feel more informed after finishing Aru Shah. It's critical that young readers are exposed to non-Western cultures because it 1) validates the experiences of non-Western young readers of color and gives them stuff to relate to and 2) encourages tolerance of diversity and forces white Western readers to empathize with people outside their bubble.
Sometimes this book was bit slow. Aru and her Pandava sister Mini run around from place-to-place for 3/4 of the book getting into pretty formulaic troublesome situations. They'll get somewhere, have a run in with a bad guy or meet a good guy who gives them something helpful, and then narrowly escape to move on to the next place. While this allowed Chokshi to introduce cool mythical beings and concepts, it didn't make for a compelling plot. However, at the end of the novel, the stakes feel much higher and Aru has undergone significant growth, with more growth to come. Books 2&3 have much to address and develop—I'm excited to read them!