Book Details
Author: Rick Riordan
Ages: 9+
Rating: 7/10
Number of Pages: 551
Plot: In this new series by Rick Riordan,
we return to the wonderful world of Greek mythology and the adventures of Percy
Jackson. In The Lost Hero three new heroes, Jason, Leo and Piper, must uncover
the truth behind the sudden silence of the Gods whilst trying to find the
missing demigod, Percy Jackson. Told from three different perspectives, the
hero must also solve the mysteries that surround their own lives. For Jason, he
awakes on a bus full of ‘problem’ kids on the way to a field trip, surrounded
by his supposed friends and girlfriend. For Piper, her superstar father has
been missing for three days after having a terrifying nightmare about his disappearance.
And for Leo, he keeps seeing ghosts from his past and talk of a curse on his
cabin makes him suspicious of his power. Rick Riordan has again created a
magical world that, whilst being educational, is a fun and enjoyable read for
any age group.
Review: After reading the Percy Jackson
series last year, a recommendation from my younger brother, I thought I was
well versed in Greek mythology. How wrong I was. Not only does Rick Riordan
manage to educate the reader on even more Greek gods and monsters but he also
manages to keep the book interesting and fun to read throughout. The whole
concept of a summer camp for the children of gods has fascinated me since the
first Percy Jackson book, and the concept still does now. Keeping some of the
old, and quite frankly brilliant, characters from the first book, like Annabeth
and Chiron, fans can still have brief insights into the lives of their
favourite characters from the first Greek mythological series by Riordan.
Riordan also creates new personas that are equally engaging and entertaining
than the original characters. My personal favourite was Leo, he was not only as
funny, if not funnier than, Percy’s satyr friend Grover, he had a believable
attitude that made him seem life-like and genuine.
“Maybe
people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that's
when they're needed most.” – Jason
Riordan
also decided to separate the narrative between the three main characters, a
very different structure from the Percy Jackson series that was completely
narrated by Percy. Although this new structure by Riordan has received some
criticism and scepticism, I thoroughly enjoyed the changes in narration and
perspective. With some other novels I have read it is hard to distinguish
between the different narrative voices and the text seems to be monotonous and
a little dry, but Riordan manages to create three completely different voices
that reflect the character’s personalities perfectly. Through the alternating
chapters, the reader gets an insight into the varying perspectives of the three
main characters and allows the reader to learn more about the characters. This
can be clearly seen in Piper’s narration where Riordan conveys her discomfort
towards her new found power and her true mother.
Finally,
despite being a book directed at, perhaps, a younger audience in comparison to
the books I usually enjoy, Riordan creates an imaginative plot that is full of
interesting twists and turns that engage the reader throughout. There were
numerous plot twists in the book that managed to shock and surprise me, for
example, the ending and the reveal of Piper’s mother. Overall, I thought that
this was a great follow up to the Percy Jackson series as it was a fun read
whilst still having an educational side. The characters were just as likeable
as those introduced in the first series and the inclusion of some old
characters was an added bonus. I would recommend this series to anyone who
enjoyed the Percy Jackson series and anyone who maybe wants an introduction
into Greek mythology. I would also strongly encourage anyone who hasn’t read
the Percy Jackson series to read that also as Rick Riordan is a magnificent
storyteller.
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