Somewhat a Book Review: Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a five-book adventure series written by Rick Riordan. It tells the stories of Percy Jackson (duh!), the Son of Poseidon (the Greek God of the Sea), and Percy’s battle against the bad guys (no spoilers here!). The series is a kid’s book, targeted for intermediate readers, but young-at-heart adults will most definitely enjoy the series.

The best thing I find about the series is how it adapted the stories of Greek mythology. For someone who did not study mythology in high school, I found the series very educating. The Greek mythology theme is cute and somewhat original, amidst all the pop culture allusions to vampires and werewolves, wizards and witches. This series also earns plus points for adapting various short myths and tales into the novels.

Some may find it disturbing that Rick Riordan has moved the setting to America. For example, Mount Olympus is now located at the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Gods, goddesses, monsters and other mythological creatures can dress down and adapt to the modern world. Greek mythology purists might not enjoy it, but the modern setting gives the series a nice twist and makes it easier for younger readers to follow the plot, creating an entertaining retelling of Greek mythology.

Since the series is (basically) about the battle between good versus evil, it is sort of like a shorter and simpler version of the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling used fantastic creatures from mythologies all around the world in the Potter books, after all. In Percy Jackson, there are several characters that are remind me so much of characters from the boy wizard’s saga. Some scenes in Percy Jackson, unfortunately, also remind me strongly of scenes from the HP series, so that it sometimes feels like an uncomfortable sense of reading deja vu.

Of course, like most young adult series, the “puppy love” element is not lost in the series. Admittedly, it is one of the most interesting conflicts that I look forward to in reading the books. To quote from one of the books: “Not knowing is half the fun,” Aphrodite said. “Exquisitely painful, isn’t it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you?”

In summary, Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a nice, light read. It takes you away from reality for a short fun ride with the rich mythology of the Greek gods, goddesses and heroes, all set in modern day New York. Those expecting an epic saga shouldn’t get their hopes up too much - this series was made for kids, after all. I doubt that the series will leave you with the exhilirating feeling that one might get from reading Harry Potter, or the heavy emotions and connections that one might forge with other fantasy sagas, but one thing’s for sure: Percy Jackson & The Olympians is one heck of a fun ride.