This book is about Percy Jackson, a modern-day demigod son of Poseidon, and he is summarizing the lives and telling the stories of the original Greek heroes. Some of his stories include the lives of Hercules, Daedalus, Jason, Theseus, Atalanta, and many more. In each story, Percy describes the backstory of each of the characters and how these backstories played an integral part in their actions in the stories. In the book, there is also an introduction and afterword that also accompanies the list of stories to further explain and generalize the book itself.
I absolutely loved this book. Mere words cannot express the love I have for this book and the entire Percy Jackson series. I love Greek mythology because of this book and the series. The diction and word choice that Riordan uses makes the content more interesting and appealing to read. He uses modern day slang and terms that help his readers to better understand Greek mythology. Not only does he make it easier to understand, but he also makes it relatable to the reader. Of course the reader can’t actually relate to the character’s situations because the situations can’t happen in real life, but the lessons that are being conveyed and the side explanations, like why the Sahara Desert is the way it is today, is something to know and relate to.
One memorable thing about the book is the jokes and the sarcastic remarks that Percy makes in the book. I can’t really say them without giving away spoilers. One that did stick out to me without revealing spoilers was, “No matter how much you think your life sucks, these guys and gals had it worse.”
Reviewed by Sneha, Grade 9, Glen Allen Branch Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 