Indecision

A few months ago, in early April, I gave my dad a short speech about how what I really wanted to read was a book in which the protagonist (who, in the majority of the books I read these days, is a girl) had to choose between two boys and I couldn't choose who my favorite was. In all the books I've ever read that feature love triangles, I've always known who I want the girl to end up with from the very beginning. For Bella, I chose Edward over Jacob; for Katniss, I chose Peeta over Gale; for Clary, I chose Jace over Simon; for Tessa, I chose Will over Jem; for Ellie, I chose Will over Gavin (and I think over Kamil, too, but I still haven't finished those and I never really got to know him); for Jacky, I chose Jamie over... well, everyone else, haha; etc. This is not to say I got them all right; maybe I did, maybe I didn't (not telling). The point is, I always knew my choice, even when the girl didn't know hers. I always knew who I wanted her to be with. After so many books in which I was never uncertain, I wanted one in which I was. I wanted a book with a love triangle, where the girl couldn't choose between two boys and I couldn't either. Less than a week later, I found one. I give you The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary has grown up listening to her mother's stories. Stories of a time, before the Return, when the Unconsecrated were not a constant danger, when the village was not an island of life in a sea of death, when there was a world outside the fences. Stories of a place called the ocean, where there is only water as far as you can see, and where the water is always moving, and where the water is filled with salt. And Mary feels restless. But the Sisterhood knows best, and it is not good to ask questions. Mary knows this, and she knows that soon her friend Harry will ask her to the Harvest Celebration, and next spring they will be married. Even though she wishes his brother Travis would ask her instead. But before she can accept her future with Harry, her mother is bitten by an Unconsecrated and released to the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Her brother Jed blames her, and he turns her out of their house. And since Harry fails to claim her, Mary's only choice is to join the Sisterhood, and relinquish what little freedom she has. But the unprecedented arrival of an Outsider from somewhere past the fences sets off a chain of events that leaves Mary and her loved ones without a home and with no choice but to venture beyond the fences and into the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

This book is a "postapocalyptic romance." Yes, it is about zombies. No, it is not a zombie massacre book. I think the Unconsecrated (aka the zombies) are just a vessel for the story, and they are dealt with sophisticatedly and sans cliches. The threat of the Unconsecrated is only the primary adversity the characters face; they are in a truly life-and-death situation. This is a story about the variable resilience of faith in personal beliefs, and it is a story about the bonds that hold people together, their mercurial strength in the face of hardship, and how they are broken. These are two beautiful themes, in my opinion. And it is a captivating book in all areas: the themes, the writing, the romance, the impossible journey, the secrets, the Unconsecrated. The writing is a curious combination of formal and informal, both beautifully simple and fascinatingly complex. The characterization is thorough and compelling; all the main characters have personal strengths and weaknesses, and they are all believable. Mary is a truly inspiring protagonist; she is strong and determined and stays true to herself. And Sister Tabitha is a very intriguing quasi-antagonist.
But, as I hinted in my introduction above, I think my favorite part of this novel is the love triangle. Travis or Harry? Harry or Travis? Mary is smitten with Travis at the outset, but her feelings fluctuated, and so did mine. In fact, I believe mine fluctuated more than hers! It was unprecedented. First I favored Harry, and then Travis, and then Harry again, and then Travis again, and then, and then, etc, etc. It was such an invigorating feeling, not being able to choose. And, as an added positive, it caused me to be very attached to both of them, as people and as love interests. I truly believe this is the first book I have read that has fostered such romantic indecision in me, and for this, I commend it to no end.

There's a movie page for The Forest of Hands and Teeth on IMDb, but the information is limited to writers (screenplay and novel), producer, and production attorney (...what?). It says 2011, but I can't imagine that's the truth, if they don't even have a director yet, let alone primary cast. According to Carrie Ryan's blog and the Seven Star Pictures site, it is a current project, though they say it is expected to come out in 2012 (makes a lot more sense to me). For this kind of book, the movie could go either way, but I would definitely see it. I feel like even if they don't get all the details right, and even if I don't agree with their casting choices, it will still be an amazing movie to watch, especially in theaters. Ha. I'm gonna cry so much. I forgot to say, this book made me cry more than just about every other book I've ever read. Second only to Deathly Hallows. I cried a lot. Anyways, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

There is a sequel - three, actually - though I'd say they're more of companions. I believe there are some of the same characters, but the stories belong to new and different protagonists. There is no cliff hanger at the end of The Forest of Hands and Teeth; you do not have to read the others. I'm going to, though. I already have the second book, The Dead-Tossed Waves. The third book is called The Dark and Hollow Places. And the third companion, which is really a prequel to the first, is called Hare Moon. It is about Sister Tabitha. I intend to read it. I like Carrie Ryan's writing, and I like the stories, so I'm gonna read all of them.

Thanks to... huh. I don't think I have anyone to thank for this. That's... unfortunate. Oh, I suppose I could thank Madeleine, my wonderful friend, who you will definitely hear a lot more about in the future, for reading this book after me, even though I sprung it on her at a really random time. And for finishing it really fast, so we could talk about it at that special sleepover when she finished reading the Hunger Games series to me and I started reading the Mortal Instruments series to her. She's pretty cool. So thanks, Maddie.

Recommendation: This is for sure YA, not that other people won't like it, but just be aware. If you like postapocalyptic romances, this is the book for you. If you like a little mystery mixed in, this has it. If you enjoy reading about zombies but are sick of all the usual stuff, check this out. And if, like me, you just want a book with a love triangle that you can't make up your mind about, this is the answer to your prayers. It was the answer to mine. I still can't get over how soon after I ranted to my dad I found exactly what I was looking for. I loved it.

Ten Percent

Earlier this summer I went to a week-long writing workshop at the home of a local YA author. It was awesome. See, because I want to be a writer. And I feel like the workshop really helped cement that decision in me. And it helped me become a better writer and a more critical reader, which is an incredibly important aspect to writing. Anyway, before the workshop, in order to have a common medium for talking about things, we all read The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. It's very thought-provoking, both in the story and the writing. At one point I was going to use it in one of my college essays, if that says anything, but that didn't end up working out. Anyway, tadaaaa!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just woken up from a year-long coma that resulted from a car accident. She cannot remember the accident, and she cannot remember anything from before it. She doesn't recognize her mom, or her dad, or her grandma; she doesn't even recognize herself. They have given her family videos documenting her whole life, some of which begin to spark too-vivid memories, but there is something wrong. There is something wrong with the her parents' story, and there is something wrong with her. All Jenna wants is to live a normal life, to live her own life. And maybe to know the truth. What really happened the night of the accident? Are all these memories really hers? Whose voices scream for her help when no one is around? And who is Jenna Fox, really?

