I refuse to read a book with a white background because it hurts my eyes.

If you won’t take the time to invert it, I won’t put in the effort to read it. Do better.

I don’t know much about Hindi folklore, but I so enjoyed this. It was so different that anything I’ve read and was just gorgeous.
It was a thick read (story wise), but somehow also a quick read all while being thought provoking. I definitely think this book is going to be a popular read once it releases.

I really enjoyed Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu, the writing was vivid and the chapters short and pacy.

It's a coming-of-age story fueled with identity crises, deceit, betrayal, and loss. My downside was that it seemed to finish quite abruptly, almost as if the author wasn't sure how to wrap it up. The ending could have been treated in a different way - personal opinion.

Thanks to Soho Press and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for my honest review.

Blue-Skinned Gods was at the same time an interesting and also a slow read. The plot itself is very appealing and has a certain mysticism that gives the book an interesting view of Hinduism.

On the plus side, this book brings to light a facet of religion that sometimes may go unnoticed for outsiders. However, on the negative side, the narration style is mostly so dragged out that it made me consider giving up on it.

I struggled with this book. I really wanted to love it. I really liked the premise of it and there are many little stories within it that definitely captured me but overall I felt detached. I didn’t care and I find that very difficult when reading a book.

I know a little about Indian religions but I feel that maybe had I known more about the stories of Vishnu and Krishna, if I understood the beliefs about avatars more then maybe I would have connected better with the characters and the story.

The book is written in two parts, the first half is set in India and the second in America. I definitely preferred the time in India. I felt like I was learning something through the stories and felt the characters had real depth to them. The time in America felt a little rough. It’s probably about a 3rd of the overall story and it felt rushed. Kalki’s revelations, his spiral away from the world of the ashram, the confrontations with his father, it all feels incredibly rushed.

After reading the final pages of this book I felt let down. I’m glad I saw it through but I feel there was so much more potential to the book than was realised.

Blue-Skinned Gods was a very early NetGalley add for me and I had decided that I would read it a bit closer to the pub date. But this summer, it started popping up everywhere, with rave reviews, so I couldn't wait any longer.

The book begins in India where a young boy is believed to be the incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu. During his 10th year, Kalki must confront three trials to prove he is, in fact, a god. And from there the story quickly builds, and the family begins to unravel.

I can't say too much without causing spoilers, but what I will say is what ends up happening to Kalki and his background was not expected. I loved that Blue-Skinned Gods blended the idea of Gods with modern-day music and how the two aspects blended together effortlessly.

If you've enjoyed reading books about myths and gods, add this one to your list. It's not to be missed.
4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and SoHo Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a very impactful read. I was drawn to it because it discussed subjects that are controversial, but incredibly relevant. Religion is something that is so personal, yet marketed as something entirely different in today's day and age. I myself grew up as a Hindu Brahmin and as I've grown my relationship with religion has continued to evolve. I found the main character Kalki to be quite relatable even though his experiences of being a child god are entirely unique to his character. I had never researched much into the concept of a child God until picking this book up, but the way that people and society are able to manipulate children and their young minds to do the things that Kalki did is just mind-boggling to me. I also really felt for Kalki because even when he confronted how the life he was living was a lie a part of him still wanted to believe his Appa. He continued to seek his Appa's approval and that's something children and adults alike face every day. In addition to that, I appreciated this book's discussions about mental health, gender, and caste discrimination which are all topics that are not as talked about as they should be in modern-day cities in India. I found the perspective of all the women in this book to be critical to the functionality and purpose of this book. Rating this book is difficult because of how dense it is in its purpose, but I would recommend this book to everyone for its perspective on religion, family, health, and more.

When I was a kid I loved the stories of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata Purana. When I heard about this story I was interested since I know the last avatar of Vishnu is supposed to come at the end of Kali Yuga, and as far as I am aware we are not close to the end of Kali Yuga.

