Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - The Sun and the Star

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan

59 reviews

zanm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.0

Unfortunately, this is a strong 3.75 or a weak 4. I rounded up for my review and was lenient in places I would be harsher would this be anyone other than Rick Riordan. This book was mostly just a nostalgia fest/pandering to the fandom which is totally fine! The problem is, it was not a story that had a lot of layers nor did I feel engaged. Everything was stated outright. Problems were introduced and immediately solved. The entirety of the novel was a fluffy-feel good piece that didn't exist to expand the PJO universe or explore an action-packed prophecy, but simply to explore Nico's (yes only Nico, not Will, he was about as developed as Jason Grace was) trauma. It is my belief that this book could have (and should have) been a novella. The

journey getting to Tartarus

was the longest part of the book and nothing was even happening! Parts of the writing also felt extremely dated in the 2020s and I'm not sure the PJO universe is canonically in that time period. (If Percy was born in 1993 *thanks google* and is, what, 18? 19? now...shouldn't it be 2012?) That's a small critique though, when my legitimate critique is the 2020 writing felt...cringey. I painfully shouldered past it and it got better as the book went on, but it had the feeling of an adult trying too hard to be relatable to teens nowadays, than an accurate depiction of what it's like to be a teenager. But the book did have a good message and, once it picked up toward the end, I was engaged by then (only took 75% of the book to get there), so it pulled the rating up in my books. I would recommend this to any PJO fans who want to know more about Nico but would caution them to have lower expectations. It's not a bad book but it certainly lacks that Riordan charm we all know and love. I assume it's because this was a co-written book. (Sometimes it felt like two voices were passing the book back and forth making up a story.) I also want to say the 3rd person point of view really distanced the characters, but I grew to love it. Overall, this had fanfic vibes...but in a neutral way.
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PROS AND CONS
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Pros:

Nico and Will are adorable and really thrive on healthy communication.
Nico goes to therapy!!!
(Not a major plot point but)
I had warm fuzzy feelings at the end of this
Nico had a nice little character arc about
self-love
Will had a good arc about
accepting Nico's trauma as it is and not fixing it which is a great message to the audience

Cons:

Long/slow beginning
Felt Ooc for Nico to
come out to the whole camp
even in the way they explained it...and there was an "everybody clapped" moment...
Nico felt Ooc the whole time, really, but what do I know
Not enough Will backstory!!! Even in chapters in his voice!!!!!
Mr. D felt Ooc too but, again, what do I know? Tbh his change in character was kind of nice, even if I had to suspend my disbelief about it.
Random meme references. So many. Too many. I had to keep ignoring them.

Content Warnings

summerslittlelibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

3.75

Content Warnings

jajwalya's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

rachelditty's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.75

I loved this! I think this is a great book for middle-grade readers as well as long-time fans of the Percy Jackson universe. The sense of humor was very sarcastic, which is exactly what I'd expect from a point of view from Nico. I adored how much Rick and Mark were willing and able to give Nico and Will the opportunities to shower each other in affection--kissing, holding hands, using nicknames, etc. It was very nice to read, and I love knowing that young queer kids are going to be able to see that as well. The growing pains of a young relationship were very well done, and there were a few different points at the end where I teared up. I'm glad Nico got to have his moment to work through what he needed to, and same goes for Will. A great addition to a well-loved series. Fantastic :)

"'I want what's best for him, and he seems to disappear into his darkness, like he's hiding in a place that doesn't want my light.'
'Then why not offer him your darkness?'" (p. 244).

"...it hurts to hear you talk about [the Underworld] like it's evil. Death isn't evil. It's just... death." (p. 349).

"'Sometimes I have to remind myself of that,' [Nico] said. 'That people did love me when I was younger.'" (p. 374).

"Will had heard love described in so many dramatic, bizarre ways over the years, but no one had described it like this: It's like drifting down a river of pain and knowing you are safe." (p. 432)

"To be alive in the world once more... It is beautiful." (p. 445).

"No one had ever loved him like Will did, and that was no longer terrifying. How could it be? How could acceptance and respect and desire be anything but the best things for Nico?" (p. 461).

