Included in November edition of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s best fiction picks for Zoomer magazine’s Books section.

This story shows just how easily you can create a world for someone, when in isolation, but how that world can crumble when the outside makes it in. It’s a story of complicity. The amount of people who buy into an abusive situation for whatever reason, who have power to make a difference, but don’t. I feel so much hatred towards some characters and so much sympathy about Kalki’s life. About his situation. On the surface it feels like this nice little world about a god on earth and his life healing people on the ashram he lives at. But beneath that is so much more. Life, loss, love. At times I feel the story jumps too much into random moments of the future, which I didn’t really like - especially because we never reached those moments before the story ended. I much preferred being in the here and now. It felt jarring to suddenly have a paragraph about something many years beyond the end of the story. I had so many emotions reading this book. The first half was a challenge at times. I enjoyed it but it felt a little slower, which probably suits the ashram lifestyle in the story. Later it speeds up, which makes sense given that so much is happening. I didn’t love it, but I do have a fondness for the story. I feel the characters were interesting, though I’d have liked to have known more about some of them. The story was different to my usual reading, it pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and it gave me a glimpse of another life.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A bold story delving into faith, racial, sexual, gender and class identities.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.2/5
At the outskirts of Tamil Nadu, a boy born with blue skin is perceived as God, Vishnu’s tenth and final incarnation. Under his father’s watchful eyes, devotees of various backgrounds visit the ashram to seek healing. Known for his ability to cure people of their misery, Kalki becomes famous but, as time passes, he starts questioning his godliness.

Blue-Skinned Gods brushes over sensitive topics set in contemporary times. I was instantly drawn towards it when I went through the plot. Sindu has beautifully penned Kaliki’s thoughts while being confined in the ashram to swiftly absorbing knowledge of the external world.

The story moves back and forth from his past in Tamil Nadu to present-day New York. It’s rich in culture, beliefs, mythology, complex family and friendships, human identities and everything that we question about ourselves and society.

Truly one of the most interesting books I’ve read this year and would recommend with my whole heart even if you’re not familiar with Indian mythology.

I received an e-copy via @netgalley @soho_press

4 stars

Few readers will find commonality with Kalki, the main character, as a result of his physical appearance, but despite his blue skin, he faces many of the same struggles as the average mortal. His is truly a story of classic themes in untraditional packages.

By looking at his blue skin, it is easy to believe that Kalki authentically is a god's avatar, but it only takes a brief interaction with his family and environment to expect that something sinister lies underneath the memorable surface. As a result of his godlike stature, Kalki draws a great deal of business to the ashram that his parents run, and he primarily supports them all through his renowned healing powers. Kalki's healing abilities, however, lie in stark contrast to the many forms of pain that those around him experience. He - unfortunately - is not even exempt from empirical experience with this very motif.

There's a rupture that takes place after the first half of the novel that for me marked a real acceleration in the plot, character development, and general uncertainty I felt as both an observer and at times a complicit participant. I really enjoyed the change in pacing and various other circumstances; this made what felt periodically like a slower start wholly worth the read.

This is not an easy book. The pain these characters experience is visceral in part because of how well drawn they are and also because of the universality of some of their struggles: with family, religious faith, violence, trust, origins, love, sex, and basic understandings of their own identity. Sindu's work here feels very fresh against the backdrop of these well established pathways, and I'll be back for much more from this author.

“Ayya had always told me that because I’d lived a thousand lifetimes, I had a thousand wisdoms inside me, if only I could learn how to listen.”

