The Lightning Thief

I just finished Percy Jackson and the Olympains book One, the Lightning Thief. I kept seeing previews for the movie and decided to check out the series.



I've never been a big fan of Greek Mythology. I think because of my belief in God, stories about gods just never did anything for me. However, I keep seeing Greek Mythology pop up in more and more literature-- Hugo Cabret and The Hunger Games for starters-- and it makes me wish I had spent a little bit of time reading some of the early stories. I've read The Odessey, but somehow I'm realizing it is not enough to have a full appreciation of the literary history.



About Rick Riordan's text-- I think he does a really great job telling a compelling story while mixing in elements of mythology without being too scary or outrageous. He writes this science fiction story as if it is a memoir, which is an interesting format for children's literature. He still expects his readers to pick up clues, like the fact that Percy's father is Poseidon, but he also tells his readers when he should have realized something that he totally missed.



I'm looking forward to reading book two.

Mockingjay

I finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins a few days ago. I'm still not sure how I feel about it all. After I finished Catching Fire last month I started watching the countdown for Mockingjay to come out, and now I wish I had quit reading with all of the unknowns of book two.

She does a good job resolving the issue of the impending war. She also does a good job painting war as a horrible, life changing event. I guess I am unhappy with the ending of the book because Katniss is so scared by everything that has happened to her, which is actually realistic. No real teenager could endure what she endures without life altering scars. It is probably unprofessional of me to hope for more optimistic endings from my fiction. I am more than willing to criticize authors who tie things up a little too neatly-- which was my biggest criticism of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. So, I shouldn't criticize Collins for leaving things messy.

Overall, I think it is a good book and a compelling series. The books challenge readers to think about the status quo and what sacrifice may be necessary to change that. It looks at the horrors of taking things for granted, and the corruption of government, even "good" government.

I'm glad I read the books, even if I don't like the end.