"The future held hope. And he clung to it." (p. 462).

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fanboyriot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted 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

5.0

Read For:

Happy Ending

Amazhang Humor

Mild Hurt/Comfort

Grumpy x Sunshine

Healthy Relationship

Keeping this spoiler free as always this book was so dam good. Oh, my gods. This book was like a pipe dream of everything solangelo and I absolutely loved it.

There is so much I enjoyed about this book and just the fact alone that I was able to read a book focused on solangelo is still shocking to me. Nico and Will genuinely mean so much to me and I can not express just how happy this book made me.

Nico finally being able to heal after everything that happened to him and be in such a healthy and loving relationship with the embodiment of a Care Bear. His friendship with Mr. D was something I didn’t know that I needed until I read it and oh, my gods, it was everything.

The humor in this book was so hilarious even in serious moments Nico or Will would just say something that had me laughing; like when Nico realized his boyfriend had never watched the music video of: ‘Montero’ by Lil Nas X this still has me dying.

He glared at Will. “Really? You’ve never seen the video for ‘Montero’? We’ll address that hole in your education later.” - (chapter 29, page 285)

Truly such an iconic couple. I liked how Will listens to True-Crime podcasts and brought a battery-powered sunlamp to Tartarus. I liked how Nico still has his zombie chauffeur (Jules-Albert) and hates being called cute.

I loved how their relationship was written. They had such a healthy relationship where it showed them in the good and bad moments, understanding each other and doing better when they messed up. They are soulmates, your honor. Their dynamic was perfect, both being nerds in their own way. Will overpacking to the underworld (which to be fair some of it was necessary) but then chose to wear shorts there—all the while Nico packed literally nothing but his sword.

Their flirting was absolutely just—chef’s kisses to all of those lines. The sarcastic comments they made were so cute. And, of course, Nico giving Will so many pet names like: Night Light, My Little Care Bear, and My little sun-therapy globe, was also worth mentioning.

Bob and Small Bob were so wholesome and I am so happy with how things worked out for them. And just how appreciative he was of Nico and Will and the friendships between them.

I’d also like to point out how dam adorable and wholesome it was to read that Nico is a hugger. Like he hugged his dad, Chiron, and Mr. D and I can’t get over how happy I am about this. It was so very heartwarming.

Lastly, Hades is hands down the best godly parent and I will die on this hill. Not only does Hades care for Nico unlike most of the gods, but he literally got choked up saying that he was proud of Nico and I am still crying about this.

Even Persephone cared for Nico, whereas most goddesses in her position (like Hera…) would try to kill the kid because it was just a reminder their husband cheated, and while Persephone hadn’t always felt that way about Nico she got to know him and changed her opinion of him. Even telling Will that he and Nico make a fine couple.

In summary, I have so much more I could say about this book, and have so many quotes I want to rave about. I'll wrap it up by saying, I absolutely loved this book with all of my heart and will never be shutting up about it any time soon.

(Switching, Third Person POV)

Rep: Gay MC, Bisexual MC, PTSD, Mental Health, POC SCs, LGBTQIA+ SCs

Content Warnings

livelaughomo's review against another edition

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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

4.5

Content Warnings

ghulsona's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-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? Yes

2.5

Really struggled to get through this book. I hate to say it, but I think Rick has finally lost his touch.

This entire book read like a middle schooler writing fic, mostly in some of the characterization and humor choices (see: that bit with Mr. D eating popcorn in the beginning when they were about to head out, what was that?!?). We don't reach the advertised main plot point until about the ~3/4 mark of the book, the pacing and stakes were just ridiculous. Also, the mythological beings that the duo encountered were weirdly . . . way nicer than they usually were in prev installations of this series? Like, they weren't as challenging or as difficult to pass as they've been in the other books, which I thought was so weird. Also, this is more a problem with everything written past the original PJO series, but I don't think Rick has a firm grasp on these characters' characterizations anymore. For example, I don't think Percy and Annabeth would have just let Nico and Will go to Tartarus that easily, LOL. They would not have said that shit about forgetting Bob either. And finally, I know the themes of sexuality and trauma being covered are important, especially for kids, and I get what they were trying to do, but there’s literally no nuance or subtlety at all. Everything is so heavyhanded.

