Published by Smart Pop; July 2, 2013
Paperback, 288 pages
Received from publisher through NetGalley - thanks!
Which Greek god makes the best parent?
Would you want to be one of Artemis’ Hunters?
Why do so many monsters go into retail?
Spend a little more time in Percy Jackson’s world—a place where the gods bike among us, monsters man snack bars, and each of us has the potential to become a hero.
Find out:
Why Dionysus might actually be the best director Camp Half-Blood could have
How to recognize a monster when you see one
Why even if we aren’t facing manticores and minotaurs, reading myth can still help us deal with the scary things in our own lives
Plus, consult our glossary of people, places, and things from Greek myth: how Medusa got her snake hair extensions, why Chiron isn’t into partying and paintball like the rest of his centaur family, and the whole story on Percy’s mythical namesake.
- Description from Goodreads.com
I remember reading The Lightning Thief for the first time three to four years ago and it was such an enjoyable experience. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and it was refreshing to see a modern twist on the world. I was super excited when I got accepted for this anthology because well, who doesn't want more of Percy?
Starting out, everything was great. I loved reading about the origins of Percy and the first two essays were funny and interesting, if not a little bit middle grade. As soon as I got off that honeymoon phase with the book, things turned rough. The essays started to fly by me and often, I would drift off thinking about other books I had read instead of actually focusing on the words I was reading. I mean, the essays were cute and funny in that similar Rick fashion but they weren't memorable. None of them really stood out to me and most were very rambly, often going out on several tangents before reaching the central point.
Frankly, the entire anthology was confusing. I didn't quite get which route the anthology was taking with Percy Jackson. Is this a Percy Jackson with background on Greek mythology, or is it Greek mythology with Percy Jackson interwoven? There were times where I could clearly see how the essay would fit with Percy Jackson and other times, not so much.
But despite the cons, I still enjoyed myself at parts. I loved reading all the essays about godly parents and the essays on Artemis and Dionysus provided some great insight and really helped me see things in a new perspective.
While I didn't enjoy this anthology as much as I anticipated, I know this book will be a hit with younger and more passionate Percy Jackson fans. The essays are educational with humour deftly integrated to make it much easier to swallow. Language is simple and has middle grade appeal. And if your Greek education is a little rusty, there's always the glossary at the back which was super handy!
I'm kind of disappointed this wasn't a better read for you, though I doubt I'd like it anymore than you did, either. It sounds fun, but not very enjoyable. I wasn't planning on checking this out earlier, so I guess I really won't now. Thanks for such a helpful review, Annie. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess I had my expectations set too high! Before I started, I thought that this anthology would provide a lot of insightful essays on Percy Jackson, and while there were a couple that really made me think, for the most part it didn't really make me come upon new thoughts or anything of the sort. Well, what can you do? At least I can continue my Percy love fest with the Heroes of Olympus series which I desperately need to finish!
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