Why Percy Jackson Works So Well | Spoiler Free
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
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I was a greek kid with dyslexia and adhd around Percy's age when the books were coming out. I cannot express how much these books meant to me growing up.
Just the fact that Riordan treats disability as a neutral fact of being and not something to be "overcome" puts him so far above some other fantasy authors I could name.
@@johnvinals7423 yeah, I love his books but with someone with ADHD its mot portrayed well, makes it seem like a superpower. My personal view is that the demigods battle reflexes simply appear like ADHD.
@@althor1247 well now he did say most of them struggled in schools as Percy had been expelled every year of his life from every school he attended up until his highschool years where his stepfather was the principal
woah you read books even though you had dyslexia? thats crazy i personally dont have the imagination for reading books so i envy people who read books and enjoy it but you, youare amazing
@@althor1247 If I remember correctly Percy Jackson started as a bed time story for his son who is both dislexic and adhd so imo it kinda makes sense to make these things into a superpower
This was my Harry Potter. Growing up, I had no idea why HP was so popular when Percy Jackson existed. It somehow managed to have an incredibly mature, quality story along with enough humor that can appeal to young and old. I reread it just a few months ago and I still feel it holds up.
These are some of the best books to get younger people in fantasy. It's a quality urban fantasy set in a mythological world with fun, relatable characters with purpose and drive. I can't stress this enough.
Lol Harry Potter did not age well in hindsight both in the books and outside it(looking at you JK). One of the reasons why it became as popular as it is might be because they kinda nailed the movies adaption which was rare back then.
@Bzake No not realy better just different
@@aliamvickersfan2388 It's better. As much as fans disliked the maturing from Middle Grade to YA after book 3 that's what gave Harry Potter the opportunity to be more complex and better than Percy Jackson in both narrative and characters (- the protagonist, Percy is more flashed out than Harry).
Dude sammmme. I didn’t read Harry Potter until I was 20 lol. Percy had my heart since I was 12. It definitely feels more tasteful than Harry Potter in retrospect as well lol
its just that harry potter was already almost done and popular by the time rick made the first book i was just starting middle school when the lightning thief came out
Rick Riordan based the character of "Percy" on his son Haley Riordan, who is dyslexic.
Haley has also written a short story named "Son of Magic" which follows the events of The Last Olympian
Not just dyslexic, but ADHD as well. Riordan intentionally made him that way so his kid could see himself as a hero
Merphy PLEASE (I’ll beg if I have to 😆) read the Cirque Du Freak series. Percy Jackson was great (and I was always excited for the next one), but Cirque Du Freak is genuinely amazing. It’s what really got me into fantasy.
The audiobook is on RUclips and the full audiobook is only 5hrs
ruclips.net/video/raJn-QLtCqk/видео.html
@@alb0zfinest Exactly what I was thinking, especially when she read the beginning ^^ Cirque du Freak is so underrated and unknown it freaks me out ;)
@@mgormley7530 Now that’s a great and amazing father
1. Comedy. I've laughed so hard while reading this series. Not a chapter goes by without me at least chuckling.
2. World Building. The way the world functions and is portrayed in this series just works for me; it's my perfect type of chaos
3. The character writing. These characters are just so lovable. Even though they have characteristics out of this world, they still feel like real, well-rounded people.
Wait, we're talking about Percy Jackson, not One Piece right? XD To be honest, these three things will honestly get me into any series, but only if all 3 are nailed or if 1 is done absurdly well
Percy Jackson just has a different vibe that separates it from others. We could get comedy, world building, and excellent character writing in other books/series, but Percy Jackson series makes people so attached to the world and the characters that once you love it, you’ll love it forever. There’s no way out of your love for the series. It’s so unexplainable how this series has a chokehold on so many people. Also, there’s so much nostalgia value to this series that when you remember about it despite only first reading it months ago, you’ll feel so nostalgic and reminisce the fun and adventure you had while reading it.
Meet me in Camp Half Blood. Come at all costs!🏴☠️🏺🔱
And the chapter titles add so much to the humor of the series even when there are very serious events happening.
@@hellobookworms3083 My personal favorites are "We Meet the Sheep of Doom" and "I Have a Dam Problem".