“I wanted to eat the book whole to quiet my heartbeat.”
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In Tamil Nadu, India, lives a boy with blue skin. Living in an ashram with his parents, Kalki is raised as the tenth human reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Visitors are brought from surrounding neighborhoods, and eventually all over the world, to be healed by Kalki. When he turns ten, Kalki endures the three trials to prove his divinity - while he passes, he can’t help but question his healing powers and godliness.
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I became immediately invested in Kalki’s life as he learned what it means to be a god. Kalki’s curiosity of the world as a ten-year-old comes through, and his continued doubt in himself as a god is evident. When he starts reading Western literature, that’s where he really starts to question what makes someone a god, and he ponders what faith really means. There’s a lot to unpack about religious fervor, and blind faith, and what happens when people willingly keep their eyes closed. As Kalki’s eyes are opened, he has to reexamine everything he knows about his life as it was, and decide how and who to be in the new world he discovers. The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for me - I wanted more closure about how Kalki chose to lead his life after his final confrontation with his father, and whether he ever found Roopa again - I would like to think he did. His relationship with Lakshman was beautiful, a steadying force when he was surrounded by uncertainty. Blue Skinned Gods is an absolutely beautiful story of a boy trying to find his place in the world, and his education in what it means to be a friend, lover, son, and man. 4.75/5⭐️
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Thanks to SohoPress and Netgalley for an advanced e-arc of Blue Skinned Gods!

What interested me about this novel is that it’s not about religion in the usual sense but about the loss of religion and what that might mean for a person and their world. And I appreciated Sindu discussing (in an interview that just aired at Desi Books; link below) how they approached the Hindu mythology aspects of the story as objects of study and cultural artifacts. Myths have always been used universally in all cultures and since ancient times to explain patterns in our lives. And we need patterns to help us make sense and order from confusion and chaos. But, oftentimes, we see desi writers leveraging Hindu mythology in contemporary fiction to point to certain life patterns for their characters with, well, mixed results. That’s not what Sindu has done with this novel, which is, for me, refreshing.

I must add, though, that I wish there had been less "explaining" of Hinduism as a religion and a culture in the book. I appreciate this was for the benefit of western readers or non-Hindu ones who may not know the context. But, perhaps, there was a way to fold that kind of information more seamlessly into the narrative.

This book was not what I expected. I thought this would be a fantasy story, and while there were many aspects of fantasy, this was much more real. The story starts in India, with our main character Kalki, who is the 10th incarnation of Vishnu. His lives in an ashram with his family and offers his healing powers to those who travel to the ashram to see him. The reader follows Kalki from age 10 to 22. Much happens in this timeframe, which is to be expected. His family falls apart, he falls in love, he travels, he explores, and he finds out that he isn’t who he believed he was.

This novel is great in its scope. It examines many different themes, including religion, belief, faith, sexuality, gender, class, and family. Parts are heartbreaking, parts are lovely. Sindu’s writing was captivating. There was something about the writing that drew me in instantly, even though I felt detached from many of the characters. An excellent writer is able to capture you with their storytelling, and that’s exactly what Sindu did. The characters were flawed, weak, and real. Overall, this novel of identity was excellent. My only complaint is that the pacing felt off. The last section of the novel covered many excellent themes; yet, felt a bit slow. I wanted to see more development and depth in Kalki.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for providing me with an ARC.

As someone who was raised in a Hindu household and strongly religious background and having heard MYTHOLOGICAL stories from my grandparents, this was a goldmine! Didn't expect much from this novel and was suggested by a friend who had applied for an ARC as well and what can we say except for we are pleasantly surprised and happy about this book. Thank you, Soho Press for the ARC and I hope to read the author's debut novel too sometime.

There were some strong commentary coming in the form of the young protagonist especially on religious intolerance and cultural intolerance and kudos to SJ Sindhu for finding a thread and drawing brilliant parallel lines from both Mahabharata and Ramayana. This is a double treat for readers who aren't familiar with these!

