The Son of Neptune
2011
- serie:the_heroes_of_olympus
- amnesiacs
- greek mythology
- juvenile fiction
- roman mythology
- fiction
- prophecies
- nyt:chapter_books=2011-10-01
- prophecy
- camps
The story
Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth. Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem-when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wishes she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams. Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery-although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely-enough to share his secret he holds close to his heart. Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophecy of Seven.
What it’s like
Amnesiac wandering through a fractured, mythic America: this is a fast, wisecracking middle-grade adventure written in brisk, colloquial first-person-adjacent close third, full of quick jokes, mythological asides, and monsters that turn up in dusty highways, city parks and tourist traps. The sensory world is brightly lurid rather than atmospheric: sun-baked roads, sudden flashes of bronze and sea-salt, the rattle of a bus, the glint of a weapon, with fights rendered in kinetic, bumpy action beats. Its vibe is playful and brisk with a current of loneliness underneath, the feeling of being lost among strangers who slowly become friends. Violence is frequent and cartoonish, monsters get dispatched with puns and blood-free bursts of dust and light, and there is some peril and grief around lost memories and a few sad backstories, but no gore and no sexual content. It suits a lazy afternoon, a long car journey, or reading aloud to a curious child, and it is for readers who want a fun, accessible myth retelling with a loyal, low-stakes group of misfit heroes finding their footing together.
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