@@ropecrewman36 The Dam! I can’t wait for the Disney+ series just so we can see the Dam Snack Bar
This series and Avatar *made* my childhood. I remember finishing each book and getting so excited when I saw the preview date for the next one. And then another series came out and I found that I was completely hooked. Percy is an amazing Protagonist. And one of my favorite characters is Nico. Even though so many campers find him unsettling to be around or creepy, he still decides to help them anyway. He went through a lot at such a young age. And that storyline just hit me in so many ways.
It’s funny how those two series are your favorite and both got horrible movie adaptations
@@zach415 I read it wrong and thought you say the series them selves are horrible and not the movies.
@@aliamvickersfan2388 no I love Percy Jackson and Avatar. I read Percy Jackson in 5th grade and ever since I’ve had an obsession with mythology
Yes Avatar and Percy Jackson adolescence for me!
And then there's the revelation in The House of Hades...
But I just read that chapter last week and it was both sad and empowering at the same time. That's all I can say because...spoilers!
🤐🤐🤐
This might be controversial, but I liked the Percy Jackson series way more than Harry Potter. It feels more thought out and consistent. Plus I'm Greek, so seeing our mythology being explored this way really put a smile on my face😄. Rick Riordan is a genius!!! Also, give the Kane Chronicles a chance...Egyptian Mythology is explored the same way and it is AWSOME!
It probably would have been controversial about two years ago, but with how awful a person Rowling was revealed to be, a lot of people are digging more into how iffy that series is as a whole, and how good an alternative Percy Jackson and all of Riordan's writings are.
I always like to say Percy Jackson was my Harry Potter. I was a bit to young for Harry Potter but the movies were matched up perfectly with my age. So I didn't read those. I also hated reading for a long time due to dyslexia. Until I fell in love with books, Percy Jackson helped a lot with that
@@munromister777 indeed when you looking back at HP you can see all of rowlings bigotry also the story is pretty weak the number of plot holes are absurd.
Same here honestly to me I still care about the characters but I’ve always felt a weaker link to them but then again (BIG SPOILER) I don’t remember the best couple falling into the pits of Tartarus and had me scared for there life for a a million years to read the house of hades
This is why at 21 I still read every middle grade Rick Riordan writes. I started reading PJO at 10, it's always a comforting and fun read, but also deep in some way. Just love it
Same at 22
@@kat_kami same at 23
Same at 20
Same at 25,
Can't wait for chalice of gods
There's a Disney Plus show being made, and I'm really looking forward to it, especially since Rick is a part of the production (We don't talk about the movies)
There are no Percy Jackson movies in Ba Sing Se...
@@ropecrewman36 Nice XD
@@ropecrewman36 this is a top tier comment.
I never read the series cuz i like dthe movie and thought, man they almost covered about three books worth material.
But somehow i started reading the other series of percy Jackson? Idk what it is called, but they have to save both camps in it.
Even tho i was only with basic knowledge, enjoyed it.
@@_SomyaY the movies barely cover anything of the books, that's the biggest gripe of the community. The movies are just sooo different from the books. So you definitely should read the books if you enjoyed the movies it can only get better
Guys, we have her!
Now we need to keep her here.
Do what must be done, she is never allowed to leave this fandom!
I love Percy Jackson for multiple reasons, but one of the biggest is the fact that Percy Jackson got me back into reading after a long pause...
2015, when I first encountered PJO, was the first time I marathoned and finished as series in a week.
I still revisit it regularly if I feel a slump coming on, knowing it will rekindle my momentum!
Disney got the rights to a series
Did you see the teaser trailer for the show?
This was really my first ever fantasy series, growing up it was like Lord of the Rings for me. I remember I only picked it up for a book report and fell in love with reading ever since. My favorite as a kid was the Titan's Curse! Great memories.
