Back at it again with another series… this time it's going to be mythology-based, with the whole Percy Jackson vibe. I personally love books based on mythology, especially anything by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase, The Kane Chronicles, etc.), so if you are like me I have a recommendation for you! I’m talking about Roshani Chokshi’s Pandava series, specifically the first book- Aru Shah and the End of Time.
Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. 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?
*****
Our Protagonist:
Aru Shah: Aru Shah is a twelve-year-old girl who lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. Aru Shah, like any other preteen girl, strives to fit in at school… and she might have bent the truth a few times in order to do that (not that it works that well anyway). This little bad habit of hers might have unintentionally led to her releasing a dangerous entity called the Sleeper… which will probably lead to much bigger consequences than she can cover-up. So it is up to Aru to stop the Sleeper (how exactly is a 12-year-old girl supposed to do that). Honestly, I love Aru’s character, despite all the second-hand embarrassment she might have caused me (I mean, the girl spends the majority, if not all, of the book in spiderman pajamas. I love Spiderman, but if the fate of the world depended on a girl in superhero PJs, well I’d probably start planning my funeral). But past that, I loved her humor, and her ability to be snarky in literally any situation (if that doesn’t scream Gen Z, I don’t know what does). In general Aru Shah was a fun character to read about. She isn’t overly perfect, but at the same time, she isn’t so weak that you’d wince any time she makes a move. A good medium if you ask me.
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So here are my thoughts on the book:
If you are a fan of Percy Jackson, you probably would like Aru Shah as well. The humor, and the characters, all gave a similar vibe and were incredibly fun to read about. Honestly I am also quite appreciative of how the Hindu Mythology was tied in. Even though they might not be 100% accurate, the gods and mythology were close enough that I didn’t think it was weird while reading it. In addition, it was pretty fun reading about the gods and myths I grew up hearing about in a book like Aru Shah.
Aru Shah and the End of Time is a book you probably can get through in a few hours. It’s definitely not the best book ever written, but it is definitely something to read when you are in a slump. The characters are fun, and the plot is interesting enough to get immersed in, but not deep enough for you to get lost in it. Now that being said, the book definitely had its faults. This book is meant for 4-7th graders, and it is written like such. If you are looking for something phenomenal, this is not it, but like I said it's perfect to get out of a reading slump. Not too heavy but not too repetitive- just right if you ask me. Also, the covers are cute (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
I don’t really have that many meaningful thoughts on this book without getting caught up in a rant, so all I really gotta say is go read it. 3.5/5 stars. o(*￣▽￣*)ブ
“Aru was twelve years old. Even she knew that half the time she didn't know what she was doing.”
― Roshani Chokshi, Aru Shah and the End of Time