Review: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion in May 2016

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: The Trials of Apollo, Book #1 (spin-off of The Heroes of Olympus series)

The Story: Zeus holds Apollo responsible for the debacle that occurred throughout The Heroes of Olympus series and as a result, banishes Apollo to the mortal world... as a human. This is not the first time though that Apollo receives such a punishment and therefore, he knows the drill: find a demigod, pledge his servitude, accomplish required tasks and eventually, he'll regain his immortal status and return to Olympus. Except this time, Zeus must be really angry because Apollo retains none of his godly powers... even worst, he finds himself in the body of 16 years old Lester Papadopoulos, complete with acne and flab!

Apollo's streak of bad luck continues when he finds himself bound to Meg, a 12 years old demigod who seems clueless. In need of shelter and guidance, Apollo decides to head for Camp Half-Blood. However, Camp Half-Blood has its own problem: campers are disappearing...

My Opinion: I have to admit, when I heard that Apollo was getting his own series, I had my doubts. Let just say, Apollo hasn't been my favorite Olympus god in the franchise so far. After all, he's been behaving like you expect Apollo to: being narcissistic, egotistical and self-pitying. So really, I had no idea how Mr Riordan was going to pull it off... but of course, he did :)

Surprisingly, what won me in The Hidden Oracle is exactly what I feared the most... Apollo being himself! Usually, being narcissistic, egotistical and self-pitying is not a winning combination for a hero ^_^; However, it worked for Apollo because it gave him an unique and, quite frankly, refreshing voice. As much as I love Mr Riordan's writing and series, his heroes - Percy, Jason, Carter, Magnus - are starting to blend together. They all seemed to come out from the same mold... but not Apollo. What I saw as major flaws definitively set him apart and actually gave rise to some interesting and funny situations such as his belief that demigods are there to do his bidding and his despair at his new physique LOL. In addition, it gave him a lot of room to grow/change. You can behave a certain way when you're a god, but definitively have to adapt when you're human/mortal and in need of help.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story a lot as well. In many ways, The Hidden Oracle's purpose was to lay down the background information and set up for the rest of the series... and it definitively did the job because I'm really excited to read the next books and find out which trials await Apollo! :) What I like about this series so far is that Apollo's quest to recover his immortality is quite clear - he needs to restore the Oracles that many thought were lost. Also, Mr Riordan has come up with some very interesting and intriguing villains: 3 Roman emperors who have survived centuries because they believe themselves to be gods and have banded together to form the Triumvate. What makes them so dangerous is that they had years and years to amass resources and plot the fall of Olympus... and apparently, they are ready to strike. Apollo is definitively in over his head :) Previous series of Mr Riordan always felt a bit vague, readers never really knew in which direction the books were heading in; however, The Trials of Apollo is different and it's a welcome change.

What else did I enjoy about this book? First, I liked that most of the book took place at Camp Half-Blood. It was nice to stay in one place and get reacquainted with the camp. I think it allowed Mr Riordan to really focus on telling the story. I also really liked that there was no deadline. The characters are always rushed because they have to complete their quests by a certain date or else... And of course, they always make it ^_^; If that's the case, then do you really need a deadline? I don't mind one from time to time, but in every book? It eventually becomes wearisome. So I thought it was fun that there wasn't any in The Hidden Oracle. Of course, it's always fun to see old characters and we were quite spoiled in The Hidden Oracle :) Mr Riordan struck the perfect balance in my opinion. Give what the fans want, but without stealing the spotlight from Apollo... As if they could, LOL. Seriously though, I had fun seeing Percy, Nico and Will. Last but not least, it was awesome to see Apollo interact with his demigods!! LOL. How awkward it was, but lots of fun... and while Apollo is selfish, it's endearing to see that he does care for his sons and daughters.

As much as I enjoyed this book, there were a few minor flaws. I thought the story was a bit choppy at time, the transition between important events a bit awkward. It felt like parts of the book were the current adventure and other parts, to set up the series. The whole thing didn't feel quite organic... and except for the final showdown which was action-packed and fun, the book's adventure didn't captivate. There were also instances where some of the characters's decisions did not make sense ^_^; For example, campers are disappearing, but nobody is truly looking for them. Communication being down, but nobody really looking into it. It would have been fine if it was minors characters or minor events... but those were actually important and crucial! So it simply didn't make sense for me that it was being ignored. Finally, Apollo's new friend, Meg, was also not my favorite character. She was a hard to warm up to and just seemed off. We later find out why, but I'm just surprised nobody rang the alarm.

My Grade: A solid B+ read. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a Rick Riordan book as much as The Hidden Oracle. This book was a great mesh of the refreshing and the familiar and now, I can't wait till next May for the next book :)

TBR Challenge 2013: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Oups, I'm once again late for the TBR challenge ^_^; After how many times does it become a habit? LOL.  This time though it's not because I'm off my game reviewing. I think in the past couple of weeks, I've been very good at getting back into a reviewing rhythm... It's simply that I forgot that I read something that qualified  for the challenge!! I know, very sad ^_^; When I read Wendy's reminder last week, I was "Crap, I won't have time to read something!" and it's only on Wednesday, while I was planning to review Double Crossed and Heist Society that I realized Heist Society was actually a TBR read! Yay! However, the past couple of days have been quite busy, so it's only now that I have to time to write the review. I think "Better late than never" might become my  new motto LOL.

All right, let's talk about Heist Society. This book has been in my TBR pile for almost three years. I got it when I attended the RT Convention 2010 in Columbus. One of the panels I went to was the Young Adult Authors Chat. Back then, I didn't read as much YA, but I went because one of my favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong, was there. Ms Carter was one of the other authors present and I really enjoyed her answers. As a result, I wanted to give her a try­. During the chat, she spoke of her new series, Heist Society, and I thought I'd pick that one up because I really like cat burglar characters and plots. I even got an autographed copy! However, often at those conventions/conferences, you come home with so many books that you're a bit overwhelmed and a lot of them end in the TBR pile... Finally, I picked up Heist Society back in February after reading Double Crossed because I really enjoyed the novella. I was already familiar with the Gallagher Girls series and now, it was time to finally check out Heist Society :)

And here are my thoughts on the book... enjoy!

