The Sea of Monsters Review & Flash Contest!

It's no secret that I loved Percy Jackson from the first time I opened The Lightning Thief, so you can imagine how excited I was to start The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan.



After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.
Taken from GoodReads.

The Sea of Monsters picks up where The Lightning Thief left off. Percy is nearly done with his school year, and for the first time, it seems as though he might make it entire year without being expelled. Naturally, his excitement is a bit too hasty because a brutal attack on the last day forces Percy, Annabeth, and their new cyclops "friend," Tyson, who might just have a lot more in common than anyone knows. When they escape to Camp Half-Blood though, the camp's defenses are failing, Thalia's protective pine tree is dying, Chiron has been fired, and Grover...well who knows where Grover is now that he's searching for Pan? Percy and Annabeth must find a way to save the camp, or watch as their world falls to ruin around them.

This was definitely a fun book to read, but it wasn't as fast-paced as The Lightning Thief was. And, to be honest, though Grover was in the book, I missed his ridiculous banter fueling the story. I was, however, very pleased to see a progression in the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. One of the most unsettling things for me was the lack of face-time for the gods in this book. I really wish Poseidon or Zeus would be more involved in the story. I did enjoy the twist with Hermes though!

Despite being a bit too slow for my taste in the beginning, The Sea of Monsters ends brilliantly, and I can't wait to get my paws on The Titan's Curse now! I'm going to have to read this entire series...soon...though I hate when series come to an end. I digress. I give this book a very strong 4.5 out of 5, and I can't wait to read the next book!

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As promised, I'm having a little flash contest for all of you, and yes, you're going to have to work for it. I'm giving away my signed copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick because I already own a copy, and I've read it, and I'm sure someone will appreciate this even more than I do!



So, I propose a little contest...I'm working on editing down my manuscript, and I want to change the title. I have no idea what to call it though, so that's where you come into play. I'm going to post a little blurb about it, and here are your rules:

Post a title you think is fitting for my book. Each title you post (up to five) gains you another entry. That means you can have up to 5 entries total. When the contest ends, I will put all the entries in a hat, and draw the winning entry. The person who wrote that entry will win the signed copy of Hush, Hush. Now, from all the titles you give me, I will choose the one I like best, and yes, that means one of you will have made the title for my book! Sounds like fun...right?! (It helps me, too, so this is a win-win, baby!) You have until next Friday night (10:00 PM MST), March 5th to enter.

Ok, this is the blurb for my book:

Emma Snow just discovered she can play with fire - and not get burned. Plagued by the fear of being ordinary, Emma always tried to excel at everything, but without warning, Emma is thrust into a supernatural world where time bends, objects fly without wings, and Mother Nature is a little girl. Armed with six others like her, Emma must choose to embrace the backlash of the adventurous life she so desperately hoped for, or die trying to escape it.

Ready?!?!??! GO!!!