Quicksilver (by Stephanie Spinner)
common sense media says
Clever novelization of the various Hermes myths.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is based on Greek myths, which were violent and sometimes sexual. Though the author doesn't shy away from these aspects, she doesn't wallow in them either -- she mentions them and moves on.
Violence:
Perseus cutting off Medusa's head is a bit gruesome, then he uses it to kill enemies. Trojan war fighting, Tantalus kills and cooks his son, Prometheus has his liver pecked out. None of this is described.
Sex:
Gods seduce mortals, goddesses take off their clothes for the judgment of Paris, Andromeda is chained naked to a cliff.
Language:
Hell is used appropriately.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Drunken parties among gods and mortals.
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Most useful reviews by all members
peony
parent of 10 and 12 year old
parent of 10 and 12 year old
Snappy re-telling of Hermes myths, really enjoyable for Greek myth fans
Some violence and gruesome bits are pretty much unavoidable with the Greek myths -- but they're not wallowed in or dwelt on in this version. Indeed, Hermes vows never to kill again, and there's an overall anti-war message. Similarly, the scene with goddesses undressing for Paris to judge their beauty was handled with some restraint. I felt that Hermes keeping secret from Calypso that he had erased her memory of Oddyseus was questionable and needed discussion with a kid. It's quite funny. Charming -- a treat for those with an interest in Greek myths. Recommended for 8+ (or a little older for those without prior exposure to the Greek myths).
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Voracious Reader
teen, 18 years old
teen, 18 years old
Hermes Rocks!
This book was wonderful! But you kinda have to know something about Greek mythos beforehand.
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dragonsreallyrule
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Good funny retellings of the Greek Myths from Hermes point of view.
A great book with some more popular Greek Myths retold. Stephanie Spinners retellings made me never want it to end. It has the usual violence of Greek Myths; the retellings can get gruesome otherwise it was really good with having no violence. It was really funny with Hermes humor added.
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awesome critic
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
Is this book worth it?
This book is very quick, and seems to be just like a text book, except it doesn't explain things good at all. The characters come and go without much description, making you forget about some of them, and have to go back to read the beginning part all over again, which is quite annoying. Also, it does teach about Greek mythology, but it feels as if it were forced, like all of a sudden Hermes gets a mission from Zeus, and he just goes and says hi to about everyone in Greek mythology, and comes back with a weird and stupid ending. I wish I hadn't read this book at all, because it totally ruined the Greek book stuff for me. I think you should just stick to The Percy Jackson series, and DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Use a textbook instead. It's the basically same thing. So no, the book is totally lame and NOT worth it at all.
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