This is the kind of book that gets in your head and eats your brain for snack, and then you're just like ...Wait, what? I kid you not. It's blow-your-mind twisty (means it has twists, people; use your noggins). It's slightly futuristic, as in, it's not at all, but there are borderline sci-fi elements that can't be ignored. Very mysterious. Also, the idea that this book surrounds is just crazy. How on earth did Mary E. Pearson come up with it? I'm still getting little "aha!" moments from it, and I read it like... weeks ago. Anyways, like I said, this book is super thought-provoking and will leave your mind spinning for days. And, the characters are so interesting! Lily and Dane especially, if you ask me, though I was expecting more of a storyline for one of them (no, I won't tell you whom). And Jenna, of course. Watching her struggle with her conflicting needs to know the truth, protect herself, and save her loved ones is familiar, and seeing the choices she makes is inspiring. Also, I feel like this book is secretly about every teenager's uncertainty about who they are and if they're normal.
Another really interesting thing about this book is the writing style. Little chaptered scenes divided by (usually) single-paged, poetically-flowing snippets of thought, on slightly darker paper. And it's the kind of writing that is wonderfully easy to read, that just streams through your head like you're drinking it. A bit of a page-turner, too, but it just glides so easily, on and on and on like you're not even turning pages. The kind of book you could curl up in a chair and read in a day, without lifting your eyes to look out the window or getting up for a snack even once. You wouldn't notice the time passing, because it flows just as smoothly as the words.

As far as I know there is no movie, which is kind of good cause I really don't know how they would do that. Actually, scratch that. That would be incredibly easy for them to do. Obviously everyone should ignore me because I have no idea what I am talking about.

ThereisgonnabeasequelandIamsuperjuiced. It's coming out this August on the 30th!!!!!!!!! And it's called The Fox Inheritance. It's gonna be awwwwesommmmme.

Thanks to Deborah, for having the writing workshop, because it was an amazing week. And thanks to all the wonderful friends I made there. I don't want to name everyone, though I will say that one of the best non-writing activities I took part in was hot-actor-obsessing with Riley, Courtney, and Amy. Which was so much fun.

Recommendation: Technically, this is a YA book, but I know adults would like it, too. Let's say, anyone who likes some good thought-provoking sci-fi. Anyone who wants to be left with something to continue turning over in their mind for days afterwards. Moral dilemmas abound, so if you like those, go for it. And anyone who wants a book that they can just sink into and flow through, as easy as gliding down one of those lazy inner-tube rivers at a water park.

Heartthrob Numero Uno del Mundo

Here's something fun: At the beginning of the summer, I made it my goal to read as many of the literary classics as I could. Here's something not so fun: Due to an inordinate amount of summer homework and college shopping, I have only had time to read one. And summer's almost over. I am going to continue on this little venture, though, because used copies are fairly cheap at Pegasus, so when I went, I ended up getting about twenty million and spending all my money. Basically, I have muchos libros classicos (I am such a pro at Spanglish), and I am very excited to read them, summer or school year. Anywho, the one book I have read is none other than Pride and Prejudice by none other than Jane Austen. I really don't think I need to summarize this book, but whatever. Here goes.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Bennet family lives a good life in their home at Longbourn, but this will end as soon as Mr. Bennet dies. When he passes, Longbourn will be entailed to Mr. Collins (a cousin), and his family will be without a home. Because of this, Mrs. Bennet is anxious to get her five daughters married off to respectable young men as soon as possible. The daughters are as follows: Jane, the beautiful eldest, is idealistic and optimistic, and can only think the best of people; Elizabeth is headstrong, practical, and her father's favorite; Mary is antisocial and focused on her studies, and is wholly unconcerned with men and marriage; Catherine, or Kitty, is shy, naïve, and frivolous; and Lydia, the youngest, who is even more naïve and frivolous, but not at all shy, is boy-crazy and extremely foolish. When the wealthy Mr. Bingley moves in to Netherfield, bringing his two sisters, one brother-in-law, and one friend, Mrs. Bennet is sure that he will make a wonderful husband for one of her girls. He takes an immediate liking to Jane, who takes an immediate liking to him as well, so that seems like a done deal. And maybe his friend, Mr. Darcy, could marry another one of her girls? But no, that is not to be; Darcy's arrogance and standoffishness make him quite despised by everyone in town, especially Elizabeth. She takes an immediate dislike to him, and he returns the sentiment. Meanwhile, a militia regiment has arrived to nearby Meryton, and is staying the whole winter. Kitty and Lydia become quite smitten with all the men, while Elizabeth strikes up a flirtatious acquaintance with the favorite, Mr. Wickham. But there is more to Wickham than meets the eye, and it seems that he and Darcy, who is paying Elizabeth a bit more attention than either of them expected (though the attention is antagonistic), have had a very rocky past relationship. To make matters even more complicated, Mr. Collins, the cousin who will inherit Longbourn when Mr. Bennet passes, comes to visit - and to choose a bride among the sisters? Mild scandal ensues on all fronts, especially when it appears Bingley did not fancy Jane as much as everyone had thought - and when Darcy appears to have unwillingly developed feelings for the least likely Bennet daughter.