Heist Society by Ally Carter
published by Hyperion in February 2010

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Genre: YA, contemporary, cat burglar
Series: Heist Society, Book #1

The Story: The blurb is pretty accurate, but as usual, I like to give my own spin :) So Katarina Bishop comes from a family of burglars and she's been taught the trade. However, she wanted to live a normal life and walked away from the family business, i.e. her family, and conned her way into a prestigious boarding school. However, normal life didn't last long for Kat because W.W. Hale V, the heir to a prestigious and rich family, a born grifter and one of Kat's past associates, got her kicked out of boarding school. Turns out a very powerful mobster was robbed of his priceless art collection - 5 paintings that were lost during World War II - and he believes that Kat's father did it. Even after Kat has confirmed her father didn't do it - he was busy pulling another job - the mobster won't believe Kat... and she only has one option in front of her if she doesn't want her family to come to harm: to retrieve the paintings. Unfortunately for Kat, Visily Romani, the master thief, is cunning and has hidden them in the most secure museum in the world: the Henley. On a deadline and with her young crew, can Kat pull it off?

My Opinion: Let see, let see. So I'm a fan of cat burglar characters and plots. Don't ask me why, but I just like it. There's just something so cool about those kind of robberies - in fiction at least LOL. I think it's the cleverness and the sophistication involved which makes the whole thing so mysterious :) However, I also think it's one of the hardest plots to pull off in books because as I said, it has to be clever, but there's also the narration. In movies and TV shows, they can always play with the sequences and have stuff happened off cameras and the important scenes are revealed at the end in flashbacks, but  in books, when your plot is narrated at the first POV, well the readers have to be told what happened and it just takes out the mystery.

So how did Ms Carter fare with Heist Society? I actually think she did a great job with the plot! Everything was quite interesting :) How Kat contacted her father to see whether he was the master being the robbery or not, then the investigation and the actual theft. I like how this world is so small and everyone knows everyone. Also, if you don't have the contacts and the money to start with, you don't get far. I also enjoyed the formation of Kat's crew, the casing of the Henley, how their plans came together and how they executed it. Of course, the age makes it a bit unbelievable, but it's fiction after all and you read this for its entertaining value :) In addition, there was some good twists to the plot which made the whole thing quite clever :)

What didn't work so well for me was the characters... Actually, not so much the characters, but the lack of expansion on their background. For example, Kat and Hale. There's obviously a past between them, but we're never really shown or told. It's like we're dropped into the story and not given any explanations. Why did Kat really walk away from the family business? How do they know Simon, the boy who helped them with the security plans, and so on. I needed more information, more background to get a clear image of everything and I feel I didn't get it. I don't know if it was to amp up the mystery factor for the story, but it didn't work for me. Also, I thought Kat was a so-so heroine. I didn't really connect with her character. It's not that she was selfish or self-centered, but it felt to me that she was so focused on her feelings and what was happening that she disregarded the others' feelings. A good leader should be attuned to her team members and she wasn't. Also, I wasn't thrilled with her decision to bring a stranger boy into a crew at the end. It just seemed weird ^_^; It felt like his only purpose was to start a love triangle or a rivalry and I think it was unnecessary. Otherwise, I actually liked all the other characters - they were just a lot more fun.

All in all, Ms Carter delivered a fun book with Heist Society :) I think her ideas were more concise and it resulted in a a great plot. Also, to me, Heist Society read better than the Gallagher Girls books because of the flow and the conciseness. Unfortunately, that pertains only to the plot :( The let down of the book was the lack of background on the characters and situations, it felt like I was dropped in the middle of the story and was missing a few introductory chapters.

My Grade: B. In the end, I'm glad I picked up this book because it was fun and enjoyable.

Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Double Crossed by Ally Carter

published by Hyperion in January 2013

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

Genre: Young Adult
Series: Gallagher Girls, Book #5.5/Heist Society, Book #2.5

The Story: Double Crossed is a novella that combines both of Ms Carter's series, the Gallagher Girls and the Heist Society. Macey McHenry and W.W. Hale V are charity event with their socialite parents. They meet, flirt with each other a little and quickly recognize that the other is more than just a spoiled, bored brat born with a silver spoon. In order to keep their cover, distance seems prudent. However, when the charity event is hijacked by thieves who intend to steal the Calloway Canary diamond and escape by holding the social elite hostages, Macey and Hale need to team up. With their special set of skills and outside back-up, the thieves won't know what hit them :)

My Opinion: I was looking for a short story to bulk up my number of reads in January and thought Double Crossed was perfect. I'm really glad I picked this one up because it turned out to be a very fun and enjoyable novella.

I think the idea of combining these two series into one short story was genius on Ms Carter's part :) While the basis of the series are opposites - on one side you have girls training to become spies and on the other, a crew of cat burglers - the feels are very similar, what with the youngsters being more than what they appear to be thanks to their extra set of skills. Also, the lives they have are also very different and interesting... And really, while the end result is opposite, some of the skills they learn are very similar :) Subterfuge, languages, knowledge, stealth, etc. LOL. So I thought the combination of the two series was very natural and the story in Double Crossed kept the spirit of both series :)

It was also a very good idea to feature Macey and Hale as the protagonists because these two have a lot in common... and were more likely to be at the same place at the same time given their background LOL. But seriously, I actually find Macey more interesting than Cam because I think she has more depth and life experience. Cam has always known her path and her whole life has been focused on spy-stuff. In contrast, Macey's path hasn't been as obvious and she's just more complex personality-wise. She has her public persona, especially while her father was campaigning to become USA's vice-president, and her true self. Anyway, Macey being one of central character of this novella was one of the reasons I picked up Double Crossed and I'm really happy I did :)

As for the story, it was fun and actually exciting. It was also the perfect situation for a spy and grifter to join force because each had their strengths such as Hale knowing that the Calloway Canary diamond was false and Macey recognizing and understand the language the thieves were speaking. What was fun also was Macey and Hale recognizing the situation - knowing there was danger - but also wondering why the thieves were doing such and such. If there's a complaint from me is that I wished there's been a little bit more action ^_^; But otherwise, this was a good novella.

My Grade: B+. As I said, a very fun novella. If you're a fan of either or both series, you won't want to miss Double Crossed. Me, I had only read the Gallagher Girls series prior to reading Double Crossed, but afterwards, my curiosity sure was piqued and I went to check Heist Society. In any case, I hope that Ms Carter has plans to write more of these cross-over stories because I'd definitively pick them up :)

Review: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Finally a review!! Woohooo! I had plans for this review last week, but with the bed rest... you know how it turned out :)

Quick update about me. First, a big thank you for all the comments and encouragements! It's really heart-warming to know that there are people who care :) So, unfortunately, the dizziness is not completely gone yet. The good news is that it hasn't worsen either. I read online that some symptoms can last a few weeks after the injury... so I'm figuring that the dizziness will go away on its own eventually. I have a family doctor appointment next week, so I'll talk to her about it and if anything feels abnormal or get worse, I'm heading to the emergency right away. Although I gotta say, this morning, it felt better! Not gone, but less. I'm also taking it easy at work and going to try to limit my reading and blogging and so on. However, there's no way I'm going back to veg :( I also plan to resume curling this week. So you have it, the latest with me :)

Onto the review now!

