Tag Archives: percy jackson

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.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes

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As a newly converted Latin nerd making my first odyssey into the perilous (root word: periculum) land of Roman jargon, I’m deeply appreciative of my 3rd grade obsession with Percy Jackson. Not only am I able to seem even nerdier among my peers, I’m also glad for how Percy Jackson has widely popularized Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, re-reading one of the most information-dense books (Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes), I’m surprised at how much information is cleverly packaged in Percy Jackson’s sarcasm and humor. It doesn’t feel like reading a textbook, but I’m still gaining an immense amount of information. And that’s the true power of Rick Riordan’s bestselling books: the ability to take something that’s always been more niche and turn it into something fun.

I like the stories themselves too: Rick Riordan tells the classic myths of Heracles, Medusa, and the Minotaur, but also the stories of Otrera, queen of the Amazons, or Atalanta, the great huntress. It’s a snarky, modern take on classical myth that retains their initial meaning.

Take the story of Arachne: an incredibly talented mortal seamstress with skills that rival those of Athena. Her pride got the better of her after she challenged Athena to a weaving competition, and the end is not pretty. But Riordan also points out the other, less-mentioned moral of the story: that the villagers who once worshipped Arachne were just as willing to betray her. Ultimately, the ugliest characters in the story are not the prideful gods in Arachne’s tapestry, or the spider she becomes, but the hypocrisy of Arachne’s own community.

All in all, I still love Percy Jackson, for all of its minor historical inaccuracies. It brought classical mythology into a modern spotlight, and it’s just a truly fun and enjoyable read. You might even pick up a few facts and morals in the process. Just don’t forget to sacrifice a goat after your read.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book vs. TV Series: Percy Jackson

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Many Disney and Percy Jackson fans have long awaited the arrival of the TV series Percy Jackson. Having read the series, I immediately watched the first two episodes of the series that Disney launched. The series is chronologically ordered, starting with the first book The Lightning Thief. Episodes 1 & 2 are about Percy’s journey to Camp Half-Blood, the ‘death’ of his mother, and the beginning of his quest.

Overall, I thought that the first two episodes were decent; however, it wasn’t the best. One criticism I have is that some important scenes (and details) were left out. At the beginning of Episode 1, Mr. Brunner hands Percy his sword Riptide. However, in the book, Brunner throws Percy his sword and pretends it never happened. Though this is a tiny detail, I noticed that it was left out. On a larger note, one extremely important scene that was left out was the prophecy of someone dying. In the book, when Percy is on the bus, he looks out of the window and sees 3 women cutting a string–which foreshadows the death of his mother. While there are probably about 10 other scenes that were left out, I think that the show did a mediocre job of embodying the book.

Another small criticism that I have is that the characters from TV series look too young. While Percy is 12 in the book (and the other kid supporting characters are), the actors look way too young. If I did not have any previous knowledge of the TV series/book, I would assume that the characters were between the age of 8-9. Despite the actor’s youthful appearance, I would say Walker Scobell (Percy), is very talented. A final criticism I have is that some of the characters do not match the descriptions of the book. For example, Gabe, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Grover do not have the same characteristics as the characters in the book. Personally, I feel that it takes away from the story; but I’m sure the actors will do a phenomenal job for this series.

After watching the first two episodes of this series, my assessment is that while the series is decent, the book is much better. While I believe that you should watch the series, I would recommend reading the books first.

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Nostalgic Books

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It’s always fun to remember the simpler times of our childhood. Personally, literature has always been a big part of my life, and I know a lot of other people feel the same way. There is just something special about old childhood favorites. Let’s revisit some of my– and maybe yours as well– beloved books from years ago. 

  1. Percy Jackson series

Percy Jackson is such a creative and enjoyable book series! Personally, I love learning about Greek mythology and history. Reading this was so much fun for me– it was absolutely my favorite in middle school. I heard they recently made a show adaptation! I have watched the movie adaptation before, but have yet to watch the show.

  1. Dear America series

These books were so eye-opening and captivating for me. I actually cried over a few! Especially the story of the enslaved girl. If you don’t know already, these books are fictional diaries capturing the lives of girls from historical America. Most of them are very sad, but they helped me gain new perspectives and appreciation for the life I have. I think this is a very important experience every child should have. 

