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The Sea of Monsters

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The Sea of Monsters
Percy, Grover, and Annabeth escaping Polyphemus
AuthorRick Riordan
LanguageEnglish
SeriesPercy Jackson and the Olympians (Book 2)
GenreChildren's Fantasy novel[1]
PublisherMiramax Books
Publication date
May 3, 2006
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages279[1]
ISBN0786856866
OCLC64664383
LC ClassMLCS 2006/45756 (P)
Preceded byThe Lightning Thief[2] 
Followed by

The Sea of Monsters is a is a 2006 fantasy/adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by author Rick Riordan. It is the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save the camp from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree. It was generally well received and was nominated for numerous awards. The Sea of Monsters was released in audiobook format on 6 September 2006. It is followed by The Titan's Curse.

Synopsis

Like the previous book, this novel is of the fantasy genre.[3] Reviewers consider it to be fast paced,[4] humorous, full of action,[4] and a blend of the themes of acceptance and family love.[5]

Plot summary

During school, Percy is stuck playing dodgeball against large seventh graders who turn out to be Laistrygonians. They summon explosive fireballs and attempt to kill Percy, but he is protected by Tyson, a friend, who is unharmed by the monsters' fireballs. Annabeth saves Percy by stabbing the last Laistrygonian from behind and takes Percy and Tyson back to Camp Half-Blood. They find the camp under attack because Thalia's tree, which protects the camp, has been poisoned by an unknown intruder. Chiron, the assistant director, has been fired because he is suspected of poisoning the tree, and is replaced by Tantalus, a spirit from the Fields of Punishment.

Percy finds out that Tyson is a Cyclops and Poseidon claims him as his son. Annabeth and Percy ask Tantalus to send somebody on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, which he does, sending Clarisse. Percy receives help from Poseidon, who gives them three Hippocampi, and together with Annabeth and Tyson, ends up on a passing cruise ship, the Princess Andromeda, which is revealed to be owned by Luke. They are captured and learn that Luke is trying to revive Kronos, a Titan who is the father of Zeus. They manage to escape and are saved by Clarisse, who has a boat of her own that was given to her by her father Ares. It is destroyed upon entering the Sea of Monsters. They reach the island of Polyphemus and save Grover with the help of Tyson and Clarisse. They recover the Fleece and make their way to Florida. Percy sends Clarisse, with the fleece, back to camp. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson are captured by Luke. Percy manages to contact camp with an Iris-message, tricking Luke into admitting he poisoned Thalia's tree. In a duel with Luke, Percy is nearly killed. He is saved by Chiron and his relatives, the Party Ponies. Chiron is rehired after being proven not guilty, and the Fleece cures Thalia's tree of its poison and also brings Thalia back to life.[6]

Major characters

Main article: List of Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters

Percy Jackson

The protagonist; a 13 year old boy who travels to the island of Polyphemus to find Grover and recover the Golden Fleece. He is accompanied by Annabeth and Tyson, his half-brother in the quest. He is successful in the end; and gives Clarisse the Fleece while he is attacked by Luke on his way to the Camp. However, he and his friends are rescued by Chiron and the Party Ponies.

Annabeth Chase

A 13 year old demigoddess and a friend of Percy. She accompanies him to the island and helps him in his quest by rescuing Percy from Circe's island. Annabeth is injured by Polyphemus and recovers with the help of the Golden Fleece. She accompanies Percy to Camp, after Chiron succeeds in rescuing them from the hands of Luke and the Titan army.

Grover Underwood

A satyr who has been captured by Polyphemus during his search for the wild god Pan. Due to his poor eyesight, Polyphemus mistakes Grover for a female Cyclops. He is rescued by his friends Percy and Annabeth.

Clarisse La Rue

Daughter of Ares who was given the quest of retrieving the Golden Fleece. With the help of Percy and his friends, she is successful in her quest. Percy gives her the Fleece which she takes to Camp.

Luke Castellan

The main antagonist; he works for Kronos. He captures Percy and the rest before being thwarted by Chiron and his brethren, the Party Ponies.

Tyson the Cyclops

Percy's half brother; he is initially portrayed as a homeless child before Annabeth realizes that he is a Cyclops. He accompanies Percy and Annabeth in their quest and befriends a hippocampus which he names "Rainbow". When Clarisse's ship explodes, he is lost beneath the sea till it is learnt that he was saved by the hippocampi.