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion in October 2012

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Heroes of Olympus, Book #3/Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #8

The Story: The Mark of Athena starts off where The Son of Neptune left off, with a delegation of Greek demigods consisting of Annabeth, Piper and Leo, as well as Jason, arriving at Camp Jupiter aboard Argo II. Both camps are still suspicious of each other, but know that Hera/Juno has gone through all this trouble for some reasons and come to a consensus on the seven demigods who will undertake the Great Prophecy/Prophecy of the Seven: Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank. However, the truce comes to an abrupt end due to a misunderstanding and our seven demigods are forced to flee Camp Jupiter. Now, their journey to the ancient lands is even more critical because not only do they have to stop Gaea from waking and creating havoc, but the success of their mission will also prevent a war between the two demigods camps.

However, as usual, things are not simple. Just before making their escape, our group of demigods gets a new prophecy... and this means a detour to Rome to save Nico who's been imprisoned by the giant twins. Also, Annabeth has been tasked by her mother, Athena, to avenge her by following the Mark of Athena... A mission that countless demigods before Annabeth has failed. Our heroes also cannot count on the help of their gods because a lot of them are out of commission, busy fighting headaches brought on by their Roman and Greek personas. And as usual, they only have a few days to succeed...

My Opinion: I really enjoyed The Son of Neptune and as a result, was anxiously looking forward to The Mark of Athena. As soon as I got the book, I simply devoured it :) As you can imagine, the expectations were quite high. All in all, I do think that Mr Riordan delivered with The Mark of Athena as it was enjoyable... but I feel the book could have been more.

One of the best parts of the book for me was Annabeth. I'm actually not a big fan of Annabeth, I always felt she was a bit too "know-it-all," too stuck-up, too conservative... However, in The Mark of Athena, I found her more likable. I feel Annabeth has softened up and it suited her well :) Part of it is her maturity, but another part I believe is Percy's influence on her. It was a good change especially since we finally got Annabeth's POV for the first time and I have to say, I enjoyed it. I thought she was interesting. Still very smart, but more approachable. It also made her storyline more interesting because I was rooting for her :) I gotta say, at first, I was a bit skeptic at how much this book would focus on Annabeth. Yes, I wanted to read Annabeth's POV, but there's a big difference between wanting her POV and wanting her to be the central element of the book. In the end though, Mr Riordan did a good job at balancing out the storylines and yes, Annabeth's mission was important, but it didn't steal the show. Not only that, but Mr Riordan was very subtle with Annabeth's role throughout the book and that really fit with her character :) In any case, it was nice to see Percy and Annabeth reminisced about the past, to see how strong their relationship has become. They really complement each other very well :) The reunion between the two was very sweet and so is the ending of The Mark of Athena, in a way.

As usual, The Mark of Athena is full of clever and funny elements such as the idea of the Greek/Roman schizophrenia that some gods suffer. It's a really good idea and I loved how the gods that only had one persona (Greek or Roman) or the ones where both personas were so similar in function such as Nemesis were unaffected. One of my favorites was Bacchus/Dionysus with the Pepsi/Coke relationship. It was so clever. And of course, some of the situations and how Mr Riordan mixed in the Greek and Roman mythology made the book :) Oh and I also really liked that Mr Riordan answered the Leo/Sammy question and didn't let the readers wonder and speculate too much. That would have been really annoying... although I have no idea what it means in the future for Leo, Hazel and Frank.

Also, The Mark of Athena was very action-orientated. It was really one adventure after another. That's usually how it is with this series' books... However, in The Mark of Athena, it didn't work as well in my opinion. Yes, it was still very fun and entertaining... but at the same time, it felt a bit too cartoonish. There wasn't much transitions between the adventures and that hurt the flow of the book. Especially after the first quarter of the book, it was simply non-stop. In addition, for logistical purposes I assume, Mr Riordan had to split the group of seven demigods into smaller groups for these adventures. So very rarely were the seven demigods together. And that's where I think Mr Riordan missed his chance to make The Mark of Athena more memorable. I think he should have focused more on developing a dynamic, a trusting relationship between the characters than the adventures. I wished we've seen the characters interact and bond more with each other, to overcome the Greek/Roman prejudices as well. Oh it was somewhat still achieved in the book, but it lacked something in my opinion to be totally believable. I felt the trust they were able to establish was too reluctant, in the sense of "we're in this together, I don't have a choice" instead of it being truly genuine. Also, I would have liked to see more of Jason and Percy dealing with each other, the two leaders cooperating. As I said, there was some, but more would have been better :P

Finally, my only negative about The Mark of Athena was Piper ^_^; I'm really not a fan of hers and I could have done without her POV. There was so much going on and there she was, worrying about her relationship with Jason. It didn't help that we didn't have Jason's POV in this one, but I can bet that her doubts were unjustified. Perhaps I'm being mean, but in comparison to the other characters, I felt she didn't bring much to the story.

My Grade: B. The Mark of Athena was entertaining and enjoyable :) It would have been even better if there had been more chemistry, more cohesion between the characters. Overall, I thought it was better than The Lost Hero, but not as good as The Son of Neptune... hence the in-between grade :) Looking forward to the next book! Hoping to get Nico's POV this time around!

TBR Challenge 2012: I'd Tell You I Love You, but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Ahhhh, I was hoping to have this post up earlier!! I had a symposium in the afternoon, but figured I'd have time in the morning to write the review... but I did not have time to finish ^_^; Luckily, the day is not over, phew!

So, guess what? Today's the TBR challenge day and I made it for a 4th consecutive month! Not only that, but I stuck to the theme! Yes! I know the themes are not mandatory, but it's fun to make it. Gives you a feeling of accomplishment, especially for someone like me who doesn't do well reading under pressure :)

Anyway, I'm happy that I made it because my reading has been kind of slow lately. Except for the new releases I was really looking forward, I have been picking up books and putting them back down, reading only a few pages :( So I was pleasantly surprised when I zipped through this book for the TBR challenge :)

Here we go!

I'd Tell You I Love You, but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
published by Hyperion in April 2006

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE, the latest in chemical warfare in science; and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes computer class. So in truth, Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but its really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is a second generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti.) But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without his ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, shes beginning her most dangerous mission; she's falling in love.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: Gallagher Girls, Book #1

The Story: Cameron Morgan, aka Cammie aka Chameleon, is the daughter of two spies. When her father went on mission and didn't come back, everyone knew what it meant. That's when Cammie's mother decided to switch gear and come home... to Gallagher Academy as the headmistress. On the outside, Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a boarding school for rich, spoiled girls... but in truth, it recruits girls to train them to become spies and secret agents.

