The second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, The Sea of Monsters, is an intriguing story of hardship, danger, and excitement. With more unpredictability than the wind The Sea of Monsters is full of adventure. This book is a quick read and is freshly original.
The hero, Percy Jackson, son of the God Poseidon, fills The Sea of Monsters with the same style of lighthearted fun as in the first book. The way Percy's mouth never stops running often gets him into trouble, but causes quiet a few laughs along the way. For instance, the god Tantalus, cursed with the inability to eat or drink, serves as one of the directors for camp "half-blood", a camp for children born from a mortal parent and an immortal god. Anytime he tries to eat, his food darts away from him. When Percy gets into trouble with Tantalus, rather than keeping shutting his mouth, he tells Tantalus to "Go chase a donut."
One interesting facet of this book is the way Riordan puts the hero through several similar trials and battles that the famous heroes of old faced. Percy is forced to sail through the Sea of Monsters, the same sea Odysseus supposedly sailed, must fight some of the same horrific monsters that other heroes faced, and even travels down into Hades in the first book. The way this younger and modern hero fights the same fights as people in ancient literature makes for an interesting, and often humorous, tale.
The Percy Jackson series are great books for children and teens. For kids that don't like reading, having a character their age that they can relate to is a great way to get them interested in reading. These series are also fun for adults. Even adults can be rejuvenated with a young person's sense of humor around.