As someone who spent the majority of her childhood reading more books than humanly possible, Iām often floored by how little I remember about them. Usually, I can recall the barest bones of the plots and vaguely how I felt about the books themselves at age eight, 12, or 15. Now that Iām older and have moderately better taste in literature, Iāve realized my true calling: revisiting these books and seeing if they stand the test of time, or if nostalgiaās clouded my judgment.
Iām kicking this column off with Rick Riordanās Percy Jackson and the Olympians (PJO) series. The first novel in the series, The Lightning Thief, was published in 2005, meaning that I was only three years old. My brother, however, was six. He was still a little young, but by the time some of the later books came out, he was the target audience. I mention this because, like most younger siblings, I was desperate to copy my brother in every way. So when he showed me a cool book series that put a fun modern twist on Greek mythology, I was all in.
PJO is a series that interweaves the Greek myths many of us know with a modern setting and new characters to enjoy. The seriesā protagonist is Percy Jackson. In his own words, heās āa troubled kid.ā Heās a demigod. His mother, Sally Jackson, is a mortal and his father is the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.
At the start of the series, Percy knows nothing about his superhuman lineage. Throughout, we get to follow him as he gets thrown into the thick of his family drama that begins when heās 12 years old: heās sent on a harrowing quest to retrieve the Zeusā master bolt, preserve his fatherās honor, and prevent a war between the Olympians. Thatās a lot.
Percy brings Annabeth Chase, the 12-year-old daughter of Athena who is usually the only person aware of whatās going on, and Grover Underwood, his friend from school and assigned satyr protector (AKA a Greek mythology-themed mom-friend), with him on this quest. Together, they go and save the world at 12 years old! This was far less horrifying to me when I first read it at that same age than it is now at 21 years old.
Iām not going to run through the whole plot of the PJO series, but letās just say that even though the first installment stars our main trio as preteens, by the end of the fifth book theyāre 16 years old and have gone on more quests than I can count.
To be honest, I remember the basic plot outlines for the PJO series pretty well. I assume part of that is due to my tendency to be chronically online in internet fan communities, with the series being no exception. There were a plethora of details I didnāt remember, but it made this revisit a lot of fun. Often I knew what point A and point B were, but had no recollection of how the characters got from one to the other.
Most importantly, I forgot how incredibly fun Riordanās writing style is. Iām not sure how I did, considering I read his Norse mythology series for the first time a few months back. His voice for Percy, however, is so entertaining. He has a gift with first-person narration, and our protagonistās internal monologue is proof enough. Heās witty, endearing, and the perfect guide to the series’ universe and plot.
I wasnāt sure what to expect from my reread. I donāt think I was expecting the books to be bad but was worried I had them on such a pedestal that reality could never top it, especially now that Iām not a child anymore. But Riordan is a fantastic author, and PJO is still a great series.
If youāre looking for something to read (or reread), this series comes highly recommended from me. If thereās one thing I think I have, itās good taste in books. But let me know what you think! Do you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series? Do you think it holds up? If you have any nostalgia-filled book recommendations, feel free to let me know!
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