This book is long! Really long! It took me (exactly) two weeks to read! Wait, that doesn't sound like a very long time. But it is! And it felt long! (Ooh... Nope. Don't say it. I see what I wrote, now let's just forget that happened.) Three hundred and seventy-three pages of the smallest type you have ever seen in a real-life novel! I am not kidding! The chapters were short, though, so I often ended up reading for a lot longer than I planned. (You know, the "I'll just read one more chapter, it won't take long" deal.)
Also, the language is true to the time period, ergo very decorous. Big words + formal syntax + early nineteenth century England = sometimes I would read a whole paragraph without any inkling of what it meant = I did a lot of rereading of passages. But after a while, I kind of got into a rhythm with it, so I understood it better and sometimes found myself thinking in that style of language even when I wasn't reading, which was fun and exciting and made me feel highly cultured. So although it is a slow read, it is also an enjoyable read. At least, it was for me.
Anyway, this book is great. I mean, I can for sure understand why it's considered a classic. I'm pretty sure we all know how it ends, or at least who the poster couple of this book is, but if you don't know and don't want to know, skip the rest of this paragraph because it is about to be fraught with SPOILERS. Watching the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy shift and grow is a delicious treat and extremely satisfying. I mean really, who doesn't love sexual tension? (Although, if Jane Austen or any of her characters heard me say that, I would be completely shunned by their entire society.) And Jane and Bingley are incredibly cute. Mr. Bennet is hilarious, Mrs. Bennet is infuriating, Kitty is adorably silly, Lydia is appallingly frustrating, and Mr. Collins is all four of those things. Mary is dismissible, awkward, and, though I feel bad saying this, a bit pathetic. Bingley's sisters drive me nuts, and his brother-in-law is even more dismissible than Mary. Wickham is more or less despicable and extremely good at throwing away my respect, though he starts off disarmingly charming; however, I couldn't help loving him, and I fully blame the TV miniseries Lost in Austen, which I stupidly watched before reading the book. There are loads of other distinctive characters whose names I could never keep straight. And their society seems so shallow and frivolous - I found myself simultaneously looking down on and laughing at the general population. Despite this, it's incredibly interesting to get a peek at the culture of the time.
Also, Mr. Darcy is Heartthrob Number One of the world.
I think what I found most interesting about Jane Austen's writing is that there are next to no physical descriptions of the characters. I mean sure, we get handsome or beautiful, and we get some general ideas of height, weight, and build, but nothing concrete that can be used to form a picture in your head. Nothing about hair or eye color, nothing about facial features, nothing about anything like that. Oh, I think she does refer to some of the characters as "fair," but still, that's pretty much nothing. It's kind of cool, because then the picture you form in your head is completely yours and defined by what you find attractive, but I don't know if everyone would like that much freedom. Of course, you don't really notice. I didn't notice until after I had already finished the book. It's really interesting that she gave the reader so much freedom, though, in my opinion.


Now, we all know that there is no sequel to Pride and Prejudice, unless you count the numerous ones by other authors, and I don't. But, as we all also know, Jane Austen wrote many other novels, and I bet they are just as good. I am super duper juiced to read them, although none of them are at the top of my summer-of-classics list, mostly because I haven't bought any of them yet. But I do intend to read them at some point.


We all just happen to also know that Pride and Prejudice has been adapted many, many times, most notably in the 1995 BBC television miniseries starring the fantabulous Colin Firth, and the 2005 film starring Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley. I am currently feeling a desperate need to watch the series, which I have never seen before, and to rewatch the movie, which I have. However, neither is streamable on Netflix, which is lame. I will have to get the series from the library, but at least I can borrow the movie from Melinda or Lily, who are both Pride and Prejudice fanatics. I will do that soon.

Thanks to Pegasus for having a gorgeous new copy for only five bucks, and pre-thanks to Melinda and/or Lily, for letting me borrow the movie. You guys are swell and I heart Pegasus!

Recommendation: Anyone who is interested in the classics, and/or is interested in the society and style of early nineteenth-century England. Anyone who appreciates a good romance and SPOILER a happy ending END SPOILER. It's all very appropriate, but, due to the highly decorous language, I'd wait for high school, or at least middle school. (I know middle schoolers can do it if they really want to and put their minds to it.) Really, though, I'm sure pretty much everyone knows enough about this book to know if they can and want to handle it.

"It's All Exactly True."

This past year in English 3 Honors we read a well-known but understated book called The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien. Earlier this week, in preparation of possibly writing a college essay about it, I reread it, and took substantial notes in the margins. Personally, I see writing in books as a minor form of sacrilege, but sometimes I need my notes right there, and anyways, I only write in used books. The point is, this book actually means a lot to me.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This is kind of a hard book to summarize. It's a series of metafictional, semi-autobiographical short stories that take place during (or in connection with) the Vietnam War. The narrator is a young soldier named Tim O'Brien who shares many significant characteristics with the author (most obviously being that they both fought in the Vietnam War). However, even if it matters to you, it's very hard to tell what is real and what is fiction (for example, he very convincingly speaks of his daughter Kathleen, who is absolutely no more than a character in the book). Although, there are times when he explicitly says that a certain thing is made up - not that you can believe him when he says that. It's all about the art of storytelling; he really shows how sometimes in order to make the reader really understand the story, it can't be all true. Sometimes it can't be true at all. Anyways, these short stories, though able to stand alone, are meant to be read together, and in the order they are in. There are things that just click when you read the book the way it's supposed to be read. Like how as you move through the book, it seems like it's just about this guy's time in the war, but it's really about the bond between all the men in the Alpha Company, but it's really about the effect the war had on all of them, but it's really about how to tell a true war story, but it's really about how true the truth actually is. Really, it's about stories, how they arrive, how they affect people, their importance, all of that. And at first you think he's writing all of this because the war really damaged him, and this is how he is dealing with that, but in the last chapter, he introduces a new aspect of his life that affected him deeply, and you realize that this, this, is the real reason for everything. Which completely changes your view of the entire book.
So when you read it again, you get a whole lot more out of it.

I think it's safe to say that this is the only book I have ever read for school that I have actually liked (excluding Shakespeare). I mean, for me, school really ruins books. You are forced to read certain books, and in a certain amount of time, which I find really takes the enjoyment out of reading. Also, English teachers these days go way overboard with the analyzing. I mean really, I would rather not know why the blue house in Beloved has the address 124. (Besides, I kind of feel like they were finding meaning in that number where there wasn't supposed to be any.) In my experience, school turns reading into a chore.
But reading this was not a chore. I fell behind in reading many of the past year's school-assigned books, and usually just skimmed the endings, but for this, I read ahead. Which never happens for me with school books. But I was more or less enthralled by both Tim O'Brien's writing style and his many interweaving stories. I mean, I feel like I did a lot of reviewing in my summary (oops...), but I don't know; this book is really hard to explain. His characters, all of them, are incredibly real and distinct, and it's easy to imagine that they're all as real as Tim himself (because even if the narrator is not the same as the author, thinking of them - him - as two different people is not even an option), and that they all have lived real, human lives. Every single character has a history and a future, though not all of them are told. The stories, though separate, flow spectacularly. And the way he writes, where he emphasizes his own twisting of the truth in an effort to give the story the impact it deserves, is thoroughly fascinating. As the story and its themes evolve, so did my ideas about both it and the art of storytelling. And, being a writer myself, this was invaluable; I see my own style as being similar in a number of ways to that of Tim O'Brien, so this book really gave me a kind of stylistic goal to emulate. This book is really a role model for me.
And I definitely can't wait to read more of his writing.

