The Titan’s Curse
Hyperion, 2007
Fantasy Fiction
ISBN-10: 1423101480
312 pages
Synopsis
On a quest to retrieve two new and powerful demigods, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are accompanied by Thalia, the recently revived daughter of Zeus. Stopped by a Manticore who intercepts Annabeth, the four are able to successfully save the two new demigods. However, as is with all things with the Olympians, there is much more than meets the eye. Now Thalia and Percy must join up with Artemis’s Huntresses in order to save both Artemis and Annabeth and thwart another attempt by Kronos at reviving from his fallen state.
Critique
As always, these are fun and action-packed books that bring a modern spin to ancient Greek mythology. Now that Percy is older, his problems continue to become more complicated. He starts to have feelings for Annabeth, and he now has Thalia to compete with as the leader of the crew since she is older and equally as powerful as the daughter of one of the big three. This book is perfect for what it’s supposed to be, a rousing adventure comparable to those told in ancient Greek mythology, which entices the audience to flip from page to page at a maddening pace.
It’s not going to win any major awards, and is likely not life changing, but it’s a fun, quick read that makes you root for the hero. I recommend any of the books in this series to readers 9+, skewed toward boys 9-12.
The other books in this series are The Lightening Thief (book 1), The Sea of Monsters (book 2), The Battle of the Labyrinth (book 4), and The Last Olympian (book 5).
Rating Rubric
Enjoyable Read: Original Fantasy: Original Plot: Language: Asthetics: Depth In Characters: Depth In Story: Social Commentary: Layers/Complexity: Classroom Text: Overall Rating:
For the Classroom
This series make great companion books to the study of Greek mythology, and in many ways, it makes the ancient storied come alive for a modern audience. Also, Rick Riordan has a handful of companion materials to accompany with the study on his website, including teacher’s guides and other great elements: http://www.rickriordan.com/.
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