Percy Jackson and the Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson: Book 2)

10/10

Young Adult Fantasy Book of the Month, December 2011

Percy Jackson & The Sea of Monsters is the second book in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series - written by Rick Riordan and published May, 2006. The much anticipated follow up to The Lightning Thief sees Percy Jackson once again joining with his friends to fight for not just the safety of Camp Half Blood, but also the safety of the world. This time around Percy teams up with Annabeth, Clarissa and Tyson on a journey across the Sea of Monsters to retrieve the legendary Golden and rescue his best friend Grover from the clutches of an evil Cyclops. Meanwhile Luke continues his opposition to the gods and Olympus by hijacking a ship and recruiting evil creatures to join his crusade.

The story starts off in New York with Percy back living with his mother, getting ready to finish school and return to Camp Half Blood. After a crazy taxi ride from New York and arriving to find an unstable Camp, the foursome set off for the sea, encountering an aquatic world fit for Poseidon’s son. From here the rest of the story is spent exploring the Sea of Monsters where Riordan weaves Greek mythology into our world seamlessly, building on an already established environment in a fantastical yet completely believable way. Moving the story away from the Camp and New York was the perfect choice for the second book, allowing us to further delve into the worlds Riordan has so cleverly woven together.

The Lightning Thief had some great action and a great plot but Sea Of Monsters blows it out of the water (pun intended)! From the opening scene where Percy is having wild nightmares about a kidnapped drag queen Satyr, to the destruction of the school gym in a game of dodgeball with giant monsters, Riordan has clearly upped the ante with noticeable improvements to action sequences, plot and pacing. The chariot battles at the Camp were also a welcome addition, introducing an element of danger to a place that was previously safe and protected. The mixture of intense description, danger, action and comedy is told with precision and this is where Riordan shows his skills as a true master of story-telling.

Percy Jackson is no longer the doe eyed teenager we first met in The Lightning Thief - he is filled with a lot more confidence and is starting to understand the importance of his position and heritage. The constant reminder of his daddy issues add depth and intrigue to the unveiling of his character. The relationship between Annabeth and Percy intensifies in this book, particularly in chapter 13 aptly titled Annabeth Tries to Swim Home, but Riordan makes it feel much more real and natural this time around building on the subtle foundations that were established in Lightning Thief. Grover is not featured in this book as much as the previous one (mostly due to being kidnapped) however, he does provide much needed comic relief after the waves and waves of action. One of the new additions to the cast is Tyson, son of a Cyclops and half-brother to Percy. Tyson not only stands out as an asset on this journey but also helps to shape the books main message of accepting other people no matter who or what they are.

Rick Riordan has not only made these characters instant classics, he also has woven an intricately layered story between a collision of world and cultures to create a sequel worthy of its predecessor. Maintaining your interest and imagination with action, romance, family and comedy, Percy Jackson & The Sea of Monsters is an accomplishment in Young Adult fiction.