Some book reviews honestly don’t need very many words. This felt less like a sequel and more like “part 2” of the first book. Which is to say, if the first book destroyed you, this one may put you back together. (At least a little bit.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
Okay, I’m going to need 5-7 business days to process this book. Seriously, this is going to be one of those stories that haunts me forever. I’m SO glad I was kind of warned (thanks fellow reviewers) before getting into this that it was a “this will destroy you” type of book because otherwise, I probably would’ve been crying 5 minutes before having to coach U8 soccer practice.
It’s such a short read, but there’s just so much here. And it’s so visceral and raw, and yet with the amazing subtlety of Middle Grade. I can’t even right now. Between the lines about the angels and the “Jackie” line at the end.
Dang. I want to cry just thinking about it.
I loved this book. But… dude. You’ve been warned: when it comes to the best and the worst of humanity, this story isn’t pulling punches. Godspeed.
Also, this is my second Gary D. Schmidt book, and I can now safely say he’s friggin’ brilliant.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
This is another one of those Upper Middle Grade books that makes me remember why I love Midde Grade. The character development. The voice. The feels. The setting. The subtleties. The character growth. The depth of the side characters. And even that ending… dude. This is one I would LOVE to talk about with the Summer Middle Grade book club that I lead. Definitely adding it to our list, and highly recommend for all readers, Middle Grade and above. This was my first Gary D. Schmidt read, but I’m definitely adding the Wednesday Wars to my TBR as well. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Nothing hits like fabulous Middle Grade.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
We read this one for our 9-year-old book club, and honestly it was just a rollicking adventure— the boys and I loved it. Super short, fast paced, and with tons of voice. The character development along the way was awesome, and it definitely had some laughs too. Highly recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
I read this aloud to my 9yo and 7yo boys and all three of us loved it. Cath’s reactions and thoughts felt so authentically preteen, and the story brought up so much for us discuss. I loved how they connected to Jason and were able to grasp both how Jason’s wheelchair & a communication book were a part of him, making him who he is— just like David’s autism.
My kids and I read this book just the 3 of us as we waited for the other kids in their book club to catch up, but now they want the other kids to read it too so they can all talk about it. And I think it especially hits home as the author also has a daughter and an autistic son.
Highly, highly recommend — especially for read-aloud or a young readers’ book club.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
Okay this is my last Rick Riordan book review for a while. Even though my kids are still fully immersed in the Rick Riordan universe, I think I need a breather from MG. (Not because I didn’t enjoy this one, but just because we’re on Riordan Book 8, and that’s *a lot* for me.)
In general though, I don’t have a ton to say about this series. These characters do act a little older than their counter parts in Percy Jackson & the Olympians which I enjoyed, and my 7yo & 9yo continue to be hooked on this series. This is a solid continuation of the Percy Jackson series (in which Percy Jackson & co plays a solid role) and I really liked the action, development, and universe-expansion in this one! My 9yo inhaled this series and has now moved onto Apollo’s trials, but he will have to forge on ahead without me, because I need a change-up! Still, I do love all the Percy Jackson and Greek God our house is decked out in now, so this of course gets:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
So we read these two immediately after finishing Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but in retrospect we should’ve (at a minimum) read Heroes of Olympus first. Derp. It wasn’t a huge deal, but Percy does reference characters and events from Heroes of Olympus in passing.
Chalice of the Gods:
The stakes are much lower in this series, and even though Percy is 17, he still pretty much seems like the same Percy from the original series. Once again this is fantastic news for my 7yo & 8yo who have now both binged all 7 Percy Jackson books (and are waiting for book 8.) But for me it makes the Percy’s adventures start to seem a little episodic, but if you read the first series and wanted more Percy, Grover, & Annabeth, this series is for you!
Wrath of the Triple Goddess:
My 7yo and 8yo have been loving this series so I’ve been trying to keep up with them, but I don’t like this trilogy as much as the original Five. The stakes are way lower, the quests seem episodic, and I don’t feel like we get a ton of character growth.
But if you love Percy Jackson, then you will probably love these. My 7 and 8yos certainly do. Four stars from me. Five from them, and they are happily reading Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo while they wait for Percy’s Senior Adventures #3. Since there’s two of them and one of me, we’ll call it five stars here:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
And here we go with another series review!
Book One:
So I told my 8yo I would buddy read this with him since I wanted him to get into the series because I thought it would be right up his alley.
