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A review by vermidian
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
3.0
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book.
Let's start with the good stuff. This is a book for middle grade readers written about the pantheon of India's gods by an Indian-American writer. The characters are flawed, which makes them feel so deliciously human. They're also people of color, which is so vital for young readers - especially those looking for representation of people who look like them in their media, be it television or reading.
The issues I had with the book were this: it's so damn close to Percy Jackson that I often forgot it wasn't Riordan's book. It's a Rick Riordan Presents book, sure, but the voice is exactly the same and the formula that his stories follow is embedded in this narrative too. It's not that it's bad so much as it was disappointing. I was looking forward to a new narrative with the new pantheon. Side note: If you loved Rick Riordan's books, I doubt you will have much fault with this one. Hopefully the books that follow this get to take a little more creative liberty with the direction of the plot - because this just felt like Rick Riordan helped as a ghost writer so it matched the brand.
I also didn't particularly love Aru as a character. She's flawed like crazy, which normally I love, but she doesn't seem to be particularly repentant when she causes someone to get hurt. She just kind of waits for them to forgive her, which frustrates me. She's not a character I could see myself being friends with, and it made it hard for me to like her and therefore care about her as more than a vehicle for the story. I know this is a 4 book series though, so I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows in the later books.
All in all, not my favorite thing ever, but it's a decent read. I look forward to reading the next book. Also looking forward to the anime vibes of the 5 magical girl Pandava Sisters.
Let's start with the good stuff. This is a book for middle grade readers written about the pantheon of India's gods by an Indian-American writer. The characters are flawed, which makes them feel so deliciously human. They're also people of color, which is so vital for young readers - especially those looking for representation of people who look like them in their media, be it television or reading.
The issues I had with the book were this: it's so damn close to Percy Jackson that I often forgot it wasn't Riordan's book. It's a Rick Riordan Presents book, sure, but the voice is exactly the same and the formula that his stories follow is embedded in this narrative too. It's not that it's bad so much as it was disappointing. I was looking forward to a new narrative with the new pantheon. Side note: If you loved Rick Riordan's books, I doubt you will have much fault with this one. Hopefully the books that follow this get to take a little more creative liberty with the direction of the plot - because this just felt like Rick Riordan helped as a ghost writer so it matched the brand.
I also didn't particularly love Aru as a character. She's flawed like crazy, which normally I love, but she doesn't seem to be particularly repentant when she causes someone to get hurt. She just kind of waits for them to forgive her, which frustrates me. She's not a character I could see myself being friends with, and it made it hard for me to like her and therefore care about her as more than a vehicle for the story. I know this is a 4 book series though, so I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows in the later books.
All in all, not my favorite thing ever, but it's a decent read. I look forward to reading the next book. Also looking forward to the anime vibes of the 5 magical girl Pandava Sisters.