I don't know if there's a movie, and I don't really care. I don't. There is no way they could satisfactorily capture the writing style, because that's what it is. It's not in ANY way a style, it's a writing style. The beauty in it comes from the reading of it. What? What? Fine. You know what? Fine. I'll look it up.
Okay, so in an NPR interview from March 2010, Tim O'Brien said it has been optioned many times, but it hasn't yet reached the big screen.
However, according to Wikipedia, one of the stories, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," was adapted in 1998, into a film starring Kiefer Sutherland, titled A Soldier's Sweetheart.
Happy?
Oh, thanks. Now I kinda want to watch that... AND it's got Georgina Cates! She was in An Awfully Big Adventure, which was really good despite the title. I watched that when I was home alone after the SAT. It's got Alan Rickman in it (which is, of course, why I watched it). And I can totally see her as Mary Anne! Geez...
Ooh, good, it's not streamable on Netflix. Now I won't be tempted.
Except I still am.
I blame this on you guys.

I suppose I should thank the English 3 Honors teachers for making me read this, but I really don't want to. Hey, thanks to Sarah, my college essay coach, for helping me choose to write an essay about The Things They Carried, so leading me to read it again. I got a lot out of it the first time, but I definitely got even more out of it the second time.

Anyways, splendid book.

Recommendation: Oooh. Umm, let's see. I'd say this is a good read for anyone who just wants to read a book about the Vietnam War, or any war, really, because the effect of war on those involved does not differ between wars. It's a better read for someone interested in alternative writing styles, or who wants to read an engaging manual on storytelling (though it's so much more than that). And anyone who just wants to read a really good book. However, it is about war, so there is death, and there is also a fair amount of foul language. If you find this offensive, or are young (high school is definitely fine, and I know I at least could have managed it in middle school - well, maybe not sixth grade, cause that was my stab-people-with-pencils-whenever-they-swear-in-hearing-range phase). Also, and this is a BIG also, there is some animal cruelty. Enough in the second instance (there are two) that I both wanted to cry and felt sick. For some people, this will be a huge problem - I told my mom that even though she'd like the rest of it, I thought she should absolutely NOT read it. I flat out told her not to, because I know that that stuff really gets to her, and I didn't want her to just skip those bits, because you have to read all of the book, in the sequence it was meant to be read, in order to get everything out of it that you can. I beg you, if you do decide to read The Things They Carried, to please follow this one bolded statement.

Midnight Cravings for Spoonfuls of Honey

We're done with all things Percy for now, because, truthfully, there are no things Percy left at the moment. But recently I read a really good book that I kind of can't get over. It is called Chalice, is by Robin McKinley, and inspired a bit of a honey-and-bee obsession in me that pops back up every once in a while. I know many of the terms in the following summary are going to be unfamiliar and/or confusing, and I'm sorry about that; it's because this book is about a society that, as far as I know, is quite unlike any current societies. Please bear with me.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

Mirasol is just a simple beekeeper who can feel the earthlines of her demesne a little bit more than most - until the out-of-control Master of Willowlands and his inexperienced Chalice die tragically. Willowlands and its earthlines are thrown into turmoil, taking Mirasol with them, and the last thing she expects is to be told that she has been chosen to be the next Chalice. Fueled by a desperate need to save her demesne, Mirasol tries to fulfill her role with no one to train her in her duties as Chalice or teach her the ways of the Circle. Then the old Master's younger brother, who should have been Master instead, returns to succeed him. But the new Master has been with the priests of Fire for seven years and is now too far into Fire to live among ordinary people; he may not even be human anymore. The only way Mirasol can save her demesne, and the only way she can save herself, is to bind Willowlands, its people, and its disintegrating Circle to a new Master, one who is so much a part of Fire that his touch burns human skin.

Unlike most of what I read these days, this book is mainly exposition and long, beautifully crafted descriptions, and has less action and dialogue than I'm used to. That's far from bad, though. It was relaxing to read and flowed easily, and the imagery was deliciously vibrant. The numerous descriptions of a hundred types of honey were so vivid and appealing, during the entire four days I spent reading Chalice, I constantly craved it. I still get hankerings every once in a while; for example, last week I spent half an hour stirring some into a glass of cold milk (because I wanted it cold, that's why). And right now, I could really go for some coconut pancakes with lavender honey. Do they even make lavender honey? They should. It sounds heavenly. Also, the expository sections epitomized great grammar and were chock-full of splendid vocabulary. I had to look up a good number of words (mainly adjectives, I seem to recall, not that it matters), but I'm pretty sure Robin McKinley increased my IQ by about a million points. The writing was very formal, too, as was the dialogue (there may not have been a whole lot, but it was there), which also made me feel smart and sophisticated. And feeling smart and sophisticated is always fun.
This is one of those stories that, at random points throughout the novel, led me to sit back and try to comprehend how the author thought of it. I really don't know. It is such a unique storyline, and so complicated, with all these breathtaking little nuances, and I just have no idea how Robin McKinley came to create it. And then, of course, she put it together gorgeously, and populated it with incredibly real characters.
Mirasol, first of all, is a wonderful character. Her task seems almost hopeless, and she struggles with it, but she does not give up. And despite the pressure from the rest of the Circle for her to conform to traditional Chalice convention, she stays true to herself and her beliefs, and paves her own way as her own Chalice. She is incredibly strong. The Master is also spectacularly designed; the reader cheers for him as he fights to regain his humanity and keep his demesne together, and feels for him as he grapples with the fear that he will and should fail. Even the Grand Seneschal is a compelling character, and it is never obvious whose side he's on.
There are elements of fantasy and historical fiction in Chalice, though they are both subtle. Even more subtle is the element of romance (which you all know I love). It's so subtle, it can be rounded down to being not even there. Only I could pull something like that out of the book. From the beginning, I wanted Mirasol and the Master to be together, just because I wanted somebody to be together and they were the first possible couple I came across. But that idea was so barely touched on, and so taboo in their society, that I couldn't decide whether or not it would actually be part of the story. I know now, of course. And guess what? I'm not telling!
Despite the formal, relaxed, expository composition of this novel, it does have a very riveting climax. I couldn't put the book down near the end, there. Obviously, I hoped for a happy ending, but as I approached the climax, it was impossible for me to tell if there would be one. (And once again, I'm not telling!)

Chalice is not part of a series, and the end does not leave room for a second, but Robin McKinley has written quite a few other books, some of which are award-winning. I loved Chalice, and I , for one, cannot wait to read more of her books. Her writing is positively scrumptious.

Thanks go to the marvelous Lily, who read this because I wanted her to, even though it's not really her style. Like all the books I read, she thought it was "weird," though I do believe she enjoyed it at least a little. As far as I can tell, she views all books that aren't strictly fiction of nonfiction as weird. Which I find hilarious. In general, Lily is hilarious. Love you, my dear!

