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The Sea of Monsters
Percy, Grover, and Annabeth escaping Polyphemus
AuthorRick Riordan
LanguageEnglish
SeriesPercy Jackson & the Olympians (Book 2)
GenreFantasy Fiction and Adventure
PublisherMiramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children
Publication date
May 3, 2006
Publication placeUnited States of America
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages279
ISBN0-7868-5686-6
OCLC64664383
LC ClassMLCS 2006
Preceded byThe Lightning Thief 
Followed byThe Titan's Curse 

The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save the camp from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

The Sea of Monsters was generally well received and was nominated for numerous awards, including the 2006 Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick[1] and the 2009 Mark Twain Award.[2] It sold over 100,000 copies in paperback[3] and was released in audiobook format on September 6, 2006. The Sea of Monsters is followed by The Titan's Curse, the third book of the five in the series.

A film adaptation, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Sea of Monsters, of the book is scheduled for an August 16, 2013 release.[4]

Synopsis

Unlike the previous book, The Lightning Thief, this novel is of the fantasy genre.[5] Reviewers consider it to be fast-paced,[6] humorous, full of action,[6] and a blend of the themes of acceptance and family love.[7]

Plot summary

The story begins with Percy having a nightmare about Grover being chased by a cyclops. The nightmare ends with a big voice booming, "MINE!"

It is the last day of school at Meriweather Prep, and Percy's only friend, Tyson, is being teased by bullies, though there are more of them that day than usual. In gym class, the extra bullies reveal themselves as Laistrygonians (cannibal giants) and attack Percy. Annabeth appears to have been following Percy to talk to him about her own nightmares. She helps Percy and Tyson defeat the Laistrygonians, and the three of them return to camp in the Gray Sisters Taxi. In the taxi, the Gray Sisters tell Percy that "the location [he] seeks" is 30, 31, 75, and 12. Though Percy is confused and asks them what they mean, he is not informed, because they find the camp is under attack by the Colchis Bulls, from which Clarisse and some of her cabinmates are trying to defend. With help from Tyson, Percy and Annabeth manage to defeat the monsters, but Percy finds out that Tyson is a Cyclops. Clarisse tells them that Thalia's tree, which protects the camp, has been poisoned by an unknown intruder and is dying. The magical borders that protect the camp are also failing. She also informs them that Chiron, the activities director, has been fired because he is suspected of poisoning the tree, and is replaced by Tantalus, a prisoner who has been brought from the Fields of Punishment. Poseidon claims Tyson as his son at dinner.

Percy has another dream of Grover, and this time Grover and Percy talk to each other (Grover had earlier had made an empathy link, allowing them to communicate sometimes while Percy is sleeping) and Grover reveals that he is trapped in The Sea of Monsters by a Cyclops named Polyphemus. Grover says that "it" is here, but Percy wakes up before he can ask what Grover means.

The day after, Percy asks Annabeth if she understands what the dream about Grover means. Annabeth tells him that Grover may have found the Golden Fleece, and they both realize that the Golden Fleece can cure Thalia's poisoned tree. That night at the campfire, Annabeth and Percy ask Tantalus to send somebody on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, which he does, sending Clarisse. Percy gets angry with Tantalus, but doesn't know what to do. Later that night, when everyone else is asleep, Percy sneaks out to the beach and is met by Hermes, who gives him three duffel bags full of money and clothes, a magical thermos that holds the four winds, and a box of Minotaur-shaped multivitamins. He tells him that he must choose to board a passing cruise ship. Annabeth and Tyson arrive, and they decide to go to the cruise ship before security harpies consume them.

Percy receives help from Poseidon, who sends them three hippocampi, and together with Annabeth and Tyson, end up on the cruise ship, the Princess Andromeda, which is revealed to be owned by Luke. They are captured and learn that Luke is trying to reform Kronos, the lord of the Titans. They manage to escape on a lifeboat and go to Chesapeake Bay, where Annabeth leads them to a hideout that she had created a few years earlier when running away with Luke and Thalia.

Tyson gets a box of donuts which he got from a nearby donut shop (Monster Donuts). They are attacked by a Hydra, which is killed by Clarisse who has a boat of her own that was given to her by her father Ares. The boat is an ironclad from the Civil War. They sail for the Sea of Monsters (which has now moved to the Bermuda Triangle) and Clarisse plans to destroy Charybdis and also encounters Scylla, who devours the captain of the ship as well as a few others of the crew. The engine overheats and explodes, and Clarisse's boat is destroyed and eaten by a monster. Percy and Annabeth make it out (Tyson is presumed living), but got their duffel bags; plus, the thermos has been emptied because Annabeth opened it "a little too far." They eventually find an island where Circe lives, and dock at her island, which turns out to be a spa. However, Percy is turned into a guinea pig and is put in a cage with six others. Annabeth frees him by using the multivitamins to become resistant to magic, and gives some to Percy and the others, who become human again. It turns out that the other six guinea pigs were Blackbeard (son of Ares) and his crew, and Percy and Annabeth use Blackbeard's ship to get away.

