| Title | : | Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0979233143 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780979233142 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 190 |
| Publication | : | First published April 30, 2008 |
The #1 New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series—The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian—features a dyslexic boy who discovers he is the son of a Greek god, the target of mythical Greek monsters, and the center of a prophecy that could change the balance of power in the world forever. In Demigods and Monsters, YA authors take on the series' Greek gods, demigods, monsters, and prophecy, to add insight and even more fun to Riordan’s page-turner series.
The book also includes an introduction by Percy Jackson series author Rick Riordan that gives further insight into the series and its creation, and a glossary of ancient Greek myth, with plenty of information on the places, monsters, gods, and heroes that appear in the series.
Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series Reviews
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these were...just okay. 2.5 stars. I've read a couple of these collections before, for Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, for example, and maybe I'm just more emotionally invested in those series but the essays tended to hit much closer to the heart.
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I believe im not the only person that thinks that the Percy Jackson series is totally awesome. And yes, I did enjoy this book. The extra knowledge about the gods and the different authors take in the series was interesting. But.. It seemed to me that the authors over-anylized the series a bit too much. They all claimed that rick riordan is a genious for coming up with these extravegent (spelling?) plots and details, and of course, I do think Mr Riordan is a geneous, but not in the ways that they described. Yes, from reading this book, I did notice the clever plot twists and tricks that Riordan used, but sometimes when you over-think and anylyze a book it kind of takes away from the magic of the series. Just my opinion.
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Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Love for Percy Jackson is sweeping readers everywhere -- and not just teens. Other authors love him as well, and they have something to say about him! DEMIGODS AND MONSTERS is a book of essays penned by other authors covering all things Percy Jackson.
Jenny Han gives godly parental report cards and asks if you could pick one parent out of the god realm, who would you choose? Rosemary Clement-Moore writes a lesson in recognizing monsters, for beginners, of course. Ellen Steiber attempts to answer why Dionysus isn't a poor choice for the director of Camp Half Blood. Nigel Rodgers writes a glossary of "Who's Who?" in Greek Mythology.
Cameron Dokey, Paul Collins, Carolyn MacCullough, Elizabeth M. Rees, Sarah Beth Hurst, Elizabeth E. Wein, Kathi Appelt, and Sophie Masson also write essays that are humorous, clever, odd, and just plain great.
Percy Jackson fans will love this book. -
2.5⭐️
Hubo ensayos que me encantaron, sobre todo los que contaban mitos griegos, hubo otros que simplemente me aburrieron y solo quería terminarlos para pasar al siguiente. -
Being a PJO/HoO and Greek mythology fan, I felt that I would love this. So I finally finished it and honestly I thought it was boring. Sure there were essays that I liked (such as Jenny Han's Eeny Meeny Miney Mo(m): Picking Your Very Own Godly Parent) but I felt that reading this was like a chore or school homework I had to finish.
Well, I did finish this book.
However...I dragged my ass and skimmed through the second half.
This book is a collection of essays from other authors about PJO series. It wasn't THAT bad, really. In fact, I learned cool stuff about Greek mythology through this book and I found some parts to be really funny. But I thought the Greek mythology sorta backfired and it started to get very tedious reading about all of them it was impossible for me NOT to skim. I doubt younger readers would find this fascinating enough...
Thank you Smart Pop Books and Netgalley for sending me the galley, this doesn't affect my opinions at all.
***
Read more reviews
here. -
Když jeden potřebuje zabít čas - nechce se do toho nijak extra zažrat, protože třeba ještě musí poslouchat učitele, tak je to docela dobrý. :D Ale samotný Percy je mnohem lepší :)
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I wasn't to impressed by this book...
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This is an amazingly interesting collection of essays examining the creation of Rick Riordan’s brilliant mind, the Percy Jackson series. After a wonderful forward by Mr. Riordan, various writers take their turn writing essays in their own unique style. You’ll find a touch of interesting wonderfacts, some humor and other perspectives on the phenomenon that is Percy Jackson!
