I love this middle-grade book. It has the language, dorkiness, of a young teen of our present times. I really enjoy reading middle grades books and particularly this one. Though I am quite grown up, "Aru" taught me about Indu Gods, and traditions.
I think Rick Riordan fans will love seeing the familiar type of adventures during Aru's quest., how she has to discover the solutions to each challenge, the weapons, she is supposed to use, and all the mystery and spirit of adventure around her and her comrades. The author 's creative and witty voice really came through in all of the characters! She writes the most hilarious dialogues among the animals characters.

My love of Roshani Chokshi's The Star Touch Queen and A Crown of Wishes are not a secret, so when I got the chance to read a ARC of Aru Shah and The End of Time, I was so excited! It was just as good as I had hoped it would be. Roshani's foray into middle grades is amazing. She captures Aru's awkward teen desire to be accepted by her peers perfectly - I'm surrounded by middle grades all day, so I'm a bit of an expert in 'tween desperation. She adds in an awesome feminist revelation in there, too! Plus, her rich language and seamless integration of Indian culture and mythology that I fell hard for in her previous books is back in a way middle graders can appreciate. Overall, I LOVED it, and can't wait to get a hardcopy for my kids.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Aru Shah lives in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture with her mother in Atlanta. She struggles to fit in at her fancy middle school where she lies to her classmates about her life. It’s hard when your classmates go on vacation to their ‘second home’ on some tropical island and your stuck at home with a busy mother and no plans for autumn break. In an attempt to save face when three of her classmates show up trying to catch Aru in yet another lie, she lights the cursed Lamp of Bharata. Suddenly, the world around her is frozen and the Sleeper is released into the world. Aru must travel through the Kingdom of Dead with a pigeon named Boo and a new friend in order to save the world.
Aru Shah and the End of Time is a modern retelling of the Hindu epic the Mahabharata-with a Rick Riordan twist. Aru Shah is not written by Rick Riordan, but it is published by the new Rick Riordan Presents imprint, which seeks to publish books from underrepresented cultures and viewpoints. As such, Roshani Chokshi voice shines through the book, but the humor and mythology readers of Riordan known and love is there as well.
I really enjoyed Aru Shah and the End of Time. I am not familiar with Hindu gods and goddesses at all, but no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy the book. Things are explained seamlessly in the course of the story and there is a glossary with helpful pronunciations at the end. I learned a lot!
I was introduced to Percy Jackson my junior year of high school. I had recently received a long overdue dyslexia diagnosis and my favorite class was Latin. We were a perfect match. As a public librarian, the number one question I get asked is “where are the Rick Riordan books?” It is asked with the expectation that the books are actually on our shelves when in reality the 20+ copies that we own are checked out and each and every one of them have a holds queue. The kids literally read them to pieces. Over the years, Rick Riordan has created characters that are the perfect match for his readers. This tradition continues in Aru Shah and the End of Time. I am thrilled to have another book to pub in the hands of my readers….or at least put it on hold for them.

I was able to get an ARC of Aru Shah thanks to Netgalley and I'm not sure I've ever been more excited to get an ARC before in my life! I have been looking forward to reading this book since it was first announced that Rick Riordan was going to be starting his own publishing imprint and was going to be releasing a novel by Roshani Chokshi. Let me tell you, this book definitely did not disappoint!

Roshani Chokshi is an absolutely amazing writer. Her book, The Star-Touched Queen, was one of the most beautiful and lush pieces of YA fiction I read last year and not only did I love that story but I feel like it gave me a pretty decent background to be able to really get a lot of the mythology and references in Aru Shah. Even if you are not super familiar with Indian mythology and folklore, Chokshi does a wonderful job of filling readers in on what they are supposed to know, get and understand with each new character and world that the protagonists encounter. She builds storytelling into the very story itself by having Aru recount so many of the myths and stories that she was told as a child and relating them to what is currently going on, so don't worry that you won't have enough background information to understand the novel because you definitely will.

