"The Sea of Monsters" (2006) by Rick Riordan REVIEW

The quest to read the entire Percy Jackson & the Olympians series continues with the second book, The Sea of Monsters! So yes, spoilers ahead for those who did not read the first book (and the movie does not count).

When an innocent game of dodgeball at the end of the school year becomes a fight to the death with giant cannibals, thirteen year old Percy Jackson is saved by his friend Annabeth and taken back to Camp Half-Blood. However, only worse things meet them there. Thalia's tree, the tree support the magical shield around the camp, has been poisoned, and the only way to cure it is to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters. Joined by Annabeth and his half-brother but full-cyclops Tyson, Percy embarks on an adventure to find the Fleece, but may run into an old foe in the process.

The Sea of Monsters is a worthy follow-up to the The Lightning Thief, though not as complex or well-written. The story is simplified, with a bit of extra plotlines to tie in, but is very simple compared to its predecessor. The dialogue is also simplified, with phrases that I felt were a bit out of character or just annoying in general. However, the second half of the book makes up for its problems, as well as the humor throughout. Percy Jackson still narrates the story, full of clever takes on Greek mythology and sarcastic comebacks.

There may be points some readers may not care for, but The Sea of Monsters delivers as a sequel, with an expansion of its world and its series-arc plot.

3.5/5 Stars

You can purchase the entire series from Amazon for only $21 here!

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