Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Two: The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) Paperback – May 3, 2022

Although Rick Riordan's young fans don't know it, they're getting something of a classical education while they're reading his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The stories are set in today's world, with side trips into pure fantasy, but they're told in a simple, down-to-earth way that has won Riordan readers throughout the world.Greek gods walk through the pages of Riordan's novels for juvenile readers, and they bring with them all the old stories from Greek mythology. I read the first volume of the projected five-book series to my nine year old and we had a blast with it. He was amazed at how I always knew the stories behind the stories and knew so much about the gods themselves.I explained to him that I read a lot of Greek mythology when I was in third grade. Since getting his interest piqued, he had me buy him a compendium of Greek myths and has been reading constantly. His knowledge has surpassed mine at this point. That's the power of Riordan's storytelling.Percy Jackson is a great hero for the series. He's an average kid for the most part - ADHD, video game junkie, pop culture freak - except that he has extra problems: he never gets to stay in the same school because some weird thing happens, he gets blamed for it, and then he's expelled. The weird thing that happens is usually some god or monster tries to kill him. Thanks to the Mist, the mystical spell that keeps mere mortals from seeing the gods or their creatures, everyone believes Percy did something.In the first book, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, Percy finds out he's the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas. He also finds out he has a lot of cool powers while in the water - like being able to breathe underwater and swim superfast. Percy's character, and his pals Annabeth and Grover, are true highlights of the series. I also enjoy the adults as well, Percy's mom, Chiron, the centaur mentor, and Mr. Dionysius, the camp director. Every summer, Percy goes to Camp Half-Blood, where the half-gods go hang out to learn how to fight and be champions, and where they learn their powers and go on quests.I also like how Riordan is incorporating his own world-building into the myths of the Greek gods. He borrows a lot from the original mythology, but he changes it and warps it to fit the modern world as well. That's important because his young readers get to see how dysfunctional the Greek gods were and how their problems might apply to their own families. That's just one of the lessons that become apparent throughout the books.THE SEA OF MONSTERS starts out with Percy getting in trouble at school again. He's become friends with a new kid, Tyson, that no one likes, and he's become a target for school bullies that turn out to be monsters in disguise. Their grudge dodgeball match literally destroys the school and it isn't long before it's just a memory and a burning ruin. And the battle will leave most readers laughing their heads off, even though they might be worried about Percy at the same time. Tyson ends up having secrets of his own.Pursued by the monsters, Percy beats a fast retreat to Camp Half-Blood with Annabeth and Tyson in tow. As soon as he gets there, though, he knows trouble has broken out all over. Thalia's tree, the one that protects Camp Half-Blood, has been poisoned and is dying. The blame has been placed squarely on Chiron.The tree is important, not only because it protects the camp, but because Zeus turned his daughter Thalia into it as she lay dying. So a lot of bad things are about to start happening. This whole plot point shows how good Riordan's storytelling and world-building is. I knew about the tree and the history from the first book, and now all of that is menaced. You can't help but be drawn in.Furthermore, to see Chiron take the fall for someone else's evil is just wrong. I couldn't wait for Percy to undertake a quest to figure out exactly what was going on.But Riordan had some surprises to unveil first. The biggest one is that Percy has a half-brother, and it's a person that Percy would never have guessed. Not only that, but his half-brother is someone no one else at the camp likes. So Percy is shunned by everyone at camp and is more mad at Poseidon than ever.The second surprise is that Grover, the satyr that has been Percy's friend the longest, is in BIG trouble. He's masqueraded himself as a girl by stealing a wedding dress and has been taken by a Cyclops that plans on marrying him. And if Grover lets the monster find out that he's a satyr and not female, the Cyclops will eat him.Just as Percy's getting ready to go to Grover's rescue, he also finds out that the Cyclops has the Golden Fleece, and that it can be used to heal Thalia's tree. From that point on, my son and I were swept up in a whirlwind of adventures that placed us on the sea in a ship, shanghaied by zombie pirates, trapped between Scylla and Charybdis (monsters that Jason and the Argonauts and Odysseus had to face in their respective adventures), aboard Blackbeard's pirate ship, and face-to-face with Luke, Percy's archenemy from the first book.Riordan's Percy Jackson novels are great reads. They're filled with incredible adventures, lots of dialogue and jokes, magic and monsters, and real-life stories that kids (and adults!) can enjoy. We've got the third book in hand, THE TITAN'S CURSE, and are anxiously awaiting Book 4: THE BATTLE IN THE LABYRINTH.I recommend reading the series in order, but there's enough explanation that you can jump on anywhere. Kids who love fantasy novels and haven't yet found these will thank you forever.