Percy Jackson was a big part of my childhood and it is the reason I love the various mythologies in the world. It is so fun and all the charecters are just perfect. I'm really happy to see you enjoy it too! The way mythology is weaved into the plot and a modern setting is just *chef's kiss*
This is a very beloved series to me, even until now. When I was in High School, during my Junior year (I am 33 now), I finished reading Eldest after starting with Eragon. I returned my book back to my Librarian and since I already had a good rapport with her, I asked her if she would recommend me another Fantasy book/series along the lines of what I have read. She showed me "Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief." I've been hooked ever since. I've consumed just about every Rick Riordan fantasy series from The Kane Chronicles and the Heroes of Olympus, to Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. Even though I have not read past the first Magnus Chase book, I still have everything that has come out so far lol
Part of me really wants Merphy to do the same kind of hate watch of the movie as it was done with Avatar lol
this series is the reason started reading. it had the biggest impact on me of any piece of media, ever. so it'll always have a special place in my heart
Same here! I only read it when lockdown happened in 2020 just because I needed something to pass the time. I ended up reading the whole series in less than a week and had the BEST time of my life. And now, here I am . . . a bookworm.
Yes! Percy Jackson is so amazing and deserves even more recognition than it gets!! Rick is just such an amazing author and PJO (and the riordanverse in general) has been an absolute godsend for me. AND THE HOOK!! It kept my hooked for five years. Yesss Percy is sooo amazhang!!
Amazhang!
I actually majored in Classics in college and this is the author I recommend to people who want more digestible ways to learn about mythology. His research for every book was pretty spot on. Very few things that I could nitpick on the mythology.
I took a class on the Odyssey in university, and having read Percy Jackson first made it way more enjoyable! Homer could only hope to do it like Rick Riordan did
@@bibilbophile It's the opposite. Riordan can only dream of achieving what Homer did.
@@lesterballard9075 Yeah, I was kinda kidding 🤭
@@bibilbophile Oh, sorry then. I had to read twice. The first part is totally fine but the second sentence was strange.
@@lesterballard9075 No worries! It's hard to pick up sarcasm over text
I read Percy Jackson as an 11 years old with undiagnosed ADHD and autism. I related to Percy a lot, without really understanding why. At a time where books were a coping mechanism for me, this series influenced and helped me a lot, and going back to it as an adult (to read it aloud to my adhd dyslexic roommate), made me realise just how _real_ Percy's neurodivergence is, and how it's never forgotten.
As a kid with ADHD this series meant a lot to me growing up to be able to see characters going through the same things as me. Anabeth particularly was a character that I related to a lot.
So excited you read this series for the first time! I'm currently re-reading this series after nearly 12 years, and I'm surprised at how well it holds up! I feel like I still enjoyed it just as much as when I was a kid. I love Percy, probably even more now than when I was a kid. His narration and sarcastic remarks are great. I think his struggles with dyslexia and adhd are handled really well and make for a compelling character. Reading this as a kid I didn’t really appreciate the nuance of him struggling with the expectations of everyone around him. I found that aspect of Percy to be super relatable! Annabeth is such a great character too! Though I wish her and Percy disliked each other for longer, as it would have made them becoming friends more rewarding. I love how there’s not any overt hints at romance between her and Percy. She’s not just some blank love interest, she’s allowed to be her own character and that’s another thing I really appreciated on reread. Her struggles with her family and abandonment issues are also extremely compelling. And of course, who doesn't like Grover, he's the GOAT.
I’m surprised about things that were so obviously foreshadowed that I didn’t notice as a kid reading this story. There are also references to things that I understand a lot more now but didn’t when I was young. One of the strongest parts of the series, I think, is the way Greek mythology is so seamlessly integrated and modernized. I love every time we get some new info on what the gods are up to now or how their appearances have changed.
This series, The Inheritance Cycle, and The Ranger's Apprentice had me voraciously reading in middle school and beyond. Definitely sparked my love for reading.
Add Warriors and Louis L'Amour to that list and you have my childhood
Those 3 were so important to me going through middle and high school. Inheritance cycle still might be my top favorite series with percy following closely behind (the sequel series with the romans more than the original series).
The Inheritance cycle got me into epic fantasy
The Ranger's Apprentice is one of the best introduction to low fantasy you can get as a kid, for me it sparked a continuing and intense interest in everything historical.
omg yes. This is out of nowhere. I love this series and myhtology in general. The way Riordan modernised the mythos' and made them easier to digest is incredible. Read them first as they were coming out, Im 25 now and this is near the top of series' which i wish i could read again for the first time. Heroes of Olympus is a sequel series, also worth checking out. And Kane Chronicles is his Egyptian mythology series, also fantastic. (I'm aware that they targeted towards a younger audience, but so is harry potter so politely f off with that argument :+)
Magnus Chase too!