You will NOT find a collection of Rick Riordan tales, but it is an interesting work that can be read in short spurts, one Essay at a time. Will you learn everything you always wanted to know about mythology and Percy? I’m going to say, probably not, but you can enjoy each piece, some more than others. If you have a curious mind, this could prove very entertaining, one bite at a time. For younger Percy devotees, this is a great way to show them how to look beyond the series!
An ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Smart Pop Books in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Smart Pop Books
ISBN: 9781937856366
Number of Pages: 190
Age Level: 11 and up
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Available from:
Amazon /
Barnes & Noble
For more reviews check out
Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on
Facebook.
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The heavier version of Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes.
I love the way each author potray that Rick Riordan is a smart writer: to make children with ADHD and dyslexia more confident by having Percy Jackson as their heroes.
Most of it is funny (actually, I like Jenny Han's part) and the rests are good enough. -
Demigods and Monsters
By multiple authors (Introduction by Rick Riordan)
I read this book one essay at a time, alternating chapters with another book, ‘Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes’ by Rick Riordan. The latter is full of side-splitting humor in the sassy voice of Percy Jackson (main character of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series)! The former is more of a grab-bag with only a very few charming insights to draw my interest. Here are the ones I consider worth mentioning:
1. The Greek Hero - New and Improved by Hilari Bell
An interesting comparison between ruthless heroes of Ancient Greek mythology and Percy Jackson’s more compassionate contemporaries. A great look at the changing meaning of “hero”!
2. Frozen Eyeballs - Oracles And Prophecies by Kathi Appelt
Kathi is brilliant! Through her eyes, we realize the power of sight is real. It is our nighttime dreams. It is our mother’s prescience when it comes to rule-breaking. It is regrettable self-fulfilling prophecies uttered by teachers, parents, and peers who see our flaws, and predict our imminent struggle. Percy teaches us how to succeed in life with his learned approach to prophecy - and the lesson has real-life value.
3. The Language Of The Heart by Sophie Masson
An excellent essay about fear and terror, and how mythology can prepare us to confront these very real monsters.
These were my top three! Others fell into one of two categories: needlessly dry, such as rehashing myths/plot, or disappointingly unoriginal.
Example 1. Percy, I Am Your Father by Sarah Beth Durst
Obviously a Star Wars fan, Sarah writes with a fan girl’s passion as she rates the “parents” of the series, or rather grades them on a scale from A to Instant Expulsion.
(Um, she forgot to mention Hades, but somehow includes Smelly Gabe!)
Example 2. Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo(m) by Jenny Han
I expected to “choose” based on godly traits we’d like to have, instead we were imagining what mortal life would be like if we were raised by Athena, Poseidon, Hera, etc. (Gods don’t raise demigods! Also, why are Hera and Artemis options?)
Example 3. Percy Jackson and the Lords of Death by J&P Voelkel
Actually a graphic overview of non-Greek gods and monsters, should Percy wish to conquer other mythologies. (“Maya” or Mayan beliefs were awfully twisted and disturbing, so please don’t write it, Rick Riordan!)
Anyway, I’m grateful that my library had this available right after I’d finished reading the PJO series, otherwise I wouldn’t have found it at all worthwhile.
I highly suggest you check out Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes instead if you’re looking for more about Percy’s world AND Greek mythology! -
Again… do not ask me why I picked this up. I flipped through it and read the parts that I felt like reading only. That’s mostly just the essays. Because a glossary is all good and well, but for someone who has all these information printed on their brain, it does get redundant.
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4.5 Stars
Notes: Where lots of stories put together to go into Riordan's books, the authors present their cases well, yet action is a fault. -
This collection of essays based on Riordan's Percy Jackson and the limpians was really good. There are several essays on different topics and I found all of them to be very interesting.
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The product description is purposefully a touch misleading. This is really a collection of essays by other young adult authors discussing various aspects of the setting and writing and deriving lessons and discussion topics for young adults. There is no additional fleshing out of the setting through stories or fiction. Not all of the descriptions of this book make it clear and it was especially hard to get to the truth of the content from the kindle description. Some of the essays were interesting, like the Artemis one, so I didn't give it 1-star but it isn't worth the amount it costs certainly.
