Review for The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1)

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1)

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Pages: 551

Source: Library Book Sale Buy

Summery From Goodreads…

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

The Good

Oh, a return to Camp-Half Blood!!! I love Rick Riordan’s writing style and I completely LOVE the world he creates with the gods and demigod, monsters and dragons, and evil espresso drinks—What? Venti’s are actually Storm Spirits? Oh, okay… moving on. If you’ve read the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series then you’ll run into some old friends here but the main characters are all new so you don’t have to read the PJ&O series first but you get more of the references if you do.

Okay so I have a confession. When this book first came out I read the first couple pages at the bookstore and really wasn’t sure how I felt about the main character suddenly waking up on a bus with no idea who he was or what was going on yet sitting next to people who are obviously his best friends. I put down the book and didn’t pick it up again until a few weeks ago. Now I’m asking myself “WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG???”

There are three main characters (Jason, Piper, and Leo) and they just discovered that they are demigods. Well, Piper and Leo do, Jason apparently has had some training before… he just can’t remember. Each character gets their own chance to be the center of the story (3^rd person style) and while Jason might be seen as the lead, for me Leo stole the show. I just LOVE Leo! For me he encompasses the humor of the old books and he’s got some of the best lines:

“It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."
"Oh." Suddenly Leo didn't look so excited. Then he remembered everyone was watching. "I mean... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this.”

 All in all these are some great characters and I can’t wait to continue their adventure in Mark of Athena. (Oh, and for those of you who like romance there is a bit of romantic drama with Jason and Piper in this book but it feels natural and is not over powering which I can totally appreciate.) 

We are also introduced to some more gods and some kreepy villains. Really if I lived in this world I would be hiding under my bed; watch the sky, watch where you walk, don’t enter abandoned buildings that may contain human eating Cyclops. It’s a dangerous world stepping out your door—wait, wrong book, that’s Lord of the Rings. Anyway, these kids handle the dangers very well for being thrust into this world of peril, and as a reader we love to imagine being as tough and badass as they are.

The Bad (aka Just the Little Things)

I do like Jason but sometimes I felt his character was just a little flat compared to the others. Maybe it was because he was more focused and apparently battle ready but those are my thoughts.

While I liked hearing from all the characters it starts getting crowded when you have three different narrators. It works but sometimes you fall into the problem of one or two outshining the other. I think Riordan pulled it off fine in this book (especially since he used 3^rd person) cause we get to meet all the characters and they all rock (I’m rambling I know) but I wonder what he’ll do in Mark of Athena when “Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.” (Yes, I know I’m getting ahead of myself… can’t help it.) I wonder if we'll be following seven different storyline's or if Riordan will focus on the main three.   

The Krazyness

            This book is just so freakin’ quotable I had to limit myself to only a few.

“Can we just call them storm spirits?” Leo asked. “Venti makes them sound like evil espresso drinks.”

“Cabin Fifteen does that to everyone," Annabeth warned. "If you ask me, this place is even more dangerous than the Ares cabin. At least with Ares, you can learn where the land mines are."
"Land mines?”

“Piper gripped his hand and followed him, “If I fall, you’re catching me.” “Uh, sure.” Jason hoped he wasn’t blushing.
Leo stepped out next. “You’re catching me, too, Superman. But I ain’t holding your hand.”

 5 Elf Cookies