Aru Shah and the End of Time is about a seventh-grader named Aru Shah who lives with her mother in a museum of Indian mythology and artifacts. She has a habit of telling lies to her classmates to make herself sound more impressive and when she's caught in one such lie by some of her mean classmates, Aru lights a lamp -one of the artifacts in the museum- in order to impress them. This lamp is supposed to bring about the end of the world, which, unfortunately for Aru, is exactly what happens. In lighting the lamp, she discovers that she is the reincarnated form of one of the Pandava brothers -a famous character in Indian folklore. She gets a pigeon mentor and finds an ally in another reincarnated Pandava brother, a girl named Mini who is as fearful and cautious as she is intelligent. Together, the girls have to gather keys to get into the Underworld, where they will have to find the weapons they need to destroy the Sleeper, who was awoken when Aru lit the lamp, and stop the world from ending.

Every chapter of the novel is filled with wonderful characters and amazing worlds, all taken from Indian mythology. Chokshi has managed to take all of these stories and keep them true to their original form, while adapting them for modern audiences. The entrance to the Night Bazaar, for instance, is actually a Costco. Each setting and character encountered is described in rich and luscious detail, as is Chokshi's style, but is also somehow written perfectly in the voice of a 12-year-old girl. There are tons of references that kids will get and Aru and Mini talk very much like teenagers without is being annoying or forced. For middle and high school students, they will definitely be able to connect with the writing style while still appreciating the wonderful details and descriptions.

This book is full of adventure and there is never a dull moment. The story hits the ground running from chapter one and doesn't finish until the final sentence. Chokshi manages to wrap up the story while setting up for the next one, leaving you turning the page hoping for more! I can't believe the second novel isn't coming out until 2019! In addition to the action and adventure, there's a lot of deeper moments where Aru has to learn about herself and come to terms with the relationship she's had with her mother and why her mother is the way that she is. There's even a scene where the girls meet the palace the original Pandava brothers called home that left me blinking away tears because it was so touching and beautifully written! There's a lot to take away from this novel and a lot for room for discussion.

As a teacher, I cannot wait to be able to share this book with my students. It's a great, fast-paced read and any easy read that will appeal to reluctant readers and your more experienced readers. The book features not one but two central, strong, amazing, wonderful female characters and they are WOC, which is super important in today's YA lit! The inclusion of the Indian mythology is just as exciting, interesting, and normalized as the Greek and Roman mythology featured in the Percy Jackson series. There are even several moments were Aru talks about dealing with bullying and comments made by her classmates about her culture, which I think will be great for both students who might feel different from their classmates and to help those classmates connect with students they think are different. I am looking forward to adopting this book into a Hero's Journey unit next year! It will be great to have in a classroom library and I anticipate it will soon become part of the curriculum as well.

Definitely pick up a copy of Aru Shah as soon as you can! You will not be disappointed!

I cannot wait to get everyone to read this perfect gem of a book.

If you're a fan of Rick Riordan, but are stuck waiting until his next book comes out, this book is a wonderful choice to fill your time! Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has an overactive imagination, and it leads to some troubles for her as she is constantly making up stories to tell the other students at her school. These lies get her in trouble, and she makes a poor choice trying to impress those same students. When she messes with an ancient relic and accidentally frees a powerful demon, her life is turned upside down. She has to travel through our world and worlds beyond to try to fix her mistake. Can the demon be stopped or will it be time that ends forever?

This book had all sorts of interesting details about Hindu gods and tales, and is an excellent book for "Rick Riordan Presents" because it feels like he easily could have written it. There were a few differences between Roshani Chokshi's writing style and Riordan's, though, so it felt a little different than a typical Riordan novel. At times the pace was a little bit slower than you would see in a Riordan book, although it's up to the reader to decide whether you like a little more exposition or if you prefer constant action. Still, there was definitely enough action to keep the plot moving and keep the reader entertained. If you're looking for an exciting book with a strong, young, female lead, this book would be a wonderful choice.

Adventure awaits in this tale of two Pandava sisters, Aru and Mini, and their quest to put an end to the Sleeper and free their frozen families. Based on Hindu Mythology, this book has everything you need for a great read: monsters, obstacles, a trip to a magical Night Bazaar and the Underworld, gods/goddesses, a sidekick/mentor Pigeon named Boo, mythical creatures, a sinister villain, and a twist at the end that will keep you wanting more. Don't miss out on adding this great book to your classroom libraries or personal collections. (My 3rd graders are going to fight over this one.)

