{Review} The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

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

Rick Riordan

Pages: 279

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: A less beat up Paperback

Source: Probably B&N

Age Group: Middle Grade

Date Published: April 1, 2006

Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.
In this fresh, funny, and hugely anticipated follow up to The Lightning Thief, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their beloved camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family—one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

I've read this one just as many times as The Lightning Thief (25+), and it never gets old. The humor is the same, Percy's a year older (and acts like it), and Grover wears a wedding dress. How much better could it get? Oh and don't forget the baby Percabeth. So cute.

Percy starts dreaming about Grover while Annabeth starts dreaming about the camp being in trouble. They hurry back to camp- despite warnings not to go- and find that Thalia's tree has been poisoned and the barrier isn't working anymore. They end up setting off on an unauthorized quest with Tyson- a cyclops- to find Grover and the Golden Fleece. Along the way they fight more monsters (duh), see some old enemies, fight more monsters, team up with someone very unlikely, and are awesome.

I love that Percy's experiences in The Lightning Thief color his tone throughout the sequel. He's more mature, which comes with his being another year older, yeah, but he's more grown up than a 13 year old is normally. And he should be. He now knows that he's always gotta look over his shoulder to make sure there isn't anything that wants to kill him. He's still the same person, obviously. He again befriends a kid everyone picks on- Tyson- because that's how he is. Always looking out for the underdog.

He's also a normal 13 year old in many ways too, though. He's still shy about the whole "being interested in girls" thing. Because at this point we can see the baby Percabeth blooming under the soon-to-be couple's noses. He doesn't think about it much, but sometimes things happen- like they hid in a women's bathroom- and he gets all blushy. That sort of thing. And he gets upset when the rest of Camp Half-blood starts teasing him and reacts much like any middle schooler would. With protestations like, "We aren't even related" and "Nuh uh" (maybe not direct quotes but you get the gist). 

I think this one is my favorite because it's the last happy one, in a way. The Titan's Curse usually makes me sad and then they start growing up more, and they get darker- like the covers. It's like the first three seasons of Supernatural- dark, but humorous and considered the "happy seasons." 

Anyways, I think you can guess my rating.