Book Review: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour. 

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.*

"Hoodlums punch my face

I would smite them if I could

Mortality blows."

-The Hidden Oracle, pg 3

Uncle Rick . . . to use your immortal words, "Why?" (The Hidden Oracle, pg 28). I thank you, sincerely, for your books, but still, why?! I wholeheartedly believe that he enjoys torturing us. Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including one of my favorite series--Percy Jackson and The Olympians. You can check out my review on Rick and his wondrous books here and here, if you wish.

The Hidden Oracle is another one of Rick's genius blends of Greek mythology and thrilling fiction. Many of Rick's novels are written through the perspective of demigods, children of one mortal parent and one godly parent. One thing I really enjoy about The Hidden Oracle, is that it is written in the voice of one of the gods (or former gods, in this case, sorry Apollo), a completely different perspective from Rick's previous stories. Rick introduces us on page one to the striking, ever-famous Apollo. In Rick's standard fashion, the first paragraph will hook you into the story and you won't want to put it down, "My name is Apollo. I used to be a god. . . But in all my immortal life, I never before crash-landed in a Dumpster," (The Hidden Oracle, pg 3). Apollo is (was?) the Greek god of archery, poetry, prophecy, music, healing, the sun, and plague (and probably a few other things even he can't keep track of). Rick phenomenally captures Apollo's humorous, egotistical personality from start to finish in The Hidden Oracle.

Throughout The Hidden Oracle, Apollo attempts to adjust to a mortal life with the help of new friends, and old acquaintances. The novel is riddled with dangerous and amusing obstacles that Apollo must overcome in order to earn back the favor of his dad, Zeus, the king of the gods. Apollo's comically self-centered personality had me giggling out loud, from his slight obsession with bacon, to his self-motivational speeches, "You are gorgeous and people love you!" (The Hidden Oracle, pg 33). While Apollo's pomposity is entertaining, we also witness a growth and change in his character as he is rocked by betrayal and chooses to battle evil side by side with other demigods (though Apollo may adamantly deny these, dare I say, humbling changes). "Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be," (The Hidden Oracle, pg 348).

The Hidden Oracle is hilarious, daring, and irresistible. "I've found that thinking often interferes with doing," (The Hidden Oracle, pg 333). Don't think about reading this book, just do it.

Enjoy,

JR

*Synopsis provided by Goodreads.com

Book Review: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Neverland is home to Peter Pan, a young boy who has never grown up. On one of his visits to London, Peter makes the acquaintance of young Wendy Darling, whom he invites to travel with him to Neverland and become the mother of his gang of Lost Boys. Flying through the night sky to Neverland, Wendy and her brothers John and Michael soon become caught up in marvelous adventures with the Indian Princess Tiger Lily, the loyal fairy Tinker Bell, and Peter's nemesis, the sinister hook-handed pirate known as Captain Hook. 

Yes, Peter Pan, is a novel. Many people are shocked to find the musical cartoon Peter Pan that Disney produced is based on a novel (though it was actually, originally, a play). Let me start my review by stating the following: if I had to go to a deserted island, with only one book to read and reread for the rest of time, it would be Peter Pan. No hesitations whatsoever. My heart is shadowed with sorrow for those who have not had the chance to revel in it's enchanting story. J.M. Barrie's writing is poetic, thrilling, and intensely captivating. He has woven a delicious tale for any age to delve into, overflowing with palpable magic, speckled with wisdom, and peppered with playful dialog. While it is a fairly short novel, J.M. Barrie brilliantly created multidimensional, charismatic, and fearsome characters. The ever charming, clever, and adventurous Peter Pan will mesmerize you from his amusing introduction to his slightly heartbreaking ending plea for us to never grow up. Revolving around Peter Pan, are Wendy, John, and Michael, the children who left their comfortable home in London to join Peter Pan on a thrilling adventure in Neverland. They inspire belief in magic and hope in possibilities. I also have a special place in my heart for Peter Pan's brave, enthusiastic, and humorous gang of Lost Boys, and for Tinker Bell, the loyal, emotional, and whimsical fairy. Let us not forget Pan's hook-handed nemesis: Captain Jas. Hook, the most daunting, youth-hating, and loathsome pirate in all the seas. This tale will leave you feeling homesick for the rapturous adventures in Neverland you may have once believed in.  

As previously mentioned, Peter Pan is a play-turned-novel-turned-movie. There have been multiple film versions of the tale of Peter Pan, and in case you were wondering, the book is better than all of them. First, there was the aforementioned musical cartoon version Disney released back in 1953. Disney did a fairly decent job at following the original story, and was able to capture the magical nature of the tale. Peter Pan, the live action version released in 2003, did an acceptable job following the story line, and I really enjoyed that P.J. Hogan (the director) was daring enough to include the darker aspects of the story, in addition to the innocent and joyful parts. Finding Neverland, released in 2004 starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, was absolutely incredible. That movie had me in giggle fits, crying like a baby, and aching to share the love and magic of the story. Neverland, the mini-series released in 2011, did a phenomenal job with Peter Pan's pre-Neverland life, I would definitely recommend watching it if you enjoyed reading the Peter and the Starcatcher's books (review on that book to come shortly). Unfortunately, I entirely despised the 2015 movie, Pan, and would advise everyone not to ever watch it. Ever. As I don't want to get worked up, that is all I'll say about that particular disappointment. Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts

Speaking of Peter Pan, I (obviously) have to put a plug in for the show Once Upon a Time. Not that I need to state the obvious, but Hook is literally the best character on that show. Peter Pan unfortunately doesn't get too much screen time, but we love every second of what we get. While I thoroughly enjoy these OUAT characters, they do not actually follow the tale of the original characters. Though, admittedly, I prefer the looks of the smoldering OUAT Hook over the long, ringlet-haired original Hook. The redeeming factors with these OUAT versions, (other than their aesthetic appeal), is that OUAT does not ever try to keep the characters true to the originals, so it is not an unexpected disappointment.

