Leo Valdez - What A Nerd Girl Says

I was so excited to read this book, viagra sale and have been waiting so long for it to come out that I decided, what a wonderful idea to start reading it as soon as it downloaded to my Kindle and stay up ALL night reading it. At 3 am, I finally finished reading it, my eyes were bloodshot, and I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

But I will tell you this: it was definitely worth, it.

But don’t worry, I realize that its very very early in the release of this book to be posting this review, so its COMPLETELY spoiler free. I mean, this took me a painstakingly long time in order to make sure that I didn’t reveal anything to anyone.

If you DO want to talk about the book, send me a message, post on the forum, or hit me up on Facebook.

For now, enjoy this review!

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Good Reads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository

If you’re feeling crazy, you can head to Book Depository to buy a limited edition, signed and numbered copy for 85 dollars!

Genre:

Young adult, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Greek Mythology

Part of a Series?

Yes, the fourth novel in The Heroes of Olympus series

Please keep in mind that while there will NOT be spoilers for HoH, there will be spoilers for any previous novel, including those of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

You May Like if You Liked:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, The Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce

Age Recommendation:

12+; I know that a lot of kids will read this book, but I will warn you, this book is a LOT darker than any of the previous books. Be aware of this with your children.

Plot Summary:

From GoodReads:

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

The Bad:

I wish I could have gotten a little more of Piper. Piper is one of my favorite characters, as you may have seen in my most recent Tuesday Top Ten. I think that she has way more to her than she thinks she does. She does have a moment where she really proves herself, and its seriously awesome. I just wish I could have gotten more of her.

The Good:

The hardest part about doing this particular review is that I have to be spoiler free, since I have finished it before most other people. I started reading at at 10 pm, which was midnight EST, when it released. I finished it at 3 am. Most people couldn’t even go to a store and buy a book to even begin reading it.

So I need to be careful. Its only been out for two days and so I just want to make sure I tell you how much I loved it without spoiling it for anyone.

Bottom line: I LOVED this book, and it was way worth the year that it took to get here. The Mark of Athena leaves off on the most ridiculous cliffhanger EVER, which left me staring at the last page, thinking, “No. No way. There’s NO way he just did that!” Yeah, yeah, he did. And he enjoyed it too. Check out the dedication page of The House of Hades

That made me laugh. I knew I was in for a good ride once I saw that, and you all will be too.

This book is considerably darker than the books that we’ve seen before. We are left with this ridiculous seemingly impossible task: Leo, Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason and Nico are racing to The House of Hades to get to the door, while Percy and Annabeth fall into Tartarus, with the plan to meet them at the Doors of Death. Both are crazy, dangerous, impossible tasks. Even though our heroes are demigods and they wield powers and weapons that are beyond this world, they are also just kids, and they make mistakes and their world gets hard and complicated. Demigods don’t usually get to live very long.

The journeys that each group takes are both incredible. The twists and turns, the warnings. The help they get along the way, the help that they may or may not be able to trust. The weapons that are used, and the obstacles they must all face. Its incredibly. Every time you think it can’t get any worse, or any better, or any more nerve wracking or entertaining, it does.

And all the characters grow so much in this novel. They are older teens, at the verge of adulthood, and in this book, you see them all grow up a lot. Everyone is faced with so much in this novel, and in different ways. Each character is tested, and the way they handle it is amazing, and you’re literally watching them grow up before your eyes. This is especially notable with Annabeth and Percy, the characters that we’ve known since they were children. I also think the growing up that Leo does in this novel is also HUGE.

I’m starting a thread on my forums, that you can access here, for those you want to discuss the books with spoilers and all that fun stuff. I hope to see you there, because I love this book, and its so hard to write this without wanting to burst out all the spoilers!

Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars. Duh!

Recommended or Not?

Yes. I mean, if you’ve already read the first three in the series, I’m sure you’re dying to read this one. So go out, buy a copy and dive in. It was definitely worth the wait. Now I just need to sit back and wait for the fifth book, The Blood of Olympus, which is set to release sometime in 2014.

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of the Book of the Week, and that you loved The House of Hades just as much as me.

Happy Reading!

Happy The House of Hades Release Day! I am so happy! I can’t wait to go diving into this novel! I’ve been waiting SO anxiously for this book to release ever since I finished The Mark of Athena last year. Such a cliffhanger.

Now, dosage to celebrate the awesome release of this book, information pills I have decided to have a Percy Jackson themed Tuesday Top Ten today.