  1. Wonder

Most of the time, when I am forced to read books for school it is a grueling experience. With all the reports, essays, and book logs, it made reading boring. However, this one I didn’t mind. In fact– I loved this book! Similar to the Dear America books, it opened my eyes to new perspectives. It also had such a heartwarming story throughout. Weird to think that I’m around the same age as Via!

  1. The Magic Treehouse 

This was one of my favorite book series. I read these over and over again throughout elementary school. It has such a creative plot and it was written beautifully. I was always immersed in the spectacular magic, timelines, imagery, and plot of every world they explored.

  1. Junie B. Jones series

I absolutely loved these books. They have such a neat charm to them. I remember spending my recess reading Junie’s misspelled diary entries and her dramatic attitude. Remember when she locked herself in school to avoid riding the bus? 2nd-grade me couldn’t believe it!

Book Review: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson)

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Two weeks ago, I started reading the series Percy Jackson. This series starts with the book The Lightning Thief. The book begins with an introduction to the main character Percy Jackson. He goes on a field trip with his classmates when a series of mysterious events occur (a monster attempts to kill him). Percy gets expelled from his school and learns that he is a half-blood, or demigod. This means that he is a child of a god and a mortal.

Later, Percy is sent to a camp for half-bloods and is sent on a quest with his friends Annabeth and Grover to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt; in the hopes of preventing a war. In this process, Percy discovers he is the child of Poseidon. As the chapters precede, Percy ends up returning the lightning bolt to the gods, and learns that his friend betrayed him by stealing the bolt himself.

Though this was the first Rick Riordan book I have ever read, I can confidently say that Riordan is an excellent writer. If you are looking for a series that is exciting, mysterious, and suspenseful, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great contestant. I enjoyed this book because it was entertaining to read—there was never a dull moment. This book started out strong and ended strong as well. Despite the fact that The Lightning Thief is the first book in the series, Percy has much character development. I feel that he gains much wisdom after completing his first quest.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (revamp)

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Recently a new tv series popped up on Disney Plus, the newest version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians was released on December 19, 2023. Nearly 13 years after the first movie was released, this second one coming in as a tv series proved to be way better than the first one. The movie that was released in 2010 got many low ratings (6.2 thousand 1 star reviews on IMdb), so much so that it stopped production after the release of Sea of Monsters. A main problem was the plot, many viewers did not enjoy how much the plot in the movie deviated from the plot in the book. Some said that it was like a completely different world. Many were also not happy with character castings, the characters often did not act like their given roles.

Now with the new tv series already out and pumping 3 episodes out, the reviews and feedback has been great. Walker Scobell cast as Percy Jackson was a hit. Many were surprised at their new image of Percy Jackson but were relatively satisfied. Leah Jeffries was cast as Annabeth, Charlie Bushnell as Luke, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover. They have been boosted to a new stardom as social media blows up with media frenzy over this beloved world. The actors portray their roles so perfectly that it leaves us on the edge of our seats. Yes, that is a cliche but it’s true!

TV shows and series that include The Summer I Turned Pretty also figured out a loophole to gaining an audience’s love. WIth the use of the newest hits on parts of episodes, viewers tune in more and soon the edits come rushing in like a tsunami on tiktok. Actually, I didn’t know that Percy Jackson got a revamp over the years and I stumbled upon a instagram post raving about the series. I was really confused as I thought they were talking about the movies released before, but a quick google search proved me wrong. I rushed to my computer and binged the last three episodes. Totally worth it!

Percy Jackson Series Review

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By Bella H.

Immersing myself in the captivating world of mythology, I have devoured numerous books, consuming many books every day after school through my years in middle school. I love books written by the talented author Rick Riordan. He is a master at intertwining modern-day storytelling with ancient legends and myths.

Percy Jackson, my absolute favorite among his remarkable book series, captivates me with thought-provoking and intricately woven plots and realistic and believable characters that I’m eager to discuss. 

I’ll not spoil the plot too much here, but Percy is twelve when the series starts. Little did he know that his life was about to change; When he discovered that he was the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. From this discovery, he finds himself in one adventure after another. Compelled to undertake a perilous quest in search of the elusive entrance to the Underworld and stop an all-out war between the gods. 

Its protagonist’s remarkable growth and development throughout the book series truly sets Percy Jackson apart. As we follow the series, we see Percy’s gradual evolution from a wide-eyed and inexperienced adolescent to a seasoned and resilient hero at the end. With each passing chapter, we observe his physical maturation and profound emotional and mental transformation. 