"The Sea of Monsters" is an absolute masterpiece that captivates from the first page to the last. Rick Riordan's storytelling prowess shines through in this thrilling adventure, seamlessly blending Greek mythology with modern-day twists.The protagonist, Percy Jackson, continues to be a relatable and endearing character whose growth and development are a joy to witness. His journey alongside friends like Annabeth and Grover is filled with heart-pounding action, witty humor, and unexpected plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.Riordan's world-building is exceptional, vividly bringing to life the dangers and wonders of the mythical realm. From the treacherous Sea of Monsters to the unpredictable antics of gods and monsters, every chapter is a delightfully immersive experience.What truly sets this book apart is its themes of friendship, bravery, and self-discovery. Through Percy's adventures, readers are reminded of the power of loyalty, courage, and embracing one's strengths and weaknesses."The Sea of Monsters" is not just a book; it's an enchanting journey that sparks imagination and leaves a lasting impact. Whether you're a fan of mythology, adventure, or simply a great story, this book is a must-read that will leave you eagerly reaching for the next installment in the series.

JUST A DISCLAIMER: The following comes from someone who has only read the series up to this book. Any reference to the Percy Jackson series represents this book, the past one, and my personal predictions for the next books. I cannot rate and am not rating the books after this one.You’re a modern-day kid, just growing up in New York City with your mom. You have some trouble in school, but other than that, you’re just like any other kid. Then, one day, you find out your dad is the Greek god Poseidon. Thanks to this, your whole life changes. Now, you have to go on a huge adventure to save the world. This explains the Percy Jackson series. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (which I’ll be calling simply Sea of Monsters from now on) is the second book in the series and it’s still pretty good. The book maintains a fairly decent pace while still keeping what made the first book good.(Aye, this be a summary, so there be spoilers ahead! If ye don’ like em’, skip this entire paragraph.) Our story starts roughly one year after the events of the first book. The book opens with Percy’s dream one morning. In the dream, his satyr friend, Grover, is in some sort of danger. Percy then wakes up and quickly shrugs it off as a dream and prepares for his last school day of the year. He meets up with his new friend Tyson, a really tall, messed up, and somewhat stupid homeless kid who goes to Percy’s school. Everything is fine until gym class, when some monsters show up and everything goes straight down from there. The gym is blown up, with Percy, now running with Annabeth and Tyson to Camp Half-Blood, being blamed for everything. Upon arriving at camp, our group of protagonists find that it is under attack from two brass bulls! They team up with the forces already fighting the bulls and Percy sees that Tyson is a cyclops. Weeks pass with Tyson being claimed by Poseidon, Percy having some more dreams about Grover to find out that Grover is being held prisoner by Polyphemus in the Bermuda Triangle, and eventually Hermes appears and helps Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth escape from camp. The trio go on their journey to the Bermuda Triangle, finding out about Luke’s plot to revive Kronos and fighting some monsters along the way. They finally make it to Polyphemus’ island and escape back to Florida. A few more things that I won’t spoil happen down in Florida, and then the book ends with our protagonists getting back to and saving camp.Sea of Monsters and the Percy Jackson series picks right up where the Greek myths left off, and I think that’s good. They make regular references to Greek mythology, bringing characters or places out of it. In fact, our main character is based Perseus from mythology. The story is even told a bit like a myth told from the first person. With all of these elements combined, I consider this series to be an extension on the ancient Greek myths. They contain the same type of epic legend and quest that the Greek myths do. The only difference? The Percy Jackson series updates the idea to modern times, having the characters act in ways a modern audience can relate to much more easily. Part of how he does this is in humor, using lines like “‘Powdered donuts,’ Tyson said earnestly. ‘I will look for powdered donuts in the wilderness.’ He headed outside and started calling, ‘Here, donuts!’” Despite seeming like a sort of simple idea, this book is great because of it.The only real complaint I have with Sea of Monsters is that the book, like my summary above, seems to move remarkably fast at some points, while going very slow at others. Over the same amount of pages it takes for Percy to figure out one idea in his head, he can build an entire chariot. Over the same amount of pages it takes for him to fight Polyphemus, he can wind up back at Camp Half-Blood. Other than this rather erratic movement, I feel that this book holds up well.What if the Greek myths were brought into modern times? Sea of Monsters and the Percy Jackson series are spawned from that very interesting idea. And Sea of Monsters executes it well. This book captures the essence of the ancient Greek myths and does its job by updating the language and format into one more modern. Other than this book seeming to move very fast or very slow sometimes, I have no problems with it. A good read that I recommend.