Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (Heroes of Olympus Book 1)

From Goodreads:

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.
 
Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first audiobook in The Heroes of Olympus series.

****

Never, ever read a book by Rick Riordan unless you have time to finish it. Otherwise, you'll be thinking about the book and wondering what's going to happen next when you should be doing something else.

I am a huge fan of the Percy Jackson books, so that made me both excited and leery to read this latest installment. Would The Lost Hero be just as good? I was not disappointed. Once again, Riordan shows what a genius he is. There is so much history and information, but I never feel like I'm reading a textbook.


The Lost Hero is written from the point of view of Jason, Pyper and Leo. This can be challenging, but I had no problem effortlessly moving from one character to another. Their personalities are so different without being cliche. 

There are equal parts humor, wit, adventure and a tiny bit of romance splashed in. The story line is confusing at times, simply because the main character doesn't remember who he is. We have to put the pieces together the same time that he does. It adds to the experience because we have a small sense of his frustration. There were also times when I felt like this was one giant introduction, but in a way it is.

We see  some of our old favorites from the Percy Jackson books. While this book is not necessarily a sequel, it will make a lot more sense and be more enjoyable if the reader has read the Percy Jackson series.


I'm already nose deep in the next installment and loving it.

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; Reprint edition (April 3, 2012)
• Goodreads
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Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (Goddess Test #2)

RELEASED TODAY!!


From Goodreads:

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it. 

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

***

If you've read my review of the Goddess Test, you'll know that I adored that book. The second book in a series is always hard because it has such huge shoes to fill. The Goddess Interrupted was a fantastic sequel! The beginning felt a little uncomfortable because it was like, here is a character that we know and love, but we haven't heard from her in six months (in the book timeline). All of a sudden, we're back in Eden, about to see Henry, etc. I'm glad we jumped right into the action, but it almost made me feel like I was missing something.*


Kate was still a worthy heroine, though, true to her character, I found her over-analyzing things. A lot. There were a few times in the book I was disappointed with her because I thought she was giving up, but it turned out to be just what the story (and Henry) needed.


There were other times when I just wanted to put my arm around Kate because I felt so bad for her. Persephone? Really?! 


Henry is such a complex character. I loved it. He's not perfect, not even close. I loved that about him. Of course, there were times I wanted to shake him by the throat, but I ended up forgiving him.


The plot felt a little rushed at times, and the resolution came faster than I expected. It sort of felt like an intro to the last book, rather than a second installment.


The ending was a huge cliffhanger! I read the last page and thought, "Oh no, that can NOT be the end!" But sadly, it was.

And seriously, we won't even mention how much I adore these book covers. I know that shouldn't be a contributing factor, but let's face it. It is. 


All in all, I gladly give this book five stars. I wait with much anticipation and bated breath for the third and final book.

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen; Original edition (March 27, 2012)
• Source: The Publisher (via NetGalley)
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 *There are two novellas, soon to be published, that will fill in the blanks between books. Or so I hear. The Goddess Hunt (#1.5) and The Goddess Legacy (#2.5). Pin It

Book Review: The Dig (Zoe and Zeus Trilogy #1) by Audrey Hart

Zoe’s life is not exactly normal. Her parents died when she was young, leaving her in the care of her archeologist aunt and uncle. She’s accompanied them on digs for years, but this time feels…different.

When Zoe accidentally gets trapped in an ancient Greek temple, she finds that myth and reality are more closely intertwined than she thought. Now she must face a pack of teenaged Greek gods who seem bent on sending her to the underworld…or at least back where she came from.

Except for Zeus, the handsome boy who risks it all to be with her. What is she willing to risk in return?

**

I read this book in a flurry, finishing in less than two days. The author described her novel as an Indiana Jones-style adventure, but I would say Zoe is more like a female Percy Jackson. She’s witty and entertaining, smart and sarcastic. She’s strong willed and shows and aptitude for thinking on her feet and taking care of herself. While Zoe doesn’t look for anyone to rescue her, she often finds herself in situations where she needs help but won’t ask for it. Good thing someone is usually there to save her.

Zeus is a heart-throb hero who has no lack in chivalry or honor. I like that in a character. He isn’t perfect, even losing his temper once or twice, but that’s what makes him believable.

While I overall really enjoyed this book, there were a few things that were confusing for me. Zoe claims to be out of the loop on teenage pop-culture, but I had a hard time believing that. She frequently used popular songs or TV shows as references. I was also a little confused by the description of the temple door. It gave me a good mental picture of what the door was supposed to look like, but it took me a long time to realize it was actually a portal and not really a giant _____. (I won’t spoil the surprise.)

I felt like the Greek mythology in this book was a little loose, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you have a hard time with authors taking a few liberties in fairytale and mythology retellings, this may bother you. As for me, I enjoyed it. It was a fun, clever and creative twist on the stories we all think we know.

This was a fun and fresh romance that had me turning the pages as fast as possible. I look forward to the next installment of Zoe and Zeus. Write on, Audrey. Write on.

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Publisher: Backlit Fiction; 1 edition (November 7, 2011)
• Reading Level: Young Adult
• Source: Author for Review
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Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Helen is tall, gorgeous, brilliant, incredibly strong, and painfully shy. Literally. Her stomach cramps if she finds herself the center of attention. She lives a quiet life on Nantucket island with her father, and does everything she can to shrink down and fit in. But her super-human strength and shockingly real nightmares tell her she’s anything but normal.

When the Delos family moves to Nantucket, Helen battles with uncharacteristic hatred. When she finds herself trying to kill Luke Delos, the most beautiful boy to ever walk the earth, in front of the entire school, she really knows she’s crazy. She is losing the battle against anger and hatred, and someone is going to get hurt. That someone could be her.

Slowly but surely, Luke and his family teach Helen about who she is: a demigod, endowed with surprising powers. Like their ancient counterparts, Helen of Troy and Paris, Luke and Helen know that to be together means starting a bloody war. Can they fight their attraction if it means saving the world?

**

At first I was not entirely sold on this book. I finished it and gave it a shrug. But then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had to open it and re-read most of the book. After the second read-through, I picked up on things I hadn’t read the first time. I noticed things the author snuck in and understood so much more.

There was such fantastic family dynamics, but to be honest, I sometimes got confused as to who belonged to whom. Maybe that was the point. It wasn’t so much, “these two are cousins and those two are siblings,” as it was, “they are family.”

Helen and Luke are the perfect star-crossed lovers. I was rooting for them the whole time. There was one love scene that was pretty cheesy, but who doesn’t love a cheesy love scene now and then?!

Word of caution, this is not like Percy Jackson. If you go into it thinking like that, you’ll be disappointed. I think this was a great read, and if you feel dissatisfied or confused the first time around, give it another skim through and you’ll catch on to more the second time around. I am looking forward to the sequel.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• Source: the Publisher (via NetGalley)

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