This is a beautiful novel that I know I'm going to be thinking about for a long time. Themes of identity, nature vs. nurture, belief, trust, love, and more make this such a rich reading experience. Every character is fully realized, albeit while all being seen through Kalki's eyes. Since we see everything from his POV, we don't get to see first-hand the inner lives of the other characters. I would have been especially interested in a POV from Roopa, Amma, and Lakshmann. That being said, Sindu gives the reader plenty of information to theorize and speculate as to the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of these secondary characters. The setting felt so real and lush. Kalki's inner turmoil and abuse at the hands of his father are hard to read but make for such a rich story. I really appreciated how every character retained their humanity even through their faults, even Ayya to an extent, who you can imagine at some point really did just want a good life for his son. Ayya is the character closest to a full-on villain, but this makes sense from Kalki's perspective, as his father used him and drove away every other loving person in Kalki's life. Overall I just loved this book, I'll definitely be getting it for my library and I'll be recommending it to many of our patrons.

It might take a minute to be captivated by this one but once you are- it won't let go of you. And the best part- I'm not going to spoil the amazing twist that colors (hah) how you will view Kalki's story. Kalki's parents especially his father Ayya treat him and promote him as the reincarnation of Vishnu because of his blue skin and black blood. Arya builds an ashram around him and has him heal people most importantly Roopa. Life is unusual for him in the closed world Ayya creates but he has Roopa and his cousin Lakshman until Laskshman and his parents leave for the US. HIs mom struggles, a lot, but everyone ignores it. For his part, Kalki finds himself reading English language novels provided by a visitor to the ashram and then in a forbidden love affair. And then his father takes him on tour to the US where he uses Kalki's alleged ability to heal to raise money- and Lakshman turns up and turns his world upside down. It's a gorgeous book, full of twists. There's wonderful imagery and the characters pack a punch. Thanks to Netgallety for the ARC. So hard to review because every readers needs to experience this as I did- without preconceptions. Highly recommend.

Honestly not even sure what I think. I waver between 2.5-3.5 stars depending on what part of the novel I’m focusing on. I originally picked it up and soaked into the novel within seconds but then half way something switched for me, and I found myself wanting to just be done.

The mystical, traditional start of the book is what drew me in but by the end it seemed frantic, confusing and vindictive.

I don’t say this lightly but I would caution anyone to go into the novel expecting a spotlight on religion and Hinduism/the Gods, that this book does everything to dispel the idea of them.

I found it anti religion, anti sexuality in a box and perhaps that’s the biggest takeaway that I did like… that I could question everything that I thought I believed.

This book is about family, half truths, generations of traditions, South Asian customs, lies, sexuality. But in the end it was too chaotic for me. So I guess it’s one of those novels that I can plug under “not for me, but perhaps many others”.

Special thanks to Soho Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

I loved this story. First let me say I really appreciated SJ Sindu's writing style and how the book was divided into 4 parts. The first 3 parts were slow, but I think they needed to be to fully understand the story and honestly I think it could've been longer or another book can be written about Kalki, who was born with blue skin and was said to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.

The four parts follow Kalki as a child and throughout his life. His love for his brother Lakhman was beautiful. I loved the part where he did seem to perform miracles, but was confused in his own self. Was he a fraud or just doubting himself.? This is a story that will break your heart into pieces but will slowly put it back together again throughout the book. I loved that this book touched on faith, love, healing, deception and longing for young love. Kalki was a wonderful character and there was so much more to him than being born with blue skin and what's matters is only skin deep.
We go on Kalki's journey as he grows and this was a great story and a very original book. 4 stars!

Blue-Skinned Gods is a thought-provoking book about faith and belief, the lengths that we go to, and the reasons we use to justify our actions that control someone who does not know any better. This was a hard read for me at times and I encourage you to check the content notes before reading the book. If you have travelled to or lived in India or any place where Hinduism is practiced, like Sri Lanka, your prior knowledge will come in very handy as mine sure did!

Blue-Skinned Gods introduces us to Kalki, a 10-year-old boy who is believed to be the tenth and final reincarnation of the Hindu god, Vishu. There are old texts that have prophesied his birth and now that he is here, he must pass some tests to prove he is truly who everyone thinks he is. His skin is blue in colour and that seems like a definite sign of his divinity. In an ashram in Tamil Nadu, his parents and aunt and uncle host devotees from around the world who have some to see him and get his help in healing themselves.

