Book Review: The Sea Of Monsters

"My nightmare started like this."

Title: The Sea Of Monsters

Author: Rick Riordan
Publication Date: May 3, 2006
Language: English
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Book 2)
Genre(s): Fantasy Fiction and Adventure

Percy Jackson had surprisingly survived an entire school year without getting into any trouble - he’s having a tiny problem with his new friend, a kid named Tyson. Just before school gets out for the summer, Percy gets into a fight in gym class. A seemingly trouble-free dodge ball game turns deadly when the opposing team turns out to be monsters. And out of the blue, his friend Annabeth (daughter of Athena) came to save him and Tyson.

Percy flees to Camp Half Blood to find sanctuary but only to find out that something has gone wrong there as well. As they arrived, they need to save the camp first from the monster bronze bulls that are terrorizing the camp; Thalia’s sacred tree was mysteriously poisoned. The magical borders of Camp Half-Blood begin to fail and monsters are now testing its borders and Chiron “the camp director” has been blamed for this foul act. Aside from that, little did he realize that he is into a big surprise – Tyson, who turns out to be a Cyclops, was his half-brother.

Hermes (Messenger of the Gods), came to Percy and gave him gifts on his adventure to cure the tree. To save their beloved camp, and the only safe haven for half-bloods that is in danger of being destroyed, Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth, must find a cure for it and the perpetrator. And the only way to save Thalia’s tree and Chiron’s good name is to sail through the perilous Sea of Monsters and bring back a cure— the Golden Fleece. That is, if they don’t die along the way. Furthermore, Percy must juncture a daring rescue operation to save his old friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus who was the guardian of the Fleece as well.

The Golden Fleece did its work too well and shockingly "put another chess piece into play". 

REVIEW: 

Just as much as you have loved The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters is also good and impressive. So you don’t need to worry that it may fail to live up to its predecessor just like other books did. Though I might say there’s this, “Oh here we go again” kinda feel upon knowing Percy is up into a new adventure again. You know what I mean? Haha. Furthermore, I am constantly annoyed that Percy is so slow at putting things together and figuring out something that seems fairly obvious. Hello? Percy? Really? Haha chause!

Annabeth on the other hand, acts so tough and mature, but she does have a soft side. As the series progresses, you can tell how much Thalia's death and Luke's betrayal has affected her.

The book also had some good morals and values weaved between the storyline. It encompasses loyalty, friendship, family, trust, courage, sacrifice, and more. As each characters grow, they became mature, learned from their mistakes and had learned to do things the right way. As the story unfolds, your understanding of the characters and the world they live in deepens and expands.

Overall a very enjoyable and reader-friendly fantasy read that is further enhanced by unexpected additions to the cast. If you thought that middle grade series are childish and consequently, boring, don't be fooled. Riordan has created a wonderfully multifaceted world filled with characters that are just as complex you’ll caught yourself hooked. 

"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best

we can do is to remind each other that we’re related for better or for worse

and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum." 

-Hermes (The Sea Of Monsters)