The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)

by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein (Read by)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The stunning sequel to the groundbreaking debut of Percy Jackson, it’s time for young Percy and friends to face a new foe, track down the Golden Fleece and learn a bit more about themselves in the process.

After a year spent trying to prevent a catastropic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson—a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any "normal" friends.

But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: The magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters—the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millenia—only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name...the Bermuda Triangle.

Now Percy and his friends—Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson—must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family—one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739331194
Publisher:	Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/13/2006
Series:	Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Pages:	7
Sales rank:	289,233
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 5.89(h) x 1.14(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rick Riordan is the author of six previous Tres Navarre novels—Big Red Tequila, winner of the Shamus and Anthony Awards; The Widower’s Two-Step, winner of the Edgar Award; The Last King of Texas; The Devil Went Down to Austin; Southtown; and Mission Road. He is also the author of the acclaimed thriller Cold Springs and the young adult novel The Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas.

Hometown:

San Antonio, TX

Date of Birth:

June 5, 1964

Place of Birth:

San Antonio, TX

Education:

B.A. in English and History, University of Texas

Editorial Reviews

This action-packed book (second in a series) will delight fans of Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of Poseidon, as Percy once again battles mythical monsters in modern-day settings while on his mission to save the tree that guards Camp Half-Blood. Narrator Jesse Berns helps listeners slip right into the oddly engaging world that Riordan creates, in which contemporary teen characters and those from classical mythology intermingle. Berns is so good at accurately portraying teenagers that it’s hard to recall he isn’t one; Percy’s sarcasm and disdainful tones (“Dude?”) are just right, though Berns also reveals his ability to become a satyr, cyclops, or guinea pig (“Reep! Reep!”) as required. Berns keeps the pace masterfully taut while also allowing listeners time to revel in the book’s humor. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

DEC 06/JAN 07 - AudioFile

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Seventh grader Percy Jackson, who found out he was Poseidon's son in The Lightning Thief, returns in The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan, and with his fellow Olympian myth mates tries to save their beloved Camp Half-Blood from an evil and mysterious enemy. Narrator Jesse Berns is back on board, too, with the snappy delivery and all the right funny touches that make this action-packed fantasy such fun. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 5-9-In this second installment in the series, Percy, Poseidon's 13-year-old demigod son, is desperate to rescue his friend Grover, captive of the bloodthirsty Cyclops Polyphemus, and to retrieve the healing Golden Fleece. The sheepskin is needed to restore the protection around Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for the children of gods and humans, heroes-in-training in our modern world. However, the camp has already been compromised and the quest for the Golden Fleece has been awarded to the bully Clarisse. Encouraged by Hermes, Percy sets off for the Bermuda Triangle anyway with his friend Annabeth and classmate Tyson, who turns out to be a half-brother and a Cyclops as well. Adventure follows chaotic adventure at a rapid pace, and readers with even a passing acquaintance with the Odyssey will enjoy this fresh use of familiar stories. Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers. Those who start the series with this title will be drawn in by the clever humor and have the opportunity to go back to The Lightning Thief (Hyperion, 2005) before the inevitable sequel appears.-Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Percy (Perseus) Jackson, the half-blood son of Poseidon, returns for a second quest across a modern America secretly ruled by the Greek Gods. His school year has been strangely uneventful until Laestrygonians, man-eating giants from the Odyssey, attack him on the dodgeball court. Percy, along with Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and new friend Tyler, street kid and secret Cyclops, escape first to Camp Half-Blood, also beset by monsters, and then on a quest for the Golden Fleece. They need the Fleece to cure Thalia's tree that used to protect the camp from monsters. They run afoul of Circe, Scylla and Charybdis and Polyphemus among others. They also butt heads with Luke, deviant son of Hermes, who is determined to bring Kronos, Titan Lord, back from dismemberment to overthrow the gods. Potter parallels continue to pile up, but fans of The Lightning Thief (2005) won't care. Though it's doubtful Percy wouldn't guess Tyler's otherworldly connection immediately after the dodgeball game, and though some of the humor will zip over the heads of the target audience, Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do will keep the pages turning. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

*"A fast and funny tale, full of action, wisecracks, and superhuman powers."—KLIATT (starred review)

*"In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the Publisher