Cammie has been at Gallagher Academy for a couple of years and expect to enjoy her sophomore year with her two best friends and roommates, Bex and Liz. However, the routine is disrupted by the arrival of two new persons. One is Macey McHenry, the new student who happens to be Cammie's new roommate and also the rich, spoiled daughter of Senator McHenry. The other is Joe Solomon, the new teacher for CoveOps whose made his goal to show his students what field work is really and that not everyone is suited for it.

However, CoveOps takes an entirely new meaning when during an assignment in town, a boy notices Cammie who is used to be unremarkable. Later on, she runs into him again and he asks her out on a date... Is he for a real or a honeypot? Can Cammie really have a relationship with a normal guy... based on lies?

My Opinion: A few years ago, I attended a Young Adult Authors Chat panel during the RT convention in Columbus and Ms Carter was one of the featured authors. I remembered really enjoying her talk and thought that if her books were anything like her, they'd be a lot of fun. Also, at that time, she had just started a new series, Heist Society, featuring the cat burgler business which I love! So I was really interested in her books. At the convention, I bought Heist Society, but when I came back to home, I decided to also get I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, the first book in her Gallagher Girls series which made Ms Carter so popular. As you can guess though, it's been sitting in my TBR pile ever since ^_^; Once I saw this month's theme for the challenge, I thought this would be the perfect occasion to pick it up... Mission accomplished :)

Being the first book of the series, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is definitively a set-up book. Readers are introduced to the school and its history, get acquainted with the characters and the world these girls live in. While the concept is not new, it was well executed and I like the ideas that Ms Carter came up with and also how the girls apply what they learn :) I thought the atmosphere was fun and exciting and I could totally visualize it. I think Ms Carter really did a good job thinking it through and it resulted in being one of the strong aspects of the book.

Throughout the book, the story unfolds through Cammie's POV and I think she was a good character, a good narrator. While she is training to become a spy and her life is so abnormal, deep down, Cammie is just a regular girl... especially when she meets a cute boy LOL. I thought that part was pretty fun. The fact that they are so savvy and have a lot more specialized knowledge, but at the end of the day, they are still teenagers. In that sense, I think it was great to have Macey to show the contrast... Macey has lived in the "normal" world, has a life experience that these girls don't. I think the perfect operative would be someone that has the right balance in between. Anyway, back to Cammie. She was a nice girl in love for the first time. She's sweet, she's loyal to her friends, eager to live... She could have been annoying because of all the spy-knowledge, but Ms Carter did a good job at balancing the spy and the teenage girl personality :) Also, I thought the dilemma - being an operative or not - Cammie faced was quite interesting and I liked the direction she took at the end. At her age, I thought it made the most sense. Bex and Liz were also nice friends, but a bit stereotypical in the sense that Bex likes action and Liz is the brain. One other thing is that I like the teaching staff from Cammie's mother to the new teacher, Mr. Solomon and the funnier and stereotypical teachers :)

While I really liked the concept and the characters, I felt the story was lacking a little bit. I actually liked the part about Cammie meeting a guy and falling in love with him, developing a relationship. I liked how they spied on him, putting in practice what they learned. I thought that was fun :) However, the rest of the book seemed a bit disjointed. I felt there was no flow between the different storylines - life at Gallagher Academy, Cammie's romance and their mission - nothing connecting them and making it "whole." Part of it is due to the fact that Ms Carter spent a little bit too much time setting up the world. To her credit, Ms Carter does try, but the thread is so thin that it doesn't really work... And I think it really hurt the final impression of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.

Overall, I thought that I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You was a fun book. It's the kind of books that you want to read when you wish to escape reality, because what happens in here is so out there, so foreign LOL. And obviously, you have to be able to suspend disbelief to truly enjoy it. If you're able to do that, then you're in for a good time. Also, it says on the back cover that I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You has been optioned for film by Walt Disney Pictures. I can totally picture it as a movie in my head. The way Ms Carter has written this book, it'd really be easy to adapt it on the big screen... and I hope we'll have the chance to see it :)

My Grade: B-. A fun and quick read, but lacking a little bit in depth. I'd say I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is a bit like a Walt Disney movie, eg. the Spy Kids movies (not the spy aspect). It's a fun way to spend time and you're happy if you do read/watch it, but it is not ground-breaking and no real loss if you don't.

Review: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

published by Hyperion in October 2011

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes od Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series: The Heroes of Olympus series, Book #2/Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #7

The Story: The Titans' defeat has stirred up Mother Earth - Gaea - from her slumber and she is now slowly awakening. Meanwhile, her sons - the giants - are being reborn and are getting ready to challenge Mount Olympus. This is really bad news for the Olympus gods as it means another battle looms in the near future. Juno (Hera) believes that the only way Olympus will be able to defeat Gaea this time around is if the demigods from the Roman and Greek camps unite. In order for this alliance to happen, she's taken the leaders of each camp - Jason and Percy, stripped them of their memories and sent them on their way to the opposite camp.

After months of slumbering, Percy finally makes it to the Roman demigods camp. Because of previous incidents, other campers are wary of children of Neptune and as a result, Percy finds himself in the legion's weakest cohort, the Fifth Cohort, which is composed of the misfit demigods. Quickly, he becomes friends with Hazel, daughter of Pluto (Hades), and Frank who's still unclaimed. Both demigods are part of the Fifth Cohort, new to the camp and have secrets of their own.

Before Percy can get comfy at his new camp, he is sent on a quest with Frank and Hazel. Pluto (Hades)'s lieutenant Thanatos has been captured by the giants and chained which means the Doors of Death has been forced open and no one is policing them. Therefore demigods and monsters have stopped dying, Gaea's pawns and minions are being resurrected and eventually, even mortals will find it impossible to die. Frank, Hazel and Percy are tasked to go to Alaska to free Thanatos before June 24th, which is only a few days away... On their journey, Hazel will have to face her past, Frank will need to find out what is his family's secret and Percy hopes to regain his memories.

