As all children’s lit lovers know, this is one of the most anticipated sequels of the year. With the success of The Lost Hero, Riordan set himself quite a high bar to pass — and he came in slight short. Percy is not as witty or clueless (ironic given that he lost most of him memories) as the beloved, unexpected everyday hero in the previous series. The two new “heroes” do not generate the same reader admiration that the three new leading characters (Jason, Leo, and Piper) from Lost Hero. And Hazel and Frank’s potentially awesome powers did not quite get the play each could have.
That said, the book is still full of quirky scenes and exciting adventures. I especially love the notion that the Amazons are the power behind amazon.com and totally enjoy the Harpy Ella and her voracious appetite for books. One of my students wrote a reaction to this book and I agree with her musings on some stylistic and character development matters. Here’s the link: http://blogs.dalton.org/scifan/2011/11/17/603/
Fairrosa Cyber Library 