As they are sailing, they pass the land of the Sirens. Annabeth, who knows that the Sirens tell of their innermost desires, decides that she wants Percy to tie her to the mast and have her listen to the Sirens' songs. However, Percy forgets to remove her knife, and she manages to free herself, almost reaching the island, but Percy manages to save her; in doing so, he learns that the Sirens' song made Annabeth see what she wanted most: her parents reunited and Luke converted back to the side of the gods, all having a picnic, in front of a brand new Manhattan, rebuilt by Annabeth. He grabs her before she can get out of the water and gets her back under, creating a giant air bubble so that she can breathe, and they make it back to their ship. On board, Annabeth tells Percy that her fatal flaw is hubris (deadly pride). They reach the island of Polyphemus – where they find Tyson safe and alive – and save Grover with the help of Tyson and Clarisse, recovering the Fleece in the process. They make their way to Florida, and Percy sends Clarisse, with the Fleece, back to camp.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson are captured by Luke, and are taken to the Princess Andromeda. Percy manages to contact camp with an Iris-message, tricking Luke into admitting he poisoned Thalia's tree. In a duel with Luke, Percy is nearly killed. He is saved by Chiron and his relatives, the "Party Ponies". Chiron is rehired after being proven not guilty, and the Fleece cures Thalia's tree of its poison; however, Thalia herself is spewed out of the tree. Chiron realizes that everything that had happened had been to bring back Thalia, just to "put another chess piece into play".[8]

Major characters

Main article: List of characters in the Camp Half-Blood series
  • Percy Jackson: The son of Poseidon; a 13-year-old demigod who travels to the island of Polyphemus in the Bermuda Triangle to find Grover and recover the Golden Fleece. He is accompanied by Annabeth and Tyson, his half-brother, on the quest. He is successful in the end; and gives Clarisse the Fleece while he is attacked by Luke on his way to the Camp. However, he and his friends are rescued by Chiron and the Party Ponies.
  • Annabeth Chase: The daughter of Athena. A demigod who is 13 years old and a friend of Percy. She accompanies him to the island and helps him in his quest by rescuing Percy from Circe's island. Annabeth is injured by Polyphemus and recovers with the help of the Golden Fleece. She accompanies Percy to Camp after Chiron succeeds in rescuing them from the hands of Luke and the Titan army.
  • Grover Underwood: The guard for Percy given by the gods, a satyr who has been captured by Polyphemus during his search for the wild god Pan. Due to his poor eyesight, Polyphemus mistakes Grover for a female Cyclops. He is rescued by his friends Percy and Annabeth.
  • Clarisse La Rue: Daughter of Ares who was given the quest of retrieving the Golden Fleece. With the help of Percy and his friends, she is successful in her quest. Percy gives her the Fleece that she takes to Camp Half Blood. Polyphemus wishes to wed her after it is revealed to him that Grover is a male satyr.
  • Luke Castellan: The main antagonist; he works for Kronos. He captures Percy and the rest before being thwarted by Chiron and his brethren, the Party Ponies.
  • Tyson the Cyclops: Percy's half brother; he is initially portrayed as a homeless child before Annabeth helps Percy realize that he is a Cyclops. He accompanies Percy and Annabeth in their quest and befriends a hippocampus whom he names Rainbow. When Clarisse's ship explodes, he is presumed dead until it is learned that he was actually saved.

Critical reception

The Sea of Monsters received generally positive reviews with reviewers praising the storyline, the themes and the author's style of writing.[9][10][11] "In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut," said a Publishers Weekly review.[12] School Library Journal singled out the novel's plot and main character, stating, "Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers."[10] Child magazine wrote, "Featuring the cliff-hangers and sassy attitude kids loved in The Lightning Thief – plus a surprising new family secret – this outstanding sequel should win over a fresh legion of fans."[13] Children's Literature called the writing extraordinary[13] and added, "This book, sequel to The Lightning Thief, is an amazing mixture of mythology and young adult fiction."[13] Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist."[11] Norah Piehl of Kidsreads.com lauded the style of the book, and noted similarities with its prequel.[9] It sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover by the time paperback copies were released in April 2007.[3]

However, Kirkus was critical of the book, writing, "it's doubtful Percy wouldn't guess Tyson's otherworldly connection immediately after the dodgeball game ... some of the humor will zip over the heads of the target audience" although they added, "Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do would keep the pages turning."[14]

Awards

Audiobook

On September 6, 2006, a seven hour and 54 minute audiobook version of The Sea of Monsters, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, who also narrated The Lightning Thief's audiobook,[19] was published worldwide by Listening Library.[20][21]

AudioFile magazine praised the audio book, raving, "This action-packed book (second in a series) will delight fans of Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of Poseidon, as Percy once again battles mythical monsters in modern-day settings while on his mission to save the tree that guards Camp Half-Blood."[21] They praised Bernstein, saying "Narrator Jesse Berns helps listeners slip right into the oddly engaging world that Riordan creates, in which contemporary teen characters and those from classical mythology intermingle"[21] and that he could successfully portray teenagers, while keeping the pace fast allowing listeners time to revel in the book's humor. Auditions have already been cast for this yet to be blockbuster. There may still be a few spaces for extras, though.[21] The magazine Publishers Weekly raved about Bernstein's "snappy delivery and all the right funny touches" that made the "action-packed fantasy such fun."[19]

Film adaptation

Main article: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (film)

Following the box office and DVD success of the movie, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, a film adaptation of The Sea of Monsters was first reported in early 2011.[22] In fall 2011, it was confirmed that 20th Century Fox will release the film on March 27, 2013.[23][24] Filming is expected to begin in April 2012. In February 2012, Mary Birdsong, Missi Pyle and Yvette Nicole Brown were cast as the Fates.[25] In March 2012, Nathan Fillion joined the cast as Hermes and Anthony Head, replacing Pierce Brosnan, as Chiron.[26][27] In April 2012, Paloma Kwiatkowski was cast as Thalia and The Hunger Games star Leven Rambin has been cast as Clarisse La Rue.[28] It was announced on May 8, 2012 that the film had moved up to March 15, 2013. But later it was postponed for an August 16, 2013 release.[4] Logan Lerman will return as Percy Jackson in the movie. Doctor Who actor Matt Smith is rumoured to be in the film and Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker will have a role in the film possibly as Tantalus.[29] In earlier June, it was said that Zoe Aggeliki will play Silena Beauregard.Jake Abel will also noted to return playing Luke Castellan. On January 2012 The Secret Circle star Grey Damon was cast as Chris Rodriguez.

Graphic novel

Rick Riordan confirmed that the epic fantasy sequel, The Sea of Monsters, is one of the two graphic novels to be published in 2012 (the other being The Red Pyramid, the first of The Kane Chronicles).Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). Like its predecessors, this book was well received and reviewers praised its humorous style and the plot of the story.[30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Book awards: BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick". Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Mark Twain Readers Award". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Nawotka, Edward. "Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  4. ^ a b "'X-Men: First Class' & 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Sequels Set For Summer 2014; 'Independence Day 3D' Hits July 3, 2013". indiewire.com. May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  5. ^ "The Sea of Monsters". New York City Department of Education. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Riordan, Rick. The Sea of Monsters". The Free Library. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  7. ^ "The Sea of Monsters". Shvoong. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  8. ^ Riordan, Rick (Marck 1, 2001). The Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Miramax Books. ISBN 0-7868-5686-6. OCLC 64664383. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  9. ^ a b Piehl, Norah. "Kidsreads.com – The Sea of Monsters". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2". School Library Journal. October 1, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "The Sea of Monsters review". Matt Berman. Common Sense Media. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  12. ^ "The Sea of Monsters". Publishers Weekly. April 24, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c "The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
  14. ^ "The Sea of Monsters review". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Rick Riordan : Percy Jackson". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  16. ^ "Barnes & Noble.com". Barnesandnoble.com. September 26, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  17. ^ "Top Shelf Fiction Pick for Middle School Readers, 2006" (PDF). Voice of Youth Advocates. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  18. ^ "Mark Twain Award 2007–08 Winners". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved May 27, 2009.
  19. ^ a b "Sequels for summer". Publishers Weekly. July 24, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Bernstein, Jesse. "Jesse Bernstein". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  21. ^ a b c d Bernstien, Jesse (2006). "The Sea of Monsters". AudioFile. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  22. ^ 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Sequel Could Be Coming Soon?
  23. ^ "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  24. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 12, 2011). "Fox Moves Ahead With New 'Die Hard' and 'Percy Jackson' Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  25. ^ McClintock, Pamela (February 29, 2012). "Missi Pyle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Mary Birdsong Join 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  26. ^ McClintock, Pamela (March 15, 2012). "Nathan Fillion to Play Hermes in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ^ McClintock, Pamela (March 20, 2012). "Anthony Head to Play Chiron in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ^ Fleming, Mike (April 3, 2012). "Vancouver High Schooler Gets Dream Role In 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". Deadline.com.
  29. ^ King, Rebecca (June 1, 2012). "Doctor Who's Matt Smith & Star War's Mark Hamill". PercyJacksonMovies.com.
  30. ^ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Kidsreads". Kidsreads.com.
  31. ^ Ruth, Sheila. "The Titan's Curse: Wands and Worlds Book Review".

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