Aru Shah and the End of Time

Starred review from December 18, 2017
This series kickoff, which is also the first book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, expertly channels the humor and action that have made Riordan’s own work so successful. Twelve-year-old Aru Shah lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta. Aru’s tendency to bend the truth gets her into trouble when three of her classmates dare her to light a supposedly cursed lamp called a diya, which awakens the demonic Sleeper. With the help of her guardian, a pigeon named Subala, Aru learns that she is the reincarnation of one of five Pandava brothers, each the child of a different god. Aru meets one of her “soul-related” siblings, smart but timid Mini, and they head off to stop the Sleeper from reaching Shiva, Lord of Destruction. With her quick wit and big personality, Aru commands the spotlight (“I’m an A student,” she boasts to a doubtful Subala. “In the sense that she was a student whose name started with an A”), and Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen) weaves an engrossing adventure that will leave readers anticipating the next installment. Ages 8–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra & Associates.

Starred review from March 1, 2018

Gr 3-6-Seventh grader Aru should never have lit the ancient lamp. When she put the lighter to the wick, the world froze and she released the awful Sleeper. Aru is suddenly launched into the world of the gods and surrounded by mythical characters come to life. Aru discovers she is a Pandava, born with the soul of one of the five brothers featured in the Mahabharata. She also has a soul sister, Mini, to assist her in this quest-highly unusual for a Pandava. Aru and Mini must enter the Kingdom of Death to find out the secret that will destroy the Sleeper. Rick Riordan writes the introduction to this book that has a similar tone and pacing to his popular "Percy Jackson" series, but Chokshi brings her own sensibility and style. Using Hindu mythology as the foundation, Chokshi has created an exciting adventure around a coming-of-age tale. A glossary provides readers with a basic introduction to the various traditional stories that Chokshi drew from. Just as "Percy Jackson" led tweens to a deeper exploration and appreciation of classic Greek mythology, Chokshi's tale will likely inspire a similar demand for traditional Indian mythology. VERDICT An enthralling start to a series that Riordan fans and anyone in the mood for a high-octane adventure will love.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2018
Aru Shah of Atlanta, Georgia, is a seventh-grader and social misfit. While her classmates jet set around the world, Aru spends her holidays at home with her curator mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. But one day, three of Aru's classmates show up at her doorstep and dare her to light the cursed Lamp of Bharata. When Aru lights the lamp, she releases the Sleeper from his slumber and must--with the help of her newly found soul sister, Mini, and their pigeon sidekick, Subala, or "Boo"--go on a quest to stop the Sleeper from awakening the Lord of Destruction, who will, in turn, end the world. Aru and Mini's adventures range from discovering that they are the reincarnations of the Pandava brothers (demigods and the protagonists of the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata) to slaying demons and shopping at the Night Bazaar (effectively disguised as Costco). In her middle-grade debut, Chokshi (TheStar-Touched Queen, 2016, etc.) spins a fantastical narrative that seamlessly intertwines Hindu cosmology and folklore, feminism, and witty dialogue for an uproarious novel for young readers. For readers of Indian origin, especially, the novel presents a culture that is not often seen--or accurately represented--in mainstream children's and young adult literature.Chokshi comes into her own in this novel, reminding readers of the power of language and of stories. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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callie_b - IF YOU ARE A FAN OF RICK RIORDAN AND/OR MYTHOLOGY, READ THIS BOOK! :) 12-year-old Aru Shah has never really fit in. She and her mom live in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, a place in which the stories of Indian mythology have been passed down to Aru. Aru's mom always has to leave for archaeological digs, and Aru feels a desperate need to make her mother proud of her, for once. Aru likes to make up stories about all the fantastic things she's done, and her classmates call her a liar. 3 of her classmates go to the museum to try to film her lying. They ask her to light the cursed Lamp of Bharata at the far end of the museum, something Aru's been told never to do, well, BECAUSE IT'S CURSED! But Aru wants to impress them, and lights the lamp. Suddenly, she's unleashed the Sleeper, a demon that freezes everyone in time and whose job is to summon the God of Destruction, who will end the world! WOW. Things have just gotten intense! A talking pigeon named Boo brings Aru to the Realm of the Gods, where she meets her sister, Mini. Apparently Aru and Mini are 2 out of 5 of the reincarnated Pandava brothers, the heroes of an Indian legend who save the world from the Sleeper, and also are the sons of the gods! But now for some reason, there are sisters instead of brothers! Girl power, am I right?! Aru, Mini, and Boo set off on an epic quest in which they have to find 3 keys that unlock the Kingdom of Death. Once arriving, they must look into the Pool of the Past to learn how to defeat the Sleeper and save the world! But there is also a time limit... Will Aru and Mini be able to defeat the Sleeper? And if not, will the world be destroyed? Read this clever, funny, and adventurous novel by the FANTASTIC Roshani Chokshi to find out all that and more! I LOVED this book and I think that Roshani Chokshi is an amazing author. She writes with awesome descriptions and is SO FUNNY!! Aru is also totally relatable, facing some of the same friends, family, and school problems as a lot of people do, which I think is really cool. If you are a fan of mythology, adventures, and fun, then you should DEFINITELY check this book out! I recommend it for ages 8+ for an amazing read!

March 1, 2018
Grades 4-6 Aru Shah is a lover of tales, and was hoping to survive seventh grade through spinning slightly altered tales about her life to classmates. When a group of friends confronts her at the Museum of Ancient Art and Indian Cultures about her lies, Aru Shah would do anything to get them to believe her. Even if that means taking their dare to light a lamp that?wouldn't you know it??might bring about the end of the world. Readers will be delighted by this adventurous dive into Hindu mythology and the chance to cheer along a heroic young protagonist. Chokshi makes it easy to connect with Aru by showing her learn from her mistakes (with the help of a sarcastic sorcerer pigeon), and readers will experience wonder as they are met with such surprises as a forest of giant fireflies. This series starter also doesn't skimp on important lessons about friendship, family, and love. Chokshi is a talented writer who breathes fresh air into her mythological world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)