Reviews

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi

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crosswarrior7's review

4.0

❧ The final installment finds Aru Shah and the other Pandavas on the back foot. The Sleeper and Kara know where the nectar of immortality is while the Pandavas are weaponless. The Pandavas have formulated a plan, though. It will require going through trials that really test who they are, but they have no other choice. They have to reach the nectar of immortality and defeat the Sleeper. But the time for Aru to make her final decision quickly approaches, and with her complicated emotions toward her father, it will take more than godly strength and weapons to win the war.

❧ This finale left me mostly content. I feel like there’s some things left hanging that could be picked up and expanded upon, to the point I’m disappointed this is the end for more than it just being the end, but otherwise...

I LOVED IT! All my beloved characters getting to be their amazing selves while facing their last great challenges, all while interweaving the amazing Hindu culture, the juicy moral dilemmas, the heart-warming sister bond. The series has continued to be amazing, and this book just delivered what the ones prior to it have had.

We also get more PoVs for this book than we have the earlier ones, which only continues to further it in amazingness, because I loved getting to see more from these characters I already loved. This book also did another thing I adore: tackling the weaknesses of characters. Like, that was a major arc for this entire book and a focal point of the PoVs, and it was glorious.

❧ The end result of the question that has been plaguing Aru since the start was what I expected, but again left much room for further exploration should Chokshi decide to dabble in this world a bit more. Which, like, I am all here for, just saying.

I can see people being conflicted with the resolution of the big baddie, which I would fully understand. A lot of stuff happened behind the scenes which led to one character’s actions, and a character readers may have expected to act more in the end plot didn’t. It bothered me a little as well, but not enough that I disliked the ending. Just enough that I went “huh” about it but could still move along well enough.

The struggle within Aru continued to be very heartfelt and hard, though, and enjoyable to read up to the end. Having the villain be her father never felt like it was forgotten about or brushed to the side, and it always carried a weight for the character, and it just made the narrative more compelling and her character arc more enjoyable. It also made her moral struggle feel more believable because she had even more reason to see the opposite side.

❧ Overall, this was a fantastic series. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mythology-based series like Percy Jackson, adventurous MG fantasy tales with lots of great humor and heart, and just wants to have a great time. In the end will still be 4 stars because, well, still an adult who can’t help but be pulled out a bit by the kiddish moments, but I think if I had read this when I was younger, this would have been a solid 5 stars that would have had the same nostalgic love as PJO.

kaikai1618's review

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4.0

FANTASTIC AND ICONIC SERIES. The way this ended was satisfying and I loved how the characters grew into themselves and were forced to face their deepest insecurities and fears. I’m so sad it’s over.

Middle grade books like this have so much life in them. It's something I find lacking in a lot of YA books I've been reading recently. There's so much action, heartbreak, maturity, and love packed into these characters and plotlines. With the simple idea of trying to find yourself and do the right thing in a complicated and confusing world, aru is a character that I loved to see grow. She's angry and confused in a way I wish more books showed young girls feeling. There's a huge emphasis on close friendship and family. I loved the depth of each character facing their fears and coming out stronger on the other side of it. This is one of my new favorite book series, and I hope so many kids will be able to see themselves in such a diverse and well written cast of characters. It makes me so happy that more people will grow up seeing themselves in such books. KEEP MIDDLE GRADE ALIVE!! KEEP FIGHTING FOR MIDDLE GRADE AUTHORS!!

iheartpuns's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

chickchick22's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So sad it needed to end!

ecramer44's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What a wonderful conclusion to this quintet of books! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I love all the decisions that were made and the brief glimpses into the others minds. I do wish we had seen more Ari and Aiden in this book but it’s fine. I need to know what happens next though…