"Aru Shah and the End of Time" is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman. Chokshi's use of imaginative imagery, complex world building, and relatable, wry humor makes Aru's journey a perfect fit for adventurous middle grades readers. If you've read a book in the Percy Jackson series, you know what to expect-- ample cliffhangers, clever puns, and pop-culture references. But also expect some refreshing diversity. Chokshi does to Hindu mythology what Riordan did to Greek mythology, and it is beautiful. Also, can we just talk one more time about how gorgeous the cover art is?)

Fans of Rick Riordan's books and their take on mythology will be delighted to learn that he now has an imprint that shares the works of other authors. Roshani Chokshi has taken the complex tales of Indian mythology and created a new series. This first book introduces readers to Aru Shah, whose mother runs a museum in Atlanta. When Aru lights a cursed lamp, she sets off events that could mean the end of time. And what do the gods of India give her to help prevent this? A pigeon. Yup, you read that correctly. A pigeon. Okay, she also finds out that she has a sister of sorts, they are both related by the soul rather than biologically. So Aru, her new sister Mini, and the pigeon that they nickname Boo, set out to find some celestial weapons that can defeat the fierce demon that escaped from the lamp.

Although there is plenty of danger and even some painful self-discovery in the story, there is plenty of humor to keep things from becoming too depressing. Mini is a germophobic good girl, who comes on the quest with her own epi-pen and a backpack of supplies. Aru comes empty-handed and wearing her Spider-Man pajamas. Boo comes complete with attitude and seems convinced that guiding the girls is punishment for past misdeeds. He can be found beating his head against things in frustration, calling the girls "ungrateful," or longing for the good old days when heroes came properly trained.

Many points of the story seem very similar to the Percy Jackson books. There is a claiming, where the girls need to find out which of the gods will endorse them. They receive gifts that are deceptively innocent looking, like Percy's "pen" Riptide. Their quest takes them to several spots around the country and even into the Otherworld. But these elements were borrowed by Riordan from the earlier myths, so it's all traditional really.

The amazing variety of gods, goddesses, and creatures will keep readers feeling gobsmacked - especially if they have never heard of naga, rakshasa, or devas before. And while folks have probably heard of chai if they've been to a grocery store or Starbucks, other cultural elements may have them flipping to the glossary for a quick explanation.

This is aimed at the middle grade audience, and has appropriate language and levels of violence for that group, but it can be enjoyed by readers of that age and up.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Let's talk about all the things I loved about Aru Shah and the End of Time! When Rick Riordan announced the creation of his imprint, I was excited to get more mythology based middle grade books endorsed by one of my favorite authors. When the first imprint Aru Shah and the End of Time was announced, I was interested to learn it was about Indian mythology, which I am ENTIRELY unfamiliar with. Then it was described as a book that is a cross between Percy Jackson and Sailor Moon.

. . . Everyone. . .

I AM SO HERE FOR IT!

Luckily I got my hands on an ARC so I didn't have to wait until the book's March release date. I was concerned at first, because I thought the expectations I had for the book would be too high and spoil my read, but boy was I wrong!

Aru Shah lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. When Aru gets caught in a lie, she inadvertently unleashes the potential apocalypse upon the world in the form of the Sleeper, who seeks to awaken Shiva, the God of Destruction. But the adventure is just starting! Aru learns that she is a Pandava, a reincarnation of a soul crafted by the Gods. Along with her fellow Pandava Mini and a cursed pigeon called Boo, Aru must travel to the world of the dead and find a way to stop the Sleeper before it's too late.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. Aru is an interesting main character who doesn't fit the traditional "hero" mold. She solves her problems with imagination and heart. The concept of turning the five Pandava brothers into the Pandavas sisters had me screaming "GIRL POWER!" and the touches of Sailor Moon throughout got me right in the childhood. Several times I laughed out loud while reading and I was genuinely impressed that every new character introduced was entirely different.

