Book Review: Aru Shah and the End of Time
By Frances Pipa
By Frances Pipa
Score: 8.5/10
Aru Shah and the End of Time is written by Roshani Choksi, an American book author. It is a part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, books that author of the famous book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rick Riordan has carefully selected and feels his audience would like. They focus on highlighting less known cultures and mythologies, such as Hindu, Mayan, and Korean.
Summary in a nutshell:
Aru Shah and the End of Time features Aru Shah, an ordinary seventh-grade girl, who discovers she is a Pandava sister, and that Hindu mythology is very real. Apparently, when lighting a lamp, Aru released a demon that can freeze time, the Sleeper. Will Aru be able to meet up with one of her sisters and save the world? Or will everyone fall under the Sleeper’s spell?
This story is very well crafted and doesn’t feel too rushed, and yet the author still manages to fit a lot of information into just a few pages. One of the best things in the story is the diversity and the attention on Hindu culture that is hard to find in books. The perspective is in third person, like that of popular books such as Harry Potter or Heroes of Olympus. However, it may be hard for younger kids to understand and keep up with the plot, as it features many different myths, gods, and goddesses from Indian mythology. If you’re having trouble with the characters but want to keep reading, there’s a helpful guide in the back of the book. The characters are written very well and are believable as real. In my opinion, the average age range for this book would be 9-13, but it also varies from kid to kid. I would’ve liked to have experienced more of Aru’s everyday life, as Choksi jumps into the adventure part pretty fast. There are some very minor errors only someone well-educated about Hindu mythology would pick up, but errors all the same. All in all, I would give this book an 8.5/10, a light read for fun, but not something serious.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aru_Shah_and_the_End_of_Time
(Image) https://www.amazon.com/Shah-Time-Pandava-Novel-Book/dp/1368012353
Aru Shah and the End of Time is written by Roshani Choksi, an American book author. It is a part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, books that author of the famous book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rick Riordan has carefully selected and feels his audience would like. They focus on highlighting less known cultures and mythologies, such as Hindu, Mayan, and Korean.
Summary in a nutshell:
Aru Shah and the End of Time features Aru Shah, an ordinary seventh-grade girl, who discovers she is a Pandava sister, and that Hindu mythology is very real. Apparently, when lighting a lamp, Aru released a demon that can freeze time, the Sleeper. Will Aru be able to meet up with one of her sisters and save the world? Or will everyone fall under the Sleeper’s spell?
This story is very well crafted and doesn’t feel too rushed, and yet the author still manages to fit a lot of information into just a few pages. One of the best things in the story is the diversity and the attention on Hindu culture that is hard to find in books. The perspective is in third person, like that of popular books such as Harry Potter or Heroes of Olympus. However, it may be hard for younger kids to understand and keep up with the plot, as it features many different myths, gods, and goddesses from Indian mythology. If you’re having trouble with the characters but want to keep reading, there’s a helpful guide in the back of the book. The characters are written very well and are believable as real. In my opinion, the average age range for this book would be 9-13, but it also varies from kid to kid. I would’ve liked to have experienced more of Aru’s everyday life, as Choksi jumps into the adventure part pretty fast. There are some very minor errors only someone well-educated about Hindu mythology would pick up, but errors all the same. All in all, I would give this book an 8.5/10, a light read for fun, but not something serious.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aru_Shah_and_the_End_of_Time
(Image) https://www.amazon.com/Shah-Time-Pandava-Novel-Book/dp/1368012353