I really enjoyed following Aru on her adventures trying to save the world. I am also a big fan of mythology and really enjoyed learning about Hindu mythology! Fans of Greek and Roman mythology will be quickly sucked into this book!

This was totally fine! I would totally give it to a kid who has already read all the Rick Riordan books and wants more - I totally see why he picked this for his imprint. As someone with less familiarity with Hindi mythology and Greek, I was occasionally confused though. I also thought it wasn't that original - it very much follows the quest structure of Percy Jackson and even repeats many of the same messages about family and values. Still, kids often like stuff that isn't original and reminds them of things they already like, so that could be an asset. Aru is likable and the theme of lying being bad but imagination being a good quality and needing to not let an imaginative nature turn into lying is useful and a take I haven't gotten sick of. I definitely predicted her (genetic) parentage but that didn't effect my enjoyment. In terms of other characters, Mimi's hypochondria got a little bit old, but I'd definitely be curious to read more about Aru's relationship with her mom.

I love Aru Shaw! In the book Aru Shah and the End of Time (A Pandava Novel Book 1) by Roshani Chokshi , Aru is a tough, cool and spidey pj wearing warrior. The interwoven tidbits about the eastern gods and goddesses that are not a familiarity in our culture make me want more. I cannot wait for the next book.

Aru Shah lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. She goes to an exclusive private school where all the kids are much more well off than she is. So she lies to get by. She gets caught when some of her classmates show up at her door. To prove to them that she is worthy she lights the Diya of Bharata, a cursed lamp she knows she is not supposed to light. When she lights it the world freezes and a demon called the Sleeper escapes. Aru discovers she is a Pandava, reincarnated from the Pandava Princes of legend and together with Mini, another Pandava, and their godly guide Boo, a pigeon, they must travel to the Kingdom of Death to find what they need to stop the Sleeper and save the world.

I love Roshani Chokshi’s books. I think it is amazing that she is bringing Indian Mythology into American reading culture. This book reads like so many of the other middle grade mythology books though. Young hero/heroine discovers they are descended from the gods and must go on a quest to save the world. Teams up with other heroes who show up over time. I wish this book had more of the originality of Chokshi’s teen books, but it is still an entertaining read. Fans of Rick Riordan will definitely enjoy this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! This book is one where you wonder at first if the characters are going to get on your nerves, and then you wish the book wasn’t ending bc you find you have come to love them. The female protagonists in here are wonderful examples of imperfect, quirky, and yet strong young females. I love that these souls have been reincarnated in females for the first time. This book is not just for girls; it’s very similar to The Ligtening Thief (but don’t worry that it’s trying to hard to be a knockoff bc it isn’t) but with Hindu mythology. There are epic battles, problems to solve that take ingenuity and bravery, and humorous characters and dialogue that make it a very enjoyable read. I was very interested in this mythology I did not know anything about and really looked forward to reading it every day, I’m going to have my 4th graded read it next!

When Aru accidentally frees a demon intent on bringing the Lord of Destruction to Earth she must find the reincarnation of the Pandava brothers to help her save the world. I loved the insight into Indian culture and how fast paced this book was. I cant wait to recommend it everyone i know.

This is the first in the "Rick Riordan Presents" series, where Riordan turns the wheel over to Roshani Chokshi for an entertaining romp through Hindu mythology. The basic premise is similar to the Percy Jackson series, only this time, it's 5 Pandavas (demigods) who are reincarnated and must save the world. The interesting twist here, and a somewhat controversial choice for a book based on Hindu mythology, is that this generation of the Five Pandavas consists of girls. And these girls are Heroes for sure! We follow the adventures of Aru and Mini as they are claimed by their father and mother gods, go on a quest, enter the Underworld, and attempt to save the world from The Sleeper.

It's all good storytelling, but I found the writing to be far more juvenile than Riordan's Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicle series. No problem there - it's just aimed at a younger audience. What I did find annoying and disappointing, though, were the many references to current pop culture (BuzzFeed, Donald Trump) which will ultimately date the book. I found the Hindu mythology fascinating, and have been prompted to learn more about it.

