Name: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes
Rating: 4.304347826086956 (23 reviews)
ISBN: 9781368055079

Roshani Chokshi

The third in five books about a 12-year-old girl named Aru Shah and her journey to find her Pandava sisters in order to restore order to the world and save the mother she loves.

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Anna Stewart

Aru Shah had a gigantic lightning bolt, and she really wanted to use it. 

“Please don’t, Shah,” begged her friend Aiden. “If you electrocute the targets with Vajra…we’ve blown this Pandava mission.” 

” said Aru, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. “I’m the daughter of the god of thunder and lightning. Electricity is practically my thing.” 

“Yesterday you stuck a fork in the toaster,” pointed out Aiden. 

, and it was holding my breakfast prisoner.”

” echoed Aru. “Do I look like Spider-Man to you?” 

“Well, you sometimes wear those pajamas…” said Mini. 

Her father. Aru wished she could only see him as the monster that he was. But certain memories kept messing with her head, and sometimes she didn’t picture the Sleeper as he was now, but as the dad he had been in the past. The man who had cradled her. If just for an hour.

I know it's not connected but my dumbass brain here is thinking about how Percy Jackson lives in New York and that's probably what Brynne means lol (and honestly it would be 

 if Aru's universe was in fact connected to Percy's universe, so that's what I choose to believe)

Ten minutes later, Aru found herself deeply concerned for the citizens of Atlanta. Not one person seemed to bat an eyelash at the four kids lugging masses of human-shaped vines through the streets of downtown. 

Brynne scoffed. “I live in New York. Trust me, this is nothing.”

“You’ve seen our dreams?” asked Aru, panicking. 

For a moment, she wondered if the twins knew about her constant nightmare…the one where she betrayed everyone she loved, just as the Sleeper had predicted. 

But Sheela shook her head. “Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone about how, in your dreams, Aiden—” 

“If they know they can’t get in,” she asked, “why do they bother trying?” 

A corner of Aiden’s mouth lifted in a half smile. “Everyone needs hope.”

Once again, the whole fate of the Otherworld depended on them, Aru thought. And it wasn’t just the Otherworld’s fate…it was theirs, too.

I'm sure Boo has an Aiden fan account 😂💕

Boo swayed back and forth, tossing his beak one way and then the next. Finally, he grumbled. “

 dawdling at any point in time and throwing off the mission timing,” he said, pointing his wing at Aru. 

 lecturing about all the opportunities for fatality and thus ruining group morale,” he said to Mini. 

 picking fights with things that randomly offend you,” he said to Brynne. 

Boo turned to Aiden. “Keep up the good work.” 

Aiden beamed, and all three girls glared at him.

Boo looked at them, warmth shining in his round eyes. “Pandavas, you are far more than the things you fight with.” 

“Your father made this for me,” she said, not looking at Aru. “He was of partial gandharva descent, and he loved music. I was so nervous when I found out I was going to have you, Aru. He told me to write each fear on a piece of paper. Then he turned them into songbirds, to remind me that the things that scare us can also give us joy. We just have to learn how to see them in a different light.”

Poor Aru lol I'm sure she looked cool as hell

Aru mentally checked in with Brynne and Mini, who were making their way toward her. 

On a scale of one to Galadriel, how awesome does my hair look?

I love you, but you look like you got in a fight with Pikachu

She understood what it meant to wake up from a nightmare only to find you were still caught in a real-life one. And so she reached for the words her mother always said when Aru had a bad dream. 

“If you’re scared…just turn on the light.”

Fine, she thought. Maybe little sisters weren’t so bad after all.

Rudy looked them over. “You guys almost look as good as me.” 

“Thanks!” said Mini brightly, but then she frowned once she caught on that it was a typical Rudy compliment. Which is to say, it wasn’t one. 

Aiden, for his part, didn’t say anything. He just looked from Brynne to Mini and, finally, Aru. His gaze seemed to linger on her a fraction too long.

“You look…” he started to say, before suddenly glancing away. 

Aru leaned forward, her skin prickling, but she knew it wasn’t Vajra this time. 

Magic still sometimes caught Aru by surprise. She loved how it made her feel 

. Not like she was insignificant, but like the world was so much vaster and more colorful than she could ever imagine. Like she belonged to something greater than herself.

