Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
“She thought about it for a moment. ‘Canadians,’ she decided. ‘Now come on, we have to get out of here.’”
Summary:
Percy Jackson is so happy that he is going to finish a school year at the same school that he almost forgets about the dream where his friend Grover, the satyr, is in danger. However, on his last day of class Percy and his friend Tyson are attacked by monsters but luckily, they are saved by Annabeth who came to see Percy. She tells him that Camp Half-Blood is in trouble so she, Percy, and Tyson rush to the camp to find it under attack and Percy learns that Tyson is in fact a cyclops. They find Chiron who has been fired and he tells them that Thalia’s tree, which protects the camp, has been poisoned. So, it’s a mission to save the camp which leads them to the dangerous Sea of Monsters.
Characters:
Percy Jackson is the same brave, unsure kid he was in the first book. His skills with a sword are nearly unmatched, and he is willing to do anything to save those around him. He is still unsure of the developing world around him and what his future will hold, but that doesn’t prevent him from trying to do what he can to help.
Annabeth is the brains of the operation, being a daughter of Athena and such. Her prowess in strategy and greek mythology provides useful again and again, and there is little doubt that Percy would not make it very far without her.
Tyson is Percy’s younger brother, and also a cyclops. He is quite timid, but incredibly strong and smart when it comes to certain things. His ability to work with metals in the smith is incredible with very little experience and proves to be needed time and time again.
Sebastian: 8.8/10
Though it hasn’t been too long since I still had the perception that this wasn’t that great or at least not compared to the rest of the series and I would say it proved me wrong. The biggest thing I forgot about this novel, which applies to the series as a whole, is that it was really funny. There were a lot of moments that had me cracking up and I remember laughing at some of the ludicrous scenarios the characters got into and the great character interactions. The new characters were all pretty interesting with Tyson being my favourite as he just has this childlike innocence and joy to him that made him endearing. Clarisse really gets some development in this that is the start of showing she is more than just a bully. Annabeth gets tons of great moments showing how intelligent she is and we get to see more into her past, her fears, and her fatal flaw. However, once again my favourite part of this novel is Percy himself as he is just such an engaging, funny, and relatable character. Part of it could be that it is a first-person novel which helps but either way Percy is my second favourite book protagonist behind Harry Potter. I still like how this book gives more information on many Greek myths and stories and makes them simple to understand. The world that Rick Riordan created is just very interesting in general from the sea of monsters itself to Camp Half-Blood which everyone who has read the book wishes to visit. If I had a negative it would be that this novel seems to get sidetracked sometimes more than the rest of the series but for the most part, those side missions are fun just not always relevant.
All in all, this is a pretty solid book and a pretty solid entry in this series that I would say is underrated. I definitely recommend so grab a copy and read it for yourself.
Austin: 8.7/10
We have a sequel! And we get a little bit of a sequel effect here too. I thought this book was really good, enjoyed it a lot more than the first time I read it years ago, but I thought it fell victim to the sequel effect nonetheless. The standards here are quite as good as the first novel, and so it feels like a bigger drop-off than it really is. Regardless, this was a very smooth and easy read, and one I really enjoyed.
The plot is a Rick Riordan plot, through and through. The incredible detail that goes into the mythology always surprises me, but I love it. The constant battles, either of mind or body, are sure to keep you turning that page. The use of mythology to shape the plot is awesome, and I thought it flows really well. By flows, I mean that there are very few points of dialogue or description that feel wasted. At 273-ish pages, we get a very efficient book that is super easy to read. While the mythology can get complicated, Riordan does a really good job of simplifying and explaining in a way that makes sense without stealing from the complexity of Ancient Greek as a whole.
The best part about the 5 book series (yes I know the story continues past the 5th book) is the continuity of characters we get to see. Percy and Annabeth are some of the better-written characters that are present in this genre of the novel. They are super easy to become emotionally connected to, and their trials and tribulations are that much more meaningful. Tyson is a new character in this novel, but I thought he was great. The mix of some comedic relief and a new challenge for Percy lead to a lovable one-eyed giant without a clue about many things. While I thought the plot was the better point of the first novel, I think the characters pull this movie back from the edge of mediocracy.
While this isn’t my favourite Percy Jackson novel, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The fun characters mixed with another intriguing plot kept me hungry for more. For those more mature readers, this may not be the challenging read you are looking for, but if a relaxing read with a good story is in your ballpark I would give this one a read.
Nathanyal: 8.3/10
The Sea of Monsters was a pretty good book. It has all the aspects you would want for a Percy Jackson book: fun characters, intriguing plot, and witty narration. Overall, this was a solid book. When I first read this series, I had placed The Sea of Monsters as my least favourite book and in my mind, it was horrendous compared to the rest of the series. After reading it again, I must admit that the book isn’t as bad as I once thought. Compared to the first book, The Lightning Thief, this one wasn’t as captivating or fun. I do enjoy the new characters that are introduced in this novel, such as Tyson and Polyphemus, and I did enjoy the references to mythology that were present. Plot wise, I did enjoy the progression, but there were a few instances that seemed a bit too convenient for the characters. Also looking back, Percy is still a relatively young character, so I do find it odd that he is able to accomplish certain feats throughout the novel.
Overall, The Sea of Monsters is a solid book. It might not be as good as the first, but it was still a great successor to the standard set by the first. If you are interested in continuing the series, I would totally recommend reading this one.
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