Rick Riordan
I’m glad I finally got through this book–I can see now why so many kids have been asking for a copy. I had a lot of fun with it, especially because the reader isn’t babied when it comes to the Greek mythology. Many times Riordan just drops a name down and expects you to know exactly who it is. Sometimes he gives some back story behind events and people, but it never felt awkward or stupid. Need to feel like I know secret stuff while reading? Totally fulfilled.
The one thing I want to bring up in regards to this book is the recent bunch of people attacking female narrators like Bella and Katniss for being about as self-aware as mossy rocks. I never heard Percy Jackson make any of these sort of lists but if Katniss is clueless–this boy tops her by miles. Bella Swan is just an unhealthy female period, so I don’t consider her lacking self-awareness. I think she lacks a working mind completely. Katniss and Percy, on the other hand, are teen (first-person) narrators and so I think they should be forgiven for any dumb thoughts they have. I mean, after all, we are piggybacking on their journey of self-discovery. This novel just got me thinking: Is Percy often forgiven as a clueless narrator because he’s a boy? I hope not.
Regardless, I really enjoyed the book–I thought Percy was funny and I enjoyed seeing the way he struggled (and finally succeeded) to learn to be brave. I liked the whole philosophy behind the camp, the quest and the modern spin on many Greek figures. Finally, I thought it was refreshing to have a popular main character have both dyslexia and ADHD. I sincerely look forward to reading the next one (I already checked it out of the library). If you have a passion for Greek mythology, then grab this book. You’ll love it!