The piece de resistance regarding Peter Pan film productions, though, is my favorite movie of all time: Hook, the 1991 film starring Dustin Hoffman (Captain Jas. Hook) and the late, most sincerely loved, Robin Williams (Peter Pan/Peter Banning). Words cannot express how much I love this movie. Hook follows the story of Peter Pan (now Peter Banning), who eventually chose to leave Neverland and grow up (yuck!). The infamous Captain Jas. Hook kidnaps Pan's/Banning's children, and Pan/Banning must return to Neverland, remember the spirit of Pan, and finish Captain Hook once and for all. Steven Spielberg did an unparalleled job in capturing the true spirit of Peter Pan and Neverland. I could honestly go on about this movie for hours, but I will, instead, just urge you to go watch and see for yourself. You will want to believe again.

Moral of the review: Peter Pan is one of the most magical tales ever told. Do not miss out on reading the book simply because you think you are "too old" or "don't believe" any more. It will awaken the child in you. "You know that place between sleep and awake, that place where you still remember dreaming? . . . That's where I'll be waiting" It's waiting for you, you just have to choose to believe.

JR

*Synopsis provided by Goodreads.com

Book Review: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. 

"The Land of Stories" tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. 

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.*

The Wishing Spell is a fantastic adventure, woven with the magical characters we've all heard about (Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, etc.). I recommend this book for children in the 4th-6th grade level (give or take a bit), or for a read-a-loud before bed for your kids. The idea was interesting enough, but the writing was a bit simplistic. I did enjoyed Connor's dry sense of humor, it kept his character a little more realistic. Alex had an enthusiastic imagination and a unlimited supply of hope, which kept the book light and enchanting. My biggest complaint about The Wishing Spell, was that, while "the twins" had to face various beasts and trials along their journey, the solutions seemed extremely easy and were completed without any real consequences. But, again, I think this book would be a great read for a younger audience, who don't necessarily need or understand extreme depth with regards to trials and consequences. 

The Wishing Spell had a few great messages that I'd like to relay though. One in particular stood out to me, as it applied to my personal studies and struggles with ADD and dyslexia. The message reads, "sometimes we forget about our own advantages because we focus on what we don't have. Just because you have to work a little harder at something that seems easier to others doesn't mean you're without your own talents," (page 50). With so much focus on social media and what other people are doing and achieving, there is an insane (yes, I really think insane is an appropriate word here) amount of comparison going on between ourselves and others. I am guilty too. It was a great reminder that, while you may have our own issues, you should not compare yourself to others--they have issues too, whether you see them or not. No one is perfect, and no one should expect to be. I might have to take extra time to read a scientific article in order to comprehend it, but that does not mean I am any less intelligent than the speed-reader. Some people are witty, some are not; some are athletically blessed, some are artistically blessed. Some are beautiful on the inside, beautiful on the outside, social, anti-social, democratic, republican, straight, gay, poor, rich, religious, atheist, married, divorced, happy, depressed, to-may-to, to-mah-to, and everything far and between. But everyone, everyone, has something to offer. "I've never met a person I didn't learn something from! Even the most monotonous people will surprise you," (page 56). Everyone has something to offer. How boring would it be if we were all the same? 

Enjoy 

JR

*Synopsis provided by Goodreads.com

Book Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. 

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.

Mothers can disappear.

Visions can mislead.

Certainties can unravel.*

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. Thank you, sincerely, for that marvelously awful cliffhanger at the end. We know you did it because you love us. Blue Lily, Lily Blue is a dizzying tale, spectacularly woven with supernatural mystery, raw adventure, and splashes of romance. This series grows more gripping and horrifyingly beautiful with every book. I hadn't thought of this until I started reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue, but I think the reason I love this series so much is that it reminds me of my childhood. My sisters and I had immeasurable imaginations, we were always seeking new adventures. We built a helicopter so we could fly and feel the wind whipping our faces (i.e. a wooden crate with wheels we would push each other down the driveway on); we dug caves for our treasure chests (i.e. we sat in the muddy creek by our house and hid cool rocks); we were imprisoned royalty trying to escape and take back the rightful seat of the throne (i.e. put on worn and torn dresses and trampled around the yard, chasing our dog 'the rogue king'), etc. We wanted to be the next Goonies, and this is exactly what reading The Raven Cycle feels like. My point is, this book is stunning. 

See my review on  The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) here, and The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) here. Now just cross your fingers that I can last until March, when The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) comes out!

Sweet adventures to you,

JR

*Synopsis provided by Goodreads.com