@@madao8542 is that the norse set series?
@@lukasmoser3469 yes, it is
@@madao8542 haven't read it, not a massive fan of norse mythos
@@lukasmoser3469 I have only recently started the first book (I red the last one first without knowing) I can say it's a good read so far.
My 6th grade teacher read us the 1st book. She stared me down as she read the description of Annabeth. Letting me know she saw that brave young girl in someones as timid as me. These books mean so much to me and I am glad you have found and enjoyed them.
That's such a good teacher
That's so cute. I wish my 6th grade ela teacher was that good. Spoiler she was shit but not getting into that.
Cannot recommend reading The Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo enough. HoO expands the world greatly and adds a lot of new characters with their own arcs that all work so well, even though the last book was a bit underwhelming. Trials of Apollo was an absolutely phenomenal experience. The story structure, character arcs, and villains are all great! Not to say the previous series didn’t have all those things, but by ToA Rick has refined his writing style and evolved his skill greatly. Existing characters get fulfilling pay offs to their arcs and new characters are incredibly well defined even more so than the previous series. They are some of the best sequels to anything I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
Also I feel the episodic nature of the plots was refined and much more natural in ToA.
Yes but we aren't forgiving Rick for what he did with our golden boy😭
AH MY CHILDHOOD! MERPHY IM SO HAPPY YOUVE FOUND THESE
These books helped my love for mythology explode and was a series I enjoyed more than HP or any other preteen/teen fantasy series. Gosh I need to finish the later installments but I will probably just end up rereading these books
Of all the movies that killed my love for the book series, this one did damage. But thankfully after GOT I am willing to jump back into these books ❤️
Didn't like reading as a child but this was one of the series I was able to read through and enjoy
So happy to see Merphy enjoy the series^^ PJ and Heroes of Olympus were my childhood lol
I've recently started my reread of this series and I can confidently say that this is the ONLY fantasy series imo where having just one perspective doesn't take away from the pace or intrigue. Percy's voice is genuinely one of the most fun voices follow. Ever.
I still love this series so much, Percy and his friends will always have a special place in my heart as my favorite heroes!
As one of the people who read this basically as soon as the first came out. Stumbled across it at our local library, the first book in the series is the first book I remember reading in a full day when growing up. I grew up with these characters and they are just so much of my childhood. Alot of people have HP as theirs but PJ is mine. I can gush forever about this world. Just wait till you get to the Magnus chase trilogy so so good!
I first read this series as an adult and I still revisit it frequently!
As a neurodivergent, myself, I really love the authentic representation of ADHD--struggling in mortal schools...super-powered amongst your own people.
Now, I teach a class on these books and, every cycle, at least one of the kids in my class tells me how much Percy means to them because they have ADHD and they see themselves in his character.
growing up I wasnt a HP fan, the idea of going to school as a setting didnt click with me. But PJ? Camp? Adventures? I was hooked, it has been my favorite series ever
When I was like 14 I got the new percy jackson book (whatever it was at the time) for christmas and i stayed up all night that night just to finish it. They are page turners every last one of them.
I read the series with my kids and was pretty happy with how adult the adults were. And Percy manipulating the gods into acting more like adults was a great bit, because if there is a persistent theme throughout that mythology it is how juvenile the gods behave.
I'm dyslexic. This was the book series that sparked my love of reading. It made me want to struggle through and push forward. I LOVE this series so much
I forgot how good the series is. Just started a full reread today 😁
That series is so goooooooood. Heroes of Olympus does not disappoint either.
The Last Olympian is still one of my favorite reads
This is a real blast to the past. Percy Jackson was my favorite series in 6th grade, I remember starting them in the start of 2009. I think I read one of those books in just one day. I really read a whole lot back then...super nostalgic.
I'm currently reading the series along the Percy Jackson Podcast "The Newest Olympian" and I really want to recommend the podcast to y'all!!