Self-five because I was riigghhttt!!
He’s is now flying through book 3, and is LOVING it.
And then my 7yo didn’t want to be left out, and he finished the audiobook yesterday and is very sad our hold on book 2 isn’t ready yet.
I finished today and I can firmly say I get the hype and I’m excited for book 2. A sassy demigod, loyal friends, the cool universe of Greek mythology, and lots of monsters? We are so in.
My husband (who is now also reading these books) better catch up because we’re totally liable to leave him behind!
Book Two:
I’ve been in a reading slump, so it’s been so fun to buddy read this series with my 8yo & 7yo! Honestly, I totally get the hype. This series is fast-paced, the voice pops, the characters are so easy to root for, and the world-building is chef’s kiss.
My 8yo has already finished all 7 Percy-POV books, & honestly just ask for Percy Jackson merch & more Rick Riordan books for his birthday. Even my 7yo is halfway into book 3, so I’ve got to catch up! And I’m so looking forward to it! Middle grade perfection recommended for all!
Book Three:
Another great entry to the series with more intensity, higher stakes, and great character/plot progression. Chef’s kiss.
Book Four:
(4.5/5) Really liked everything about the labyrinth, Percy’s adventures, and Nico’s development in this one… but I feel like Annabeth got short-changed here. I really wanted to see her wisdom shine in the labyrinth, but instead her jealousy really defined her throughout this one. Honestly though, I’ve really enjoyed listening to these as I get back into running, and I’m excited to read book 5!
Book Five:
(4.25/5)
So this series was interesting, because even though Percy Jackson is 16 at the end of the series, this book stayed squarely in the MG territory (rather than skewing into YA), which, honestly, is perfect for my elementary-school kids who are reading it.
But for me, personally, I think it would’ve been cool to see a little more growth from Percy over the five years. (Please keep in mind though, I love me some YA, and I am not the target audience here.) In general, this felt like another solid entry in the Percy Jackson series and we definitely got resolution on the plot threads that have been stretching through the series, but somehow it didn’t feel as epic as I guess I was expecting after all the build-up. And (heads up, unpopular opinion coming in), the chemistry between Percy & Annabeth wasn’t there for me. Their relationship seems high in jealousy content, and in general, I wish Annabeth had gotten more development throughout.
Also, maybe it’s because I’ve been on a Percy Jackson binge, but the narration was bugging me in this book. Hermes & Persephone’s voices didn’t seem to fit, and the mispronunciation of Hera’s name was killing me.
Overall though, my 7yo & 8yo absolutely LOVED this series, and it was super cool to be able to buddy read it with them. I loved the fast-pace and Percy’s voice, and they kept me seriously entertained as I get back into jogging.
Honestly, Nico de Angelo may be my favorite character and apparently there’s a series about him? So totally stoked for that. My 8yo says I have to also read the next two books, so I’ll be getting into those as well, but I think I’ll at least try to read a couple other books first.
(Side note though, we did also watch the show as my family, and my kids weren’t super jazzed about it. They were very disappointed it wasn’t EXACTLY as the books described word for word, and personally, I thought the shows had a darker vibe than the show. But it’d be hard to match the awesomeness of the books.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
Wow. This book totally blew me away. The emotional journey Rayne goes through hooked me from the start, and I was totally entranced as I followed along with her journey of loss and acceptance. I also incredibly appreciated the insight from the author’s note on her own story, and the choices made to bring Rayne’s experience to the reader. The audiobook narration was amazing, and after being in a reading slump for most of the year, I devoured this one in two days. A fantastic middle-grade for all ages that I highly recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for reading!
A sweet coming of age centering on the friendship between two sixth grade boys (one sporty, one STEM-y.)
What I liked:
– Likable Characters
– Tough topics (alcoholism & divorce) tactfully addressed
– Sweet friendship
– No romance (I usually love romance books, but I think this story worked better for its audience without it)
– Important themes of accepting who you are
– Dual POVs from very different kids
– Tightly paced
What I didn’t like:
– Marco’s basketball growth over a week seemed a little fantastical to me
– It felt like the narrative was a little skewed to Isaac supporting Marco, and I would’ve like to see a little more of Marco supporting Isaac through his tough stuff.
Recommended for anyone looking for a sporty and sweet Middle Grade with solid themes and tough topics.
⭐⭐⭐½
Thanks for reading!
Hayley Reese Chow 