Recommendation: Anyone who has an appreciation for well-crafted writing, or beautiful and unique societies. Anyone who wants to improve his or her vocabulary, and have a delightful time doing so. Anyone who likes to be surprised, and doesn't like to be able to predict everything. Not people who don't like long descriptions, or need excessive action and dialogue. Though the content is suitable for all ages (in my opinion), I don't recommend this book to preteens or younger, unless we're talking about a spelling bee champion or something. I think fifteen, or ambitious fourteen, is a good cut-off age. In my experience, anyone younger could get easily frustrated with the advanced vocabulary and complex writing structure. Of course, they would probably get bored from the lack of action first. But Chalice is really good, so if you feel you fit these criteria, you should definitely check it out.

Another Little Dose of Percy

So I know I made a gargantuan deal about The Last Olympian being the end of Percy, but the oh-so-generous Rick Riordan has given us something amazing: a sequel series. Now, The Heroes of Olympus has a new cast of characters, though the old are still very present as well (thank the gods), and it's about a lot more than the children of the Greek gods. Percy isn't even in the first book, really. Which makes me sad. But this book is seriously just what any Percy fan needs after finishing the original Percy series. And so we begin with book one, The Lost Hero. There are, however, SPOILERS AHEAD for the original series. This is a new series, so you don't need to read the first series before reading this one, but I really think you should. You'll just appreciate it way more. And Percy is the best, so I really don't know why you would want to skip five books of him him him!

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Jason, Piper, and Leo, three new demigods, are the protagonists of this book, and it switches between their points of view every two chapters. The story starts when Jason wakes up on a bus full of "bad kids," with no idea who he is or where he came from. Piper and Leo, his supposed girlfriend and best friend, are upset that he doesn't remember them, but he is absolutely positive he has never seen them before in his life. He has no idea what's going on, but everything just feels wrong. And then he has to fight some storm spirits and learns he can fly. All in a day's work, right? Here we get our first character reunion: Annabeth and a guy named Butch show up to take our three new friends to Camp Half-Blood, where they discover that they are demigods. Leo, with his always-moving hands and talent with tools, is an obvious fit for the Hephaestus cabin. He would feel right at home, too, if it weren't for the cabin's curse and the metal dragon terrorizing the camp. Piper, on the other hand, doesn't think she belongs anywhere, especially since her dad went missing and she's been getting horribly realistic dreams telling her that the only way to get him back is to betray her friends. And Jason is discovered to be a new son of Zeus - no, wait, Jupiter. As some of his memories come back, he begins to piece together a past in which he belonged to a whole different demigod society, one that has been kept forcibly separate from Camp Half-Blood so long that only Chiron knows of it. Meanwhile, some camper that seems to be famous at camp, a teen named Percy Jackson, (who is also Annabeth's boyfriend, yay!!!) is missing, and the other campers are distraught. And Hera, the queen of the gods, has been imprisoned by a mysterious and powerful force. Something very, very bad is brewing in the world of the gods, who have gone silent at the worst possible time. It is up to none other than Jason, Piper, and Leo to rescue Hera and uncover the truth of what's going on.

I am ashamed to say I didn't finish this book until almost six months after it came out. This is because part way into reading it, I began my five-month long bookfast. OH, THE SHAME! Yes, people, for five months the only reading I did (aside from school-assigned reading, which doesn't count) was on the computer. That's five months of staring at a bright screen, and five months without turning pages. I eventually forced my way back into real reading, which was difficult, but felt incredibly good. I'm never leaving books again!

So I finally finished it, and boy, was I pleased! Well, mostly, but I'll explain that later. First of all, reading about the demigods of Camp Half-Blood and all the characters from the original series was like coming home, and coming back to all my best friends. It was wonderful. Annabeth, Thalia, Rachel, Chiron, some Clarisse, the Stoll brothers; they're practically all there. And there are so many new characters, both good and bad; besides the main three, we meet Butch, Clovis, Drew, Coach Hedge, and many more. As always, Rick Riordan sneakily educates us, this time on Boreas and Aeolus, Medea, Midas, and many more. Also as always, he does it with the perfect combination of action, humor, and teenage angst. This is a wonderful start to the perfect follow-up series that so many of us desperately need.

I do have some problems, though. I mean, I love the story, and I love the writing; nothing's changed there. But this series isn't told in first person, which I think doesn't allow the reader to make as personal of a connection with the narrating character(s). And I also think it doesn't allow Rick Riordan to write in as humorous a voice as he used before, which makes me sad. And then there is that whole thing about how darn much I miss Percy's narrating.
{I guess you could say that I'm about to get into some very slight SPOILERS for this book - and by "very slight" I mean I'm just going to talk about which characters I missed because they weren't in this book. If you don't want to read this part, just skip this next paragraph.}
The other problem I had, and the main problem I had, is just the fact that I missed people. Clarisse isn't mentioned enough (though she is there, thank goodness). Tyson and Grover aren't there (at least not very much at all, because I sure can't remember them being there). Nico isn't in it at all, which really disappointed me because he's such an interesting and complex character, and one of my favorites. And then, of course, there's Percy, who is the "lost hero" in the title. He is MIA during the entire book, though Rick Riordan throws us lots of bones in the form of extremely pleasing references to him (and to his relationship with Annabeth, heehee). This made me so distraught that when I finally finished the book at one in the morning, I had a small but violent Percy-deprivation seizure in my bed and had to fetch my copy of The Last Olympian and read all my favorite parts (which kept me up till three, thus ruining my brain functionality for the following day). However, I am pleased to say that - SMALL SPOILER - the sneak peek of the second book (titled The Son of Neptune, hiphiphooray) on Rick Riordan's website is, while still in third person, entirely in Percy's point of view. So that is DEFINITELY something to look forward to!

Anyway, my final assessment is that The Lost Hero is totally wicked and the perfect fix for all fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians who cried themselves to sleep the night they finished the fifth book and thought it was All. Over.

The next book, The Son of Neptune, is set to come out October 4th. Who's camping out at Barnes & Noble with me?

And, if they do end up making the entire Percy series into movies, well... I mean I guess the movies could get better, in which case I might want them to make this series into movies as well, but for now I'm going to judge them solely on their performance with the Lightning Thief and say PLEASE GOD don't let them continue. At this point, I don't think I could bear it. 

Big huge thanks to Rick Riordan for continuing his Camp Half-Blood stories, ergo saving my life. 'Cause I probably would have died if Percy really had been gone for good. Also, thank you for continuing with the age group instead of starting with new twelve-year-old characters. This way, I continue to grow up with the characters, who tend to be almost exactly my age. It's really fun for me.

