Thursday, April 29, 2010
Double Review!! -- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Books 1 and 2
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Hyperion
From Amazon:
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
My Thoughts:
The Lightening Thief hooked me instantly and never let me go. It's full of fantastic little one-liners that had me laughing out loud as I read. Riordan spins a wonderful tale of Greek mythology in a modern world and he fills it with fantastic, real characters, which makes it that much more easier to relate to.
I heard about this on a fellow blogger's site actually, Icy Roses over at From Elysium, and I had to go find a copy, because I absolutely love mythology. I bought the first one and devoured it and went back to Wal-Mart (no joke it was the ONLY store that had them) and bought the other 3 in paper backs (The Last Olympian was in hardback and I was broke, so I thought I should hold off on it). I let my mom read book 1, and, because I had to stop reading to pack and move back into my dorm, she got to read the others before me. (She also ran out and bought the last book because it was driving her nuts. That's my mom. :) )
Anyway, book 1 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians was fantastic, I loved it. It had action, mythology, humor, and the hint of a love interest.
However, it did remind me of Harry Potter as I was reading it, only instead of a school, a trio of friends (2 guys and a girl...) go to a summer camp to learn their skills instead of a wizard-ing school. Not that that's a bad thing; I love HP.
I also really liked that for the first time in a while, there was actually a family life, which made me really happy. There wasn't just an absence of parental guidance or presence at all; Percy's mom is in every book (and she worries a lot) and even Percy's dad makes an appearance or two! Who knew MG/YA lit could have parents! :)
If you liked Harry Potter and you like Greek mythology, or even if you don't whatever, I highly recommend this series. The books are quick to read and loads of fun.
The Sea of Monsters (Book 2)
Paperback: 304 pgs
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
From Amazon:
My Thoughts:
(I swear this will be shorter than the last one!)
In Riordan's sequel to The Lightening Thief, Percy discovers more about himself, his family, and the mythological world he belongs to. There is more of everything in the second book: more mythology, more monsters, more humor, more love. Riordan definitely delivers another hit; as soon as I put this one down, I was itching for number three. I'm actually incredibly happy I didn't have to wait for the next book to be released, or I might have gone a little bonkers. (Yes, I said bonkers.)
The character voice rings true, and we get to see Percy grow up a little more as he realizes he isn't an only child and his image of his father is a little skewed. Rick Riordan creates a magnificent world and keeps you on your toes throughout the novel. The Sea of Monsters does not disappoint by any means.
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2 comments:
Just so you know, I plan on stealing, err, borrowing these next semester. :)
I have at least 2 of each book of this series in my classroom. I can't read them because they are constantly being passed around the classroom. :)
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