Aru Shah and the End of Time

https://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/aru-shah-and-the-end-of-time-rosh...

Oh, my goodness, y’all, this book is fantastic.

For those of you who don’t know, Aru Shah and the End of Time is the first book in Rick Riordan’s new collaboration with telling myths from somewhere other than Greece, Rome, and the Great Frozen North of the Norse Gods.

My kids have been obsessed with Riordan since the older one started reading Percy Jackson and we couldn’t wait to pick this one up. It follows Aru, a twelve-year-old daughter of a museum dwelling professor, into the depths of death and destruction as she and her new found friend, Mini, attempt to save the world. It’s a sardonic, witty, magical romp through modernity mixed with Hindu show more lore and it’s just fantastic.

Chokshi actually lives in Atlanta AND the entire story is female driven so you can bet your butt we stalked this title and bought it the say it came out.

I have to say that I am so grateful that middle-grade writing has been given such heavy attention in the last few decades. It’s deep and meaningful as well as absolutely hilarious. I think all of that is so intensely important when writing for kids on the cusp of teenager-hood.

I also need to say that I am so appreciative of the female-driven plot of Aru. and, hey, guess what? It totally held the attention of two little boys. The girls are strong but vulnerable, brave but scared, and just so real.

Great job all around and we can’t wait for the sequel! show less

I know I don’t read middle grade books at all but I still should have trusted the judgment of my dearest friend Nandini when she said this book was brilliant.... because my lovely fellow bloggers, this book really is. After my not so great experiences with Roshani’s writing before (except TGW), I expected this one to be fun and maybe a bit youngish for my tastes, but I didn’t think I would be so delighted and nostalgic.

The most intrinsic part of my reader self is that I think the Mahabharata is the best epic in the world, and any new book based on it has a potential chance to become a top favorite of mine. But it also means that I can be very nit picky and I might be upset with the way the authors interpret the epic. However, show more that’s not the case here. The way the author incorporates the story of the legendary Pandava brothers and other characters from Hindu mythology like Urvashi, Hanuman etc, some of the stories from the Puranas and the concept of Karma and reincarnation, is seamless and done with a lot of care and understanding of them. Hinduism is not a religion that is talked about a lot in international discourse and our diverse traditions and polytheistic beliefs can be a source of feeling othered or being made fun of outside of India. It’s not easy being an Indian American kid trying to follow your faith, but also struggling to explain to your friends that your religion and traditions are not wrong or weird. And that’s why this book is so special. Roshani writes a fun and entertaining adventure novel that is perfect for young teens and is such wonderful representation for Indian kids, who not only get to read about someone who looks like them but also read about the same stories they have grown up listening to. The author also makes sure that any mythological elements in the story are very accessible to readers who are new to the Hindu epics, the pacing is perfect and action packed, and the quest that the characters go on is pretty high stakes and keeps us on our toes throughout the book. The writing is also completely witty and hilarious and I couldn’t stop grinning and laughing all the way. As someone who really couldn’t get through the author’s lyrical writing style in her YA novels, the simpler language in this book felt perfect for me and I will definitely be continuing this series.

Aru is such a realistic pre teen character. All she wants is to feel accepted by her so-called friends at school, not be so different from everyone, and maybe have her mom pay more attention to her. She has a very active imagination, and she makes full use of it to lie and tell stories to get out of tricky situations or make others like her. She is a good person, but obviously too young to understand long term consequences of her actions. However, she is all in to accept her destiny and go on this quest to save the world and her mom. Mini, her soul sister, is a very smart, loves reading medical books already, is allergic to almost everything under the sun and loves reciting all the ways in which they can die. Mini is also half Indian half Filipino (just like the author) and her trying to navigate both sides of her heritage while not offending her extended family felt very heartfelt. These two girls, with their smarts and cunning, make for a formidable team and complemented each other very well. This story really symbolizes girl power and how important it is for young girls to support each other. They are also wonderfully supported by the grumpy talking pigeon Boo, whose quips are the source for many laughs in the story. We also meet a lot of other small characters during their journey and I loved every one of them, including the villain. My particular favorite is actually not a person, but this one lonely “thing” was absolutely adorable and I hope we will get to meet again.

