Hermes shrugged. “Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related, for better or worse… and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Book 2) – Rick Riordan
**WARNING** May contain spoilers if you haven’t read The Lightning Thief (review)
Book two of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series opens to find Percy at Meriwether Prep, another new school, with another new and strange friend, Tyson. Soon Percy is defending his life against canibals, being rescued by his old friend Annabeth, and fleeing his burning gymnasium with Annabeth and Tyson, who shows some strange and remarkable skills. Upon returning to Camp Half-Blood, Percy is greeted by mechanical bulls, and a raging battle on Half-Blood Hill. Thalia’s tree has been poisoned, and the magical borders of the Camp are no longer protecting the campers. Monsters are invading, Chiron’s been banished, Grover is missing, and Mr. D can’t seem to control or protect anyone anymore.
The Sea of Monsters is another wonderful juvenile adventure novel. Lacking as much of the emotional connection as Harry Potter, it’s still a good time to be had. Percy and friends must embark on another journey to find a magical object to save Grover as well as restore the magical boundaries of Camp Half-Blood by healing Thalia’s tree. Luke is back, with more evil plans in store, and he becomes what I presume will be the reigning villain throughout much of the series.
With a plethera of monsters, adventure, hanging-on-by-the-edge-of-your-teeth, and perilously-close-to-death goings-on, The Sea of Monsters successfully continues my enjoyment of a youthful adventure series. Percy is still dealing with his daddy-issues, but he’s starting to realize who he is inside, which is growth and progress. Without giving away too much, I’ll tell you the end is the best part of the novel. A fabulous cliffhanger that makes me fingers reach for The Titan’s Curse, knowing I can’t read it just yet.
4 stars
(I purchased this book with my own dough)
