Series: Book 3 in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series
Rating: ****
Tags: Artemis (Greek deity), Mythology; Greek, Legends; Myths; Fables, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, General, Greek & Roman, Animals; Mythical, Fiction, Titans (Mythology), Monsters, Lang:en
Summary
Grade 6-9–In this installment, Riordan continues to
enliven ancient mythology with wit, contemporary staging, and
teenage heroics. Percy Jackson is now 14, a bit older and
wiser, yet still entangled with the Fates. Friends, monsters,
dysfunctional gods, and the romantic stirrings of all things
natural and mythological are encountered. His good friend, if
oft-time rival, Annabeth (daughter of Athena) is missing, as
is Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Joined by best buddy
Grover-the-goat-boy and an argumentative array of
accomplices, Percy sets off to fulfill, and hopefully foil,
the foreboding prophecy of the Oracle. Plagued by ominous
dreams, thwarted by hideous monsters, and challenged by
conflicting partnerships, the search party's success hinges
on unlikely unity. The droll pitch is teen-perfect, as when
Apollo heats up the scene by arriving in his fire-red
Maserati, wearing jeans, a sleeveless T-shirt, and loafers.
'Wow,' Thalia muttered, 'Apollo is hot.' 'He's the sun god,'
I said. 'That's not what I meant.' Intricate prophecies and
relationships are neatly braided into the adventurous plot.
Teachers will cheer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians as
they inspire students to embrace Greek mythology and score
the ultimate Herculean challenge: getting kids to read. All
in all, a winner of Olympic proportions and a surefire
read-aloud.–_Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake
Placid, NY_
Starred Review Just after finding Bianca and Nico,
two newly discovered half-bloods, Percy, Grover, Annabeth,
and Thalia end up trapped between a helicopter and a
manticore. Artemis and her Hunters save the day, but Annabeth
disappears over a cliff; then Artemis rushes off to
hunt a dangerous monster. Back at Camp Half-Blood, the Oracle
foretells that Artemis must be rescued and makes a prediction
that bodes ill for one of their number—but which one?
Percy, who is supposed to remain behind while others pursue
the quest, follows in search of the missing Annabeth.
Their adventures range widely across the U.S., taking
them to locales that include Washington,
D.C., and the deserts of the Southwest and pitting them
against the usual assortment of colorful adversaries. The
Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is built around
a terrific idea—that the half-mortal offspring of Greek
gods live among us, playing out struggles of mythic
scale—and Riordan takes it from strength to strength
with this exciting installment, adding even more depth to the
characters and story arc while retaining its predecessors'
nonstop laughs and action. Tixier Herald, Diana
From School Library Journal
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