Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
My Rating: ★★★★★
Aru Shah has never fit in with her classmates. She makes up elaborate stories about her family and their extravagant trips in an attempt to fit in with all the rich kids at her school. One day, those stories finally catch up with Aru when three classmates corner her at home, which just happens to be the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. Dared to prove that her stories are real, she gets pushed into lighting the cursed Lamp of Bharata unless she wants her lies to be exposed for all to see. To everyone’s surprise, the lamp really is cursed, and Aru has to race to save everyone from the evil man, the Sleeper, that she just released into the world.
I absolutely love this book. It’s a hilarious and heartwarming story that had me glued from start to finish. The book ties Hindu mythology into the plot, which is wonderful. I knew a little bit about Hindu mythology before I started the book, but I learned a lot more as the story continued and I googled anything I didn’t know beforehand. There’s also a glossary at the end for anyone who needs it as they read.
The story follows two 12-year-old girls, Aru and Mini. Aru is a self-conscious kid who wants to fit in but has always found herself on the outside. Even at home, her mom seems to always have her mind on something else. In fact, her mom never even told her about her destiny. When Aru accidentally releases the Sleeper, she discovers that she’s one of the legendary Pandava brothers who have been reincarnated to save the world from the Sleeper in this lifetime. While she’s self-conscious, she has a heart of gold and she’s got a sense of humor that can make anyone laugh until they cry. Aru is friendly, witty, and strong, but she doesn’t realize it yet because she’s a pre-teen on the cusp of figuring out who she is.
On the flip side, we have Mini, who is Aru’s soul sister and also one of the Pandava brothers reincarnated. Mini is self-conscious, but she’s smart, kind, and worries a lot. She grew up believing that she’d never be a heroine while aware of the secret world that most people have no idea really exists. Mini is ready to embrace her destiny as soon as she becomes aware of who she is and what she’s meant to do, but she’s also hilarious and worried about all the mundane things that might kill her. One of my favorite lines is from Mini shortly after she meets Aru:
“I hope you don’t have a bee allergy. I only have one EpiPen. But I guess we could share? I’ll stab you, you stab me?”
Mini means well, but she might spook you with the different ailments that one can contract. I love how much she and Aru grow to support each other in the short amount of time they are together on their first big adventure. They quickly embrace each other and become fast friends in addition to soul family.
I also loved the pacing of the story. I felt like I was in the story with the characters and was just as surprised when a day or two passed without Aru and Mini realizing it. My only complaint is that there are moments where Aru and Mini seem like they’re at least 16-years-old rather than two 12-year-olds, but I’ll live. I’ll chalk that up to them being a little ahead of their time at various moments thanks to their first great adventure. I will definitely be back for the second book!
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