Fiction
377 pages
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
Completion: A+
Writing/Style: A
Characters: A
Plot/Pacing: A
World-building/Atmosphere: A+
Subgenres (Romance, Humor, Mystery, etc.): A+
Final Grade: A Get Thee to a Bookstore!
Who knew I would like a middle grade book?
As a 21 year old, I thought I was way past middle grade books, but I was very, very, very wrong. Now that might sound a little pretentious to underestimate middle grade books like that, but as a kid I was very precocious AND pretentious. I practically skipped elementary and middle grade books all together. My reading level was so high that I prided myself on reading the hardest books in my school and public libraries. However, I am so glad for the continued fame of Percy Jackson and for my cousin who persuaded me to read this series.
I can now see why Percy Jackson is compared to Harry Potter: it is contagiously fun. Riordan takes the basic hero’s journey and makes it fresh again. I also appreciated that how the characters, main and side characters, were balanced: talented but believable. As well, the book tackles disabilities which is all too often overlooked or omitted.
As far as the story goes, you can go into this book not knowing anything about Greek mythology, but it’s extra fun if you do. I was so excited to see what sort of twists Riordan was going to pull on these classics, and he didn’t disappoint. Riordan’s imaginings of Greek gods and legends are witty, humorous, and yet just serious enough for me to invest in them. Reading this book, I could tell how much fun he must have had putting all of this together.
After I finished, I immediately went out and got the next in the series. Probably the best thing about this series is the humor. It is so on point that it appeals to this 21 year old as much as it would have appealed to my 10 year old self. This was a light quick read that I would definitely recommend but especially for the summer.
Mild Spoiler of the Ending:
This didn’t change my overall opinion of the book, but it did worry me a little bit. The reader quickly discovers that Percy’s mother is dating an abusive man in order to protect Percy. At the end of the novel, Percy is determined to kill/turn-to-stone this man with Medusa’s head, but his mother convinces him otherwise. Percy leaves her the head, and it is implied that Percy’s mother later uses the Medusa head on this man. Now, while this might have only been intended as humor or a convenient way of getting rid of the man, it worries me that “revenge” or violence on an abuser would be portrayed in this series. Now, I am not one who believes that children cannot handle hard topics or issues. And yet, the tone of the novel is confused in this scene as the mother is able to so casually and callously dispose of this man she was with and without any consequences or repercussions. It leaves a rather light-hearted story on a dark and unnecessary note.
After the first book, the series gets that much better. My two favorites are the third and fifth. The third book shows you how deep these characters are and how much I think their development is on the brink of flawless. By the fifth book you realize how short a time it took you to grow so attached to the important characters (including but not limited to Percy, Grover, and Annabeth) that you find yourself stressing out over the plot just as much as they are, which is a really special experience. As to your concern over the ending of the first book, using a fantastical means to defeat an abuser in a fantasy series is really common. Harry Potter is one of the exceptions to this, rather than the rule of what happens to abusive characters. Look at Grimm stories. It's just a way of putting a bad guy into a caricature and then doing the proverbial "slay the (insert evil entity here)." Is it a good writing move on the author's part? No, but this guy's not an important character, so it doesn't really matter. You could look at it as the author's way of being tactful about making this character disappear from the storyline. I don't remember what happens exactly (it's been so long since I've read the 1st book), but if we never know for sure whether or not the mom uses Medusa's head to turn him into stone, if that is left completely open, then there's the possibility that she didn't. It also means that regardless of whether or not she did, it doesn't matter because Percy's mom (and ipso facto the author) found a way to get that character out of the story. Because he's not an important character, what ultimately happens to him is not worth explaining. So in a sense, Medusa's head is more of an indicator that his role in the story has ceased to exist.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great choice of series! As you can see, there's lots to talk about! Happy reading!! :)
After the first book, the series gets that much better. My two favorites are the third and fifth. The third book shows you how deep these characters are and how much I think their development is on the brink of flawless. By the fifth book you realize how short a time it took you to grow so attached to the important characters (including but not limited to Percy, Grover, and Annabeth) that you find yourself stressing out over the plot just as much as they are, which is a really special experience. As to your concern over the ending of the first book, using a fantastical means to defeat an abuser in a fantasy series is really common. Harry Potter is one of the exceptions to this, rather than the rule of what happens to abusive characters. Look at Grimm stories. It's just a way of putting a bad guy into a caricature and then doing the proverbial "slay the (insert evil entity here)." Is it a good writing move on the author's part? No, but this guy's not an important character, so it doesn't really matter. You could look at it as the author's way of being tactful about making this character disappear from the storyline. I don't remember what happens exactly (it's been so long since I've read the 1st book), but if we never know for sure whether or not the mom uses Medusa's head to turn him into stone, if that is left completely open, then there's the possibility that she didn't. It also means that regardless of whether or not she did, it doesn't matter because Percy's mom (and ipso facto the author) found a way to get that character out of the story. Because he's not an important character, what ultimately happens to him is not worth explaining. So in a sense, Medusa's head is more of an indicator that his role in the story has ceased to exist.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great choice of series! As you can see, there's lots to talk about! Happy reading!! :)
I've read the second one, but I still need to get the rest of the series. I cannot wait to see what happens! ! As far as the abuser goes, "implied" was perhaps the wrong word. It's been a little while since I've read it and since I don't have the book right beside me this might be a little off, but while the book doesn't directly say that she turned him to stone, it is pretty clear that she does. The book mentions that she begins selling statues and things and one of them has his likeness or something like that. I agree with most of your points, but my issue was less on the action itself than the nonchalant tone it had. Up to that point in the book, the story had done a great job of balancing funny with serious, knowing when something needed to be taken as a deeper, more serious moment, but in the ending the casualness of his mother essentially becoming a killer seemed way off from the established tone. That's all. If it had been less nonchalant and casual, I wouldn't have problems with it, but I do find it interesting how you view it.
DeleteThanks for the great comment!
Fair enough, as far as the tone goes. Maybe he just needed to wrap up the story? Like when you have the climax, and then once the climax ends everything else is light-hearted as a cool-down from all the suspense. I don't know. Anyway, Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the third book!
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