Is this discussion podcast or Audiobooks
@@michok009 It's a discussion podcasts of a man reading the Percy Jackson series for the first time as an adult with varying guests every week, they discuss one chapter at a time and it's just very fun and wholesome. He also has experts on greek mythology or ADHD or dyslexia, talks about disability representation etc. - very interesting!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the series the second time around! As someone who read Percy Jackson when I was 12 it shaped so much of who I am today and I have such a deep love for it.
I got into this series right around the time when the last book was being released so I managed to blast through the thing so fast. And after that I kept reading and rereading it every year when a new book came out so I was caught up so I've read the OG 5 books more than 10 times now and they've definitely made their mark on me. I've made my own image of how these characters and world looks like that it's honestly hard to appreciate stuff like fanart, cosplays and especially the old movies and recent series castings because my mental image and what's infront of me doesn't match at all. Hell I'm not even a fan of the "official" illustrations of the characters by viria even though it's close because there are some aspects where I'm like "that doesn't fit". When I tell you I fell into this world I'm serious about that. No other book series has captivated me so much(unless you include manga in which case one piece is definitely up there).
POV me trying way too hard to figure out what book 2 character you’re talking about after not reading the series for 10 years 😅😂
This series is hands down my favorite books series the heart and humor that Percy displays is what really endears the books to me. Also the Titan's Curse is so good and I can't wait for it to be adapted in the TV show.
To this day, I admittedly only have experience with the first book from back in like 6th grade. But it's the kind of story I eat up, especially as someone who had a bit of a keen interest in Greek mythology back then (and still a bit today, shoutouts to OverlySarcastic Productions). I remember you just thinking PJ was good but you might not get super into it a couple years ago right? Happy to see you enjoy it more
the percy jackson books are the reason why i started reading novels :)
I first picked up these books ~15 years ago, and still come back to it every once in a while. I remember when I first got the books, I was hooked so hard that for a few months, maybe a year, all I did was reread the books. Finish one, pick up another, for months on end. The partner (HoO and ToA) series are also very good, but have more problems with them than the first, but they still carry that same vibe of fun that you touched upon here and loved. Magnus Chase and the Kane Chronicles are also good trilogies if you still want Riordan content afterwards in the same ilk, but the original PJO is one of those things you wish you could forget just to reread them for the first time.
For me the series was an escape from my home life, seeing kids & teenagers have differing family issues & problems throughout the series while dealing with stuff on my own was incredibly helpful, the series also sold the value of having a good group of friends & it hurt all the more because of my struggle to make them when I was younger. This series was fundamental in my personal growth & honestly considering that it introduced me to reading & because reading was my primary escape all my life, I might owe it my life. I know you will never read this Riordan but thank you. Its very likely you saved my life.
when I tell people it's been my favorite fandom for like over thirteen years, this is exactly what I mean!
This series got me interested in learning more and more about mythology. I've had the full collection since middle school! So cool to see you cover it!
As I watched your video, I just felt so nostalgic and I remember loving the Percy Jackson (and the others) so much. This book series had also ignited my love of mythology, particularly Greek mythology, which led me to excessively research it outside of Rick Riordan's novels and I am really hoping they don't butcher this amazing series.
I would like to ask you a question (or questions, if you don't mind answering), if you were in the Percy Jackson universe, would you be a demi-god and if so, which god would you want to be parent and why?
I would definitely want to be a demi god!! Percy’s powers were always just the coolest to me so as completely unoriginal as it is.. I would want my god parent to be Poseidon. Hades is a close second though! What about you??
@@nattyic3 Aphrodite or Demeter or I would have my parents to be the children of these two just so I could have powers from each.
I just finished re reading this series while waiting for the show to come out. Perfect timing!
These books defined my childhood I am so happy that you read throughout the whole series and enjoyed them ! The characters are amazing, Percy is such a loveable and funny narrator, and it's amazing how you feel him grow and learn from his mistakes.Characters like Annabeth and Grover and even the villans have so many layers to them, and their personality makes the story so much more satisfying to read!
I love your videos and have been following your content for a couple of years now, so I am so happy that you did a full review on the series !
I actually just listened to the whole series on audiobook after not having read it since middle school and it holds up AMAZINGLY!
