Rating: Not for me

Level: Middle School, but not really recommended for any age level, really.

I don’t recommend this one, though I see how adventure, strong character voice, and great writing all help me understand how the Percy Jackson series is so popular. This one is very similar to Book 2 (SPOILER ALERTS!), with additional Greek legends added to the very soap-opera drama that comes with the Greek gods.

  • Idol worship. This takes the form of praying to Greek gods, statements like, “oh my gods,” and doubts whether the gods are listening, followed by sometimes receiving an answer.
  • Teenage Romance. It’s not too bad in this book; I just point it out in case you, like me, are wary of too much in kids’ books.

My main critique is that the Greek gods are finiky, easily angered, and nothing like the one true God. So it is easy to start getting a false view of our loving God based on the intepretations of reality Percy makes based on these lesser, made-up gods. I have been in relationship with the God of the Bible for 25 years, but I still felt my faith attacked reading these books; it gave me ideas that distorted my view of our holy and loving God.

If you are going to read this, see also my reviews of Book 1: The Lightning Thief, and Book 2: The Sea of Monsters.