My Opinion: Wooohoooo, my friends, Percy Jackson is back! LOL. Okay, so I wasn't dying to get my hands on and The Son of Neptune earlier this month, because I've been disappointed with Mr. Riordan's last couple of releases. The first book in this new series, The Lost Hero, was only okay and I really had difficulty finishing The Throne of Fire earlier this year... All in all, I was a bit wary of The Son of Neptune, wondering if the magic was gone for me... Well let me tell you, it isn't!! :)

As soon as I started reading The Son of Neptune, I knew this book was going to be a winner :) A big part of it was due to seeing Percy again. Actually, it's not so much his familiarity, but his personality :) Percy is such fun character to follow because he is clever and witty. A real smart-ass LOL. He is very likable and also has a lot of charisma which makes people pay attention to him and want to follow him. In comparison, Jason from The Lost Hero was bland and boring. His personality did not shine through his amnesia, while Percy's did. I also think that Percy has come a long way from The Lightning Thief in term of maturity. I think it shines throughout the book: when he assessed Octavian during the senate, when he faced Phineas, when he coordinated the rescue at the end, etc. Also, everything he went through  has made him a good leader, someone caring, compassionate and easy to interact with :) Of course, Percy's not perfect and sometimes, he can still act like a kid such as when he discover Frank's family gift. LOL. However, I think it's normal and it adds to Percy's depth :P

While Percy is a big presence in the book, his companions aren't about to let him outshine them :P I think a lot more thoughts went into Hazel and Frank's background stories and personalities than Piper and Leo's from The Lost Hero. Hazel and Frank are definitively more interesting characters, but more importantly, more likable. Hazel and Frank both have big secrets and things to worry about, but it doesn't stop them from forging ahead and do what they believe needed to be done. Also, they don't constantly doubt everything and believe in themselves and Percy. I think that was a big difference with Piper whom I really didn't care about in The Lost Hero. In this book, Hazel and Frank really hold their own with Percy and prove they are worthy to be part of the big quest :) I have to admit that even now, Frank's ancestry still confuses me a bit LOL. However, it definitively makes him more intriguing... The potential he has!! Another thing that's interesting is that Mr. Riordan has not wrapped up their storylines yet - both of their curses - and I'm looking forward to see how all this will be resolved :)

Something else that made me wary of The Son of Neptune was the storyline. I knew coming in that Percy would have amnesia and he would find himself in the Roman camp, etc. and I was afraid that the storyline would be a repeat of what Jason went through in The Lost Hero. I should have had more faith in Mr. Riordan ^_^;  First, Mr. Riordan did not dwell on the fact that Percy had amnesia too much and the memories and glimpses from the past came back to him much faster than for Jason. Also, I think it was fun to discover the Roman demigods and their camp, how they did things. It's quite different from the Greeks, while still being familiar. Does that make sense? I appreciated it even more because I had just re-read the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher which is very heavy on Roman legions and stuff, so some elements were very familiar such as the way they fight, the gladius, etc. :) Happy coincidence LOL. Finally, I liked the quest Percy, Hazel and Frank went on. I liked how the quest was connected to Hazel's story as well as Frank. I also thought Mr. Riordan is relying less on the myths which is a good thing. Oh, there is still a lot of elements taken from mythology such as the Amazons, Hazel's horse Arion, the gorgons and so on... but what I mean is when facing foes, our heroes have to rely on themselves and their wits more instead of thinking back on how these monsters were killed in the myths and legends and then, tricking the monsters into situations mimicking those circumstances/situations to win. Yes, that way is clever... but this way is more exciting and unpredictable :)

All in all, I really enjoyed The Son of Neptune and I think this was a great installment to the series. I was really glad to see some familiar faces such as Nico and Tyson!! Two of my favorite characters!! Tyson is just cute because of the love and loyalty he has for Percy... and seriously, the possibility of him having a harpy as a girlfriend is just so cute! And Nico!! I can't wait to find out what happens to him and I really hope that we'll get his POV at some point. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be in the next book... At the same time, I think Mr. Riordan did a great job at not overdoing it - not adding Grover, Annabeth, Jason, Leo or Piper. This story was really about Percy getting accepted by the Roman camp and I say it's a success :)

Finally, I don't have any major issues with The Son of Neptune. I read this book in one sitting and it was just so much fun :) If I'm going to be picky though and have to find fault, well it'll be the usual quick timeline the book has. Why do the kids always have only a few days to complete the quest?!?

My Grade: I'm splitting hair with this grade. I've been debating whether to give The Son of Neptune a B+ or A- and so, I went back to look at how I graded the previous books in the series. My favorite book remains The Last Olympian, although this one comes to a close second. I'd say, my feeling for The Son of Neptune is on par with The Lightning Thief and so, B++ it is :)

I really, really enjoyed The Son of Neptune :) It was great to meet up with Percy again and this book really re-ignited my love for this series and Mr. Riordan's books. My hands are already itching for The Mark of Athena  - a year is really looong! I'm looking forward for the demigods heading to Rome! (Is this the first time they get out of America?) I also hope that we'll get a bit of Nico's POV in the next book. Sigh, I can't help but hope we're in for a great adventure!

Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Wooohooo!! We've reached the last day of my Percy Jackson and the Olympians week!! I made it LOL. I've reviewed 5 books in 5 days LOL.

So let's jump into it right away :D

***SPOILERS ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS!!***


The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion Books in May 2009

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows.

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #5

The Story: The time has finally come, Percy is on the verge of turning 16 and the prophecy is about the become true. The last year has been difficult for all the half-bloods as they prepared for battle.

After losing a comrade in a raid the half-bloods organized, Percy realizes many things. First, there is a traitor among the half-bloods. Second, they have no chance to win as they are. If they want to survive, someone must be able to face off with Kronos who has taken over Luke's body, thus Percy has to get stronger. To do so, he has to follow Nico's insane plan: to bath in the Styx river.

Percy does so and returns to New York just in time, as the battle begins. Unfortunately, the half-bloods' odds still don't look good. Poseidon is busy fighting Oceanus, almost all the Greek gods have gone to fight Typhon, trying to stop his advance to New York. Many Titans have come out of their hiding places and lesser gods have also chosen to join with Kronos. All are making their way to New York, their goal being to reach Mount Olympus... and only the half-bloods (minus Ares cabin) are standing in their way.

My Opinion: The last book of a series is always read with apprehension, because at this point, everyone has expectations. It can either end the series on excellent not, save the series or ruin it ^_^; Well I'm glad to say that The Last Olympian belongs to the first category. It was simply a great book and definitively doesn't disappointed.

The most important I think was the plot. All 4 books have led to this moments and Mr Riordan doesn't screw up. Everything comes together in an excellent plot, all the loose ends are tied up, readers get their answers and are even surprised by some of the events. The action continues to be at the forefront, a definite important element of this series, but it doesn't overshadow the storylines. Instead, it reels the readers and the plot finishes the job by hooking them up LOL. Basically, you have everything in this book: betrayal, love, sacrifice and friendship. What makes it more realistic and better is that there are some losses, which is unfortunate... but necessary, I think.

Mr Riordan also does a great job, giving every characters some "screen" time. I was very happy to see everyone and even some new ones :P Seriously, this is a very hard thing to do when you have so many characters with such a complex storyline. In addition, the book was filled with surprises and twists. The most surprising one is about Luke. Very well written and thought out.