That was Mini. She had a list of unpronounceable phobias, but still she somehow managed to be fearless when it mattered most.

“I know a thousand ways a person can die, but that doesn’t make me want to live any less,” she said quietly. “I think other people feel the same way…otherwise, how do we get through the day? That, I think, is a huge wonder.”

“Are you strutting, Wifey?” asked Mini. 

Aiden suddenly slowed. Brynne looked him over and snorted. 

“D-2,” said Aiden before giving up and shaking his head. “Why are you guys like this?” 

She doesn't see it, but are is so badass 💅👑 love her sm

, said Aru, speaking to her sisters through their Pandava mind link. 

Sahi K

Definitely a 4.5. 

I don’t think I’m currently reading any middle grade books except this series but I can never let this one go because it’s too special and close to my heart. It took me a while to get to it because of the pandemic but reading it was a joy and I’m so happy. 

The strength of this series has always been how well Roshani seamlessly integrates various stories from Hindu mythology into a modern adventure tale, and it never fails to bring a smile on my face. There were many of my favorites this time around including the legend of the Kalpavriksha, the Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu and the story of the Amritha manthan - but I absolutely loved the way the Yakshaprashna sequence from the Mahabharata was included. There are also many laughs to be had along the way, but the action felt more scary and the stakes were definitely higher this time. The pacing is quite fast and if not for my slumpy mood, this wouldn’t have taken me more than a day to finish. The characters are thrown into situation after scary situation, and there’s hardly any time to take a breath in the middle of their quest - and we readers are equally swept away on this thrilling adventure. 

The characters have really come a long way through these three books and it shows. Particularly Aru spends a lot of this book self-reflecting on the life she could have had if things had been different with her father, contemplating if she is the right person to be the de facto leader of their group, and how would she ever be successful in this war. We really feel very connected to her emotionally and long for her to realize that she is worth it. 

We also get our final two Pandava sisters Nikita and Sheela who have their own powers with plants and prophecies respectively. But they are also ten years old, so it was kinda adorable to see some little ones who had already suffered a lot, but still wanna fulfill their destiny. We also Rudy, Aiden’s cousin who is a bit of a self-obsessed obnoxious royal but brings a lot of humor to the proceedings with his pretentious dialogue as well as absolute cluelessness about anything earthly. Brynne and Aiden also get to shine, especially in the action sequences and it was marvelous to see her bravery and his resourcefulness in full light.

But I really thought Mini got a great chance to standout even though we never get to read the story from her POV. She has always been someone who has a quiet strength about her and is very loyal to her sisters, but in the aforementioned Yakshaprashna scene, we really get to see how thoughtful and wise she has grown to be, and how much more she deserves to be celebrated. 

To conclude, this was an absolutely delightful read and I had so much fun buddy reading it with my dear friend Tova. If you are someone who loves middle grade adventures with great characters and a beautiful mythological backdrop, then you should totally checkout this series. And if you are already a fan but haven’t gotten the chance to read this latest installment yet, do pick it up soon because I promise this is the exact kind of fun story you need during these anxious times. And after that doozy of an ending, I am eagerly awaiting the next book which already has a spectacular gold cover, and it can’t come out soon enough.

War between the devas and the demons is imminent, and the Otherworld is on high alert. Fourteen-year-old Aru Shah and her friends are sent on a mission to rescue two "targets," one of whom is about to utter a prophecy that could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Turns out the targets, a pair of twins, are the newest Pandava sisters, though the prophecy says that one sister is not true. When the Pandavas fail to prevent the prophecy from reaching the Sleeper's ears, the heavenly attendants ask them to step aside. Aru believes that the only way to put the shine back on their brand is to find the Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree that came out of the Ocean of Milk when it was churned. If she can reach it before the Sleeper, perhaps she can turn everything around with one wish. Careful what you wish for, Aru . . .

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes (A Pandava Novel Book 3)

Candyce Kirk

After finishing Aru Shah and the Song of Death a few days ago, I was so happy that Aru Shah and 
the Tree of Wishes was already available for me to read. Roshani Chokshi created a world and an amazing cast of characters that I just didn't want to let go. She takes us on an adventure you won't forget while mixing mythology and culture like it belongs in the story. I think that is my favorite aspect of these books.