I assumed this book would be about the scam of making people believe a little boy was the last avatar of Vishnu, but it focuses more on the thoughts of the boy named Kalki, who has blue skin, and a knack for healing, and is believed by his parents to be the final reincarnation of Vishnu. Many of Vishnu's previous incarnations have been men who have displayed godlike abilities, and a lot is expected of little Kalki, and he slowly begins to resist the expectations placed on him. He longs to play with his cousin Lakshman, and his friend Roopa, but he is made to lead sadhanas, asanas, and healing sessions in the ashram his father has built in southern India.

The story is fine, but the motivations of the characters aren't fully explained. Some of this is because the book is told from the point of view of Kalki, who is an extremely sheltered and pampered child. (Despite the fact that every separate section of this book has a different characters name, i.e. Roopa, the book is only told from Kalki's POV.) He clearly doesn't know what is happening behind the scenes, even when it is inferred to him by other characters. When he manages to guess something, there is a good amount of introspection, and as the reader we feel his rage, but these moments are fewer between than they should be. Also, there are some things briefly mentioned about the previous avatars of Vishnu, but the history of them is not explained. Kalki obviously feels a connection to Vishnu's best known avatars, Rama and Krishna, and I think Buddha and Parashurama are mentioned once, but without my prior knowledge of Hindu stories, I wouldn't have understood why Kalki's father claiming him to be the last reincarnation of Vishnu was a big deal.

And just when the story felt like it was getting good, it ended! Is there a sequel in the works? Based on some of the narrative that is obviously told from a Kalki of the future I'm guessing not. I took off a star for the ending, and another star off for not making feel the motivations of Kalki's parents (all of them) enough to make this story poignant. Maybe I will reread Bhagavata Purana for a better story.

Brilliant book! I loved this so much!
A blue skinned boy/god is trying so hard to be who everyone wants him to be - mainly a God in India. As his life progresses, he deals with losses, and learns the truth about his origin and the real motives of people he has considered family his whole life. What a rich story that encompasses so much more than an Indian god tale - it pulled at my heart and has remained there after completion.
Five. Solid. Stars.
Thankful for the ARC

The whole premise of this book was more on the original side but it is a coming of age story, believing in yourself and being comfortable in your own (blue) skin. I loved the characterization of the main character, Kalki, who was said to be descended from Vishnu. Some of the plot lulled but I wanted to know how Kalki's story ended. And yes, the story just ended, with no real point.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more but some of the plot really dragged even though the concept was intriguing. The execution was not all there with the writing of the story and the ending. I would read another book by this author and recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, SJ Sindu and SoHo Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 11/2/21

Maybe it is within the primitive programming that governs human instincts, to seek answers for things we do not understand.

Answers that are often shaped by the culmination of a group of beliefs & believers.

I am curious about the origins of these beliefs.

But what I'm even more curious about is how these beliefs are made to stick.

Ones a raving lunatic,
Hundreds are raging pagans,
Thousands are determined fanatics,
Ten Thousand & it's the true path to God.

Beliefs fuel us. Beliefs sustain us. But beliefs can be weaponized.

Meet Kalki, a child born with blue skin to Tamil parents & is believed to be the last & final incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu.

Kalki's journey from a 10-year-old child to a fully grown adult, from a godchild to a godman, makes for one emotion-led, rich, exciting & exhilarating read!

The book allows me to witness & experience several things at the same time.

One thread unravels the power of belief, particularly self-belief & how a tiny pebble of doubt can bring a carefully cultivated identity, down.

Another thread explores tyranny in fatherhood, along with the justification that punishment is for the person's own good.

And another blossoms the sweet caress of motherhood, the strength that a mother can imbibe in her child with mere words and actions.

One more brings to light the struggle of love & understanding of one's own sexuality, right from a young age.

One tugs hard at two tapestries at the same time, one tapestry that retains the culture, tradition & religion, while the other at modern progression & society.