This is actually a series I fell in love with as an adult but oh boy did it blow my mind away and I am so happy you liked it. I love Percy as a character so much, he is one of my all-time favorites. I also really enjoyed Heroes of Olympus a ton and am still hoping we'll get another series starring Percy one day.
The characters are written so well because Rick was a middle school teacher, his class helped him name the first book, and that’s something I love
Honestly, the Percy Jackson series reeled me in harder than any Harry Potter or any other series I've read. It just clicked seeing a natural progression which seemed relatable enough. And damn the plot kept me coming back for more
I'm so happy you gave Percy Jackson another chance
I'm so glad you enjoyed the series! This may sound cheesy, but these books saved my life, and made who i am today. To see another reader having a great time with these books makes me happy.
I love this series. My mom bought me the books when I was younger and then we'd race read the books. It was really just a ploy to get me into reading but it so worked. This series and really all of them and Rick in general inspired me to pick up writing myself. Please continue ❤️
If you did not know, the series was started when Rick used to tell his son with Dislexia and Adhd bed time stories with greek heros and stuff.
The best part about the gods is Rick's additions to their characters and in later series he intensifies this it's actually amazing how Rick can make a character feel so real even tho the gods are supposed to feel otherworldly and beyond our understanding it really shows why Rick is one of the best YA authors of all time
One of my favorite series and authors. The Apollo ones he did were pretty great too. Lots of cool mythology and cute couples in the stories. Not sure how far you’ve gotten but there is a series Rick has made where seven demigods are flying somewhere (I don’t want to spoil too much) on a huge quest.
I'm on the last book of that series 🤣
"John Dies at the End" is a totally different kind of book from Percy Jackson, but has this cool thing with the narrative voice as well. I recommend!
This series means so, so, so much to me. I just have the happiest memories associated with it. When I was much younger, my sister read the book for school and put on the film adaptation on at home, which little me did not like (good call, little me, even if I probably didn’t have any tangible reasons why).
When I was 12, our teacher announced we would be doing a unit on Greek mythology and also the usual literary analysis stuff around Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I got to admit. I was determined to not like it. I didn’t even want to give it a chance based on the fuzzy memories of dislike in my brain from when I was younger. But as our teacher read on, as a kid with a lot of learning disabilities including ADHD, I saw a bit of myself in Percy, and I was loving the way it was written and the various monsters and gods. Before my teacher even finished reading TLT to us, I had bought the whole book series set and had read through it in it’s entirety. I got *super* into Greek mythology, which eventually expanded into a love of mythology in all cultures. I even named my pet rabbit Apollo. For Halloween, I was dressed as Percy and had a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.
To this day, Percy and Annabeth remain some of my characters ever. I just love them both so much.
PJO is such an open and warm world. It's dangerous, but everywhere you look, there's someone willing to help and accept you. It actively displays and accepts any disorders. There's no slander towards any groups, unlike a certain 7 book series. I really hope that when the show comes out, PJO becomes the next Harry Potter.
Really love the Percy Jackson series. It's a story I read when I was younger that I can go back to without thinking about a horrible author having written the story (talking about a different middle-grade series). I will say that some of my favorite characters have yet to be introduced, and you'll be seeing them when you read the 2nd series within that world. The one issue I had with Percy Jackson was that we didn't see much of the characters beyond Percy's little crew, and the 2nd series feels much fuller because it does delve into a larger cast. That benefit outweighs the unfortunate change of narration style for the second series, but the humor doesn't suffer from the change, I will say.
Edit: I'd also like to add that now that the main trio of the cast for Disney's adaptation have been announced, all I'm looking forward to now is seeing who they get to play Sally Jackson. Sally is the 4th most important character for me in this first series, and she needs to have the best casting possible.
Percy Jackson is Amazing. Hero of Olympus is the next series
I really loved this series and the other books & storylines just become better and better. I would love to see you continue reading series by Rick Riordan as well as you breaking down your favorite characters. Great addition to your channel!
writing this comment before i even started the video and i am SO excited to see you talk about my absolute favorite novel series!!!
I really want to see more videos of Merphy talking about PJ!
I love Percy especially his narrative voice
This is next on my TBR and I can’t wait!