Thoughts on Blue-Skinned Gods
The book is divided into four parts. The first three focus on the most important people in Kalki’s life, including his cousin, his mother, and his father. The last part of the book is about Kalki’s personal growth and decisions for the rest of his life.

Hinduism and the worship of Vishu and his incarnations are an integral part of Kalki’s story. Homeschooled by his father and immersed in Indian sacred texts, Kalki is a wealth of knowledge on old teachings. As a blue-skinned boy who is the reincarnation of Vishnu, he does not associate much with other kids, his interactions being limited to his cousin, Lakshman, and a devotee who comes to heal and live with them, Roopa.

Kalki has grown up being told he is a god and his actions are defined by what the texts tell him is appropriate behaviour. But that does not mean that he truly sees himself as the people that he reads about. There is definitely a struggle to find out who he is and there are times when he knows he is privileged because he is a god. Like us humans, he doubts his abilities and as a young kid, he wants to be a child too. But being a god comes with its own responsibilities, and that is what made Kalki a reliable and lovable character. I spent most of the book rooting for him and wanting him to be whoever he is, god or not, to have clarity on that, and why.

Blue-Skinned Gods does an amazing job at depicting the tension between belief and truth. I wondered about the effect such expectations have on a child, and it is evident where a spiral of self-doubt leads to for someone in Kalki’s shoes.

I also enjoyed the modern touch that the book has when Kalki travels to North America; it gives a good contrast to his rural upbringing in India. This will likely make the book more accessible to Western audiences. The exoticness of Blue Skinned gods as a music band, mixed with Kalki’s teachings as a guru offers an interesting backdrop for Kalki’s final steps towards the truth. He learns a lot about the teachings he has lived with and the story he has been told.

I enjoyed the twists and origin story of the young boy. It made me face my own presumptions and marvel at how reading about a culture moulds the people I imagine in my head.

Reading Experience Summary
Blue-Skinned Gods is a beautifully written book that made me ponder the world I live in. It is rich in Hindu culture, exposing not just its positive sides, but also its negative. I really liked the balance of information and how the main character, Kalki, questioned things as he grew older.

Growing up in India, I knew a lot of the stories and mythology references in this book and I felt the warmth that comes from feeling that one is in familiar territory. For someone who does not have the same context, the significance of the names and plot need some explaining, and the author does an outstanding job of taking that into consideration. The worldbuilding is done very well. What made it challenging was some of the incidents depicted in the book.

This book is Kakli’s quest to figure out who he is. Kalki eventually travels to North America and his experiences there contribute a lot to who he ends up becoming at the end.

this was a really well done book, it was beautifully written and had great characters. It was a really well done story and I enjoyed reading this book.

A fascinating novel, broaching a subject and topic i hadnt read before. I am always joyous and grateful to read and find something new and this book fulfilled every hope and expectation.

FIVE FULL STARS!!!! Wow! I honestly loved this story of a young East Indian boy with blue skin. Kalki Sami lives in rural India in an ashram with his parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin. The cast of characters changes as some leave and others come to stay. As Kalki Sami grows up, he is groomed to be the 10th incarnation of Vishnu, a Hindu god. He is promoted as a healer and his parents encourage his followers to visit, pay money, and receive healing prayer.

But this life is not as idyllic as it seems. As the story progresses, many lies and manipulations come to light. As Kalki Sami reaches adulthood, he begins to understand the length to which his father has exploited him.

S.J. Sindu has written a compelling tale that includes rich detail of Indian culture, the nature of faith, and struggles with abuse. The novel also explores themes of gender identity and homosexuality and their acceptance in American culture.

I didn't want this story to end! Kalki Sami, Lakshman, and their families are characters who will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend!