Scream, sorry for being so negative, but yeah, I really did not think this book was good . . . okay, here are some things that I did enjoy: I liked how Nico and Will's relationship was handled, and I loved the glimpses we saw of Nico's mamma because she's someone I've been dying to know more about!!! I also really loved that glimpse of Piper and her girlfriend, Shel, at the end, and I love Nico connecting with her about their grief over Jason, but I do wish that conversation had flowed a little better. Um, what else . . . Small Bob was cute . . . yeah IDK.

Sigh I hope at least the intended audience is having fun with this somehow.

Content Warnings

kassidyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

Content Warnings

mmccombs's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny sad medium-paced

4.0

A magical book I am so glad exists! The writing was easy to read but also quite lyrical and had some beautiful lines. It’s a love story and a coming-into-yourself story, the character dynamic felt so intimate and sweet. The quest felt more natural than some other PJO books, though I’d say it felt a bit long in some parts. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to read this in middle school, but still thankful to have read it now.

Content Warnings

saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective medium-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

4.5

People who became gay because they got really into Percy Jackson when they were younger we won.

Nico’s a fan favorite character for a reason. He’s the mysterious son of Hades with a tragic backstory and many tricks up his sleeve throughout both Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus. He’s also the first openly queer character in Rick Riordan’s books and the first time many PJO fans ever saw positive queer representation (myself included).

I’ve seen some people complaining that Nico was out of character in this, but I disagree. Despite being present throughout all three series before this, we mostly only saw him from other characters’ perspectives. He did get a POV in The Blood of Olympus, but that story wasn’t really focused on him.

This book dares to ask the bold question “how is Nico di Angelo?” It’s a look into his trauma specifically and him trying to cope with it. Nico’s arc had me sobbing towards the end! This book was to me the literary equivalent of therapy and did heal a little bit of something inside of me.

This also made me finally like Will Solace! I think I’m in the minority of PJO fans for taking this long to appreciate him. My reasoning is that he was essentially a glorified background character in the other books. So to me Solangelo had felt like just throwing Nico at the nearest presumably single boy we could project onto and have the fun little light/dark dichotomy with.

But now I like my boy! This book expanded on both his backstory and relationship to Nico. He has some of his own trauma he’s working through but processes things differently from his boyfriend. He starts TSATS wanting to help Nico, but is stumped on how to as he can’t fully understand Nico’s experience, which in his defense perhaps nobody could. I loved that this was a book about a queer couple that gets to have a realistically complicated relationship!

Overall, the character work in this was great! The plot and writing had some issues though. Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro’s writing styles don’t blend well and you can pretty easily pick out who wrote which scenes, though I didn’t dislike either writing style; it would occasionally take me out of the story. The antagonist was way too unserious, a situation where some of the typical Riordan jokes needed to be cut. The themes are handled mostly without subtlety. And I already critiqued this in my review for The Tower of Nero, but Riordan still relies too heavily on convenience to get his characters out of conflict.

Oh and where were Reyna and Hazel???? Why were they barely even mentioned???? They were the closest people to Nico in HoO!

I also have mixed feelings on the flashback scene where Nico asked Will out in regards to queer rep. Without spoiling, basically Nico and Will were pressured to come out. This is especially problematic given Nico was outed in The House of Hades. Can we just let that boy come out when he’s ready???? Hasn’t he been through enough????

Despite that scene, I view the queer rep in this (and Riordan’s books in general) as a net positive. And despite my other critiques, I did really love The Sun and the Star! It was cathartic to see a character that means so much to me finally begin to unpack the tragedy of his story.

BTW though it's not necessary, I'd recommend reading the Trials of Apollo series before this. Though Nico and Will only appear in the first and last books, there are some spoilers to ToA and you'll have a better understanding of Will, particularly his relationship to Apollo. Trials of Apollo is also just a really good series itself!

TWs: outing (Cupid when you catch these hands), PTSD, death, grief, some gore including injuries and blood, bugs.

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