Perhaps the book was a bit more serious, with so many battles to fight. Still, Mr Riordan was able to add in some humorous scenes :) So, there's a great balance in this book. Basically, whatever worked in previous books worked in this one and it seemed to me Mr Riordan surpassed himself :)

The only thing one would complained is the characters' development. Personally, I was happy with it. The development of the characters is not as pronounced, but still continues in this final volume. It seems to me, all the half-bloods have grown up and matured. This battle has obviously weighted heavily on their shoulders and you can feel it. Percy's feelings and relationships finally get sort out. I was satisfied with it :)

My Grade: A-. Again, this was a book I just couldn't read fast enough, wanting to know what would happen. The best about it is that the ending was very satisfying :) Of course, there's a new prophecy indicating that perhaps, Mr Riordan would write a sequel or another series and that's simply good news :)

***

There it is, the movie trailer :) If you go on Youtube, you'll find a lot of clips and other trailers as well. It's worth a look :) I'm hoping to see the movie eventually (I'll have to juggle with the Olympics schedule LOL).

It's hard to say based on the trailer only... The execution looks great, I'm just worried for the adaptation. By the way, there are plans for a second movie to come out in 2012. So hopefully, they don't screw up too much ^_^;

Stay tuned tomorrow :) I'll have a short post about my overall thoughts on the series and a contest :D

Review: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Ugh, I so need to stop playing Bejeweled Blitz ^_^; It's really taking a lot of my time, which I could be spending reading instead :(

My reading has been slow this week, but I've just finished a great book: Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep! Actually, this month has been great so far, quality-wise :) As a result, I have so many reviews to write ^_^; Hopefully, my reviewing muse will not desert me!

But first, let's continue the Percy Jackson and the Olympians week! :P By the way, I'd like to apologize... my reviews for this series are a bit superficial... Like I only graze the surface and don't go too much into details. Part of it is because it's a series, so I end up saying the same over and over again ^_^; But also, it's been a month already since I've read them and I'm starting to forget the details... But I guess the most important is whether I enjoyed them or not, right? :)

***SPOILERS ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS!!***


The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion Books in May 2008

Percy Jackosn isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invite its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigods friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #4

The Story: It's now the summer and after the open house day at his new school gone bad, Percy is heading to the Camp Half-Blood. With Percy getting older and soon reaching 16 years old, Nico's disappearance and anger against Percy and Luke and Lord Kronos becoming more prominent threats, the tension at the camp is rising.

Then, during a training exercise, Annabeth and Percy inadvertently found an entrance to the Labyrinth. The half-bloods are aware that Luke is looking for the plans to the Labyrinth, which would allow him and Lord Kronos's army to invade the camp through an underground route, bypassing the protective boundaries... The only way to stop Luke is to find the plans first and so it's Annabeth's turn to lead a quest. Along with Percy, Grover and Tyson, she enters the Labyrinth. What awaits them?...

My Opinion: I really, really enjoyed The Battle of the Labyrinth :) Mainly because the action was non-stopped and of all the twists and surprises. I was simply engrossed by this book and couldn't turn the pages fast enough :)

What I really like about this series is that it is not too predictable and it's not filled with clichés. Add in the greek mythology and it's really refreshing and original :) Plus, Mr Riordan has a good sense of humor and so, there are many laughs while reading it.

Back to The Battle of the Labyrinth, so it has a very strong plot in my opinion. Some might find it too much, but to me, it was great :) I was happy to see Tyson again. It was so funny to learn that Tyson and Grover are scared of each other LMAO. There were many storylines, one of the most interesting one being Nico's. I was happy to see him again and glad that he had some closure.

Again, we see the characters grow and I'm always amazed at how Mr Riordan is able to incorporate these elements in the storyline seamlessly. Now, Percy and Annabeth are almost 15 years old... Deeper feelings are developing between the two... but add in a third party and the relationship and interactions between Annabeth and Percy definitively shift. LOL, Percy is really a guy, not being able to deal with it :P

The only thing that I didn't enjoy much was Annabeth's wishy-washy attitude towards Luke. I understand that he was her friend and someone very important when she was younger... and so, it's harder to turn her back on him and consider him "evil." But the fact that he is the enemy is undeniable and thus, I think that Annabeth should get her act together and treat him so. Her hesitation could have led to tragedies... but then, when you're 14.5 years old, it's not evident I guess.

LOL, something I kept wondering while reading the series was why the half-bloods weren't studying greek mythology more? I mean, wouldn't it be helpful to deal with monsters and people they meet? :) Instead of trying to remember, they would know! :)

My Grade: B+. Anyway, all in all, a great book with a good storyline. The Battle of the Labyrinth is very enjoyable and not just a connecting book or something written to advance the series storyline.

***

I was debating whether to post the movie trailer today or not, but I think I'll wait till tomorrow with the final post :) However, I'll be discussing them.

I've pretty much been through all the trailers available online. My sister has not read the books, so she's been quite curious about them. So I've seen a lot of scenes and characters and so on... and here is a list of things I've been unhappy with so far ^_^;

- Persephone's presence in the movie and the fact that she doesn't seem very much in love with Hades.
- They've eliminated Clarisse character or at least, I don't see her at all in IMDB. I mean, I've read somewhere that they've casted Silena Beauregard... That's just weird/wrong.
- Annabeth's invisibility cap seems to be missing.
- Percy looks way, way, way too powerful. I don't think he was able to manipulate water so well till the last book!
- Hades actually got his hands on the lightning bolt. By the way, I bet his Helm of Darkness is not missing.
- Percy vs Luke's showdown - on top of buildings and all. Ugh.
- What they did with Medusa's head.
- Percy's shield :(
- No mention of Kronos at all!

Okay, I guess the list could go on and on and on ^_^; Am I being too picky? It's just, I like my movies to be faithful to the books if they are adaptations. I can understand changes to the story if it's too hard to adapt... but to eliminate important characters and make things more dramatic just for the movie to be more of a hit. Nah... especially since The Lightning Thief is part of a series. I mean, are they planning to adapt the other books as well? In that case, they're going to have lots of difficulty...

What do you think?

Review: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

And we continue with the third book :D

***SPOILERS ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS!!***

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion Books in October 2007

When Percy Jackson receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies at his side; his trusty bronze sword, Riptide; and... a ride from his mom.

The demigods race to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods, whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up a devious trap, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.

Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge yet - the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #3

The Story: It's the winter vacation and Percy, Annabeth and Thalia are heading to Westover Hall to rescue Grover who is danger along with the two half-bloods he found, Bianca and Nico. They almost lose to the monster, but luckily for them, Artemis and her Hunters show up and save the day. Unfortunately, it is too late for Annabeth who has fallen down the cliff.