I read this series as a teen and I loved it! Though I didn't have anyone to discuss this as a teen as the only ones who knew about Percy Jackson only watched the film so I couldn't talk to anyone about the book. Now I wanted to re-read the series because of the adaptation.
The Percy Jackson series is the type of book series where you pick up the first book and say "I'm going to read a few chapters" next thing you know you're on book three, it's 2:00am and you're not quite exactly sure what day it is. Needless to say, I love it, and its sequels and spinoffs.
I read the books as a result of watching the movie (crazy, I know; I’ve been told). I started enjoying them as I was crossing the border between middle school and high school. I was a pretty lonely nerd sometimes, as my friends were few and far between. Only some of them bonded with me over this series (and we still do), including my current girlfriend. At first, I came for the Greek mythology lore, but stayed because of the characters, the worldbuilding, and the story
Omg I've met someone like me! I absolutely loved the movie bc I loved mythology. I had it saved in my computer and rewatched it a lot lol. I didn't like reading that much, but making the step to read percy jackson changed that for me!
Awesome to see you giving this series some love. Percy Jackson, Alex Rider, and Harry Potter were my go to YA books as a kid.
I read this series to my children and recommended it to their psychologist. She now recommends it to other families. Everyone is grey - the "good" guys and the "bad" guys. All kinds of non- nuclear family set ups. The Present adults support the kids in what they need to do, but they also refuse to put adult issues onto the children. No matter how strong and powerful the demi God child is, adult issues are not their responsibility. There are consequences - even doing the wrong thing for a good reason is still the wrong thing and has consequences. I love that the ADHD and Dyslexia components weren't mentioned at the start of the books and forgotten - they are relevant and a part of the people, so a part of their journeys. They acknowledge that you can understand motivations for people's negative actions, without having to automatically forgive them or like them despite what has happened to you. Just so many very real situations, represented in this fantasy story, but the reader isn't babied. Rick respected how much children do understand and experience. And wrote a story acknowledging the complex situations kids get in growing up.
there are many things to love about percy jackson, but something i'll never stop being impressed by is (spoilers but i try to keep it vague)
how riordan subverts expectations on the chosen one trope. it's clever and emotionally resonant and feels earned after everything we learn about these characters. one of the most satisfying endings to a book series for me.
I love this video! hope you do the follow up series, Heroes of Olympus!
I cannot tell you how good the heroes of Olympus series is. It’s still aimed at young adults, but it does seem (to me at least) that these books cover slightly darker and more mature subject matter. Many of the same characters reappear, with a lot of now ones too.
One thing I’ve found is that Rick Riordan really knows how to end a book. The last few paragraphs of any given one of his books are by far my favorite lines in the entire book. He’s SO GOOD at that sentimental, feel-good ending, and almost every time I get that bittersweet *aww man the book is over :(* feeling
The chapter names are pure comedy gold tho
I am usually here for the One Piece chats. But after seeing your months schedule, and seeing Percy Jackson I became so excited! Just like the other comments mentioned, this is my Harry Potter. As a Dyslexic kid, the feeling of empowerment that this series gave me helped me cope with bullying and generally toxicity I experienced in my real life. It was also this series that made me fall in love with fiction! I have such fond memories of it! Until Percy, I hated reading, going to English classes and writing essay. It opened the door of a new world to me. Never read Harry Potter. Because I never felt the need to.
Trials of Apollo builds on the what we get from gods in PJO. It really explores what immortality does to gods (even to demigods that become gods). After reading that and coming back to the first series you have so much more insight on gods and it makes the books even more interesting and adds even more depth. I can't wait for you to explore more about this world.
Trials of Apollo are great! I wouldn’t read them until after Heroes of Olympus and probably Magnus Chase though!
@@Musicteachersheff Yeah either that or publishing order
Thank you for reading, finishing, and reviewing my fav series!
I absolutely adore this saga more than anything. I'm so glad you loved it this much♥♥
I was really into PJO and HoH in middle school and would talk about it with my friends (plus some teachers)! When the HoO series ended, I was in early high school and out of the target demographic. I didn't feel the need to expand further into the Riordanverse.
