ARU SHAH AND THE SONG OF DEATH Pandava, Bool 2

Soneela Nankani shifts smoothly from Hindu mythology to pop-culture references in the second story about a seventh-grade girl who has her feet planted in both worlds, though not always firmly. Heroine Aru Shah is being framed by someone who has stolen Cupid's bow and arrows from an enchanted shopping center and is turning humans into heartless zombies. Aru and her best friend, Mini, join forces with Brynne and her best friend, Aiden, to find and defeat the thief. Nankani individualizes the four children and a host of fascinating characters of the Otherworld, including a giant blue crab who's infuriated when he's associated with Disney characters and a sage whose curses are comical. Nankani gets the balance of humor and adventure exactly right. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]