Mr. Riordan skillfully weaves this transformation of his protagonist seamlessly into the narration and story plot that makes us, as the readers, so invested in Percy Jackson’s personal journey.

What is a hero without friends who fight by his side, bolstering his resolve and assisting his noble endeavors? Unlike other series where side characters fade into the background, side characters are an integral part of Riordan’s books. The bond of friendship that Percy and his companion have for each other resonates with me, as the bond between these characters deepens and fortifies as they face trials and tribulations together.

The captivating tapestry of Greek myth skillfully weaves into the story. It is genuinely delightful for any fan of ancient legends.

I also love the Greek mythology theme, and the different gods and goddesses are interesting. Each turn of a new page introduces us to various Gods and Goddesses, each with unique quirks, power, and personalities. Mr. Riordan has created a masterpiece in a modern-day story where Gods and mortals collide. He breathes life into these characters, making them realistic and believable, creating a world where fantasy and reality converge. 

Will Percy stop an epic battle that threatens to unleash chaos upon the world? I suggest you read the book if you want to uncover more details. 

Happy Reading!

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

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Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods is a 336 paged book written by Rick Riordan and illustrated by John Rocco. I know all of us have heard of Percy Jackson. You have probably at some point read one of the books in Percy Jackson’s mythological world. So as a person who doesn’t know much about Greek mythology this book is great. Most people don’t much about Greek mythology. So this book is great giving you not only an interesting story but allowing you better understand and enjoy the other Percy Jackson books.

The book starts off with how the world is created in Greek mythology. So we learn about the start of Earth and the Titans. After the Titans are the Gods. It goes through the first Titan wars explaining how the Gods got into power. Zeus who is actually the youngest starts the war by freeing his five older siblings from the prison which was their father’s stomach.

After, explaining the war the book goes over the stories of 15 of the main Greek Gods. The 15 main Greek Gods talked about were Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hermes, Hestia, Hephaestus, and Dionysus.

We read interesting and exciting stories made centuries ago with a modern writing style. As well as background knowledge on some of the Greek gods. It’s an interesting book and a must-read for anybody planning to read Percy Jackson’s books.

-Luke G.

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.

The Tower of Nero – Book Review

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The Tower of Nero is the final installment of Rick Riodan’s most recent series called The Trials Of Apollo. In the last book, Apollo travels with his 12-year-old master/companion Meg, who is the daughter of Demeter. They both get jumped by an old friend of Meg’s, Lu. Lu helps them escape from the Germani, who were sent by Nero to capture them. They then get the 2nd line of Apollo’s final prophecy. It tells them to go to the place of the “7 layer dip” (Percy Jackson’s house). Turns out Percy isn’t home, and Lu, Apollo, and Meg instead just stay the night and plan to go to Camp Half-Blood in the morning. They take a ride on the Gray Sisters Taxi and make it (barely) to Camp Half-Blood. Meg went off to the Demeter cabin, Lu decided to go explain what happened to Nero, and Apollo gets a visit by Mr. D and his son, Will, before promptly collapsing.

As not to spoil the ending of this fantastic book, I’ll have to stop the review here. But, If you appreciate mythology books (or just fantasy books), I highly recommend reading this series. It is packed with many emotional moments and fun easter-eggs from his other books.

-Izzy

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

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The Son of Neptune is the second volume in the Heroes of Olympus series, In the novel, someone transports Percy from his home Camp Half-Blood in New York to Camp Jupiter in Southern California. He ends up there with no memory except one name, Annabeth.

On his way to Camp Jupiter, he is chased by the gorgons and observes something extremely odd. He observed that when he killed them they would just reform and come back and attack him which was not possible. 

He embarks on a quest to make sure monsters stay dead when they are killed with his new friends, Frank and Hazel. He goes to the north meeting foes and friends. He completes his quest and arrives at Camp Jupiter just in time to aid them at their time of greatest need, during a battle for survival. He regains his memory and meets his own friends from his original camp to lead an even larger quest to save the gods.

I highly recommend this book because it leads to an even bigger finale and the book along with many others in the series   Also, this is a novel that really makes you want to keep reading until the book is over. I read this novel in a very short time because i was really hooked into the story.

-Badrish A.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.