I honestly thought this was going to be an easy Top Ten and I was soon proven to be completely wrong. But all ten are awesome, stuff and all the characters not on the list are STILL awesome.

10. Sally Jackson

Sally Jackson is a seriously awesome character in the novel. I think most middle grade/young adult heroes or heroines tend NOT to have parents. Its that orphan status that gives them the innocence and the drive to do the things they need to do. It also gives them the ability to do all these crazy things. There’s no authority there to watch them, really. But Percy is different: he has a mother, and a super loving and caring and sacrificing mother, and I think its awesome. Sally LOVES Percy, and does everything she can to make sure Percy is happy and safe. She marries gross and cruel Gabe in order to keep Percy safe for so many years. That right there is intense dedication. I also think its cool how, even though she loves and cares for him so much, she realizes who he is and what he needs to do, and knows that he can take care of himself. Plus there’s all the blue food. Any mom who goes out of her way to make all this food blue, because a jerk said something mean, is awesome!

9. Apollo

Okay, so this isn’t at all what I picture Apollo to look like BUT I couldn’t find good fanart of him, so this is what we’re stuck with. I freakin LOVE Apollo. I love when he shows up with his convertible, bringing the sun with him every day. I think he’s like a ridiculous frat boy, or that boy in school that drives you crazy because he’s clowning around all the time. Or he even reminds me of my brothers, when they’re driving me insane. I like that he is joking around a lot. His ridiculous poetry, and his bursting into songs randomly. Please tell me that this made other people crack up too? Its like, this guy is a GOD. The SUN god. He brings the SUN everyday. Plus he annoys the heck out of Artemis and is always making moves on her Huntresses and its just all fun. I love that Rick will yank you from heartbreak to humor, and I love the humorous moments with Apollo. They never fail to make me smile.

8. Rachel Elizabeth Dare

You know why I like Rachel Elizabeth Dare? Okay, one is that her middle name is Elizabeth and that’s my middle name, which automatically equals cool factor. But I think I really like her because she’s so brave, and she’s so strong and she’s just a regular human (at first). You know, most people would meet Percy Jackson, and the situations he’s in, and FREAK out but she takes it in stride, helps him out, and then just continues to be there. I admit, I was a little frustrated when she was hitting on Percy, because I’ve been a Percabeth shipper from the beginning, but I love her as a character, and as a best friend for Percy Jackson. When she steps up to be the Oracle, and she continues to be a part of the world, I’m super stoked. I think she’s one of the best and strongest characters, because she’s a human. Its been confirmed that she’ll make an appearance in The House of Hades, which I am SO excited for!

7. Grover Underwood

Aw, who doesn’t love good ‘ol Grover. I like Grover because he isn’t the obvious hero. He’s bumbling, and he’s klutzy and he gets nervous and starts chewing on soda cans and paper, and he doesn’t always believe that he can do it. He is determined to find Pan, and to follow Pan’s mandate, and there are times when he can’t believe it, and its hard for him, but no matter what happens, he pushes on. He’s a great friend to Percy and Annabeth too. Both Percy and Annabeth are super brave and kind of crazy and reckless and Grover just kind of sucks it up and follows them. But on their journeys, he always has importance and he always kind of surprises everyone and prevails. He’s a strong character, and he’s intelligent and he’s Percy’s protector and he’s determined to do that. And he’s just so adorable too. Apparently he’ll have a slight appearance in HoH too, so yay!

6. Leo Valdez

Leo! You know why I love Leo. Okay, well there is a lot of reasons why I like Leo. One, I like that he’s kind of the loner in this group of couples, and I swear, I don’t mean that in a mean way. I know its hard for him, and that’s why I like him. I can understand that. I can understand being lonely and being the third wheel again and again and again, and not feeling like he’s important enough. But I think there’s a lot to Leo and I hope he can find someone. I think he’s extremely intelligent and the abilities he has with his hands, to build things, and to fix things is awesome. Its not as obvious as Percy controlling water, or Jason being able to fly. Its like a talent that is just reinforced by his parentage, from his dad, Hephaestus. I think its one of the best talents amongst the demigods that we get to know, because its not like he magically fixes things. He still has to tinker and figure it out, and he’s good at it. I also think he has a great heart, and its going to be great to see what happens next for Leo, and to see how his story evolves. And come on, Rick, let’s give him a girlfriend, okay? Haha.