Recommendation: EVERYONE, at least everyone who likes to read and/or laugh, who is interested in mythology, who wants to get back into reading, etc. Mainly teens and preteens. Also, EVERYONE WHO READ AND LOVED PERCY. And preferably not people who haven't read Percy; i.e., if you haven't, do so now.

Fifth Post!

The time has finally come for me to review the final installment of my favorite series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. So here it is.
Drumroll, please.
I give you.......... The Last Olympian!
Oh, snap! What a title! You know you love it.
Now, here is where I would usually CAUTION YOU to stop reading if you haven't read all the other books in the series, because this is about to get spoilerific to the max. But I'm not going to, because you should really KNOW BETTER by now.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The fifth book begins with a bang, quite literally: In the first chapter, Percy and Beckendorf blow up a ship. Then, of course, it's straight to camp, where the demigods are preparing for a war that will decide the fate of both the Olympian world and the mortal one. All the gods (minus Poseidon, who is fighting his own war under the ocean) are locked in battle with the giant Typhon, and Kronos, now in Luke's body, is leading his army of monsters and half-bloods to an unprotected Mount Olympus. Percy's sixteenth birthday is in a week, and we all know what that means. The Great Prophecy is finally revealed to our favorite hero and all the rest of the campers, and boy, is it grim. Prophecies are never as they seem, but there's really no way to make what will happen on Percy's birthday sound anything but positively dreadful. Despite the fact that he's practically been handed a death sentence, Percy must lead the demigods of Camp Half-Blood to New York City, to protect the sources of the gods' powers on Olympus. They have little chance of success, and, to make matters worse, there is a spy among them. As the final battle approaches, Percy must make some important choices, unravel the past, and decide what really matters. With twists, turns, loves, deaths, and unexpected heroes galore, this best-selling series comes to an end no less spectacular than what we have come to expect from the talented Rick Riordan and his much-loved Percy Jackson.

Yeah. What I said right there at the end. Basically, it's perfect.
I can't express how much I love this finale. Everything, and I mean everything, comes together. The prophecy is revealed. Luke's past is revealed. Nico's life is pieced together. People live. People die. People trade sides and prove themselves and make their final stands. There is love, and happiness, and there are tearful goodbyes. You do not see it coming. It hits you like a speeding freight train and then proceeds to run you over (and it is a very long speeding freight train). You cannot get enough. You laugh, and you cry; you jump up and down in your overstuffed chair and squeal loudly at the mushy bits, and you curl up in a blanket with your cat and a mug of hot tea and wallow in your misery at the retributory bits. You read it over and over and over and over and over again. You love it like there's no tomorrow. I'm serious, here. I'm for cereal.
You want me to say it, don't you? Fine, I'll say it. The end is reminiscent of the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (There's another one of my favorite series; maybe I'll review it someday. For now: Read it!) It is, if you think about it, fairly similar, though like the series itself, everything in this book is to a slightly smaller scale. But that doesn't mean it's any less powerful. It is hugely powerful. And The Last Olympian is its own book, with its own story, its own characters, its own revelations, and its own resolution.
I'm not going to try to convince you to read this book. If you are at this point, if you have read all the previous books, I can't imagine being able to stop you from reading it, even if for some incomprehensible reason I wanted to. I am just telling you. It is worth it. This end is worth everything. The end of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is worth everything in the world.

I mean it.

Heck, if they get this far in the movies, I'd kill them for not making this into one.

Thank you to everyone, all of my friends and family members, for bearing with me through my time following this series, particularly there at the end. I know I can get a little over-enthusiastic at times, but you are nothing but supportive. I love you all!
And endless thanks go to Rick Riordan for writing the best series of all times, in my opinion. You have added such a wonderful thing to my life.
Finally, and most importantly, thank you to Percy Jackson. You, my dear friend, have been with me for years. I have followed you on your adventures, laughing and crying, and I have loved every minute of it. (I still do.) You have enriched my life. You are the best, and, in my eyes, you always will be. Keep in touch.
It has been an amazing era.

Recommendation: You. Yes, you. You know who you are.

Fourth Post!

Fourth post means fourth Percy Jackson and the Olympians book! So here it is, The Battle of the Labyrinth, by Rick Riordan, in all its glory. And it has a lot of glory. Oodles and oodles of glory. It's quite spectacular. But please STOP READING NOW if you haven't read the first three. Because to match this book's oodles and oodles of glory, this review contains oodles and oodles of spoilers for the previous books.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

This penultimate novel begins not at the end of the school year, but at the beginning of the summer (shush, that is not the same difference), and we find Percy at the freshman orientation for his new high school - yes, the one that his mom's recently acquired boyfriend, Paul Blofis, teaches at. But of course Percy can't get through even this without some type of hitch, and the problem of the day begins with him seeing the last person he wants to see: none other than Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the mortal girl who can see through the Mist that he met at Hoover Dam the prior summer. She saves his butt, though, by warning him that the cheerleaders are both inhuman and evil. So then he has to deal with that. Typical day for a typical demigod. Immediately after orientation, Percy and Annabeth head to camp, where they meet Quintus, the new sword instructor, and find out that Luke is leading an army of demigods and monsters in an attempt to infiltrate Camp Half-Blood. And the route he's taking is right through the Labyrinth, a living, underground maze that probably spans the entire continent and is known to drive people insane. It is up to Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Tyson to enter the Labyrinth, find the workshop of Daedalus (the man who built the Labyrinth thousands of years before), and prevent Luke from using the maze against them. The prophecy is ominous, the Labyrinth is deceptive, and the stakes are higher than ever.

As I explained in my post for Titan's Curse, this is my very close third-favorite in the series. Almost fourth. This book is positively scrumptious. I love love love watching the adorable tension grow between Percy and Annabeth, especially with the reintroduction of the spectacular Rachel Elizabeth Dare. (Yes, she is me, in case you had not made the connection. Two superb Rachels with frizzy red hair and green eyes and freckles? Duh. It seems that Rick Riordan heard about me and my awesomeness and thought, "Obviously I must base a character off of her, and then there will be no end to the character's awesomeness." Or something like that.) Now, this girl. She is great. And I am being objective when I say this; I am not thinking of her in terms of myself. She is just a great character, totally strong and stubborn and unique. And she is the perfect compliment to Percy and Annabeth - like, the three of them just mesh together perfectly. I'm not saying they get along well, just that the three characters work well together. Rachel's easy-going nature is like a reverse reflection of Annabeth's tendency to worry and overthink things, and the way she deals with Percy - a combination of I-trust-and-respect-you-as-a-person and your-typical-boy-obliviousness-and-recklessness-utterly-exasperate-me - is hilarious. Girl power! Plus it's fun to watch Annabeth get jealous. And then there is Nico, who was just an innocent little boy in the last book. He was a side character, but a year later we find him hardened and matured since his sister's death, and with an agenda. He's an incredibly intriguing character with his own flaws, fears, burdens, ghosts, and haunting side story. He's one of my favorite characters, and, personally, I would love to read a series about him. Also, as usual, we have new Greek myths woven into the novel in the usual Rick Riordan way; the most central and interesting story told is that of Daedalus and the Labyrinth, and Ariadne's string, but there is much more than just that. And it continues to be fast-paced and exciting, and Percy's voice continues with his lovable sarcasm and oblivious-boy routine. This book comes to an intense climax that hits like an affectionate bro-punch to the gut and leaves you reeling pleasantly. Not to mention the end. Talk about insane cliffhanger.

