Reviews

Athena the Brain by Joan Holub, Suzanne Williams

twasbrillig's review

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3.0

I was born many years too early for these books to be published while I was in the target age range, but obviously I'm going to read the whole series anyway.

gracepizza40's review

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3.0

3.5
Some of the things in this book are kind of inaccurate.
Spoiler (Why is Athena a kid when she was born out of Metis completely grown? The way Medusa got her snake powers... and didn't Perseus kill Medusa? ?)
But it is entertaining!

brendalovesbooks's review

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4.0

This was really cute, and something I think my younger self would have really loved. Even as an adult, I enjoyed it.

lcecream's review

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5.0

Read this a long time ago and I enjoyed it

mehsi's review

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4.0

Since I loved the Grimmtastic Girls I thought I would try out this series as well. Since it is kind of the same but now with Greek Goddesses and Gods. :)

And yes, this was indeed pretty much Grimmtastic Girls. Only now instead of Fairy tales we have: Greek Gods/Goddesses, lessons that fit with mythology, set on Mount Olympus, Boarding School and some other similarities.
Note: I don't mind this at all, I like it, though it felt a bit weird. I kept expecting one of the girls from Grimmtastic to pop up, since it all felt so similar. :)

Athena was a wonderful girl, smart, sweet, nice and more! I loved her inventions (olives, shampoo stuff and more!) and I loved how hard she tried to fit in. Because until just a bit ago she thought she was just mostly human and she lived on Earth instead of on the mountain of Gods/Goddesses. She really had a hard time, mostly because she only just got her powers, and while everyone else has gotten education on basic stuff, she got dropped in school without any warnings or any help.
Oh, and did I mention I love how she never forgot her best friend from Earth? I was kind of worried their relationship would strand. After all, Athena is now a Goddess and living in a place very very high up. A place that no one mortal can go to. Luckily I didn't need to worry. The ending was truly wonderful.
I can't wait to read more of Athena, though I also want to know more about her friends and all the other Gods/Goddesses/etc. and see how they are living there and how they got to be Gods/Goddesses/etc..

I also loved the whole mythology part. A lot of things had me laughing and a lot of things had me happy. I love mythology, so I loved seeing things like Medusa and her powers to turn stuff into stone, or see the whole battle of Troy, or see Odysseus and his journey.

I didn't really like Zeus. I don't like how he is portrayed here. I expected him to be a tough, great guy with a knack for zapping people. But it turns out he is totally mellow and quite annoying. He embarrasses his daughter almost daily and while she doesn't really mind it that much, I minded it a lot. He also had quite a few weird expectations of Athena. Like her learning all 2000+ rules in one day, or her just doing perfect in everything while she has no clue what to do at times.

But all in all I am going to read the series further. Because these are just perfect as a fun snack. And also I love boarding school like books, and this one is perfect!

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

tashtash93's review

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

nisanre's review

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Cute graphic novel, the twisting of myths was fun, but I'd like to see what they do with more of the series. 

bibielle's review

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

jennymock's review

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5.0

This is a great tween book, especially for girls!

cadyly's review

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4.0

This book was interesting and creative. There is a lot of facts regarding Greek mythology interspersed in the tale, yet the story remains lighthearted and concise. The characters are well-written.

Probably the best thing about this book is that it makes me want to read the actual legends of the Greek gods. I have a deficit in classical education and I'm sure that I will enjoy the subtle nuances in the book even more once I'm more familiar with the Greek pantheon.

I think this series would be a good read for children. I like how accurately school rivalries are depicted and the ways in which they are resolved.

And, I liked Athena, because I happen to be an academic type myself. :)