Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
5/5
For fans of: Greek mythology, found families, complicated families, prophecy, ya adventure, ya fantasy
“The real world is where the monsters are.”
Synopsis: 12 year old Percy is a troublemaker. At least, that’s what it looks like from a look at his record. A different school every year, dyslexia, ADHD, single mom, absentee dad, horrible step-dad. It is not a good situation at all. Trouble just seems to find him. That is, until he is attacked by his math teacher who turned into a literal harpy and his Latin teacher saves him with a magical sword. Turns out, he’s the son of a god and he has a massive target on his back, massive enough that monsters are hunting for him. But they aren’t the only ones and he is in for a rude awakening thousands of years in the making.
“What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should’ve been named ADHD poster child of the year.”
Review: Yes, yes I know. I am ridiculously, embarrassingly, unacceptably late to the Percy Jackson series. But here I am and I am officially part of the fandom. I loved every single moment of this entire series. The writing, world building, plot, and characters are all fantastic.
Percy is one of the most well written and engaging characters I have encountered in the YA fantasy world. He is hilarious, ridiculous, hotheaded, but incredibly sweet, loyal, and strong. Grover is a great sidekick complete with his own story and character arc. His growth throughout the series makes me so proud of him as he stood for what he believed, took charge when his superiors failed him, and grew into his own person when disappointment could have crushed his spirit. Annabeth, oh Annabeth. She could give Hermione a run for her money in the swotty department. But she grounds Percy, gives him hope, drives him mad, and saves his life again and again. This trio has my heart. The minor characters surprisingly shine as well in such short, faced-paced stories. They each get a chance to shine bright and bring all they have to the main story.
On to the plot of the series, the oncoming war between gods and monsters. The themes are so well done here well beyond coming of age, found families, and Greek-inspired fate. The mixing of ancient and modern is so well done and so accessible that I didn’t question any anachronisms or continuity issues. Traveling across the country for various books kept the story fresh and fun, but it was always a joy to be back in New York City or Camp Half-Blood. The call backs to various Greek heroes and quests kept things familiar yet new all the while supporting the overall plot. And the finally had me at the edge of my seat as the final battle brought every single plot line and person together for a massive end worthy of myth and legend.
Overall, if you haven’t read the series yet, I highly recommend it, especially with Disney+’s new series in the works!