Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

October 27, 2014
Percy Jackson is your average teen guy who just happens to be the half-human son of the god Poseidon. Claiming that a publisher in New York asked him to give insights into the Greek gods, Percy tells listeners the Greek story of creation, then covers the lives and adventures of many of his “relatives.” Although this is sort of an encyclopedia and could be a dry listening experience—imagine reading informative essays for a dozen hours—having the snarky Percy relate these stories is a delight, as if a sarcastic teen cousin is telling funny and humiliating family stories. As mythology is packed with “lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism,” the stories are lively, and narrator Bernstein keeps pace with them. He portrays Percy with dry wit and slacker-dude tones, creating wonderfully campy voices for the Greek gods, mindful that he’s portraying Percy portraying these other characters. The male gods generally sound like dumb jock stereotypes while the females get whiny tones. As the myths are packed with action and melodrama, Bernstein cannot overact enough to fit the atrocities the gods commit. This is an entertaining, humorous, cheerful, and surprisingly informative audio book. Ages 10–up. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover.

July 15, 2014
Percy Jackson takes a break from adventuring to serve up the Greek gods like flapjacks at a church breakfast.Percy is on form as he debriefs readers concerning Chaos, Gaea, Ouranos and Pontus, Dionysus, Ariadne and Persephone, all in his dude's patter: "He'd forgotten how beautiful Gaea could be when she wasn't all yelling up in his face." Here they are, all 12 Olympians, plus many various offspring and associates: the gold standard of dysfunctional families, whom Percy plays like a lute, sometimes lyrically, sometimes with a more sardonic air. Percy's gift, which is no great secret, is to breathe new life into the gods. Closest attention is paid to the Olympians, but Riordan has a sure touch when it comes to fitting much into a small space-as does Rocco's artwork, which smokes and writhes on the page as if hit by lightning-so readers will also meet Makaria, "goddess of blessed peaceful deaths," and the Theban Teiresias, who accidentally sees Athena bathing. She blinds him but also gives him the ability to understand the language of birds. The atmosphere crackles and then dissolves, again and again: "He could even send the Furies after living people if they committed a truly horrific crime-like killing a family member, desecrating a temple, or singing Journey songs on karaoke night."The inevitable go-to for Percy's legions of fans who want the stories behind his stories. (Mythology. 10-14)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 3-7-Riordan takes the classic guide to Greek myths and makes it his own, with an introduction and narration by beloved character Percy Jackson. With 19 chapters, this oversize hardcover includes a variety of stories, from the early tales of Gaea and the Titans to individual tales of gods readers encounter in the "Percy Jackson" series (Hyperion), such as Ares, Apollo, and Dionysus. Percy's irreverent voice is evident from titles such as "Hera Gets a Little Cuckoo," "Zeus Kills Everyone," and "Artemis Unleashes the Death Pig," and the stories are told in his voice with his distinctive perspective ("Another guy who got a special punishment was Sisyphus. With a name like Sissy-Fuss you have to figure the guy had issues..."). The format and illustrations are fairly traditional, considering the tone, featuring painterly depictions of the gods and their world. While these are actual tales of Greek mythology, Percy's take adds more color than would be helpful for those working on research projects or reports. The stories do make for fun reading, however, and might work as starting points for schoolwork. This original and wildly entertaining spin on Greek mythology is bound to be popular among fans of the series.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

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