If you love middle grade adventure novels, especially Percy Jackson, I highly recommend this book to you. If you want a wonderfully diverse fantasy which draws its inspiration from the Mahabharata and other stories from the Hindu mythology, then this book is perfect for you. This will entertain you, make you laugh and cry and think, and will ultimately take you on a breathtaking journey. show less

I have read a LOT of the various "Rick Riordan presents" fantasy series, and while they all have something going for them to various degrees, I think Aru Shah is my favorite. It has a lot of what made Rick Riordan's own Percy Jackson books fun and compelling, with the added challenge of skillfully introducing an exhilarating number of characters and concepts to readers who may not have already read a thousand and one stories about them before. It's a great middle grade level book, with just the right amount of angst, danger, and personal and friendship growth to offset the starry-eyed, magical adventure.

This was fun! I feel fully confident that, not having read any Rick Riordan novels and only seeing quotes on Tumblr, that if you like Percy Jackson, you’ll like this. There’s a lot of humour and sass, a fast plot, a character who doesn’t really fit in and has to learn to see her strengths, and, in general, a lot of zaniness and mythology. Plus, because Aru’s an Indian kid in Georgia, there’s plenty of “not fitting in” moments, many of which make me want to hug her and/or cheer her on. (Also Mini, who joins in the quest.)

That said, I’m not the target audience, by about 20 years. For all it’s engaging and interesting, I found some of the plot and setting too fast, too simple, or too wacky, and I have a hunch there was an show more editing pass or a formula to make it read more like Riordan. Not necessarily a bad thing, any of that, because it should hook kids and all, but it wasn’t quite for me.

There is depth, though. Aru has to come to terms with her mom’s parenting, Mini’s struggling with anxiety, they both have to learn confidence and friendship and teamwork, and there are other hurdles and issues spread through the book as well. And a queer character (and another queer-coded), though no queer humans.

All in all, I probably won’t go on with the series. I’ve probably got enough of a bead on it to rec it at work and there are so many other books in the world. I do rec it, though, for Riordan fans and people who want to see more diversity in kids’ fantasy.

Warnings: Anti-Indian micro-aggressions, but, like, for ten-year-olds. Neglectful parenting. Villain who does the “nobody ever loved you” schtick.

7/10 show less

This book is both Modern Fantasy and Traditional Literature/Mythology. It does a fantastic job of weaving Hindu mythology into a story appropriate for middle-grade students and teaches important lessons in addition to historical references. It takes place in modern times with a young Indian-American girl who lives with her mother and has been taught by her mother all the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and the folklore that surrounds them all while having access to ancient Hindu artifacts, as her mother is a museum owner and curator of these treasures. I loved how flawed and real Aru Shah is, with relatable foibles that kids can relate to, such as lying to impress peers and get out of trouble. She wakes a demon known as the Sleeper by touching show more one of the museum artifacts and going on an adventure to save the world from destruction. The characters she meets along the way are all very lovable, and I really appreciated her relationship with her sister, who is also a Pandava (one of the five Pandavas who are brothers in the real Hindu mythological story, Mahabharata). They are very supportive of each other and are a great example of strong female friendships. show less

While showing off for some school friends (well, frenemies), Aru lights a lamp that releases an evil being and sets in motion the end of the world. Fortunately/unfortunately, Aru is one of five reincarnated heroes from Indian mythology. She, along with one of her heroic sisters and a sassy pigeon (don’t ask) must find their weapons and stop the Sleeper before he brings about the end of time. Oh, and they’ve only got nine days.

So, the idea here is that Riordan tackled some mythologies more familiar to Western culture (Graeco-Roman, Egyptian, Norse) in his humorous and fast-paced style, but is now bringing in #ownvoices authors to give similar treatment to myths from other parts of the world. In this case, it worked reasonably well, show more except that it felt like another author trying to write like Riordan — it felt branded, rather than a unique expression. As such, it also seemed just a little less funny, a little less sharp, than Riordan’s own books. I think kids will enjoy this series, and it’s great to see lesser-known stories sharing Riordan’s considerable spotlight. I’ll probably read on and see what happens to Aru when the other Pandavas show up. Recommended to those who have enjoyed Riordan’s many books and are looking for something similar. show less

diverse children's middlegrade fiction (grades 4th and up) - action/adventure with Hindu mythology with Indian-American protagonists #ownvoices.

"Rick Riordan presents," as a venture designed to promote and increase diverse authors and diverse character representation in children's literature (while simultaneously providing exciting, appealing books for kids of all backgrounds) is something I can wholly support. This first installment was action-packed and full of humor (even some bird poop jokes) and strong characters that kids will appreciate. More, please.