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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 & the Olympians (Book 2)
GenreChildren's Fantasy novel[1]
PublisherMiramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children
Publication date
May 3, 2006
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages279[1]
ISBN0786856866
OCLC64664383
LC ClassMLCS 2006/45756 (P)
Preceded byThe Lightning Thief[2] 
Followed byThe Titan's Curse[2] 

The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan and published in 2006. It is the second book in the Percy Jackson & 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.

The Sea of Monsters was generally well received and was nominated for numerous awards. It was released in audiobook format on September 6, 2006.

Synopsis

Like the previous book, The Lightning Thief, 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 later 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, known to mortals as the Bermuda Triangle. They reach the island of Polyphemus and save Grover with the help of Tyson and Clarisse, recovering the Fleece in the process. They make their way to Florida, and 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 Thaila herself is spewed out of the tree.[6][7]

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 in the Bermuda Triangle to find Grover and recover the Golden Fleece. He is accompanied by Annabeth and Tyson, his half-brother, on 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 that she takes to Camp. Polyphemus wishes to wed her after it is reavealed to him that Grover is a male satyr.
  • 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 and Percy realize that he is a Cyclops. He accompanies Percy and Annabeth in their quest and befriends a hippocamp that he names Rainbow. When Clarisse's ship explodes, he is presumed dead until it is learned that he was saved.

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][8][9][10][11] School Library Journal said, "Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers."[8][9] 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.[8] 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."[10] Children's Literature called the writing extraordinary[10] and added, "This book, sequel to The Lightning Thief, is an amazing mixture of mythology and young adult fiction."[10] 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."[11] 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.[12]

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"[10] before adding, "Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do would keep the pages turning."[10]

Awards and nominations

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

Audiobook

On September 6, 2006, a seven hour and 54 minute audiobook version of The Sea of Monsters, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, was published worldwide by Listening Library.[17][18]

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."[18] 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."[18] and that he could successfully portray teenagers, while keeping the pace fast allowing listeners time to revel in the book's humor.[18]

Sequel

Main article: The Titan's Curse

The novel was followed by The Titan's Curse, released on May 1, 2007. In The Titan's Curse, Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia go to a school to recruit two powerful demigods (Nico and Bianca di Angelo). [19] Like its predecessors, this book to was well received and reviewers praised its humorous style and the plot of the story.[20][21]

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 (May 3, 2006). The Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Miramax Books. ISBN 0786856866. OCLC 64664383. {{cite book}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  7. ^ http://percyjacksonbooks.com/
  8. ^ a b c "The Sea of Monsters". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  9. ^ a b "The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Audiobook review)". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  11. ^ a b "The Sea of Monsters review". Matt Berman. Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  12. ^ Nawotka, Edward. "Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  13. ^ "Book awards: BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  14. ^ [www.barnesandnoble.com/bestof_cds2.asp?PID=729&cds2Pid=1215 Best of 2006 for Kids & Teens] Barnes & Noble
  15. ^ [pdfs.voya.com/VO/YA2/VOYA200702TopShelf.pdf Top Shelf Fiction Pick for Middle School Readers, 2006] Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
  16. ^ [www.maslonline.org/?page=marktwain_readers "Mark Twain Readers Award"]. Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved 2010-01-14. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  17. ^ Bernstein, Jesse. "Jesse Bernstein". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  18. ^ a b c d Bernstien, Jesse (2006). "The Sea of Monsters". AudioFile. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  19. ^ Riordan, Rick (April 1, 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423101451. OCLC 76863948. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  20. ^ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Kidsreads". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  21. ^ Ruth, Sheila. "The Titan's Curse: Wands and Worlds Book Review". Retrieved 2009-10-11.
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