Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I Read This: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan


 

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids”, as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea — except that everything seems very wrong ...
 

(From Goodreads)

 

Guys. Wow! Now, I liked Rick's work before with the Percy Jackson series, but this, hands down, tops it. I was given a copy of this for my birthday last year (see, my TBR list is humongous), and now that I read it, I can't wait to get my hands on the other two. Here's why:

Humor - it is rampid and plentiful. Even though the story begins with a character waking up (isn't there some kind of taboo about this?), I was cracking up so hard that I didn't care. Yet in the humor, there's always this great balance of laughs and seriousness - you're laughing one minute and your jaw hangs open the next. Nicely played, Rick.

Pacing - solid throughout, never a dull moment, and it has a wealth of characters with their own unique voices. It's fun getting into a new adventure with different characters in the Percy Jackson world, even if some aspects of the story are repeats of previous works (a coin turns into a sword this time instead of a pen).

Race Against Time - huge fan of this storytelling trope, as they have a goal to reach before the solstice. If gives the characters a deadline which forces them to focus and deal with the problem. This device was used well here, at times overwhelming the characters, which is great to read as it gives them higher stakes to deal with.

All in all, this is a great read, and another great example of a MG novel that doesn't adhere to the "rules" (there's boyfriend/girlfriend stuff in there). It's also in third person, a change from the Percy Jackson series. I think Rick does a better job in that perspective. If you have any doubt, read for yourself. You can find a copy here.

Are you a Riordan fan? Have you read this book? Do you want to? If you read it, what did you like about it/favorite parts of it?

I'm David, and death in battle is honorable (that's comforting ...)


32 comments:

  1. My 8-year-old and I are reading this book. They crashed in Detroit and the cyclops showed up last night. ;0) This is a perfect example of how MG can be exciting for someone that is young and for me too. I can't wait to see how it ends.

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  2. I've heard this is his best book, but now I want to read it even more! I better get through the pile sitting on my bookshelf! BTW, I'm reading Nightingale too, soooo good!

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  3. I need to read Rick Riordan. He's on my TBR list, and I will make time soon! I like how he takes mythology (which I loved in high school) and reinvents it all.

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  4. I loved the Percy series. I'll have to look at this one, too.

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  5. Yes, I read and loved this. I bought a copy because I thought Rick Riordan did such a good job with 3rd person limited, which is the POV I like to use. Book 2 was great too. I'm waiting to read book 3-I'm about 150 on the list of people reserving it at the library so it'll be awhile. So glad you spotlighted this.

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  6. I haven't even read the Percy Jackson series yet. Sigh, I better get reading.

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  7. Love the title of your blog! lol My boys really enjoyed the Percy series, thanks for the heads-up on these, they've just been added to my Christmas list. (are the other two out yet? I have unresolved childhood issues with unfinished series....Xanth nearly killed me)

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    1. The Son of Neptune and The Mark of Athena are out there (I went ahead and ordered them). Thanks! :)

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  8. Sorry, I am not sold. I read Lightning Thief and thought it was pretty horrible. He spends too much time -telling- us what we ought to think about Percy rather than giving us reasons to believe any of it.

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    1. Which is why I like this one better, but that's cool (I'm picky when it comes to first person, btw). :)

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    2. Even though I wrote House in 1st; I am no longer a fan of it. If I had realized how not a fan of it I would become, I wouldn't have written House in 1st.

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  9. I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, and didn't even know about this book (or the other two you mentioned)! how could I have missed it? Thanks.

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  10. I'm a bit surprised to hear The Lost Hero considered MG, although I suppose it could go either way (MG or YA). After thinking it over for a while, I decided that The Last Olympian was actually a tad better on the grounds that it held almost overwhelming tension for approximately the last two hundred pages. This book, however, is still up there with my favorite books.

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  11. I wish my boys were younger and could enjoy this author. His series looks so good.

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  12. I've only had a chance to read the first installment in the Kane Chronicles. I've got some catching up to do with Rick Riordan's books.

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  13. Glad you liked it. I didn't like Percy too much (just not my thing), but the idea was cool, I'll admit. I started reading the Kane Chronicles, and the first book I liked, but the second's writing style was so different than the first, and I just didn't like the way that it was written.

    That's probably my issue with Rick Riordan -- I don't like his writing style. I'm really picky about the style of writing. His ideas are good, though. :)

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  14. My students LOVE Rick Riordan, and it's about time I give him a try. Is this one to start with? Or should I read something else first?

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    1. I think you can get away with reading this first, unless you want to know about Percy and Co first, but it's not necessary. :)

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    2. I know the gist of Percy and Co from all the oral reports students have given over the years, lol! I am interested in what you said about the romance, because I have a MG novel on submission right now, and already questions have come up about whether I need to dial down the boy's crush in the story. Will put this one on my must read list so I can get a better feel.

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  15. Loved it too. I never read Percy Jackson but this was easy to pick up and not feel lost. I cruised through the second in the series and am now waiting for my kids to let me read the third.

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  16. You're killing me. My TBR list is insane out of control already. Now it's insane + 1

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  17. This sounds really fun! I love it when there is great humour. I've never read this author before.

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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  18. I keep meaning to get around to this book--I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, particularly because of the humor element.

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  19. Thanks to your fabulous review, this book is now at the top of my ever growing list of books to read. If only the laundry could fold itself...

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  20. I still have not read Percy Jackson, but those books and this one sound really great. Some day my tbr pile might be somewhat manageable (hopefully...probably not).

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  21. Hmmm... maybe I'll have to read it after all. I wasn't a big fan of Percy Jackson (although the movie was kind of fun.) So I've been hesistating to reading any more from Riordan. But if it's that good...

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  22. Sounds good...but not as good as the Super Sweet Award I gave you!! Go check it out on my blog tomorrow!! Congrats!

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  23. I read Percy Jackson with my 8 year old. We had read some of the actual (or actual children's versions really) earlier.

    I found it a little light and fluffy, but a fun enough read. He like it, but then we switched back to the Freddy the Pig series, and now the second book in the Eragon Series (Eldest) so it is not a complete show stopper for him. He is going to read the new series (the one with the Egyptians) himself.

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  24. Hmm, I was on the fence but you're so pumped, I'll take a look.

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  25. Oooh, I love his other stuff, and if you think this is even better, I'll definitely have to read it!

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