Hey y’all! In contrast to Throwback Thursday, I like to use Fridays to look forward to an upcoming release that I’m excited about! Today’s is Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu!
Expected Release: November 2, 2021
Why wait on this one?
- A boy is born with blue skin, and subsequently thought to be the newest reincarnation of the god Vishnu. Talk about pressure, amirite? That premise alone is basically enough to pull my attention to this because of how rife with possibility it is even at it’s bare-bones overview.
- I know a bit about Indian culture, Vishnu, and reincarnation — but of course I’m always delighted to learn more. I usually shy away from any book that has a religion angle because it tends not to interest me. The framing of this one, however, has me ready to dive into deep questions and discuss heavy topics with people before I’ve even read a single page.
- Robust would be the word I’d use to define my expectations of this. From the blurb alone, I expect: religion, belief, identity crises, immigration, temptation, sinning, culture clash, family conflict, philosophy, doubt… Frankly, I can’t imagine how so much could be in one book. And yet, I get the sense that it will be done so well. I am very excited.
- Plus… okay… the cover is gorgeous. That is absolutely what got my attention the first time as I was scrolling through ARCs months and months ago. Big kudos to the cover artist. (The alt cover isn’t bad either.)
Summary
In Tamil Nadu, India, a boy is born with blue skin. His father sets up an ashram, and the family makes a living off of the pilgrims who seek the child’s blessings and miracles, believing young Kalki to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. In Kalki’s tenth year, he is confronted with three trials that will test his power and prove his divine status and, his father tells him, spread his fame worldwide. While he seems to pass them, Kalki begins to question his divinity.
Over the next decade, his family unravels, and every relationship he relied on—father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin—starts falling apart. Traveling from India to the underground rock scene of New York City, Blue-Skinned Gods explores ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and spans continents and faiths, in an expansive and heartfelt look at the need for belief in our globally interconnected world.
My Book Joy 
