The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2) by Rick Riordan
Product Details
Web ID: 14601622A clever retelling of The Odyssey
THE SEA OF MONSTERS by Rick Riordan is the second Percy Jackson and the Olympians book, and it ends much more strongly than it begins. I saw the movie years ago, providing me with the basic plot. Still, reading THE SEA OF MONSTERS was very different than watching the movie. It surprised me in several ways. It wasn't apparent in the movie, but I would describe THE SEA OF MONSTERS as The Odyssey Lite. Percy and Annabeth essentially follow Odysseus' path, with stops at Circe's island, escaping Sylla, Charybdis, and the sirens, and battling a cyclops. Plus, there is a not-so-veiled nod to Penelope. It just so happens that this all occurs in the Bermuda Triangle instead of the Mediterranean Sea. Very clever, Mr. Riordan. Very clever, indeed. As if retelling The Odyssey weren't enough, THE SEA OF MONSTERS also pushes the overarching plot forward. We learn the answers to one or two secrets, meet new characters, and learn more about Luke's plans. You can feel the story preparing for a big battle. While we aren't at that point yet, you can begin to see how it might unfold. The other element of THE SEA OF MONSTERS I appreciate is the growing maturity of the characters. Yes, they are still young and act like it. But we also get to see many of the characters overcome prejudices and battle long-held intolerances. Percy doesn't jump quite as fast into an unknown situation. He does take a second or two to think through his actions before jumping. The character development feels natural, befitting the characters' experiences and increase in age. THE SEA OF MONSTERS is a clever retelling of The Odyssey. Similarly, Percy and friends provide excellent examples of what it means to overcome prejudice. With plenty of monsters and danger to excite the target audience, there are also some great lessons young readers will pick up along the way. No wonder it remains so popular with kids and parents.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is one of the BEST books ever it's so exciting and it's such a good series I can't wait to read the rest of the series
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
it was okay
i loved the first book and all the films but the movie was lowkey better and more entertaining it’s only 2% the same. still was funny and good addition to the story i love Tyson however i don’t like how Rick made him seem on the spectrum or stupid but maybe it’s just me. it feels like something you need to get through before the good parts. still the best series though
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Best Sequel Imaginable
It's crazy how a whole book about saving a tree can turn into such an adventure and excitable read. When I finished the first book, The Lightning Thief, I couldn’t wait to read the next book of this series. It let us with so many questions that his book answered. The Sea of Monsters was a great follow up, and an even better set up for the forthcoming books. I love how Rick Riordan brought back our favorite characters, such as Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia, though we have not formally met her yet. The journey that the characters set out on in this book was, I would say, equally as interesting as the last book. It has the right amount of surprises along the way, and follows a type of Hero’s Journey format. Their quest for the Golden Fleece introduces us to new, grueling monsters that we had not yet known about, and even brings about new friendships. As with the characters, I loved how they maintained their same childness and humor from the last book. With Percy though, I liked how Riordan was able to portray him as a true child with child feelings, some being how he had doubts about himself at the beginning of the book and he eventually grows and matures more by the end. I find this comforting how someone, including myself, can relate to a character in this way. Annabeth even had to deal with problems from her past, which can make her seem like a comfort character and keeps us wanting to know more about her mysterious ways. One of my personal favorite themes of this book is friendship. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have an unbreakable bond and stick together through even the hard times. It shows me how important and valuable friendships are. They face tough challenges, but they never give up because they can rely on each other. Overall, this book was pretty good. It wasn’t my favorite in the world, since the ending was kind of predictable, but it did introduce me to new things I had not known before and it prepared me for the third book. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you're a big fan of Greek mythology like myself and want to read more about it in a fun way. My favorite part of this book was definitely the characters and how we even got to meet new ones. I personally can’t wait to see what Riordan has instored for us in The Titan’s Curse.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Sea of Monsters, An Amazing Book!
Percy Jackson is a famous fantasy series written by Rick Riordan. The Sea of Monsters, the 2nd book in the series, is about Percy going on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, a magical item that can save his father's life. In the book, Percy learns about the importance of friendship and loyalty. He also learns that he is capable of great things, even though he is only a young boy. The book a fun, exciting, and will appeal to people of all ages. I even believe that this is a book that everyone should read. I specifically enjoyed the action and also the little romance. It is a story that displays the importance of family and the power of love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good novel to read. I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing Book!
"Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters" is the second book in Rick Riordan's awesome series about Greek gods and their kids. In this book, Percy and his friends go on a quest to save their friend Grover, who's stuck on an island in the middle of the Sea of Monsters. They also have to save Camp Half-Blood from some seriously bad magic that's been messing with the borders. It's an action-packed adventure filled with cool Greek mythology references and hilarious jokes. The story is fast-paced and super fun to read. It's a little bit scary sometimes, but in a good way, like a roller coaster ride. Percy and his friends are great characters, and it's exciting to see how they grow and work together to overcome challenges. Overall, "Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters" is an excellent book that will make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your seat, and maybe even teach you something about Greek mythology. I'd give it 5 out of 5 stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, adventure, and awesome characters.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Very good book!
In Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters," the books of Percy Jackson, the demigod son of Poseidon, continues with a maze of adventure, humor, and heart. Building on the success of the first book, "The Lightning Thief," this sequel brings readers back into the captivating world of Greek mythology, where gods, monsters, and heroes collide. The story follows Percy, along with his loyal friends Annabeth and Grover, on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece, a mythical artifact believed to have the power to save their home, Camp Half-Blood, from destruction. As they journey through waters and fight monsters, including the Cyclops Polyphemus and sorceress Circe, Percy struggles not only with threats but also with internal doubts and insecurities. Riordan's blend of mythology with modern day settings remain one of the series' greatest strengths. Through Percy's perspective, readers are not only treated to dynamic action sequences but also can explore themes of friendship, identity, and the struggle to find one's place in the world. The characters, both familiar faces and new additions, are amazingly written and relatable, each grappling with their own fears and flaws as they navigate the goals of their quest. The narrative is moved forward by Riordan's engaging writing style, characterized by good pacing, dialogue, humor. Whether Percy is hanging with his friends or battling monsters in the seas, the story radiates with energy and smarts, making it difficult to put the book down. However, "The Sea of Monsters" is not without its flaws. The pacing occasionally get kind of long in the middle section of the book, where the plot seems to get lost before picking up again towards the climax. Additionally, while the introduction of new characters and mythological creatures adds variety to the story, some may feel that they are not as fully developed as they could be, leaving certain plot lines feeling somewhat unresolved. Despite these minor issues, "The Sea of Monsters" remains a captivating and entertaining read that will satisfy fans of the series. With its thrilling adventures, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes, this book is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the Percy Jackson series.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Diving into the Sea of Monsters
The novel Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters written by Rick Riordan is an unforgettable read. Percy and his close friend, Annabeth set about a quest to retrive the golden fleece and save Grover with the help of one of the demigods from Camp Half-Blood, Clarisse. Percy also meets his Half-Brother named Tyson who joins the two on the adventure. The fleece is very important because it is needed to heal Thalia’s poisned tree. Also once the golden fleece is retrived, protection will be provided to Camp Half-Blood once again. The most difficult part of this quest will be to help Grover escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. This creature mistakes Grover for a female cyclops and forces him to work on a wedding veil. The cyclops Polyphemus wants to get married to Grover, yet before they can do so, Percy and his friends reascue Grover. Then after safely retrieving the Golden Fleece, and bringing it back to Camp Half-Blood, Percy and his new friends soon find out that Luke is planning an attack on Olympus. Percy and his friends now have a quest, protect Mount.Olympus from Luke. Personally, I believe that this book is very good as a reader who loves adventure and suspense. In this book, there is also Greek mytholgy tied into it, as well as humor. The characters included in this novel are very relatable. Most of the characters are in their teenage years, which is perfect, becuase many of their readers are in that age group. Another reason why I feel this novel is a very good read, is becusase it includes a variety of different themes. It allows the reader to experience many unalike themes which makes the novel more interesting. One of the concepts that made this book so intresting was good verus evil. Percy has serveral encounters with Luke, and various monsters which all demonstrate the concept, good verus evil. This theme also shows readers the nature of heroism is very important. Another concept in this novel is courage and bravery. All characters face numerous dangers, yet most have enough courage to confront their fears and take risks. This theme is very important to read about because it demonstrates how everyone grows up and faces many difficult life challenges. Yet, with the right amount of courage and bravery, most can overcome all hardships. This novel had many different twists and turns that kept me very intrested in the book. So, I would recommend this book to any reader who loves adventure but also fantasy.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com