Overall, a good start to a new series. I will definitely recommend to kids.

Aru is the child I always wanted to be. Reluctantly heroic, adventurous, and a bit snarky, she is appealing and fun. A great introduction to Indian mythology.

Aru lives with her mother in an apartment attached to the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Georgia, and her mother travels frequently for her work, leaving Aru with a babysitter. The children at Aru's school are much more well off than she is, and Aru has taken to lying about her life. When three children from her school show up at the museum (while Aru is still in her pajamas, no less), she feels a need to show off and lights the Diya of Bharata when she is pressed. She's always been told not to, and with good reason-- when the lamp is lit, everyone freezes and an ancient god known as the Sleeper is released. Aru discovers that she is a descendant of the Pandava brothers, who are warrior princes, and that she must save the world from this ancient evil. Luckily, she has the help of another unsuspecting Pandava, Mini, who isn't thrilled about being pressed into service but is prepared and resourceful. The girls, aided by a pigeon they call Boo, must enter the Kingdom of Death to retrieve three keys that will help them defeat the Sleeper. They must travel to many different places and ask for help from characters from Hindu mythology, and during the quest learn some secrets about their own lives. Even if they manage to save the world now, how long will it stay saved?

Strengths: This fast paced adventure follows a formula similar to Riordan's own books-- a character finds out that she is descended from the gods and must go on a quest, meeting mythological characters along the way, in order to restore order to the universe. The characters are worked in to the plot nicely, and the notes at the back help with some aspects of Hindu culture and history. I am glad that Riordan' is seeking #ownvoices writers for these stories, which will be very popular with my fantasy readers, who will wait eagerly for more books.
Weaknesses: I was not overly fond of either Aru or Mina. Also, I am still a bit confused about the difference between the Hindu religion and Hindu mythology. My guess is that the stories walk the same fine line as the Christian story of Noah and the Ark; it's in the religious canon, but considered by most as more allegorical than historical.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, although the book could have benefited from tighter editing.Also, since I am not familiar with Sailor Moon, any homages to it were lost on me.

I loved this story. Aru is a lonely girl out of place in her school, she has a single mom, she is not at all wealthy like her schoolmates, she also has a very active imagination and flexible manner with the truth. When her schoolmates come into the museum where she lives, she in an attempt to impress them lights a cursed lamp. This curse makes Aru aware of her status, she is a warrior a reincarnation of a Pandava. She meets Mini another reincarnation and her “sister” as such. They set out to try to stop the curse, along the way they meet some of the Hindu pantheon, take a journey to the underworld and Aru learns about her past. This book is so amazing, I love books where girls get to have adventures, I also learned a bit about Hindu religion. I love that Aru finds so much of herself along the way in this story. She is growing as a person through the journey she is making. Her growing relationship with Mini is so sweet. I am very much looking forward to Aru and Mini’s next adventure.

I absolutely loved Roshani Chokshi's novel "Aru Shah and the End of Time (A Pandava Novel, Book 1)"! Maybe since it came with an enthusiastic recommendation and forward by Rick Riordan I was already predisposed to like it, but Chokshi earned my my respect with her delightful characters, heart racing action sequences, and an eye-opening introduction to Hindu mythology. I will definitely share this series of books with my students!

An interesting hero’s journey through the tales of the Hindu gods. Two misfit middle school girls find out that they are the reincarnation of hero’es and need to save the world from The Sleeper. A heavy overlay of the girls’ insecurities and stereotypical hang ups distracted me from the adventures and the worlds never quite came alive.

I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Rick Riordan's series. It has a great sense of adventure and the new world of myth is incredible interesting. I would feel very comfortable recommending this to students or having it in a classroom library as there are no questionable content.

This adventure by Roshani Chokshi about twelve-year-old Aru Shah, who 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?

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.

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.