5. Piper Mclean

Piper! Yes, I do like Piper, and I like her more than Hazel, which you will notice because Hazel isn’t on the list. (Though I do love Hazel, don’t get me wrong). I like Piper because her god parentage, and her powers, are so opposite of what she would want. She is the daughter of Aphrodite and can transform herself into perfection, and can charm speak anyone. And all of this is VERY begrudging to her at first. She does NOT like this at all. And I think that’s what endears me to her. I think if I found out that Aphrodite was my mother, and my power was beauty and persuasion, I’d be like, “how did I end up with the short end of the stick?” It just doesn’t seem like a great power, and because she hasn’t ever really displayed an obsession with her appearance before, she is just less than thrilled. I do love that she uses her persuasion to just get things like cars and such. That cracks me up. But I love that she learns to use this to her advantage. She doesn’t take advantage of people, but she uses it to gain the upper hand, to control situations and she’s good at it. So I love Piper. I love Piper because she has to build her confidence, unlike most of her siblings who just seem born with that confidence.

4. Tyson

I LOVE Tyson, and honestly that’s helped along that Douglas Smith, who portrays him in Sea of Monsters, is just plain adorable. But I really do like Tyson, and I think that comes from what he teaches everyone and thats the idea of acceptance, tolerance and even friendship. Percy is totally fine with Tyson for a long time, until Poseidon claims him as a son, and its very annoying and frustrating to Percy. Then you have Annabeth and her fear and hatred of Tyson, and all Cyclops. Eventually his personality and loyalty and dedication wins everyone over, and its a learning experience for both Percy and Annabeth. Plus I think you’re apt to think Tyson is useless because he’s a Cyclops and he doesn’t talk very well, but he proves again and again how worthy he is to be claimed as a son of Poseidon.

3. Zoe Nightshade

Zoe! I miss Zoe. Zoe was one of my favorite characters probably because I tell myself all the time that I would not be a demigod, but instead I’d like to be a Huntress of Artemis’s and I would love to be the leader. I think Zoe is amazing, strong, brave, but still learning after all this time. Plus her grudging hatred of men, and her slow build in trust of Percy is just fun to watch. It goes back to that idea that people can change, and they can learn new things from each other. But more than that, she’s brave and so loyal to Artemis and she fights hard, so hard to get her back, and will do anything to get back. I like that she’s stubborn too, and that she is stuck in her old fashioned ways and says things like “thou” and “thee”. One of my favorite parts in all of the books is when they’re at the Hoover Dam, and keep saying things like “dam water fountain” and “dam tshirt” and Grover, Thalia and Percy are cracking up, and Zoe is so confused. I love that they mention it again in The Mark of Athena.

2. Percy Jackson

PERCY! I adore Percy, and yes, that is in part because Logan Lerman plays him, and he’s adorable and he was SO super sweet when I met him a few months ago. But Percy is the hero of the whole series, and one of the heroes in Heroes of Olympus series, and he’s a great character. Its his humor from page one of The Lightning Thief that really captures you into the entire series. No matter what is going on, he’s making you laugh. His sarcasm and humor keeps me addicted from page one to the very last page. And sure, his fatal flaw is his loyalty to his friends, but I love it. I love how loyal he is. He risks everything all the time for his friends and for his family, and even for people he barely likes such as Clarisse. I like that he fights so hard, and risks so much, and he does it all with such sarcasm and humor, and that he’s willing to push buttons. And I love his dedication to Grover and Annabeth, especially Annabeth. He really believes in her, and trusts her, and she’s the only person who scares him, which is how it should be ;)

1. Annabeth Chase

Annabeth is the best character in the entire novel because she’s so STRONG and FUNNY and WITTY and just plain awesome. I love that her strength is her cleverness and her ability to strategize. I love that she keeps up with the boys all the time, and its not like she’s a girl, she’s an equal with everyone else. She’s stubborn and hopeful and she is so determined. I always thought it was kind of funny that Annabeth is blonde, and that sort of “dumb blonde” connotation but she’s incredibly smart. I also like her hat, even though its a Yankees hat, and just…no haha. But she’s prideful and stubborn and can be judgmental but she always eventually realizes her judgements and her pride, and she does the right thing. Plus, she’s really nerdy with her obsession with architecture. And her relationship with Percy, the way she’s so in love with him, but she doesn’t let it control her, and she’s totally in control, and Percy can be SUPER scared of her, is just great. Percabeth for life.

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Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Top Ten! I hope all of you have your copies of The House of Hades. I have to go enjoy mine now!