• Author: Rick Riordan
• Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1
• Genre: Fantasy
• No. of pages: 377
• Year Published: 2005
• Dates read: 29.08.19 – 05.09.19
• Rating: 5 stars

So happy to be back re-reading this series. This has such a special place in my heart.

Plot: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods, where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

You shall be betrayed by the one who calls you friend.

And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

– The Oracle of Delphi’s prophecy. (Pg 141)

I loved reading this from the point of view of having already read it before. I love seeing all the foreshadowing, I love seeing how naive these characters are into how dire the situation actually is. But I also loved being reminded of the little things I missed. Things that weren’t necessarily important to the plot but helped with the world-building or character-building. It was fun to be reminded.

This series is amazing for one thing especially… the friendships. I loved Percy’s friendships with Grover and Annabeth. The sacrifices they were willing to make for each other, the kind words and support they would give one another. The bond they shared was incredible. I am looking forward to watching their bonds strengthen.

Percy’s bond with his mother really resonates with me. The bond that Sally and Percy shares remind me of my own mother and our bond. Some of the conversations they share made me physically tear up. I wish Sally and Poseidon stayed together, she could have been his Queen.

I found Percy’s first-person POV to be incredibly refreshing. I lost hours with this book as I just got lost in the story. Percy’s POV is an also incredibly funny and honest account of a chosen one who clearly would rather be at home sleeping than be fighting for his life at any waking moment. It’s so funny to watch him complain and roll his eyes with every situation because it’s so annoying.

I also loved how we got to explore what ways the “mist” was used to deter mortals from seeing the real thing. A sword disguised as a pen, an invisibility cap looking like a normal baseball cap, trainers that have secret wings. I loved it. I also loved when historical figures were mentioned in regards to the gods such as George Washington being a son of Athena and Shakespeare judging court hearings in the Underworld. Just these little easter eggs are what makes this book so great.

Poseidon. Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God.

– Chiron, after Poseidon claims Percy as his son.

The next book I will be reviewing is Mort by Terry Pratchett. After the 2 stars I gave Equal Rites a couple of weeks ago, I am hoping that this book will be better.