Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2005 Gr 5-9-An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 10/01/2005 Chased from his boarding school by monsters no one else sees, twelve-year-old Percy (Perseus) Jackson finds sanctuary at Camp Half-Blood, a Long Island summer camp for the hero offspring of the Greek gods. Identified as the son of Poseidon, Percy receives a mission: with two other camp residents, Annabeth and Grover, he must cross the United States to L.A. (Hades’ residence in recent years) to steal or bargain back the master thunderbolt that was stolen from Zeus last Christmas. Annabeth, daughter of Athena, is a capable quester; the satyr Grover provides moral support as Percy’s best friend. Together the triad bests Medusa, who runs a garden-statuary emporium; the Echidna, who rants about Australians’ naming an anteater after her; Cerberus, who deep down just wants someone to play with; and finally the god Ares himself. Percy’s uncertainty about his own place in the world balances nicely with his delight in finding that his dyslexia and ADHD actually have a purpose (he’s hardwired with the ability to read ancient Greek and with killer battlefield reflexes). Percy is more than a youthful action hero; his ambivalence about his relationship to Poseidon—who, after all, ignored him for twelve years—and his devotion to his smart, loving mother infuse his adventures with the potential for his realistic personal growth (which the ending indicates may further develop in a sequel). Slick and savvy, this remix of classical lore will have contemporary readers hooked; make sure you get more than one copy. - Copyright 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 09/15/2005 The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories. - Copyright 2005 Booklist.