This was a fun read. It was obviously influenced by Percy Jackson. Heroine discovers she's a demigod (sort of). Heroine gets a task and must complete it by a specific date or event that is rapidly approaching. Heroine must face increasingly more difficult and dangerous obstacles, but inevitably saves the day. If formulaic reads aren't your thing, you probably already don't like the Percy Jackson series (and Rick Riordan's other series as a matter of fact). I myself enjoyed the pacing and characters of Aru Shah and the End of Time.

Plus, this book has the most accurate representation of a librarian I've seen yet. We don't shush people anymore, but we are likely to scream "Book Murder!" in rage when someone deliberately damages a book.

5/5 stars. This will be a highly recommended book at my library!

I was thrilled when I saw that there was a new book on mythology. More to my surprise, it was about Indian Mythology. And then it is being presented by Rick Riordan himself. How could you go wrong? Turns out, you cannot. Chokshi appears to be a skilled writer with a great sense of humor and a wonderful ability to appeal to children (or the inner child, I suppose). I loved this book!
The characters were a great start. Aru and Mini are relatable characters, with many flaws, who continually overcome their fears and misgivings. They create a friendship bond that starts off rocky, goes through its own trials, and then becomes everlasting. They are great examples for kids who feel left out or not good enough. Each of the many creatures that our two heroines encounter, are larger than life, yet completely within grasp. They have just enough normalcy to them to be able to picture in one’s mind, but are brought to life with wonderful personalities that make them memorable.
The mythology throughout the novel is well researched and thoroughly thought out. Readers will be learning something new at every turn. I liked her incorporation of many of the well-known gods mixed in with the lesser known ones.
The storyline was well paced and entertaining. It was much like a children’s Inferno with ever deepening rings of hell that carried more and more frightening creatures. Luckily, those creatures are not too terrifying for the younger reader and are splashed with a good amount of fun for good measure. This book is a great starter to mythology to pair alongside Percy Jackson and a great include of the Indian cultures and mythos that are sometimes overlooked for more popular and mainstream myths.

What a disappointing debut. The protagonist is unlikable and the plot is confusing.

*I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was honestly a delight. Chokshi really has a great sense of humor that is very present in this book. As someone with little knowledge of Hindu mythology, this novel does an excellent job of introducing the folklore. The glossary at the end is very handy as well!

The main character, Aru, is very likable and relatable to younger audiences. Despite some hiccups along the way, Mini and Aru’s friendship is very sweet. The addition of Boo the talking pigeon is definitely a plus.

The only problem I had with this book was the rather rushed ending. I felt like the last ten pages or so could’ve been utilized better as an opening for the sequel.

At its heart, Aru Shah and the End of Time is a novel about family and working together through trying times, making tough decisions along the way to protect those you love. Roshani Chokshi is definitely in her element with this series, and I can’t wait for the next installment.

Aru is a stong, feisty female character who lives with her mom at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, Aru does not know anything about her heritage or the fact that she is a reincarnated spirit of of one of the five Pandavas. Aru has a tendency to lie, though she likes to think of it as having a big imagination. When she lights the cursed lamp, she unleashes way more than she bargained for. She awakens the Sleeper, time is frozen, and now she must go on a quest to fiex her mistake.

What I enjoyed about the book is the witty humor, fast pace, and fun characters. Indian folklore is fascinating and the gods have a sense of humor. Aru and her newly found sister, Mini, battle demons and other worldly beings using their wits and a few celestial weapons. There was never a slow moment in the story. As Aru’s unknown past is revealed, she gains more confidence in herself. This is the perfect story for fans of Percy Jackson and all of Rick Riordan’s other books.

I picked up this book because I like the Rick Riordan books, but found that it was not as good (in my opinion) as RR books. It was still a good story, but not in the vein that was expected. I liked that it was written in the same style, with a mythology base, and that I learned a lot about a mythology culture I had heretofore not known much about. There weren't many twists and turns, much of the book was predictable, which is the main reason I didn't like it as much.

A fun and engaging YA the-ancient-Gods-are-real tale in the style of Rick Riordan (who offers up a forward, in fact).