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.