Beautiful, lovely book. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

This lively, funny, sweet, and surprisingly deep romp through Hindu mythology made me very happy. Insecure but impulsive Aru and anxious but brilliant Mini, sisters in spirit, make a great adventure duo on a magical road trip stuffed full of classic myths and modern pop culture references. And now I want to read the Mahabharata!

At times witty, at others silly, this title was a gentle page-turner. The young protagonists go on a journey of self discovery while they attempt to undo the cataclysmic damage of a poor decision. The book has wonderful modern-day twists on the beautiful and rich Hindu tradition. It explains while it entertains. It handles fear, betrayal, and death in a lovely way. A great start to a series that I plan to keep reading.

I recommend it for (approximately) ages 9 and up!

If you’re a fan of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, you will love this new book, because Rick Riordan actually helped to edit and publish it! Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi is an exciting fantasy adventure take on Hindu mythology that kept enthralled from start to finish.

If you like mythology, you will obsess over this book and all of the detailed descriptions of the Hindu gods and legends! But even if you’re not mythology-obsessed, the characters will pull you in, too. Aru is an instantly lovable character, from the moment we meet her wearing Spider-man pajamas and all of the side-characters are wonderful too, especially her sassy talking-pigeon guardian named Boo.

Great Books for Great Kids. Fans of Percy Jackson will enjoy this story that explores the tales of India. Aru is trying to fit into life at a private school when she discovers a magic lamp. Grades 3-6.

This is pretty good but I still prefer The Serpents Secret and Rick Riordan's books. :)

Oh my gosh! (Cue the singing nuns)! Check this link and find my comment on Trials of Apollo: Hidden oracle! (https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/649919018). I said, if you don't want to check, I wish that Rick Riordan would do a book series with a woman main character! But this takes the cake! It is amazing! Roshani Chokshi has done a wonderful job! It is humorous, the main character is stubborn, I learned so much about Hindu mythology, and it is exactly like something Rick Riordan would do!

Aru Shah wants to be accepted by others, and in one of her attempts to do so, she inadvertently awakens an ancient Indian demon that intends to bring about the end of time. But fortunately for Aru, she has a chance to stop this, for both she, and another 12 year old girl named Mini, are reincarnations of the Pandava brothers from myth. Neither is prepared for this, but with the help of a pigeon named Boo, as well as other mythical beings, and, their own wits, the two manage to stumble their way through danger. As they face challenges in their world and the land of Death, both grow closer, gain a better understanding of themselves, and even begin to grasp their own powers.

In many ways, Aru and Mini are more genuine reflections of children than those found in other juvenile books. They sometimes say silly things, they get distracted, and they see things in a different light. They aren't traditional heroines either. Mini fears quite a few things, but that never causes her to hesitate. She lacks confidence in herself, but is earnest, and intelligent. Aru craves connections, but she doesn't know how to go about getting them, so she lies. She doesn't mean others ill though, and this adventure allows her to discover that she can put her fruitful imagination to better use.

Chokshi's story is steeped in Hindu mythology. Readers unfamiliar with it, will have no problem picking it up, because she presents information in a consistent, clear, and gradual manner. Actions, and the reasons for them, are explained too, so the ending feels right. This is just the beginning though. The author firmly establishes enough material for a series by foreshadowing events, and introducing some new characters late in the game. This choice to only introduce a small portion of the cast, shows that Chokshi has great instinct as a writer; the first book is a concisely written, understandable, and engaging read because of this. It also means that, with two fully fleshed out characters, and an already well-built world, other books in the series will have a chance to do the same for others, while focusing more on the story. Aru Shah and the End of Time, sits in the vein of books such as those by Rick Riordan, but it also sets itself apart with its characters, and its source mythology. Highly recommended for fans of Fantasy.

A fun India-themed Percy Jackson readalike. While this will be a familiar format to anyone who loves Percy, the "girl power" focus of this series, combined with the very funny dialog between Aru, Minnie, and Boo, means that I will be checking out subsequent installments in this fun series!

Promises to be an enjoyable new series. I enjoyed this humorous and fun approach to Hindu mythology.