By: Nora Warner
Photo: roshanichokshi.com
As winter continues, the cold and snowy weather is a great time to enjoy a new book. Stories take us into a new world full of excitement with opportunities to learn, and that is certainly the case with the book Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi.
The story follows Aru Shah, a 12-year-old girl who desperately wants to fit in among her peers. Aru’s mother is an Indian-American archeologist who runs an Indian history museum. One day, Aru attempts to impress her friends by lighting a cursed lamp. She mistakenly thought the legend was fake. This results in unleashing a demon, who freezes time and everyone she knows, and starting an apocalypse in her human world.
Guided by a talking pigeon named Boo, Aru Shah must figure out how to stop the Sleeper Demon before it destroys the world in nine days. On her quest, Aru travels to the Otherworld where she encounters gods, demons and magical realms.
This story incorporates elements of Hindu mythology, featuring Hindu gods, demons, and concepts such as reincarnation. It also explores concepts of self-discovery, culture, friendships, and courage.
This book is published by Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson Series. If you enjoy books that incorporate mythology, you will enjoy this book. One of my favorite parts of reading this story was learning about Hindu mythology, which is something I knew very little about prior to reading.
This book is very exciting and fast-paced. The imagery and details make you feel like you are living in the same world as the characters. While the reading level of the book is middle grades, the complex mythology does require some focus to remember the characters and their relations. The lower reading level paired with the engaging content makes this book a great candidate if you are looking to get back into reading. If you enjoy this book, there are 5 books in the series.
Overall, this is one of my favorite series I have read, and one I often recommend. All ages can enjoy this story for its excitement, messaging, and the opportunity to learn more about Indian culture.
