Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods
Rick Riordan, writing as his no-nonsense hero Percy Jackson, has pulled off a funny and informative introduction to Greek mythology. Of course, the myths, gods and goddesses are hardly new territory for his legions of fans, but even someone who has never picked up a Percy Jackson adventure will feel immediately at home and enthralled by this lively collection.
The book rockets along, as indeed it must to get the myriads of myths and characters into an accessible 404 pages, and brings the world of ancient Greece up to date. Written in Percy’s familiar, sceptical vernacular with plenty of direct dialogue, Riordan asks the questions we would all like to ask, such as, if the sky was killed, why do I look up and still see the sky? and answers both honestly (I dunno) and with clever speculation. He uses effective description – ‘void-black’, the ‘silver eyes’ of Artemis – which never interrupts pace or story, and admits his own bewilderment throughout: ‘I couldn’t make up stuff this weird’. Just occasionally the book loses historical perspective by keeping its feet so determinedly in the 21st century, for example, ‘How does a cloud have a baby? I have no clue …’ Modern physics should remain alien to the world of these moral and immoral fables. Much to his credit, he does not lose opportunities to make serious points: if you’re attacked by a creep, it’s never your fault. Tell somebody.
But the fun is the thing, and Riordan pulls no punches and deals in a lively, tongue-in-cheek style with all the sex and violence. The book contains nothing that would scandalise a parent but much that would make a young adult reader howl with knowing laughter. It would make a great audio CD. Highly recommended for readers of ten-years-old and upwards.