For Kalki, the tapestries are immiscible until he pushes them to amalgamate.

Each character I met offered a certain depth, a distinct personality & at moments seemed like reading about real breathing people. The invocation of emotions was done with so much mastery that the book now feels really close to heart.

Blue Skinned Gods is easily one of the best books I read this year. The book drops sometime in November. Keep your eyes peeled, and grab it when it does!

Sj Sindu gives us Kalki, the blue-skinned god of Tamil Nadu, India. It's a coming of age story of a boy who is told he is a God and has to try to live up to those expectations. He is surrounded by a father who can't love, a mother who can't save herself and more lies than his young mind can unravel.
This is the first novel I read from this author. It is written with a beautiful flow and attention to detail. For those readers who enjoy mysticism and detail, this book is a wonderful read.

I read Blue-Skinned Gods in one sitting, broken only by a telephone call from a friend. The characterization was compelling populated by everything from a child-god to rock-and-roll stars. S.J. Sindu intertwines these characters’ lives in such a compelling manner that I had difficulty putting the book down. The reader meets the above-mentioned child-god, Kalthi Sami, his manipulative father, his depressed mother, his boyhood best friend, and his first love. Kalthi lives with the constant pressure of having to live up to his future as the tenth human reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu while really wanting to run and play like a normal ten-year-old boy. It is only when Kalthi realizes he has lost everyone and begins to realize how unscrupulous his father is, that Kalthi breaks free.

Sindu’s prose is lush and poetic and carries us from the deceptively idyllic ashram in India where Kalki is raised to the drug/alcohol soaked post-punk music scene in New York. The book tackles tough topics: spirituality, faith and doubt, family, trauma, gender issues, sexuality, and finding one’s true self. An absolutely gorgeous book.

I just finished reading this today and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. Started out slow for me but I eventually found myself wanting to know what happened and when the breakdown of Kalki’s belief in his godhood happened.

The ending was really abrupt and I’d have liked a little more resolution. Overall an interesting and different read.

Blue-Skinned Gods is about a boy who was born with blue skin, raised to believe he is the reincarnation of the god Vishnu. The story follows him from a boy to his young adult life and how being raised as a god affects him.

I really enjoyed this book. It's so hard to even discuss without getting into spoiler territory. But I felt like the book had a lot of great commentary about faith and the people willing to follow gurus. What it does to families and children. How people will sacrifice their own health or the health of others to follow faith. And how to move on and forgive those who have wronged us greatly.

This was quite a page turned and a quick read. Would definitely recommend for fans of literary fiction.

First of all, thank you NetGallery for providing an arc of the book. This book will be published on 2nd November 2021. So, if you like my review then preorder the book to read it when it releases!

Story of the book-

Kalki is an outlandishly blue-colored kid, ten years of age and living on an ashram run by his father somewhere down in the core of Tamil Nadu. The undeniable shade of Kalki’s skin joined with his exhibited capacity to heal, acquires him a spot in his Hindu culture as a divine being- indeed the seventh rebirth of Lord Vishnu. As benefits his authentic status, Kalki’s life gets focused on his work, his strict instruction, and his resolute dedication to the predictions and lessons that characterize and breaking point the boundaries of his adequate practices, enveloping his duties to educate, treasure, and set a faithful guide to the townspeople that incessant the ashram.

Kalki’s impact on the residents clarifies that what we need to accept, what we accept, and what esteems our way of life appropriations might be more essential to our wellbeing than any medication which is directed. Is Kalki a divine being? A ten-year-old kid god can be relied upon to battle in his job, yet Kalki is urgently despondent, in many parts of his life.

How significant are confidence and trust? Even though young Kalki’s confidence in his righteousness keeps on being solid, and his inspirations to mend are unadulterated, we rapidly see, as Kalki’s story unfurls, the cast of characters around him are undeniably darker in their requirements- leaving them casualties to all the more humanly battles with influence, cash, desire, misdirection, achievement, discouragement, dread, envy, liquor, and medications. There are no simple answers.

