Non-productive behavior
With my library trip over, I absolutely recommend The Olympians by Rick Riordan.Here is the premise: Percy Jackson is a dyslexic 6th grade troublemaker with ADHD who has been getting trouble since birth. Trouble, in the form of weird events that no one else seems to understand, seems to follow him and keeps finding a way to get him expelled from multiple schools. A few serious monster attacks later, Percy finds himself holding the Minotaur’s horn and at Camp Half-blood, a summer camp charged with training and protecting half-god children like himself. All of the children in attendance happen to be the illegitimate children of the Greek gods with mortals and have had similar life courses. Of course, Percy, who happens to be the son of Poseidon, may or may not be the demi-god of prophecy that will prevent the world from descending into chaos before he turns 16.
And you guessed correctly, you sense a quest being born here. Will Percy, accompanied by a trusty satyr and a daughter of Athena, fulfill his destiny and be a tool of the gods? Or will he suffer the fate of many demi-gods before him
(Heracles, Castor/Pollux, Theseus) getting killed in some in some spectacular fashion - poisoning, murder, eaten by monsters . . .
While I did enjoy the Harry Potter books, I like this series better. The similarities of all magical school training stories cannot be avoided - wise conflicted mentor, clumsy best friend/smart best friend, giant prophecy, the appealing part of this series is that it interprets the Greek myths against American culture with rather hilarious results. Most of the action occurs with our heroes roaming Western Civilization in ways that anyone born in the US can relate. For example, what would Medusa do if she moved to America – open a garden gnome store. The sea Odysseus sailed through in the Odyssey has been moved to the Bermuda Triangle and Circe changes men into guinea pigs for kindergarten classes. The gate to the underworld is in Hollywood at a record producers house eternally playing Barry Manilow.
Our heroes’ personal situation is closer to home because every half-blood is the equivalent of a child of divorce, since their literal ‘god’ parent is absent. Some of the kids resent that parent, some of them eternally try to gain their favor, and some of them don’t even know which god is their parent. Percy, when he didn’t know his father was the sea god, had to ask himself why exactly he was gifted at canoeing rather than archery, swordplay, or smithy. Even two books into the series, he still thinks its great and all that his father is an all powerful god, but couldn’t he stop by his mom’s house to say ‘hi,’ take his son out to the mall, and maybe pay some child support?
Other good points, what J.K. Rowling takes 30 pages to say - often with far too much effort - what Riordan says in one very subtle paragraph that you will often catch on the 2nd reading, yet does not detract from the storyline for younger readers. Since Riordan only uses Greek myths, you aren't wondering if you missed that Muggle related joke because you weren't up to snuff on your Norse, Celtic, and Hindu mythology. I'm not trying to knock the Harry Potter series - I am looking forward to the final book, but I find this series more enjoyable.
Incidentally, the books weigh in at 200 pages paperback and are fine for a kid to read for the adventure or for the adult who enjoyed Greek Myths, but doesn't want a brain aneurysm trying to decipher all the jokes.
posted by Allie @ 1:41 PM
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