During this summer, in my early 20's, I put on an audio version of The Lightning Thief as background noise while organizing photos. And I totally fell head-over-heels in love with the series again.
What really stood out to me this time was the storytelling. I'm typically not a fan of action and monster-fighting and all that, so these stories really caught me based on the characters, how engaging they are, and how real they feel. Riordan absolutely nails the mentality of a 12-year old, and all the insecurities that come with it. (Props to him being a very-engaging middle-school teacher!)
Like you said, the adults in this book aren't throw-aways. They make mistakes. But they're also good. That's important.
Also, I loved the Percy and Annabeth development. A lot of the relationships in HoO feel rushed and too intense, but Percabeth took its time. You could see it developing (even when Percy couldn't). Riordan has mentioned Annabeth is inspired by his wife, and parts of Percy are based on him as well. I think that's where a lot of the authenticity comes from.
Overall, I think I'll revisit this series every 10 years -- just long enough so I forget the intricacies of the plot. I'll revisit part for nostalgia, and part because it's just that "dam" good.
Oh my god, I was literally re-reading this entire series when you posted this video lol. Your timing is great as always, Merph!
I grew up reading the series and it came at the perfect point where I was trying to find myself and discover where life would take me during my teenage years. Reminding me to never lose hope even in the darkest hours, to always lift people up around you and to never lose sight of the adventure life will take you on!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the series! There is so much to love in this series from both a literary standpoint and an entertainment standpoint, from adapting myths and epics to the mundane of adolescence. Rick Riordan has a brilliant way of treating his readers with respect within the books' more grounded and raw moments while also finding ways to find the natural humour of life and allowing everyone to just fly through the pages.
I'm so happy you enjoy it! I just love this series so much, it was my favorite thing growing up.
I've loved this series and all of the others set in this world for a long time, so seeing you have such a positive reaction to it makes me so happy.
Just finished reading the series for the 1st time! Totally agree that it was a lot of fun and enjoyable story but with some really good character dev and exploring topics in a relatable way for the audience. Can't wait for the videos you have planned on this!
OMG YES, this series is what got me into reading chapter books😭
Yesssss! I am so happy you loved it!
now why do i have tears in my eyes...
as someone who grew up loving this series because of how entertaining of a read it is, returning to camp as a young adult and finally being able to recognize the underlying complexities woven throughout the stories and characters is such an *experience*. it's like meeting an old friend again after many years and realizing you still have so much more of them to discover and love. all this is to say: thank you for this love letter to the percy jackson books. it is such a thoughtful review (more like tribute) that i was just smiling and nodding throughout the entire video! and this is late but welcome to camp! i hope you continue to enjoy your stay 💙
I'm so glad you liked the series! I remember watching your older batch reviews that had the first book in them and thought it was a shame the story didn't vibe with you but I could understand the place you were coming from. I'm super happy you got to book 3 and and 4 and witnessed what makes this story special. Book 3, 4 and 5 are my favorites from this series. I hope you get to read Heroes of Olympus/Kane Chronicles/Magnus Chase/Trials of Apollo as well, they're a good time. Each of the series does something different from the others, tho HoO is basically a direct sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This series and the others were such a huge part of my life as a teenager and I will always fondly remember them, I'm glad to see it's enjoyable for first time Adult readers too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Merphy!
oh my god :D I remember you reviewing the fourth book sometime around last year and i was waiting for the review of the series as a whole!
Heck yeah, it's finally here! 😍
HEROES OF OLYMPUS!!!
I waited so long to read Heroes of Olympus because I thought it wouldn't be as good. Percy and Annabeth and Nicole are still in it, but theres GREAT new characters and I LOVED it basically just as much. And I'm a diehard fan of the original Percy series.
After watching this, I will ABSOLUTELY be reading these books!! I had been considering it, but now I'm sure. Also this video was so well worded and exciting that it has given the motivation I need to do a big chunk of reading today! Which is something I've really struggled with the last few months. So yeah! Hopefully I can get through the series that I'm on right now very quickly now, and be reading Percy Jackson soon! :D
I have absolutely loved being able to hear you talk about my childhood favorite series (Percy Jackson) and my current favorite (one piece) I always resonate with your takes so much!