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I found the author's introduction endearing, how he created Percy Jackson in order to validate his second grader's ADHD and dyslexia-- that they had divine origins. This section is one I think I will use in further teaching, it explains how and why myths are inherent to our society and the relationships between authors and their own texts as well as the ones they analyze.
Ok, so that was about the best part of any of the essays. I did find the glossary of mythological people and places a useful refresher course. -
I have to say that I really didn't like this book at all. It took me a little bit to read. I kept skipping parts because they weren't interesting at all. My favorite part was the glossary at the end, explaining all the greek gods, heroes and etc... Basically this book is other authors writing pieces about the Percy Jackson series. It really wasn't interesting at all only a couple were okay.
I don't suggest reading this, but if you want to try reading it you can go right ahead. lol =] -
Éste definitivamente es un libro solo para fans.
Me encantó ver como se expresaban otros autores respecto a Percy Jackson, como descubrieron secretos que ni el mismísimo Rick Riordan había pensado sñdksl.
Le bajé estrellitas porque pese a que me gustó el libro, nunca me ha encantado que tengan muchos autores, me desespera a veces y no leo de corrido.
El glosario al final vale oro, eso sí que nadie lo puede negar. -
A series of essays about the Percy Jackson series from various YA authors. As always with essay collections, some were better than others. I really liked "Why So Many Monsters Go Into Retail" and "Percy, I am Your Father. Some others read like middle school language arts papers. Good but not great. Fun for fans.
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Fascinating and incisive look at various issues and motifs permeating this wonderful series and what they tell us about ourselves and our society..
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This collection of essays about the series is really thought-provoking. I loved it.
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This book did not add any original content.
Just a rehash of the already mediocre books but from another point of view.
I was quite disappointed. -
2,5/5
Algo largo y lento de leer aunque bastante interesante, aún así no lo volveria a leer 😅😆 -
DNF. This book wasn't what I thought it was
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I loved it! recommend it to everyone))
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For the complete review, kindly drop by my blog at:
Thoughts and Pens
Demigods and Monsters is a compilation of comprehensive essays about anything related to the world Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It features the insights of eight famous authors (Rosemary Moore, Cameron Dokey, Paul Collins, Carolyn MacCullough, Ellen Steiber, The Gods Among Us, J&P Voelkel, Jenny Han, Sarah Beth Durst, Hilary Wagner, Hilari Bell, Elizabeth E. Wein, Kathi Appelt, Sophie Masson, Nigel Rodgers) regarding the series. And guess what? Rick Riordan himself wrote the introduction. That was just WOW.
I really appreciated what Rick wrote in the Intro that it served as my fire of inspiration to read through the whole book. Mind you, I’m not a sucker for overly technical papers that you’d just die of boredom. But this has totally changed my whole perspective of reading essays and of looking at books on a general note. I just couldn’t believe that these authors could come up with a lot of takes with a supposed-to-be straightforward series. You know what, the book actually gave me this feeling of being with a wizened man and he is telling me, “ You are only seeing the outside… Look closer…read closer.” I hope you get what I mean.
From now on, I am most certain that I will look at books at a different level. It’s like stepping outside of your comfort zone and just absorb the most extraordinary things that could happen. And then finally, putting it into writing. The essays that have been featured in this book cover the following:
• Newbie guide to recognizing a monster
• Monster in the retail world- Why should one take caution even when buying a donut?
• Fulfilling a heroic destiny even when one is suffering from a handicap
• Choosing between a life of being forever young and immortal; or being old and wrinkly
• Valid reasons of choosing an almost mad god to run a kid’s summer camp
• How gods and goddesses affect our daily lives?
• How would Percy Jackson fare when faced with other mythological monsters
• Do you really want a god or a goddess to become one of your parents?
