The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, #2# of Pages: 279
Publication: April 1st, 2006
Source: Owned Copy
Genre: Middle Grade, Mythology
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The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment.
In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.
Please keep in mind that this is the second book in a series so there will be spoilers in the following review.
Stepping back into the world of Percy Jackson was one of the most phenomenal experiences that I have had so far this year. With the Trials of Apollo and Magnus Chase series being added to the world, I’ve set out to do a re-read of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series as well as the Heroes of Olympus series. Prior to re-reading the book, I realized that I didn’t remember a single thing from this book. It’s a brilliant follow up to the Lightning Thief that focuses on a new quest that ties into the possible rise of Kronos the Titan god. While the reader becomes more involved with prior characters there is also the introduction of new characters such as Tyson who is presented as the half-brother of Percy. I loved that we have the opportunity to learn more about Clarisse as well as Grover. In the first book I felt as though both Clarisse and Grover were presented as side characters that were not necessarily important to the overall plot of the book. Sure, Grover was responsible for bringing Percy to Camp Half-Blood and definitely served as his closest friend; however, I feel like readers are given more insight to Grover and the relationship that he has with Percy in this book. In addition, Clarisse is often presented as a head strong, mean demigod but in this book the reader sees more of a developed and humane side of her.
Outside of character development, there is a lot that happens with the plot. It’s complex and really revolves around how Luke, a main character from the first book, has completely lost faith and trust in the gods. He’s even gone as far as to attempt to recruit demigods on the behalf of Kronos. It all stems from the loss of the fleece that protects Camp Half-Blood. When Percy dreams about Grover being in trouble, the plot gets thrown into full swing. The reader has the opportunity to learn more about Percy’s capabilities as a demigod and how he’s tied to his brother and Poseidon. There’s also a dynamic of the plot that is clearly evolving and developing around Kronos and Riordan skillfully writes an ending that will shock all readers.
I find all of Riordan’s books to be captivating but this book really truly grabbed my attention and I enjoyed all of the characters which is really rare for me. Even the villains were able to garner some sympathy from me. After the ending of this book, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
Stepping back into the world of Percy Jackson was one of the most phenomenal experiences that I have had so far this year. With the Trials of Apollo and Magnus Chase series being added to the world, I’ve set out to do a re-read of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series as well as the Heroes of Olympus series. Prior to re-reading the book, I realized that I didn’t remember a single thing from this book. It’s a brilliant follow up to the Lightning Thief that focuses on a new quest that ties into the possible rise of Kronos the Titan god. While the reader becomes more involved with prior characters there is also the introduction of new characters such as Tyson who is presented as the half-brother of Percy. I loved that we have the opportunity to learn more about Clarisse as well as Grover. In the first book I felt as though both Clarisse and Grover were presented as side characters that were not necessarily important to the overall plot of the book. Sure, Grover was responsible for bringing Percy to Camp Half-Blood and definitely served as his closest friend; however, I feel like readers are given more insight to Grover and the relationship that he has with Percy in this book. In addition, Clarisse is often presented as a head strong, mean demigod but in this book the reader sees more of a developed and humane side of her.
Outside of character development, there is a lot that happens with the plot. It’s complex and really revolves around how Luke, a main character from the first book, has completely lost faith and trust in the gods. He’s even gone as far as to attempt to recruit demigods on the behalf of Kronos. It all stems from the loss of the fleece that protects Camp Half-Blood. When Percy dreams about Grover being in trouble, the plot gets thrown into full swing. The reader has the opportunity to learn more about Percy’s capabilities as a demigod and how he’s tied to his brother and Poseidon. There’s also a dynamic of the plot that is clearly evolving and developing around Kronos and Riordan skillfully writes an ending that will shock all readers.
I find all of Riordan’s books to be captivating but this book really truly grabbed my attention and I enjoyed all of the characters which is really rare for me. Even the villains were able to garner some sympathy from me. After the ending of this book, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.
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