Fingers crossed for no movie? Blow on your dandelions, people!

Thanks to my mom for driving to B&N at nine in the morning again to get me this book the day it came out and drop it off at school for me. You're the best!
And then one day, a couple weeks later, I found out that Rick Riordan was going to be doing a book signing about an hour away from our town later that day. Thank you so so so much, Mommy, for driving me out there! It is because of you that I got to meet the author of my favorite series, got to get all my books signed, got to ask him when Percy's birthday is (August 18th), and got to win the absolute last Battle of the Labyrinth T-shirt he was giving away that day (because I correctly answered the trivia question asking what Athena's sacred animal is) (it's a stag, by the way). I love that T-shirt. Mother Dearest, you are positively divine!
Also, thank you to my dear friend Liana, though we haven't hung out in a while (which is a disgrace and needs to be remedied), for finding my copy of this book on her shelf more than a year after she borrowed it and a long, long time after I had given up hope of ever finding it again. Which would have been a fierce dreadful shame, seeing as how I got it signed. I don't blame you, love; I thought you had returned it as well. I'm just glad you found it!

Recommendation: Really, guys? EVERYONE. Just read them in order, okay? I mean, what pleasure can you possibly get from reading them out of order? Is it, like, a satisfaction in going against the grain? Cause that's just immature. It's just juvenile. Really. I expect more from you.

Third Post!

Took me a long time to get this one out. Sorry... Truth is, I typed up about half of this post two-ish weeks ago, but then my mom wanted her computer back, and I was avoiding the internet on mine (long story), and then, well, I kinda forgot. And then we went college shopping up in Oregon and Washington, so I there went five days, and then I forgot again. But anyway:

As promised, I continue my Percy Jackson and the Olympians review string with the third book, The Titan's Curse. Good stuff! But once again, I WARN YOU that there are spoilers ahead and you should stay far away from this post unless you have read the first two books in this lovely series.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

Unlike the previous two, this book does not begin with Percy on the brink of getting kicked out of another school. No, it begins with Sally Jackson driving Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia to the boarding school that Grover is stationed at, to retrieve two possibly very powerful demigods that he has discovered. But the retrieval does not go at all as planned, and the teens have to deal with a manticore. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, the Hunters of Artemis arrive to save the day, but the manticore escapes - with Annabeth as a hostage. Percy and the others are, of course, distraught. They join with two of the Hunters and embark on a quest to rescue Annabeth and Artemis (who, somehow, has been kidnapped as well), find and stop a mysterious monster that could destroy the gods, and unravel the ominous-sounding Titan's curse. Oh, and, according to the newest prophecy, two of them will die in the process.

Rick Riordan is awesome! As always, his writing is engaging and extremely entertaining, as well as educational. (Wow, four big "e" words in one sentence. Alliteration! In all modesty, I have impressed myself.) Some of the great new characters include Bianca and Nico de Angelo, Zoë Nightshade, Blackjack the pegasus, and, most interestingly of all, Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. She's a great character, and it's wonderful to get to know her after the constant references in the past two books, not to mention that cliffhanger at the end of the last one. And her relationship with Percy is quite something. There is also an introductory cameo on a new and very intriguing character: ME! Just kidding. Well, no, I'm not, not really. Not at all, actually, but that's okay. Read the book, and maybe you'll see what I mean. ;) . Sorry, the winky face was necessary. Anywho, if you don't get it after reading, I'll explain in my review for the next book, because I am thoroughly convinced that I am in this series. Well, enough about me. Continuing: We also get to learn some very exciting things, such as how to drive Apollo's sun chariot and why Dionysus is secretly the king of super-beast-awesomeness and the god any sane (key word, here) person would pick if they could only have one on their side. And there is, of course, an abundance of all those other ridiculous situations that Percy always seems to find himself in. It's why we love him. That, and the snarky thoughts he has when he's in such situations. It's all very endearing, in my opinion. Not to mention hilarious.

Okay, so while Sea of Monsters is my least - sorry, fifth - favorite in the series, Titan's Curse is one of my favorites. If we remember that the Lightning Thief is my all-time favorite because it's the first and it has to be, and then demote it to fourth because it is actually not my favorite at all, we can set up a pretty simple hierarchy. My favorite would have to be the fifth, because, well, because. Read the fifth, or my review of it (coming soon), and you will understand. THIS book, The Titan's Curse, the third in the series, is second. It's just incredibly intense and fresh, and the new characters are beautiful, and it's darker than the previous books - just the right amount of darkness. Very refreshing, this darkness. And exhilarating, actually. I do love it. The book, I mean. I love the darkness, too, but just now I was talking about the book. I love it. At any rate, the fourth (review coming soon) is my third favorite. I think. The top three are very close; though the fifth is my favorite for sure, it's a close race, and my ordering of the third and fourth is a bit iffy. Though I think that this is my official statement. And then, the first is my fourth favorite and the second is my fifth favorite. Yep. Let's go with that. Ha. Well, the point of THAT whole unnecessarily long paragraph is that this third book is my second favorite book in the series. And that it's awesome. Yay!

Hey guys! Let's pray to the gods that they don't try to make this one into a movie, too!
Oh my gods, they probably will. Ugh.

Thanks go to my lovely mother, Lark, who drove to Barnes & Noble at nine in the morning (when it opened) the Tuesday this book came out, because I couldn't, and then dropped it off at my school so I could start it immediately and finish it later that day. Thanks, Mama!
Thanks also to my friend Pamela, who I haven't talked to in a while, for being a bit more than reasonably gullible and for making eighth grade Spanish class (which started the fall after this book came out and continued through the release of the fourth) WAY better than it deserved to be. See, I like connecting myself to actors and characters that I like, and my connection to Percy Jackson is that he is officially my big brother (though he's not that much older than me). It was great, though, because I was always telling Pamela about my big brother who I absolutely adored but rarely got to see, and I kept talking about how I couldn't wait for May 6th (the day the fourth came out) because he was visiting. And she believed it all. She thought it was weird, but she believed it. She figured it out much later when I wore a PJ shirt, but still. It was pretty great. Love you, Pamela!