• Evaluation of the parental skills of the gods and goddesses
• Just because one rules the World of the Dead doesn’t mean he is wholly bad
• A comparative study between the heroes of the past and of today
• Having a handicap could very well mean that one is destined to fulfill extraordinary things
• The dangers of foreseeing the future- Do you really want to be a seer?
• Stories of the past would always be alive if we continue to believe in it… influenced by it
• Comprehensive glossary of ancient greek myth
How good is that? And the good thing is that the essays did not give any lifeless accounts of the author’s views. Instead, I was treated to amusing reminisces of the PJ scenes that I love and provided me with equally hilarious new stuff to think about. My favorite essays from this compilation would that be of MacCollough about being a hunter for Artemis and that of Wagner’s take on Hades’s and Nico’s side of heroic goodness.
Would I recommend this book? ABSOLUTELY! This book is a perfect enlightenment for those who want to look closer, to imagine beyond the realms of what was written in the pages. If you are an aspiring book analyst, book reviewer, or a student cramming to get his/her books essays right, then this book is a must. -
Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex -
here
HAPPY RELEASE DAY! Presenting Demigods & Monsters: Your favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series (edited) by Rick Riordan.
Here is the summary of the book:
Released just before the March 2013 feature film Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, this new edition is updated through The Last Olympian, and includes several brand new essays!
The #1 New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series—The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian—features a dyslexic boy who discovers he is the son of a Greek god, the target of mythical Greek monsters, and the center of a prophecy that could change the balance of power in the world forever. In Demigods and Monsters, YA authors take on the series' Greek gods, demigods, monsters, and prophecy, to add insight and even more fun to Riordan’s page-turner series.
The book also includes an introduction by Percy Jackson series author Rick Riordan that gives further insight into the series and its creation, and a glossary of ancient Greek myth, with plenty of information on the places, monsters, gods, and heroes that appear in the series.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is one series that needs no introduction. A demigod of the eldest dogs..... sorry eldest Gods (Poseidon), a dyslexic half-human, half-God who discovers he doesn't hail from a family of nobodies..... but the biggest family of somebodies in the world..... and finds himself not only the target of pretty scary mythical monsters but also a part or the sole hero of apocalyptic prophecies (and let me tell you, a heroes fate is never good).
In 'Demigods & Monster', renouned YA authors of the field take on the Gods, the myriad monsters and our beloved characters and put them all under x-rays to chronicalize an insightful and a must read for any Percy Jackson fans.
Alongwith some of fun and some seriously analytical essays, this companion book also consists of an introduction to the series from Riordan himself, explaining how the series actually came into existence, and a glossary of the Greek myths with plenty information about the myths & legends, monsters and demigods and most of all the Gods."A must have companion book to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series"
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The #1 New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series-including The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth-features a twelve-year-old dyslexic boy who discovers he is the son of a Greek god, the target of mythical Greek monsters and the center of a prophecy that could change the balance of power in the world forever. In Demigods and Monsters, YA authors take on Greek gods, monsters and prophecy, to add insight and even more fun to Riordan's page-turner series. Its fresh, funny essays include:
• The pros and cons of having a god as a parent
• Why Dionysus might actually be the best director Camp Half-Blood could have
• What it takes to be one of Artemis's Hunters
• How to tell a monster when you see one
• Why even if we aren't facing manticores and minotaurs, reading myths can still help us deal with the scary things in our own lives
• Why so many monsters go into retail-and why they're never selling anything a demigod really wants
The book also includes an introduction by Percy Jackson series author Rick Riordan, that gives further insight into the series and its creation, and a glossary of ancient Greek myth, with plenty of information on the places, monsters, gods and heroes that appear in the series.
This was a truly intelligent set of essays. My favorite one was Ellen Steiber's "Dionysus: Who Let Him Run a Summer Camp", though I also thoroughly enjoyed 'As Bad As They Wanna Be' by Hilary Wagner, since I have a serious soft spot for Nico di Angelo, especially being caught up with the Heroes of Olympus books. Sally Jackson definitely gets the A+ parenting award. The glossary is also very helpful as a companion to Riordan's books. Also - I would absolutely love to see Percy and the gang in Central America. Take note, Rick!
