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adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love this book, and I probably always will. I found a few parts cringey, but I am an adult and it is a middle grade novel, so I can’t exactly judge it for that.
honestly, every time i reread this, i get more out of it. rick riordan’s storytelling is wonderful
honestly, every time i reread this, i get more out of it. rick riordan’s storytelling is wonderful
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Abandonment
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book surpassed my expectations and I enjoyed it very much for what it was. I didn’t really expect great things from this despite it being so hyped, I just didn’t think it would really be my thing. And although I admit I’m no longer really the target audience for this book, I still enjoyed the world and characters and story that Rick Riordan has created. I loved how expansive this world was, it is very heavily based on greek myth but despite not knowing a lot about the subject I still found I could enjoy the story, things were explained in a way that meant I wasn’t lost and yet it felt natural to the story. Have I talked about the world yet? It really made this book great for me. The way the greek myth was tied into the real world was just so seem less and the cast of characters fit both so perfectly that it’s hard to believe this isn’t just how it was originally.
The structure of the book however mean that this wasn’t a perfect book for me. Every chapter was its own separate event and it just felt as if I were reading a list of things that happened rather than a continuous story. We just didn’t get much down time with the characters which made it difficult to get the know them and build a connection, which made the ending less emotionally impactful for me.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book (especially the world) and will for sure be continuing with the rest of the series and maybe even watching the movie. 4 stars.
The structure of the book however mean that this wasn’t a perfect book for me. Every chapter was its own separate event and it just felt as if I were reading a list of things that happened rather than a continuous story. We just didn’t get much down time with the characters which made it difficult to get the know them and build a connection, which made the ending less emotionally impactful for me.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book (especially the world) and will for sure be continuing with the rest of the series and maybe even watching the movie. 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was raised on these books. This book specifically was what got me to start reading for fun and enjoying it at 8 years old. From elementary through high school I could look forward to a new book by Uncle Rick every year (maybe even twice a year depending on what he was working on). I can't remember if I ever reread this book since I was 8, but I think I had to have, or at least reread parts, because, now at 22, I can still remember most of this book pretty vividly.
It's a fast-paced action adventure book, which isn't really my speed anymore. But it's jokes still had me snorting or even laughing out loud. The lore is so rich, well planned, and creative. A lot of greek mythology adaptations tends to portray characters the same way over and over. And while this might not be the most unique take on the gods, their incorporation into the modern world is. Sometimes it's easy to forget how unique this book is for when it came out, but it is. And god I love the themes. I remember years ago finding this book on smoop (or whatever the website that was equivalent to sparknotes was called) and when I went into the themes and motif's section was kind of bare. Maybe you have read the whole series to get to them but there really is a good play on good and evil. One of the main antagonists (I won't spoil it but this book is from 2005) is a character who used to be the other's friend, but they got tired of putting up with the Olympians. Especially with Olympian parents having kids but doing nothing to raise them. And Percy struggles with this a TON throughout the series. He grew up poor, his mom married his shitty step dad, he was constantly changing schools. You get the feeling his life would have been way different if his dad had stayed. But the book reflects that that isn't Percy or his mom's fault, which can be a powerful message to kids in similar situations. And the antagonist's complaints are taken seriously. Also the theme of the god Pan's disappearance and the talk of climate change is so good and affected me as a kid. I think climate change might be considered "too heavy/boring" of a topic for young kids, but honestly I think respect for nature needs to be taught at a young age. You see a lot of the values Uncle Rick wants to share with his young readers in his books.
It's a fast-paced action adventure book, which isn't really my speed anymore. But it's jokes still had me snorting or even laughing out loud. The lore is so rich, well planned, and creative. A lot of greek mythology adaptations tends to portray characters the same way over and over. And while this might not be the most unique take on the gods, their incorporation into the modern world is. Sometimes it's easy to forget how unique this book is for when it came out, but it is. And god I love the themes. I remember years ago finding this book on smoop (or whatever the website that was equivalent to sparknotes was called) and when I went into the themes and motif's section was kind of bare. Maybe you have read the whole series to get to them but there really is a good play on good and evil. One of the main antagonists (I won't spoil it but this book is from 2005) is a character who used to be the other's friend, but they got tired of putting up with the Olympians. Especially with Olympian parents having kids but doing nothing to raise them. And Percy struggles with this a TON throughout the series. He grew up poor, his mom married his shitty step dad, he was constantly changing schools. You get the feeling his life would have been way different if his dad had stayed. But the book reflects that that isn't Percy or his mom's fault, which can be a powerful message to kids in similar situations. And the antagonist's complaints are taken seriously. Also the theme of the god Pan's disappearance and the talk of climate change is so good and affected me as a kid. I think climate change might be considered "too heavy/boring" of a topic for young kids, but honestly I think respect for nature needs to be taught at a young age. You see a lot of the values Uncle Rick wants to share with his young readers in his books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, War
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I went into this not expecting much and now I understand why people love it so much. Thst sending i did not expect. Definitely worth it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse