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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

By Rick Riordan

There are five books in the Percy Jackson series, and many more books in the series Heroes of Olympus, which is kind of the sequel series to Percy Jackson. Today I will be reviewing the first book. The first book is good, I guess, it's okay. But it didn't appeal to me that much. *SPOILERS BELOW So basically the story centers around a kid named Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson has been expelled from every school he's been to so far because of accidents, like landing the whole class in a shark tank in the aquarium. When his current school, Yancy Academy, goes on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his class, including his nemesis, Nancy and his best friend, Grover. His teacher, Ms. Dodds, turns out to be one of the Furies. The Furies are demons, basically, in Greek Mythology. His other teacher, Mr. Brunner, gives him a sword that can be disguised as a pen, called Riptide. Percy defeats Ms. Dodds and sends her back to Tartarus, which is the ultimate-horrible-place-to-go-when-you-die- place. Percy and his mom drive to Montauk Beach, but is met by Grover, who gives them a warning to go back. However, while driving, they are attacked by a Minotaur (monster that is half-bull, half-man.) He takes Percy's mom and Percy kills the Minotaur, before falling with exhaustion. Later, he and Grover are rescued and taken to Camp Half-Blood. While at Camp-Half Blood, Percy discovers that he is a demigod, a son of a mortal and one of the gods/goddesses in Greek Mythology. He also learns that Grover is a satyr (a mythical creature with horse-like features) and that Mr. Brunner is a centaur (half-horse, half-man). He also meets other demigods, like Annabeth, who is a daughter of Athena, Luke, who is a son of Hermes, and Clarisse, who is a daughter of Ares. Since no one knows who his god parent is, they place him in the Hermes cabin. Later, when they play a game of Capture the Flag, a trident appears above Percy, revealing that he is the son of Poseidon. Percy learns that Zeus, the king of the gods, thinks Poseidon used Percy to steal Zeus' lightning bolt, Zeus' chief weapon. The Oracle (a fortune-teller) tells Percy to return the stolen lightning bolt to Zeus to prove that he didn't steal it. Percy then has to go on an odyssey to find the lightning bolt with Annabeth and Grover. Percy, Annabeth and Grover defeat several mythological creatures, including the demon Medusa, who has snakes for hair. Now here's where it gets super confusing - at least for me. The trio find Hades, god of the dead, who has taken Percy's mom because he thinks Percy stole the Helm of Darkness (Hades' most powerful weapon). He says if Percy returns the Helm, Hades will return his mother. Percy realizes that Ares has all the stolen items. The backstory behind that is that when the lightning bolt was stolen, Zeus sent four of the most agile, quick, young and smart gods out to search for it, Apollo, Artemis, Athena and Ares. Only Ares found the true thief, Luke (the son of Hermes) but didn't turn him in. Instead Ares took the lightning bolt and the Helm of Darkness to start a war between the gods (because Ares is the god of war.) Percy challenges Ares to a duel, and surprisingly, wins. After getting all the items and returning them to their rightful owners, (and freeing his mother), Percy, Annabeth and Grover return to Camp Half-Blood. At Camp-Half Blood, Percy doesn't know that Luke is the thief (because Ares left that detail out) but Percy gets it quick enough when Luke tries to kill him with a scorpion. It is also revealed that Luke is a servant of Kronos, the King of the Titans, the enemy of the Gods. After all that, Percy decides to not stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, only in the summer and to spend the rest of the year with his mother. Okay, here it is. There's a lot of five-star reviews, and I like this book. But it isn't one of my favorites because for one, the characters seem a bit one-sided. Percy's brave, Annabeth's witty, Grover's loyal. That was pretty much everything interesting about the characters. That kicked it down one star. The imagery and world building - amazing. Up one star. Descriptions were pretty good. Up one star. Managed to make my emotions go up and down and all around. One star more. One star less because it was so confusing and generally, I couldn't understand it near the end even though I have a solid base of Greek Mythology. It is a good book, I just feel it could use some improvement. But let's just say this - it's a book that stuck with me through and through and basically, it's worthy of putting on a special shelf on my bookcase. ~FelicisOwl

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Keeper of the Lost Cities

By Shannon Messenger

Have you ever imagined that elves could be real? Or that dinosaurs were still alive? Even that places like Atlantis were real? Well all of those things are real in The Keeper Of The Lost Cities. Here are some things that happen in the book. Sophie was shocked when someone told her she was an elf. He was also an elf too. So that explained to Sophie that she can read minds after she hit her head when she was 5. When someone picks her up and gets her to the elvin world the council there tells her that she is an elf. She is now living with 2 people Grady and Edaline. They used to have a daughter named Jolie and died in a fire. She almost went to Exile for breaking the law. She is sad because when she went to the elvin world to live there they had to brainwash her family. She soon realizes that she was the project of the moon lark, meaning that the Black swan made her In the elvin world you have powers and if you had more than one it was really rare and Sophie has a lot more than one power. People kidnapped her while she was in a cave. They tried to brainwash her but didn’t work. They took off her tracker and put it in the ocean so it looked like she died. She sent out a signal to Fitz but Fitz thought it was a trap because he went to her funeral. They told him that if you don’t come then I will die. A theme I learned from this book was, ‘don’t be afraid to do something’. Sophie was scared at times but she always overcame it. For example when she was at the top 2 at the splotching match. She was going against Fitz who has been winning for years but she still ended up winning. Sophie never loses courage in what she does even if it means risking her life. Some memorable characters are Sophie and Dex. Sophie is good at everything; she beat Fitz in a splotching match and Fitz has been winning for years. Sophie was told she was an elf and had multiple powers. She goes to a school named Foxfire. Her group of friends always had her back when Stina always teased her. In that group of friends there is Biana, Dex, Fritz, Keefe, Marella, and of course Sophie. Dex is Sophie’s best friend. He is smart and is not failing alchemy. Most people fail alchemy. There are some memorable fictional places that Messenger uses in Keeper of the Lost Cities. There are similar buildings in the elvin world that we have here, such as gates and big houses, trees that take in pollution, gardens and cliffs and even caves. Despite the great parts that I enjoyed from Keeper of the Lost Cities, there were some parts that were confusing. I just didn’t understand how a brainpush worked. After you get energy after years does your brain just push the energy out like a powerful blast? I will still give it five stars because you could feel how the character feels. When Sophie left her family you could feel the pain she was feeling like leaving your family after living with them for so long was heartbreaking. I also liked how the book could be very unpredictable, and you find out new things page after page. Overall, I would recommend this book to 3rd grade and older, as there is some violence, but it seems that it would be very enjoyable for people who like exciting books that give you a rollercoaster of a ride.

The Truth About Stacey: Full-Color Edition (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #2)

The Truth About Stacey: Full-Color Edition (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #2)

By Ann M. Martin

The Truth about Stacey is a change compared to the first book, because now the author mainly focuses about Stacey. Ann talks about how Stacey has to adjust from moving and her diabetes. This book is quite influential to many readers, especially the ones who share the same feelings as Stacey. This book teaches readers to be more independent and believe in yourself. I think that this book is good, and I learned a lot from this. I recommend this book for kids aged 8-13.

Words on Fire

Words on Fire

By Jennifer A. Nielsen

Audra knows her parents are up to something. So, when her parents are debating something important about telling Audra something, she wishes to know what. The Russian Cossack have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and the language. This makes a ton of people who live in Lithuania annoyed. You would get into big trouble if you were caught speaking Lithuanian or practicing the religion. Audra is even more confused when an angry crowd of Russian Cossack soldiers appear at their door. Her dad motions for Audra and Audra’s mother to flee while he stalls them. Soon Audra’s mother and father can’t go on. In a hurry, they hand her an important package, that Audra has no idea what's inside, and tell her to run. This means abandoning her parents to a terrible, horrible, tragic fate. Meaning the Russian soldiers will do what they like with them. That never means something good. Audra runs for it though, figuring if she doesn’t get caught too, she can figure out a way to save her parents. She joins a secret group of book smugglers and learns how books are more that just words. But will she give it up to save her parents?

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5)

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5)

By Rick Riordan

The author could very well be the Greek God of Literature, given how great this book is! This series was at one point my favorite, and "The Last Olympian" was the best of the five! Percy Jackson is approaching 16 years of age, and the prophecy that defined the series up to now is threatening to be realized. But Kronos and his forces are far from being complacent; rather, their efforts to topple the gods to usher a new titanic age are only becoming more prevalent. The previous accomplishments and victories of Percy and his allies pale in comparison to the one they must confront now: an onslaught of of the Titans and their reinforcements. The demigods know there will be hardship in the process, but it's either suffering for chance at peace--or a complete alteration of their lives for the worse. All of the author's books were great in my opinion, but this one is particularly notable for its strong ending; so many series I've read have it where the first few books are entertaining, but the later ones decline in quality. "The Last Olympian" doesn't suffer from that problem; in fact, I believe it is better than any of its predecessors save "The Lightning Thief" (and that only because it starts the series off strong). It perpetuates the lovable parts of the core characters and plot, while introducing other elements than enhance the progression of the story. Percy, Annabeth, and their comrades and enemies are consistent in their personalities, and while there are some portions where nonsensical magic interferes with a logical storyline, the decisions made by the characters (and especially the prophetic choice itself) incorporate an engaging reality to the narrative. Yet I also appreciate the incorporation of mythological elements. While pure magic I do not particularly enjoy, having powers continues to open more possibilities to Percy and the other characters--vastly more than a normal person would be able to enjoy. Reading this book has also latently given me knowledge about Greek mythology, some of which I still use today. It incorporates emotional turns as well as lots of action, and neither gets tiring at any point throughout the novel. I would definitely recommend this to people seeking an enjoyable read while learning simultaneously; in terms of educational value in combination with entertainment, I would refer to this book above all others. But I would also recommend it to those looking for just pure exuberance: it accomplishes that wish, and much more!

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)

By Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, are sent to find two extremely powerful half-bloods in a military school. While trying to escort them to Camp Half-Blood, a manticore appears and ruins their plans. The iconic Hunters of Artemis come to their rescue, and the older of the two half-bloods, Bianca, decides to join them. While Kronos' army starts to build, a new prophecy arises. One that stated that the moon goddess, Artemis, is in danger, both campers and Hunters must unite. I feel that this, out of all five books, was the best. It stands out on its own. It really has depth to it, and I almost cried once or twice. But Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia have to get through it, otherwise the planet will be destroyed. New characters rise and fall, and the whole book is one big roller-coaster ride. This fantasy-mystery book will keep everyone hooked, even the mysterious General.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4)

By Rick Riordan

I rate this book a 5/5 because it has a VERY INTERESTING plot, amazing characters, and it's even a bit funny as well! And the theme is awesome as well, I mean, greek mythology? SO cool! I definitely recommend this book to all ages (except like, preschoolers or kindergarteners of course)!! But there is one flaw.... When you start reading it, you'll want to read more and more and more! XD! So, that is why you must read percy jackson immediately!!! And guess what, if you finish this series, there's even the other series: Percy jackson and the heroes of olympus!!! And others as well that all relate to greek mythology! Like The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, and Trials of Apollo!

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)

By Rick Riordan

This is the second book of the Percy Jackson series. A lot of important events happened in this stories. it started off with a competition, it showed that Percy Jackson had a new competitor, and she's the daughter of war, Clarisse. She's really tough, strong and clever, and very competitive, likes to tease Percy Jackson about that all he did (In the lightning thief serie) was because of luck. And then, he found out that he has a step brother, that is half god, half cyclops. During a usual day, they heard something huge, sounds like something is bumping the wall of Thalia (the daughter of Zeus). It brought a great disaster in the camp, because without that wall, anything, monsters, beasts can go in and destroy the half bloods. So they decided to send a group of the strongest kids to go find the golden fleece, known that it can heal anything. Although the directors sent Clarisse, and another half goat, but Percy thinks that he has the responsibility to save the camp, because of the prophecy he heard. And so he went on an adventure to find the golden fleece, to save the Olympus. It's also very intense to read, the scenes reveal in your eyes vividly, a really good book to read, it's also pretty funny. I really recommend this book the kids in any age, because it's not too hard, and it's interesting, have fun reading this fantastic book!

Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Women (Captain Underpants #5)

Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Women (Captain Underpants #5)

By Dav Pilkey

Captain Underpants would be an amazing book if you like pranks, and lots of fooling around! The two troublemakers George, and Harold end up turning their grumpy, old teacher into a horrible super villain. Captain Underpants needs to stop her from taking over the whole world. I think this is the best book I have ever read. This would be a great book for fifth and sixth graders.

Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess (Dork Diaries, No. 4)

Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess (Dork Diaries, No. 4)

By Rachel Renée Russell

I've gone ice skating a few times and loved every minute of it. This book is about highschooler Nikki Maxwell and her crush Brandon. Brandon asks Nikki out to help volunteer at a local animal shelter, and her little sister Brianna messes things up by texting him. Nikki soon makes things right with him and sets up an official date! After spending the day there and seeing how lovely it is Brandon proceeds to tell Nikki they have to close down due to financial issues. Nikki knows she has to do something about that and the perfect thing comes up! You can enter a skating competition for a huge cash prize. Nikki is thrilled to enter with her and her friends even though she has no experience. Soon she finds out her arch-enemy is a great ice skater and is entering the contest, from there on all things go downhill. Will they win? Will Nikki learn in time? will the animal shelter stay in business? Read Dork Diaries not such a great ice princess to find out. My connection to this book is I am always ready to help out friends in need even if that means taking big risks.

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