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes starts off a year after the second one ended and it starts off with a bang. I did feel that out of the three books we have so far that this one felt a bit weaker. Don't get me wrong, I still loved the story and characters, but I felt it took a bit more effort for me to get lost in this one. It also seemed while the first two books had me laughing out loud frequently from all of the references and jokes, that this one didn't do that as often. I don't always need those, but it is something that I noticed.

I do have to say that I feel the characters are really starting to grow in these books. Especially Aru. She feels bad for starting this whole "war" as it is and feels that she needs to prove herself. I felt like she's finally starting to believe in herself a bit more and realize how strong she is. On top of that, I loved how close she's gotten with Brynne and Mini. They really feel like sisters and I love how great they work together. It's really nice to see. Family isn't always what you expect and this book shows that well. 

Seeing how Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes is a third book, I don't want to give too much away. This is really a story you need to experience on your own, but it's definitely one of my favorite middle grade series so far. If you're looking for a great adventure, an amazing cast of characters and a lot of humor, I definitely suggest picking up this series. I do have to say with how Roshani ended this book, it really left me wanting more! I would love to get my hands on the fourth book now!

laura

I really loved listening to this book. I loved this next inslalement in this series. It was such a fun and fast pace read. I loved how the friendship circle keeps getting bigger and bigger and the drama keeps getting more intense. I really loved the focus of the main story on this one. I also really liked the big ending and wonder what complications that will lead to in book 4! Really loved the focus on the gang in this read!

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and Rockstar book tours! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Book Series: Pandava Series

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Indian main character and side characters!

Publication Date: April 7, 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy

Recommended Age: 10+ (slight violence, some scary moments)

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Pages: 412

Amazon Link

Synopsis: War between the devas and the demons is imminent, and the Otherworld is on high alert. When intelligence from the human world reveals that the Sleeper is holding a powerful clairvoyant and her sister captive, 14-year-old Aru and her friends launch a search-and-rescue mission. The captives, a pair of twins, turn out to be the newest Pandava sisters, though, according to a prophecy, one sister is not true.
During the celebration of Holi, the heavenly attendants stage a massage PR rebranding campaign to convince everyone that the Pandavas are to be trusted. As much as Aru relishes the attention, she fears that she is destined to bring destruction to her sisters, as the Sleeper has predicted. Aru believes that the only way to prove her reputation is to find the Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree that came out of the Ocean of Milk when it was churned. If she can reach it before the Sleeper, perhaps she can turn everything around with one wish.
Careful what you wish for, Aru . . .

Review: Holy cow this book was so good! I absolutely loved the characters, old and new, especially Sheela! My new fave next to Aru! I loved the world building and I loved how this group of heroines and heroes solved issued and fought together. The book was well written and fun, and it was well paced.

I didn’t really have an issue with the book at all. In a couple of spots, it was slow but that was to build tension. The book also ended on an absolute cliffhanger that boggled my mind. I need book 4!!

Verdict: Love this series!

Kelsey Holtaway

I feel like this book is the installment where the series really comes into its own.

In this book we’re following the gang (plus some new additions!) as they learn of a prophecy with potentially devastating consequences and search for the Tree of Wishes in order to stop the Sleeper. 

I love seeing the gang grow, i love the adventure and character development, but what i loved MOST was seeing the strength of these characters finally develop. 

In the first couple books in this series the group tended to get by with luck + their wits, but THIS installment shows their training and their teamwork, and it was a delight to see how the puzzles and battles played out with a few years being pandavas under their belts. 

I especially loved Mini’s growth in this book- the confidence, the strength, the leadership she was able to show. It’s the arc Mini deserves!

After fourteen-year-old Aru Shah and her friends fail to keep a prophecy from the Sleeper, they undergo a rebranding campaign to prove the Pandavas's trustworthiness, but Aru believes they need to focus on finding the Tree of Wishes before the Sleeper and stopping war between the devas and the demons.

Lisa Beasley

I seriously love this series! It's so so so good. And this one was fabulous, I love Aru so much. What a bloody cliffhanger ending that was! I need the last book now! Please?

4.5 stars

Jeremy Cote

I thought this was a good read. The story is fast-paced as usual, and it's always nice to learn a bit more about various mythologies. I enjoyed reading the book, and I definitely recommend it for anyone who has read the others.

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

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