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scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
My personal feelings about this book: I was confused at first. I read the audiobook so maybe the narration was hard to decipher between characters but the POVs flip flop between both characters within chapters and I don't think that's really helpful. Maybe it would have been easier to read the hardcopy. The flashbacks and flashforwards were also hard to keep track of initially too.
But, I rounded up half a star from 3.5 to 4 because this book is so important in the general sense. A middle grade book written by a beloved middle grade mythology writer featuring queer teens. Not only do those teens navigate rough patches in their relationship during this harrowing journey into Tartarus (which is NOT easy to do when one of you is the son of Apollo) but they openly feel their feelings. There is no hesitation when it comes to conveying their emotions which might be one of the more healthier depictions of mlm queer teen romance I have ever read in a book.
I know a lot of reviews here say this reads like fanfiction and maybe it does somewhat, but so what?? It doesn't take away from the importance of Nico's journey with his own demons and his relationships with the people around him who he has both loved and lost or love but are still there. There's also a calico cat that can turn into a sabre-toothed tiger, and that itself deserves a few stars.
But, I rounded up half a star from 3.5 to 4 because this book is so important in the general sense. A middle grade book written by a beloved middle grade mythology writer featuring queer teens. Not only do those teens navigate rough patches in their relationship during this harrowing journey into Tartarus (which is NOT easy to do when one of you is the son of Apollo) but they openly feel their feelings. There is no hesitation when it comes to conveying their emotions which might be one of the more healthier depictions of mlm queer teen romance I have ever read in a book.
I know a lot of reviews here say this reads like fanfiction and maybe it does somewhat, but so what?? It doesn't take away from the importance of Nico's journey with his own demons and his relationships with the people around him who he has both loved and lost or love but are still there. There's also a calico cat that can turn into a sabre-toothed tiger, and that itself deserves a few stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood and Outing
robertjspradlin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Outing and Abandonment
Minor: War and Eating disorder
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Grief
Minor: Confinement, Outing, and Blood
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Was this the best written book I've ever read? Not necessarily, no. But I couldn't put it down for the last half of the book. I loved how Nico and Will were able to work and grow throughout their journey, especially with Nico's past trauma and subsequent PTSD. Part of the core of the story is them learning how to open up to each other, how to work with both of their pasts and move forward as a couple.
The care taken with the mental health rep overall in this book is wonderful. Will is learning that Nico doesn't need to be fixed, and Nico is trying to learn how to move forward with his darkness. They are so wonderful together. I am so happy they got their own book, and that Nico finally got his time to shine. I would definitely read another book with them at the center!
The care taken with the mental health rep overall in this book is wonderful. Will is learning that Nico doesn't need to be fixed, and Nico is trying to learn how to move forward with his darkness. They are so wonderful together. I am so happy they got their own book, and that Nico finally got his time to shine. I would definitely read another book with them at the center!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Outing, and Eating disorder
jayecard's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the book that was written specifically for me.
I can't even put into words how it feels to go from Nico being a favorite character, to him becoming more and more beloved and relatable for me, to him becoming a protagonist and going on a journey that struck me terribly deeply. Nico and Will's story is not about falling in love, it's about going from "in love" to loving each other fully and truly. And I've never, NEVER seen that written with such a powerful authenticity. Every emotional interaction, every little misstep, and every little progress, felt like a punch right in the gut. I'm mentally ill, I have a relationship, and this is EXACTLY what it's like. Nico being scared that letting Will help him will scare Will away or put too much strain on him. Will not knowing how to reach Nico and how to really help him when he's struggling. Them having to accept parts of each other that are so terribly hard to open up about. It's so real and raw and not at all what I would have expected when I first got into Percy Jackson all the way back.
And at the same time, it still IS a PJO book. It's quirky and there are silly incarnations of old legends and monsters, there's adventures and sudden troubles and a touch of mysterious force from gods that more and more are becoming a reflection of their concepts. I was having fun and processing emotional trauma at the same time. What more do you want. This is probably one of my all time favorites now.
I can't even put into words how it feels to go from Nico being a favorite character, to him becoming more and more beloved and relatable for me, to him becoming a protagonist and going on a journey that struck me terribly deeply. Nico and Will's story is not about falling in love, it's about going from "in love" to loving each other fully and truly. And I've never, NEVER seen that written with such a powerful authenticity. Every emotional interaction, every little misstep, and every little progress, felt like a punch right in the gut. I'm mentally ill, I have a relationship, and this is EXACTLY what it's like. Nico being scared that letting Will help him will scare Will away or put too much strain on him. Will not knowing how to reach Nico and how to really help him when he's struggling. Them having to accept parts of each other that are so terribly hard to open up about. It's so real and raw and not at all what I would have expected when I first got into Percy Jackson all the way back.
And at the same time, it still IS a PJO book. It's quirky and there are silly incarnations of old legends and monsters, there's adventures and sudden troubles and a touch of mysterious force from gods that more and more are becoming a reflection of their concepts. I was having fun and processing emotional trauma at the same time. What more do you want. This is probably one of my all time favorites now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: War and Outing
A character's behaviour closely reflects (and could be considered allegorical) to an abusive parent. There are brief moments of evil spirits trying to tempt characters into suicide.icedlemonade's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Blood, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
inej_chase's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.5
really cute and wholesome - many cheesy and comic moments but nothing too horrible hskadn if anything the cheesy moments made the story more lighthearted and wholesome
Nico coming to terms with his (especially queer) identity and learning to accept his dark past and move on <33333 and Will learning to accept Nico's "dark" moments <333
ALSO THE "KIDS" WERE SO CUTEE <- Nico using Nyx's weapons against her
Sometimes I did feel like the stakes were not high enough, especially since they were in Tartarus. The story felt more like an average quest rather than literal Hell.
ALSO THE "KIDS" WERE SO CUTEE <- Nico using Nyx's weapons against her
Sometimes I did feel like the stakes were not high enough, especially since they were in Tartarus. The story felt more like an average quest rather than literal Hell.
Content Warnings
Minor: Outing, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
maylinmunoz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
a great follow-up to the riordanverse that explores how to heal from your past and navigate relationships. the book also addresses and ties up a lot off loose ends and places of discomfort from previous books, such as Nico's forced outing by Cupid and the ethical/moral implications of Bob the titan, in a way that felt very satisfying. it feels like such a safe place for conversation around mental illness as well as explicit queer representation, I'm sure in large part thanks to Mark Oshiro's contributions. the way it handled Piper's unsureness about any particular label at the end felt so genuine. the writing of it itself if great even if my own personal headcanons around Piper were technically confirmed false. I always felt like she never was really attracted to Jason; it felt like textbook comphet. so for her to say directly that she was felt strange to me, and as a bisexual person now makes me feel more disappointed in that form of representation throughout HOO retroactively. i think it could have been a cool thing to show her come to that conclusion, as it is a process that can be very difficult for lesbians to go through and accept in themselves. though i also think the message of it's okay to not have a label or have everything figured out is also a very important one, so I'm not terribly upset at this alternative. my only other critique I can think of at the moment is that I don't buy straight Percy Jackson for a second lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Torture
Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Outing, and Bullying
little_white's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing, Violence, and Death
Minor: Eating disorder, Child death, and Homophobia
besohappily's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Outing