Recommendation: EVERYONE should read this book. Except everyone should read the second and first books first. But not in that order.

Second Post!

Because Percy Jackson and the Olympians is just my favorite series ever, I'm going to review all five (yes, five!) books in my first five posts. Here is the second, The Sea of Monsters. BUT BEWARE: This contains spoilers about the first book, and stuff you just won't understand without it, so don't read this review without reading The Lightning Thief. Though why anyone would be inclined to read this first, I have absolutely no idea...

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy, our favorite demigod, can't wait to get back to Grover, Annabeth, and the rest of Camp Half-Blood, especially since he's been having nightmares about Grover. Seventh grade has been surprisingly quiet... But the year's not over yet. On literally the last day of school, Percy and his new friend Tyson (who may not be as human as he seems) barely escape a group of dodgeball-playing giants that destroy the school gym and get Percy expelled again. Percy and Tyson meet up with Annabeth, who has followed similar nightmares across the country, and arrive at camp to find it under attack. Thalia's pine tree has been poisoned, and the defenses of the camp are dying with it. Chiron has been fired and replaced with a sadistic prisoner from the Underworld. And, to make matters worse, Grover is MIA. Obviously, the only course of action for Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson is to leave camp without permission and brave the waters of the Sea of Monsters in search of both their satyr friend and a long-lost artifact that just might be able to save the camp - the legendary Golden Fleece.

Rick Riordan continues to please. This second installment is just as exciting and funny as the first, and sneakily incorporates even more mythology. Percy's voice is as honest and witty as ever, and this summer's adventure is just as compelling. Hilarity abounds, along with guinea pigs, carnivorous sheep, and a very evil sarcophagus. New characters, such as Tyson, Tantalus, and the Stoll brothers, add to the excitement. And the serial plot thickens! Now, out of the five books in this series, this one is my least favorite, but that doesn't mean I don't love it. I do. Let's just say, it's my fifth favorite. I love it like crazy. So you should read it.

Guess what guys? They're making a movie. Yes, a second to the horrid first. WHY OH WHY would they do this??? I'm afraid we have yet to find an answer. Ughh... See, I have to go see it, though. Because it's Percy Jackson. And because it's Logan Lerman. But we all saw how brutally they butchered book one; I don't think I can stand to see them butcher book two. And GUYS! Do you remember the end of the movie? How they completely left Kronos out and blamed it all on Luke? HOW ON EARTH DO THEY EXPECT TO CARRY ON THE STORY WITHOUT KRONOS????? I mean, the serial arc is gone! The whole point to everything is pffftt - nonexistant! I am so seething angry, I'm surprised I'm not seeing red. Seriously. I am mad.
But this blog is not here as ranting space for me. It is not, "Would you like some review on that rant?" but rather, "Would you like some rant on that review?" So I am done.
For now, at least.
And I apologize for my liberal use of capital letters. I should really just be bolding everything, but I just don't feel like that gets the point or the tone across as well. So if you are irked by my choice, than that is very unfortunate for you, and I apologize. But that is all.

Recommendation: EVERYONE! Particularly, everyone who read The Lightning Thief. What else is there to say?

First Post!

I think it's fitting that the first book I review be one of my favorites - you know, to start off on a good note. So here it is, the first book in one of my favorite series ever, the fairly famous Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by the fairly famous Rick Riordan. It is called The Lightning Thief.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Besides the ADHD and dyslexia, Percy Jackson thinks he's a pretty normal middle schooler - well, maybe not. Trouble seems to follow him everywhere, and lately the word "trouble" hasn't been sufficient. Case in point: at his boarding school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, his math teacher turns into a grotesque winged monster and attacks him. And barely a month later, his mother is killed by a Minotaur and Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for other not-so-normal kids like him - which just so happen to be the half-mortal children of the Greek gods. Yeah, the gods are still around, and Percy has been introduced to this side of the real world just in time to get on all their bad sides. For Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and, somehow, Percy is the prime suspect. Now it is up to Percy and his two friends, Grover and Annabeth, to clear his name and divert a war by finding the real thief and returning the bolt to its rightful owner.

Now, maybe I'm a bit too old for this book. I mean, Percy is twelve, after all. But I did read this for the first time when I was twelve, during a trip to Costa Rica the winter break of seventh grade. I devoured it in only a couple days, and was then forced to wait a week before we returned to the Bay and I could get to my usual Barnes & Noble and buy the second (which I will review in due time). I reread this series, particularly the first and the last books, every year or so, depending on my inclination, and they never cease to please me. The plot is original and engaging, a thoroughly satisfying adventure. This book is told in Percy's point of view, in first person, and his voice is unique, real, and hilarious. Rick Riordan follows the thoughts of his protagonist with all the wit, sarcasm, and naivete of a typical twelve-year-old, and the book is often laugh-out-loud funny. Riordan, an ex-teacher of both history and English, effortlessly weaves Greek mythology into this easy-and-fun-to-read adventure story. He has made me, at least, into a Greek mythology buff, and because of these books, I am fascinated by all types of mythology. Riordan makes learning fun - that is, if you even notice that you're learning. Hey, even the table of contents is fun to read!

So guys, The Lightning Thief was recently made into a fairly famous movie. It was not good. Do not let that deter you.
I mean, it wasn't bad, and Logan Lerman (the actor who played Percy) is both beautiful and my future husband (#2), but it did not do justice. So many plot elements were twisted, mutilated, and destroyed to the point where it was practically a different story, and a stupid one at that. And the ending! They completely removed the twist that is the driving force of the rest of the series... and I've heard they might make a second! Now, how in the world is that supposed to work?! Sorry. I get riled.
Anyway, the book is way better, and actually has a good storyline.

Basically, I love these books. And endless thanks go to my dear friend Melinda, who introduced me to this series by picking out a book she hadn't read but thought I might like and giving it to me for my birthday many years ago. Thank you, Melinda!

Recommendation: EVERYONE! More specifically, preteens, young teens, teens who aren't too proud to read a preteen book (not many of those, I know), kids who are interested in mythology or need some inspiration in that area, anyone who likes to laugh, etc.
Seriously, though. It's my favorite series for a reason.