Later on, Percy, Thalia, Bianca and the leader of Artemis's Hunters, Zoe, set out on a quest to rescue Artemis who's left to find the monster that will destroy Mount Olympus. Percy believes that Annabeth is still alive and thus, if they find Artemis, they will also find Annabeth. However, what the group of youngsters don't realize yet is that they are walking into a trap carefully laid down by Kronos and Luke... but one they have no choice to fall into if they want to save Annabeth and Artemis.

Genre: I'm going to skip any comments on the writing, because it's still up par with the two previous books. During the whole series, the writing was consistent, easy to read and enjoyable. It fit the mood of the series and so, I prefer to focus on the storylines and the characters.

Overall, The Titan's Curse was more interesting and enjoyable than The Sea of Monsters, but I feel something was missing. On one hand, I was happy Annabeth did not play such a big role in this book. I was able to focus even more on Percy and how he deals with other girls, ones that don't always go along with his choices and decisions. At the same time, I think Annabeth and Percy's relationship is vital to the series, because it keeps evolving from book to book. Thus, not seeing many interactions between Annabeth and Percy, it made the book off a little bit.

Again, the book is full of action and it's very enjoyable. I think that the pacing was better, even though there was a little lull - when the kids found themselves at the camp. However, it was very short, so it was okay :)

I really enjoyed the introductions of the new characters such as Artemis and Apollo. Boy, are they different from the portrayals in the Dark-Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, LOL :) Thalia was another cool character and it's true that she is a female version of Percy. I wonder if they are so similar because they are both the children of one of the 3 big gods. Hmmm. I like how Mr Riordan writes Percy's internal struggles. They are all very subtly incorporated in the storyline and as a result, readers get to witness Percy's maturation. In The Titan's Curse, we see how Percy is used to lead, but with the presence of Thalia and Zoe, people tend to look at them for answers and plans instead of Percy and so, he has to deal with that. It's all very subtle, but at the same time, very realistic :D

What really makes this series work in my opinion is Mr Riordan's clever incorporation of the greek mythology. It's very interesting and fun. I know a bit about it, so I keep going ahhh and ohhh LOL. I also get to learn a lot of new things and that keeps my attention engaged :)

One thing I didn't like in this book was Bianca's character. She did not play such a big role, but her joining the Hunters annoyed me. I thought it was very selfish of her and I couldn't help but feel bad for Nico :( Especially at the end.

Finally, my favorite part of the book would be Bessie LOL. The fearful creature turned out to be innocent and cute :P Really clever of Mr Riordan. I loved seeing new gods and goddesses and how everyone interacts with each other. That was quite fun.

My Grade: B. Not the best book, but not the worst either :) Again, very enjoyable and fun.

***

Medusa = Uma Thurman, Chiron = Pierce Brosnan

I think Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan as Medusa and Chiron are two of the best choices for this cast. I mean, they just fit the characters and they are great actors. The snakes on Medusa's head are very well-done. I mean, definitively creepy and I can imagine it'll be even creepier on screen when they move! As for Chiron, well I thought Pierce Brosnan was a good choice... but oh my, the hair ^_^; A bit too long and curly ^_^; That's not quite how I imagined Chiron ^_^; He's supposed to be a centaur... and for some reason, I imagined him as a white horse. I guess in my head, I thought he was on the old side... Ah well. I'm getting excited for the movie, even though I'm not 100% sure after watching the trailer.

Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

So Day 2 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians week! :D Today, I'll be reviewing The Sea of Monsters, the second book in the series. From here on, it'll be hard to avoid spoilers, so be warned!!

***SPOILERS ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN RISKS!!***


The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion Books in June 2006

Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get... well ugly. And the unexpected arrival ofhis friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

In this fresh, funny, and wildly popular follow-up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family - one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series:Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #2

The Story: Wow, it's when I'm about to write this synopsis that I realize how much I left out in the review of The Lightning Thief ^_^; But let's give it a try :D

The Sea of Monsters start about a year after the events in The Lightning Thief where at end, Percy discovered that Luke, the half-blood of Hermes, was the real lightning thief. Luke has been enraged at the gods for ignoring and neglecting their half-bloods and wants to be recognized. As a result, he has allied himself with Kronos, the fearful king of the Titans, who has plans to destroy the Greek gods... Everyone believes that this alliance will play a huge role in the events that will happen when the half-blood from either Zeus, Poseidon or Hades turns 16 years old.

The year between The Lighting Thief and The Sea of Monsters has been quiet, except that lately, Percy has been having dreams of Grover being in danger. Then, on the last day of school, Percy is attacked. Luckily for him, Annabeth shows up just in time and they escape to the camp, dragging Percy's new friend, Tyson. It turns out that Tyson is in reality a cyclops and Percy's half-brother.

Things at the camp are not going well. First of all, Chiron - their mentor - has been fired because it is believed that he has poisoned Thalia's tree. Because the tree is dying, the boundaries of the camp has weakened as well, allowing monsters to come through and attack. Percy and Annabeth believe that only the Golden Fleece could save Thalia's tree... and luckily, Grover seems to have found it. Against the camp director's decree, Annabeth, Percy and Tyson embark on another quest: to find the Golden Fleece and save Grover... and thus, they head to the Sea of Monsters.

My Opinion: Let's get right into it. In my opinion, The Sea of Monsters was the weakest book in the series, definitively not my favorite. My main complaint was the overall storyline was not very interesting and failed to grab my attention. The reason was it took too much time to set it up and so, the action, i.e. the good parts, started very late in the book which is always a detriment in a fantasy novel. Then, once the action started, it was just too fast, one event after another and the end. I guess it was a question of balance and pacing, it just wasn't right... which is disappointing considering it was perfect in The Lightning Thief.

Still, there were some good things about it. I like seeing the characters' growth. Annabeth and Percy are now 13 years old and while it's only been a year, you do see some maturation. The best example would be Tyson. In some aspect, Tyson is simple-minded, not the brightest light and cyclops in general are not well viewed... and so at first, Percy was embarrassed, but he still defended Tyson when others were making fun of him. You see Percy's mixed emotions and how he deals with them and I thought it was very realistic and well-written. LOL, I have to admit, Tyson is a favorite of mine in this book :) He's just so endearing. His character is quite different from all the others: honest and earnest with a gentle core. There were quite a few LOL moments involving Tyson and Percy :D Other characters are starting to be more fleshed as well - that was interesting and a good build up for the rest of the series.

On its own, the storyline of The Sea of Monsters is weak and not as interesting, but it does have some quite interesting twists. Especially the end, adding another player in the whole prophecy :D So it does contribute to the series andit makes it worth to read.