Such a tender story of a boy's awakening to the fact that he's not a god. His childhood is shaped by this lie. I loved the setting of the ashram in Tamil Nadu, the family relationships, his faith and innocence. My heart ached for the losses he endured. And even though the final part felt rushed (actually it matches the pace of his life in NYC) we trust that he will find his way in this world because he has sought and accepted truth.

ok Review
OCTOBER 7, 2021
MELYSAH BUNTING
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Blue-Skinned Gods by S.J. Sindu is the tale of a boy. This boy thinks he is a god. His family, friends and follows also think he is a god. Over time, he learns that things might not be what they seem. Small truths lead to big questions.

Kalki is a boy living in an ashram in Tamil Nadu, India. He lives a life of seclusion. As visitors and events create doubt in Kalki, he must find his truth.

I enjoyed this read. I didn’t want to say too much as to spoil anything. Even if you aren’t familiar with India or its culture, the book explains everything along the way.

An articulation of the human experience.

The exploration of personal identity is one of my favorite themes to read about in fiction (especially where and how it intersects with memory). Because of that, the description for S.J. Sindu’s upcoming Blue-Skinned Gods caught my interest. While coming to terms with who we are and how we define ourselves is a part of growing up, not everyone is raised to believe they’re a god. Exploring not only personal identity but the impact faith, truth, and forgiveness have on how we shape our understanding of ourselves, Blue-Skinned Gods isn’t afraid to go to uncomfortable and raw places.

Kalki has been raised to believe that he is a god – the tenth incarnation of Vishnu to be exact. His skin is blue and he has the power to heal local villagers who seek him out at the ashram where his family lives. His Ayya guides his spiritual and educational studies, preparing him for the trials to come that will prove his divinity. But Kalki’s younger cousin, Lakshman, begins planting seeds of doubt in Kalki’s mind. At first able to dismiss them as the result of Lakshman’s jealousy over his own status, the trials test Kalki’s faith in himself and his abilities more than they prove to him that he is a god. As Kalki grows and learns more about the world beyond the ashram his questions about Ayya’s rules, plans, and motivations multiply until they force Kalki to confront some painful truths.

So much of Blue-Skinned Gods centers around Kalki’s relationship with Ayya and the emotional manipulations that shaped so much of Kalki’s life and, therefore, his sense of self. It’s a compelling and heartbreaking portrait of domestic abuse, both physical and emotional, and seeing Kalki struggle as a young adult with the moral implications of the truth when he finally learns it are, again, compelling. I’m not quite sure where I land on the last few chapters of the novel. On one hand, I appreciate that the final beats trace back to that parent/child relationship and provide closure of a sort on that front. On the other hand, I found Kalki swinging back and forth from the extremes of his childhood to the other end of the spectrum so fascinating – especially because the narration hints at what his life becomes and gives the sense that he does ultimately find a kind of balance… That other part of me wishes more of the novel was focused on that part of Kalki’s journey.

It’s a testament to Sindu’s writing that Kalki’s narration – even removed by an unknown number of years – is so readable and relatable. I wouldn’t have expected the narration of someone raised to believe they were a god to be so reflective (basically I was prepared for it to be self-absorbed and annoying). The fact that it isn’t shows the cleverness of balancing the mentality that you’d expect (self-importance, self-centeredness) with the specific dynamics of Kalki’s relationships with Ayya and the others at the ashram. Perhaps that’s why I wanted to see more of Kalki finding his way to a new reality at the end of the novel – even if it had just been an epilogue of sorts that summarized that journey to a new understanding of and acceptance of himself. As satisfying as the final scenes are regarding Kalki’s relationship with Ayya, I think Kalki’s relationship with himself was where I found myself most invested by the end of the story and so much of that story felt like it was still just beginning.

Blue-Skinned Gods will be available November 2, 2021.

Blue-Skinned Gods is a portrayal of the coercion that can happen within a religion when a leader is manipulated to serve the personal goals of someone he trusts. The settings and characters are well drawn, bringing the reader into the world of the ashram while illustrating the prejudices prevailing in India. Slowly we see cracks in the philosophy and management of the ashram, exposing the ambitions of manager. These cracks widen until the young leader is forced to escape to discover who he really is and what he wants.