I spent most of the book rooting for him and wanting him to be whoever he is, god or not, to have clarity on that, and why.īlue-Skinned Gods does an amazing job at depicting the tension between belief and truth.

But being a god comes with its own responsibilities, and that is what made Kalki a reliable and lovable character. Like us humans, he doubts his abilities and as a young kid, he wants to be a child too. There is definitely a struggle to find out who he is and there are times when he knows he is privileged because he is a god. But that does not mean that he truly sees himself as the people that he reads about. Kalki has grown up being told he is a god and his actions are defined by what the texts tell him is appropriate behaviour. As a blue-skinned boy who is the reincarnation of Vishnu, he does not associate much with other kids, his interactions being limited to his cousin, Lakshman, and a devotee who comes to heal and live with them, Roopa. Homeschooled by his father and immersed in Indian sacred texts, Kalki is a wealth of knowledge on old teachings. Hinduism and the worship of Vishu and his incarnations are an integral part of Kalki’s story. The last part of the book is about Kalki’s personal growth and decisions for the rest of his life. The first three focus on the most important people in Kalki’s life, including his cousin, his mother, and his father. In an ashram in Tamil Nadu, his parents and aunt and uncle host devotees from around the world who have some to see him and get his help in healing themselves.

His skin is blue in colour and that seems like a definite sign of his divinity. There are old texts that have prophesied his birth and now that he is here, he must pass some tests to prove he is truly who everyone thinks he is. If you have travelled to or lived in India or any place where Hinduism is practiced, like Sri Lanka, your prior knowledge will come in very handy as mine sure did!īlue-Skinned Gods introduces us to Kalki, a 10-year-old boy who is believed to be the tenth and final reincarnation of the Hindu god, Vishu.

This was a hard read for me at times and I encourage you to check the content notes before reading the book. Blue-Skinned Gods is a thought-provoking book about faith and belief, the lengths that we go to, and the reasons we use to justify our actions that control someone who does not know any better.

Blue-Skinned Gods by S.J. Sindu