My Grade: B-. As a whole, The Sea of Monsters is not a bad book: it's well-written, the characters are getting more and more interesting, it does contain some good action and a few laughs. Unfortunately, its storyline is a bit boring and weak in comparison to the rest of the series.

***

Yesterday, we talked about the casting of the main characters... today, it's the gods of Olympus' turn :D Let's start with the big three.

Zeus = Sean Bean, Poseidon = Kevin McKidd, Hades = Steve Coogan

As a whole, I don't really have any complaints about this casting. I'm a bit familiar with Sean Bean because of Lords of the Ring and of course, Kevin McKidd plays Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy, so he's not a total stranger for me. However, I do not recognize the actor for Hades. I'm actually not too worried about their acting, because their roles are not that large... The most important I think was their presence and charisma and in that department, I think they were good choices... especially Zeus. Also, I don't know, but there is a small family trait no?

My biggest concern is actually their costumes. Is that what they're going to wear during the movie? Really?!? Because it totally doesn't fit the description in the books. A better look below.

Sure, they're Greek Gods, so I understand what the costumes department was thinking... but hello, doesn't fit the description of the book!! I think this is going to take a lot away from the movie... because one of my favorite parts of The Lightning Thief was reading the contemporary descriptions of the gods. For example, Poseidon is a beach bum and Zeus, a businessman. As for Hades, I really don't like his costume... a bit too rocker or gothic in my opinion. I think they could have spent the money to make Hades' robe... it would have been much more dramatic.

In the two pictures above, you see 2 women... Athena and Persephone...

Persephone = Rosario Dawson, Athena:Melina Kanakaredes

Arghhhh!!! What is that?!?!? I have nothing against the actresses, they're both talented and beautiful women... but they don't fit the roles in my opinion!! Actually, the biggest problem? Persephone doesn't appear in The Lightning Thief since it's summer!!! And true, she's Hades' wife... but why the wicked look? I don't know, it doesn't really fit my knowledge of Persephone (plus, she's supposed to be blond). So I definitively think Rosario Dawson is a miscast.

As for Athena, well besides the fact that she too is supposed to be blond, nothing to say really. I think they could have chosen someone better to play the role, but Melina Kanakaredes is definitively not my first choice.

What do you think?

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

How was everyone's week-end? Hope everyone had a good time, despite the possible bad weather :D

Mine was quiet, but enjoyable. I was able to read Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh and my favorite female curling team won their 3rd national title in a row! Woohoo!! Plus, I started reading a manga named Bakuman which was really interesting and enjoyable :D And I've even started cleaning my room again for the Chinese New Year :D Hopefully, it'll be done in time and I won't have to rush :P

Last month, I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, all 5 books :) I've been meaning to write some posts about the books, but just haven't gotten around to do it. Then, this morning I realized that the movie is coming out this Friday... that's exactly 5 days. Hmmm, 5 days, 5 books... see where it's going? LOL. So let's start :)


The Lightning Thief by Rick Rioardan
published by Hyperion Books in June 2005

Percy Jackosn is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest. Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #1

The Story: Percy is a 12 years old boy who has always felt different from others and thus, isolated. In addition, weird things keep happening to him and lately, it's getting worse. First, he gets attacked by his math teacher how then disappeared and nobody seems to remember her. Then, his new best friend, Grove, is acting very strangely...

Sensing the danger, Percy's mother decides to bring him to a summer camp that was suggested by Percy's father. While Percy and Grover make it safely to the camp, Percy's mother falls victim to a Minotaur. Finally, Percy puts two and two together and realizes that he is a half-blood, i.e. the child of a mortal and a Greek god... and he is not the only one. The summer camp welcomes all the half-bloods and train them to face dangers and monsters.

Soon after his arrival, Percy is claimed by Poseidon... which causes a big brouhaha due to the prophecy and the breach of a pack. Years ago, the Oracle announced that a catastrophe would happen once the half-blood of one of the big Three (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) would turn 16. As a result to the prophecy, the three brothers have sworn not to have any other half-bloods. Thus Percy is somewhat feared.

Furthermore, Percy has been accused to have stolen Zeus's lightning bolt and now set out on a quest in company of Grover (who turns out to be a satyr) and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, to find out the real culprit.

My Opinion: Okay, my synopsis was perhaps not the best... but all I have to say is that I really enjoyed The Lightning Thief a lot :D Enough to make me pick up the sequel right away :) Enough to have me read the whole series in a week! :D

Basically, I enjoyed Mr Riordan's writing a lot because it was simple to read. It seems to me the simplicity of the writing style showcased the world building, as in readers were allowed to focus more on the details of the world building. The world building was also very interesting and intriguing. I really enjoyed how Mr Riordan mixed the Greek mythology into our modern world and I liked the idea of a summer camp to train half-bloods. Even the idea of 12 cabins, each representing a god or goddess and their half-bloods living in their respective cabin. Everything was just fun and very clever. Definitively an interesting world and a good start for a young adult series :D

Not only was the world building interesting, but so were the characters and the storyline. The three main characters, Percy, Annabeth and Grover, were a bit stereotypical, but not annoying so they were fun to read and follow. The best though was to see Mr Riordan's take on the gods and goddesses - their personalities, the modern spin on them and their relationships LOL.

Great world building, fun characters and best of all, a great plot. The storyline was interesting, complex and it contained enough twists to surprise the readers and keep them intrigued. In addition, I felt the storyline was not overshadowed by the world building, which is rare considering how complex it is, so Mr Riordan did a great job balancing the two.

One thing I was happy about is that the relationship between Percy and Annabeth at this point is still very platonic. I mean, they're 12! I'm not even sure they really like each other LOL.

My Grade: B++. All in all, The Lightning Thief was a very enjoyable. The focus was where it should have been and it's a great opening to this series :D

***

Here are the three actors chosen play our three main characters: Logan Lerman as Percy, Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth and Brandon T. Jackson as Grover. Personally, I have never seen any of these actors' performances so I cannot really criticize the choice. They all look older, more like 16 years old instead of 12 which is more appealing to the audience, so not a bad decision. I think Logan Lerman will be able to portray Percy convincingly. I'm not sure about Annabeth... She's supposed to be blond ^_^; Okay, I'm being picky here... but you know, would it have been hard to follow the book? As for Grover, well I guess they had to be politically correct, right? Among the three, I think he was the weakest choice... simply because he doesn't look "weak" enough in my opinion. Grover is not the bravest satyr and I don't think that will come across. I don't know if people remember the satyr in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but that was closer to my idea of Grover.

So what do you think? Do you agree with the casting of Percy, Annabeth and Grover?