Book Review: The Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

Release date: April 1, 2006
Read: Mid-July, 2015 and many times before that
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: Paperback, 279 pages
Series: Book #2 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Description from Goodreads: 
   The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Review: Eventful, enticing, and downright funny. These are the first three words that come to mind when I think about this book. The none-stop rolling plot, the hidden meanings, the otherworldly places they visit. It all fits together perfectly. The first time I read the Sea of Monsters, I have to admit, I kind of hated Tyson. He seemed so needy, but the more I read about him, the more I realized that he was okay. My favourite scene is tied between Circe's island and Annabeth swimming to the Sirens. Both involve great sorcery: Circe herself, and the veil the Siren's put over people when they hear their music. The Son of Neptune, also by Rick Riordan, references the Island, which intrigues me, and I have always heard about evil mermaids, Sirens, who control their victims with their powerful voices. But to read about them with great detail in a more realistic perspective is a whole 'nother story.

Favourite Quotes:

• "THAT Perseus always won. That's why my mom had named me after him, even if he was a son of Zeus and I was a son of Poseidon. The original Perseus was one of the only heroes in greek myths that got a happy ending. The others died- betrayed, mauled, mutilated, poisoned or cursed by the gods. My mom hoped I would inherit Perseus's luck. Judging by how my life was going so far, I wasn't too optimistic." -Rick Riordan
• "Mythologically speaking, if there's anything I hate worse than trios of old ladies, it's bulls. Last summer, I fought the Minotaur on top of Half-Blood Hill. This time what I saw up there was even worse: two bulls. And not just regular bulls- bronze ones the size of elephants. And even that wasn't bad enough. Naturally they had to breath fire, too." -Rick Riordan
• "Annabeth: My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris. Percy: The brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches? Annabeth: No, Seaweed Brain. That's HUMMUS. Hubris is worse. Percy: What could be worse than hummus? Annabeth: Hubris means deadly pride, Percy. Thinking you can do things better than anyone else... even the gods." -Rick Riordan

Rating: 8/10

Recommended if you like: constant adventure, travel, fantasy, mythology, destiny, fate, short reads, kid novels

A recipe for disaster,

Lauren

Book Review: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

Release date: July 1, 2005.

Read: 2009, and three times since.
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: Paperback, 375 pages
Series: Book #1 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Description from Goodreads: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Review: "Blaa-ha-ha!" Just imagine. Your best friend is a satyr and you are only part human. Honestly, that'd be awesome. Who wouldn't want a little excitement in their lives? (And yes, I do realize that I would be constantly hunted.) You'd have supernatural powers and automatically be a pretty good fighter. That's the dream.
     The Lightning Thief is a well thought-out book. Rick Riordan took information, myths, and stories from textbooks and created an enchanting new world. He used prior knowledge and added an exciting twist. From Percy Jackson's point of view, you emerge into a camp filled with magical creatures and people to meet. Everything, from the climbing wall that spills lava to the appearances of monsters, is detailed, except for the characters. Only a few characters have backstories. How and when did Clarisse get to camp? When was the camp built? These are questions I'd love to have answers to. Although we don't learn much about some demigods other than their appearances, I still adore this book, and I understand that it is meant to have a sequel.

Favourite Quotes:

•  "It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality."- Chiron, Rick Riordan
•  "The real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."- Annabeth, Rick Riordan

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommended if you like: greek mythology, gods, supernatural worlds, adventure books, or the Kane Chronicles

A recipe for disaster,

Lauren