In Book Two of “Percy Jackson & The Olympians,” our hero – son of the Greek god Poseidon – almost makes it through seventh grade without getting expelled from a school. But on the last day of classes, P. E. turns into a deadly game of monster dodgeball that leaves the school in ruins. Once again, Percy flees to Camp Halfblood, whose boundaries protect demigods – children with one mortal parent and one who is a god. And when he gets there, he finds those very boundaries under attack.

A lot of things have changed at Camp Halfblood. The lone pine tree whose spirit provides a shield that no monster can penetrate (don’t ask; it’s a long story) has been poisoned, and will die soon unless someone goes on a perilous quest. The centaur Chiron, Percy’s mentor and supporter, has been fired and replaced by a nasty piece of work called Tantalus (even Snape comes off looking like Teacher of the Year next to this jerk), and Tantalus refuses to let Percy go on the quest. Spurred on by a visit from a god, helped by two friends, and driven to greater urgency by a series of nightmares about his satyr pal Grover, Percy risks explusion from the camp and countless other dangers to bring the golden fleece back to Camp Halfblood...and to keep it from falling into the hands of a treacherous enemy who aims at nothing short of the end of Western Civilization.

In this hilarious, exciting, and fast-paced story, many old myths get dusted off for a fresh, 21st-century treatment. Here a chain of donut shops conceals the nest of a many-headed monster. Here a cyclops wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “World Sheep Expo 2001.” Here the gaping maw of Charybdis wears braces, and the key to understanding centaur behavior is revealed (OK, I won’t give that one away). The pain of coming from an eternally messed-up family combines with heartbreaking betrayal, the needs and obligations of true friends, and the threat of a truly chilling evil power to add moments of touching tenderness, moving heroism, and gnawing dread to the adventure. Plus, at the very end there is a surprise twist that will propel you right into the series’ third book, The Titan’s Curse...and, I would guess, beyond.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 12+

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