Overall, this was entirely enjoyable and well thought out set of essays, and if they were updated to included essays about information with Heroes of Olympus, I'd be totally willing to buy both. -
I admittedly have a very on-off relationship with the Percy Jackson series. I probably saw The Lightning Thief in a Popular bookstore a long long time ago. Unfortunately, the only thing I remembered was a tagline that went something like "half-boy, half-god, all hero". How I managed to find the series again is something I still don't understand.
And when I finally read the first book, well I loved it! But then, left the series alone (I don't actually own any of the books - I think my sister has one as a present though, I remember reading it). It seems like if I can get my hands on a copy, I read it and enjoy myself immensely, but if I can't, well, life goes on.
But I do know what the series is about - and I think that this companion book is perfect not just for fans, but for anyone interested in Greek Mythology. You see, while the book does analyse/talk about the Percy Jackson series, they also cover a lot about Greek Mythology - for example, would you want to take the vow or Artemis?
I might have gone on a myth-reading kick in Secondary School, but this book still managed to give out a lot of interesting things that I didn't know off. Including Mayan Mythology - that sounds really interesting (yes, it appears, but I won't tell you why(; )
At the end of the book is an A-Z guide to the different characters in Greek Myth (not just the Percy Jackson series). Personally, I found it very interesting, but it's something that you should read in small bites, not in one go.
This review is more of me and my relationship to the Percy Jackson series. Oops. Anyway, I really like this book, and I heartily recommend it.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted to
Inside the mind of a Bibliophile -
Demigods and Monsters
By Rick Riordan
Summery courtesy of goodreads.com
The #1 New York Times bestselling Percy Jackson series-including The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth-features a twelve-year-old dyslexic boy who discovers he is the son of a Greek god, the target of mythical Greek monsters and the center of a prophecy that could change the balance of power in the world forever. In Demigods and Monsters, YA authors take on Greek gods, monsters and prophecy, to add insight and even more fun to Riordan's page-turner series. Its fresh, funny essays include:
• The pros and cons of having a god as a parent • Why Dionysus might actually be the best director Camp Half-Blood could have • What it takes to be one of Artemis's Hunters • How to tell a monster when you see one • Why even if we aren't facing manticores and minotaurs, reading myths can still help us deal with the scary things in our own lives • Why so many monsters go into retail-and why they're never selling anything a demigod really wants
The book also includes an introduction by Percy Jackson series author Rick Riordan, that gives further insight into the series and its creation, and a glossary of ancient Greek myth, with plenty of information on the places, monsters, gods and heroes that appear in the series.
Review
This is a must read for Percy Jackson fans, It provides hidden insights in a collection of essays, that true fans of Percy Jackson will learn more about Their favorite hero, the series and its power. This book is not for everyone, Riordan fans who are looking for the next thrilling book telling of Percy's adventure will be sorely disappointed as this is a collection of insights and facts put together in an interesting narrative that only true fans will enjoy.
At the end of the book is an A-Z guide to the different characters in Greek Myth (not just the Percy Jackson series). Personally, I found it very interesting, -
Not by Rick Riordan, but about his books.
Just thought I would mention that as it seems that some readers are buying this based on the premise that it is a new Riordan book.
A collection of thoughts and essays by other authors on books written by Riordan.
On a side note I loved the introduction to the book, but have decided to take my chances even if it means getting shot.
I actually had never heard of Riordan or his books until I saw the film version of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Personally I think it is of the most underrated kids movies I have seen. The film enticed me to look up the books and since then I have introduced the reading material to my children.
The essays seem to focus more on the Greek mythology, which is the core subject in the books. It would have been nice to see a more in depth approach to the characters or plots in the same humorous way.
What does become evident is how many people or fellow scribes enjoy the product of his imagination.
This book is what I would call an add-on or oddity in a collection and perhaps more interesting to a fan or a reader who would like to know a little bit more about what makes the Riordan books tick.
I recieved a free copy of this book via NetGalley.
