REVIEW OF ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME
A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chokshi, Roshani. 2018. ARU SHAH
AND THE END OF TIME. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney
Book Group. ISBN 9781368023566.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Aru Shah is a 12-year-old girl who lives with her mother in the Museum of Ancient
Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta, Georgia. She lights a magic lamp (“diya”)
that awakens a demon known as “the Sleeper” from inside of the lamp. The
Sleeper causes everything where it goes to become frozen in time. Because the
Sleeper has awakened, another creature (in the form of a pigeon) named Subala appears
to help Aru. Aru discovers that she is a Pandava, and her mission is to stop
the Sleeper. Subala tells Aru that she must find her sibling, another Pandava,
to help her in their mission to stop the Sleeper. The Sleeper is trying to
reach the God of Destruction who will destroy the world.
After
passing through a magic door, Aru and Subala find Aru’s Pandava sibling, Mini.
She is another girl about Aru’s age. Mini joins Aru and Subala in the quest to
stop the Sleeper. The next place that they must go to is the Otherworld. That
is where they will get the weapons that they will need to stop the Sleeper. In
the Otherworld, the first creature that Aru, Subala, and Mini come across is a makara,
a mythological aquatic creature. The makara opens the door that allows them to
continue on their journey.
Next they
must find the Council of Guardians. When they find the Council, Aru and Mini
realize that the Council are representatives of Hindu mythology and folklore. Also, they find out which of the gods are
their divine fathers. Mini is the Daughter of Death, Dharma Raja; and
Aru is the Daughter of Thunder, Lord Indira. Finally, their quest is
explained to them. First they must find the three keys that will open the door
to the Kingdom of Death. They are to go to the Kingdom of Death. There they are
to look inside the Pool of the Past to find out how the Sleeper can be defeated.
One by
one, Aru and Mini gather the three keys that they need to open the door to the Kingdom
of Death. Once they have them all gathered, they use them to open the door to
the Kingdom of Death. Inside, they travel to the Pool of the Past where they
find out about the origin of the Sleeper, which gives them a clue as to how to
defeat him. The girls call the mounts of the gods to come help them. Together,
they travel back to the museum to set a trap for the Sleeper. The girls and Subala
battle with the celestial mounts against the Sleeper and his army of demons. At
the end though, the Sleeper escapes the ambush and flees.
C.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
This book is a fantasy novel that incorporates aspects of Hindu mythology into
the storyline. The story introduces many cultural points of historical India,
including mythology, language, and other important attributes. For instance,
when Aru is talking to a few of her classmates, she mentions a place in India
called Kurukshetra. She also mentions the Mahabharata War. These are just a
couple of actual, existent places and events that are recounted in this novel.
There are
many moments in the story when lessons are taught through the narrative. For
instance, when the two girls are at the Council of Guardians, one of the Guardians,
Hanuman, tells them a story about his own past. He tells them when he was
younger he was cursed to never remember how strong and powerful he was until
someone reminded him. He adds, “Sometimes I wonder if it is a curse that we are
all under at some point or another.” This is an excellent reminder for all
readers of this novel, something that we all need to hear, especially when the
world fills us with doubt and uncertainty. Another time in the story, a similar
lesson is finished with the following. “Sometimes you don’t even know how
special you might be. Sometimes it takes moments of horror or happiness to, if
your will, unleash that knowledge.” Young adults (and even us older ones) can
benefit from the belief that we can be capable of bigger and better things.
At the end
of the book, it seems that Aru has failed in her attempt to stop the Sleeper
from causing the destruction of the world. Her attempt to use her divine weapon
against the Sleeper falls short of her goal. The Sleeper leaves unstopped. It
seems that all is lost. At that moment Subala says the following to her. “It is
not failure to fail.” We find out that by simply slowing the Sleeper down, the
girls have been able to avert the destruction of the world. It is a lesson that
we all need to know. When we think that we have failed, so often it turns out
to be temporary, not permanent. It is an important lesson for all of us, but it
is an especially important lesson for children and young adults. Throughout the
book, besides Hindu mythology and folktales, Hindu religious beliefs are also
shared. This novel is an excellent way to learn about Hindu culture. The end of
the book has a glossary of Hindu and Indian terms. It is an excellent addition
to the novel.
D. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS
Nebula Award nominee (2019)
Publishers
Weekly: Starred Review - “This series
kickoff, which is also the first book from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint,
expertly channels the humor and action that have made Riordan’s own work so
successful. Twelve-year-old Aru Shah lives with her mother in the Museum of
Ancient Indian Art and Culture in Atlanta. Aru’s tendency to bend the truth
gets her into trouble when three of her classmates dare her to light a
supposedly cursed lamp called a diya, which awakens the demonic
Sleeper. With the help of her guardian, a pigeon named Subala, Aru learns that
she is the reincarnation of one of five Pandava brothers, each the child of a
different god. Aru meets one of her “soul-related” siblings, smart but timid
Mini, and they head off to stop the Sleeper from reaching Shiva, Lord of
Destruction. With her quick wit and big personality, Aru commands the spotlight
(“I’m an A student,” she boasts to a doubtful Subala. “In the
sense that she was a student whose name started with an A”), and
Chokshi (The Star-Touched Queen) weaves an engrossing adventure that
will leave readers anticipating the next installment.”
School
Library Journal: “Seventh grader Aru
should never have lit the ancient lamp. When she put the lighter to the wick,
the world froze and she released the awful Sleeper. Aru is suddenly launched
into the world of the gods and surrounded by mythical characters come to life.
Aru discovers she is a Pandava, born with the soul of one of the five brothers
featured in the Mahabharata. She also has a soul sister, Mini, to assist her in
this quest—highly unusual for a Pandava. Aru and Mini must enter the Kingdom of
Death to find out the secret that will destroy the Sleeper. Rick Riordan writes
the introduction to this book that has a similar tone and pacing to his popular
"Percy Jackson" series, but Chokshi brings her own sensibility and
style. Using Hindu mythology as the foundation, Chokshi has created an exciting
adventure around a coming-of-age tale. A glossary provides readers with a basic
introduction to the various traditional stories that Chokshi drew from. Just as
"Percy Jackson" led tweens to a deeper exploration and appreciation
of classic Greek mythology, Chokshi's tale will likely inspire a similar demand
for traditional Indian mythology. VERDICT An enthralling start to a series that
Riordan fans and anyone in the mood for a high-octane adventure will love.”
Kirkus: Starred Review - “Aru Shah of Atlanta, Georgia, is a
seventh-grader and social misfit. While her classmates jet set around the
world, Aru spends her holidays at home with her curator mother in the Museum of
Ancient Indian Art and Culture. But one day, three of Aru’s classmates show up
at her doorstep and dare her to light the cursed Lamp of Bharata. When Aru
lights the lamp, she releases the Sleeper from his slumber and must—with the
help of her newly found soul sister, Mini, and their pigeon sidekick, Subala,
or “Boo”—go on a quest to stop the Sleeper from awakening the Lord of
Destruction, who will, in turn, end the world. Aru and Mini’s adventures range
from discovering that they are the reincarnations of the Pandava brothers
(demigods and the protagonists of the Hindu epic poem the Mahabharata)
to slaying demons and shopping at the Night Bazaar (effectively disguised as
Costco). In her middle-grade debut, Chokshi (The Star-Touched
Queen, 2016, etc.) spins a fantastical narrative that seamlessly intertwines
Hindu cosmology and folklore, feminism, and witty dialogue for an uproarious
novel for young readers. For readers of Indian origin, especially, the novel
presents a culture that is not often seen—or accurately represented—in
mainstream children’s and young adult literature. Chokshi comes into her own in
this novel, reminding readers of the power of language and of stories.”
E. CONNECTIONS
This novel is the first in a series by this author.
The next books in this series include:
Chokshi, Roshani. ARU SHAH AND THE SONG OF
DEATH. ISBN 1368045855.
Chokshi, Roshani. ARU SHAH AND THE TREE OF
WISHES. ISBN 9781368013857.
Chokshi, Roshani. ARU SHAH AND THE CITY OF
GOLD. ISBN 9781368023580.
Chokshi, Roshani. ARU SHAH AND THE NECTAR OF IMMORTALITY. ISBN 9781368074384.
Comments
Post a Comment