As Kalki’s story progresses in his young adulthood to incorporate a world visit through different societies including New York, the story arrives at its peak. The writer investigates the appeal of North American impacts of opportunity, popularity, social media achievements, enslavement, debauchery, retribution, and physical intimacy on the young god, leaving a definitive question raised by this book unanswered:
Exactly what, towards the day’s end, do we adore? Also, how’s that turning out for us?

Read the book to know more.

My review-

The author’s inventive twist on Hindi Folklore and hereditary qualities follows a family adventure of maltreatment into a guaranteed and polished novel. The author was very courageous to take the topics like race, religion, sexuality, and man-centric force just as transoceanic change into the story, and the author’s voice is guaranteed and noteworthy, effectively exploring the excursion from provincial India to New York City. With all the twists and turns, it's very hard not to give any spoilers.

Kalki Sami is forcefully showcased by his doctor father Ayya as the last manifestation of Vishnu: Born blue-colored and raised to inhibit divinity, Kalki resembles a nursery plant unexpectedly pushed into splendid daylight. The outcomes of his upheld predetermination are complex: Ayya is a fanatical despot while his mom, Amma, is a delicate soul whose affection to her child is the one redeeming quality in the Kid’s life, as both endure under Ayya’s coldblooded control. The portrayals of Amma, Roopa, his first love, and the mysterious Kalyani, a thirunangai who is his compatriot were eminent. These ladies are portrayed with decay; the tireless sexism in the way of life is painstakingly evoked all through the book.

The only imperfection in this story is the absence of why Ayya’s behavior was so rude, his childishness and opportunism are never fully clarified. The only suffering string in Kalki’s life is his companionship with Lakshman, his cousin. This book takes the readers on a beautiful journey that will stay in their memory for a long time. Highly recommended!

Cover of the book-

The cover has two vibrant colors- blue and gold. The blue color portrays the color of Vishnu’s skin and the cover has a beautiful illustration of God Vishnu’s face. It's beautiful, simple, and elegant.

Rating of the book- 4/5
Rating of cover- 4/5

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

S.J. Sindu's Blue-Skinned Gods is a beautiful story beautifully told. Every page is filled with longing for that inexplicable thing we call "god" through the questions and terminal bewilderment of the novel's protagonist and narrator, Kalki Sami, a blue-skinned Tamil boy whose father builds an ashram around the notion that Kalki is the reincarnation of Krishna. Because Sindu has chosen to write in first person, we follow Kalki's growth, for better or worse, as he experiences it: from idyllic childhood -- idyllic because he knows nothing else -- on a journey toward self-discovery that is incremental and marked by loss. The book is deeply satisfying because Sindu never allows the reader to get ahead of her hero.

Sindu explores the concept of gender and sexuality across cultures, as well as the business of spirituality, the idea of family versus chosen family, questions of cultural appropriation, and, at the novel's heart, the requisite death and rebirth of one's sense of self that comes with growing up. The characters leap off the page, and SIndu has the gift of enveloping the reader in a good story while making them think long after they've reached the end.

This started out pretty slow for me but I did end up getting into it towards the middle. With a focus on Hindu tradition this book takes you on a journey exploring sexual identity, religion, and culture.

I enjoyed this book. Kalki Sami, a young boy at the start of the book, is the 10th incarnation of Vishnu and lives on an ashram run by his father. His skin is blue and his powers seemingly miraculous. The novel explores the life of this child god and his journey of discovery.

The story is fascinating and, at times, harrowing. Kalki has been raised to be a god and telling the story through his perspective gives the reader a chance to put pieces together on their own. There are some truly difficult and disturbing things that happen in the book that are made more powerful because Kalki doesn't see what's going on while the reader does.

The book has lots of really cool details. I was engaged and enjoyed the commentary on belief. All-in-all an enjoyable read.