Awards and nominations

The Sea of Monsters was awarded or nominated for several literature related awards which include:

  • BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick for 2006[7]
  • YALSA Best Book for Young Adults 2007[2]
  • Best Book of 2006, Child Magazine[2]
  • Best Fantasy Sequel of 2006, Kirkus Reviews[2]
  • Barnes & Noble Best Children's Book of 2006[2]
  • VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Pick for Middle School Readers, 2006[2]
  • CCBC choice award 2007, Cooperative Children's Book Center[2]
  • Mark Twain Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) 2008[8]

Critical reception

The Sea of Monsters received generally positive reviews with reviewers praising the storyline, the themes and the author's style of writing.[1][9][10][11][12] School Library Journal said, "Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers."[9][10] Booklist reviewed that Riordan's clever mix of classical mythology, contemporary teen characters, and an action-packed adventure would bring new readers to the series.[9] Child Magazine wrote, "Featuring the cliff-hangers and sassy attitude kids loved in The Lightning Thief -- plus a surprising new family secret -- this outstanding sequel should win over a fresh legion of fans."[11] Children's Literature called the writing extraordinary[11] and added, "This book, sequel to The Lightning Thief, is an amazing mixture of mythology and young adult fiction."[11] Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist."[12] Norah Piehl of Kidsreads.com praised the style of the book, and noted about its similarity with its prequel.[1] It sold over 100,000 copies in paperback.[13]

However, Kirkus was critical of the book, writing, "it's doubtful Percy wouldn't guess Tyson's otherworldly connection immediately after the dodgeball game ... some of the humor will zip over the heads of the target audience"[11] before adding, "Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do would keep the pages turning."[11]

Audiobook

On 6 September 2006, a 7 hour and 54 minute audiobook version of The Sea of Monsters was published worldwide by Listening Library and read by the actor Jesse Bernstein.[14][15][16]

AudioFile Magazine praised the audio book, raving, "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." [16] They praised Bernstein, saying "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."[16] and that he could successfully portray teenagers, while keeping the pace fast allowing listeners time to revel in the book's humor.[16]

Sequel

See also: The Titan's Curse

In The Titan's Curse, Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia go to a school to recruit two powerful demigods (Nico and Bianca di Angelo). While on this mission, they are attacked by a manticore and Annabeth falls from a high cliff. Later they learn that Annabeth as well as Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, have been kidnapped. Percy, accompanied by Grover, Thalia and Artemis' hunters, go on a quest to rescue them. Bianca di Angelo sacrifices her own life to save the others. In the end, they succeed and defeat Atlas; however, Zoё is killed by him. When they return, Nico, angered by his sister's death, leaves the camp and is revealed to be a son of Hades.[17] Like its predecessors, this book to was well received and reviewers praised its humorous style and the plot of the story.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Piehl, Norah. "Kidsreads.com - The Sea of Monsters". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Rick Riordan : Percy Jackson". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  3. ^ "The Sea of Monsters". New York City Department of Education. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  4. ^ a b "Riordan, Rick. The Sea of Monsters". The Free Library. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  5. ^ "The Sea of Monsters". Retrieved 2009-09-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publihser= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Riordan, Rick (3 May, 2006). The Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Miramax Books. p. 279. ISBN 0786856866. OCLC 64664383. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  7. ^ "Book awards: BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  8. ^ "Mark Twain Award Previous Winners". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  9. ^ a b c "Amazon.com : The Sea of Monsters". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  10. ^ a b "School Library Journal Review". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Barnes & Noble : The Sea of Monsters". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  12. ^ a b "The Sea of Monsters review". Matt Berman. Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  13. ^ Nawotka, Edward. "Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  14. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0077074/
  15. ^ Bernstein, Jesse. "Jesse Bernstein". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  16. ^ a b c d Bernstien, Jesse (2006). "The Sea of Monsters". AudioFile. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  17. ^ Riordan, Rick (1 April 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. p. 312. ISBN 9781423101451. OCLC 76863948. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Kidsreads". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  19. ^ Ruth, Sheila. "The Titan's Curse: Wands and Worlds Book Review". Retrieved 2009-10-11.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Sea_of_Monsters&oldid=323159118"