Author Archives: River W.

The Sun and the Star: A Review

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Written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, the Sun and the Star dives into countless topics and genres– just as the main characters, Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, dive into Tartarus. One of the overarching themes is “fixing what’s broken,” and the process of doing so.

A quick plot summary: In a previous book, Bob the Titan sacrificed himself to let Annabeth and Percy escape from Tartarus. However, they neglected to think about or visit him afterward. In “The Sun and the Star,” Rachel Dare comes bearing a prophecy for Nico and Will, saying they need to save Bob. To do so, they must journey through the underworld and go to the heart, otherwise known as Tartarus. Though Nico, being a son of Hades and a previous Tartarus visitor, is an obvious choice, it’s different for Will, son of Apollo. However, he insists on coming with his boyfriend and facing the danger. Through their adventures, they find an overbearing plot and overturn it (and the primordial goddess leading it…).

One “broken” part they try to mend is Nico’s state of mind as he comes to terms with his PTSD. It’s a part of him, experiences he’s had, but it doesn’t mean he should be bound by his nature or past. In addition, he starts to understand feelings and PTSD are not weaknesses. They may be extremely difficult, but working with them is better than hiding them. Also, Will supports Nico during this time. To talk to your demons is scary, however, it’s better when you do it with someone you care about. In page 367, we see “[Will] wanted to understand Nico, even the parts that seemed difficult or sad. All Nico needed was to be seen and heard by someone he cared for, and Will was making the effort.” This also introduces the concept that relationships are a two-way street. No matter how different or similar the two may be, the most important part is accepting and working to understand one another.

Meanwhile, Bob, who also stars in the book, must work with his newly returning memories of his former self, Iapetus. Since he was dipped in the River Lethe, he became a better person (or Titan,) but he suffers from an identity crisis since remembering his dark past. Near the end of the book, he demonstrates his realization that he can never stop being a Titan, but it’s also completely possible for him to have changed.

Nico and Will are often respectively compared to darkness and light in the book. A key moral of the book, they realize they’re not just one or the other: “”There cannot be light without darkness, nor darkness without light. You must have the contrast for both to exist.”” (Riordan & Oshiro 244) Not everything is broken, even if it looks like it. Fix what’s actually broken, but treasure what isn’t.

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

Little Women: Character Analysis

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Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, is a classic story set around the time of the Civil War. It’s mostly centered around the 4 March sisters and how they grow up. All four are inspiring young women who differed in many ways despite their shared blood, and all 4 have unique morals to teach.

Margaret March, nicknamed “Meg,” starts as a girl who cares for her younger sisters but struggles with materialism. She spends the book learning to become more generous and a woman who adheres to the idea of a biblical matron. She gives birth to two children, who represent her growth.

Josephine March, otherwise called “Jo,” is introduced as a tomboyish teenager with a mind to write and an independent spirit. She struggles with becoming a feminine, considerate woman. Throughout the book, she expands her worldview and works in various writing-based jobs. In the end, however, she starts a school for disadvantaged boys with her husband.

Elizabeth March, often referred to as “Beth,” was a sweet child who always tried to be “out of the way” and a good, obedient, quiet girl. Unfortunately, she died early in the story because she caught a disease from the immigrant baby from the poor neighboring family nearby. Had she spoken up and told the others to actually do their chores and help tend to the family, she may not have been the victim of the disease. This event also makes us question their mother’s decision-making abilities, as she was a major factor in their association with the other family. Her character development death teaches us the importance of speaking up for oneself and not leaving any regrets. 

Amy March, the only sister without a nickname, is at first a vain child who places most emphasis on herself and her looks. However, she grows to become an accomplished and kind young lady with a better tongue and a smarter mind. I thought that all the surviving girls marrying somebody was very characteristic of the times, and that Jo’s and Amy’s marriages felt quite forced, but it all depends on the view of the reader. 

In my personal opinion, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to refer to the March sisters as the My Little Pony Elements of Harmony set in a realistic fiction 1800s setting. Through their trials and joys, we are left with a unique set of morals and a new perspective.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Hunter X Hunter: Character Analysis

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Hunter X Hunter is an iconic manga published in 1998 by its author, Yoshihiro Togashi. Following Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio’s adventures, it includes a variety of arcs, including the first Hunter Exam arc, but its well-written characters make up the most compelling part of the series. 

Gon Freecs, the more outgoing of the dual protagonists, is 12 years old at the start of the series. Highly tuned to nature due to his upbringing on an island, he also appears to have learned most of his morals by observing nature, though also taught by his dear Aunt Mito. Though often seen as a “ball of sunshine” by readers, he has been said to have dubious morality by others within the book, merely following a “good” path because that’s where life led him. This may also be the reason why he can be so “selfish” but is still fine with how his dad left him as a baby. Overall, he is a good-plot driver with a strong will as well as an interesting personality.

No less important is “Gon’s best friend,” another 12 year old known as Killua Zoldyck. Abused and trained to become an assassin by his family since childhood, he beat up his mom and one of his older brothers to escape before taking the Hunter Exam on a whim. Unlike Gon, Killua was raised by a strict structure and saw following someone he cares about instead of obeying his family as an act of defiance. However, Killua’s close friendship with Gon made them sometimes unhealthily co-dependent. The manga explores his friendship with Gon, growth from his initial self-deprecation, and how he learns to feel things through his own heart.

Kurapika of the Kurta clan, a 17 year old in the first volume, had his entire clan killed by the Phantom Troupe while a child. To avenge his clan, he became a Hunter to seek out and kill all the members, or Spiders, of the Phantom Troupe. Though he first appears in the series as someone with a noble goal, this quest also leads him to venture into the shadier parts of society. His development centers around the reasons for his choice to suffer.

The final of the main 4, Leorio Paladiknight, age 19, is unfortunately played off as comedic relief for most of the story. He aspires to become a doctor to save those who would otherwise die of diseases akin to the one his childhood friend suffered from. Differing from Gon and Killua, who end up different mostly because of their upbringings,  Kurapika and Leorio both were deeply affected by how loved ones died during their childhood. I found it interesting how Kurapika had the motto of “they made my kin suffer, so I will make them suffer,” while Leorio stood by “it hurt my friend, so I’ll make sure no one else hurts in such a way ever again.” In conclusion, Hunter X Hunter contains amazing protagonists with inspiring character arcs and unique backstories.

Hunter X Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.