Parents' Guide to

The Son of Neptune: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 2

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Percy is back! And on a quest with Roman demigods.

Book Rick Riordan Fantasy 2011
The Son of Neptune: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 11+

Based on 9 parent reviews

swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 11-year-old
March 4, 2023
age 11+

Percy returns for incredible sequel; some violence, language

CSM GUIDE: Violence 3/5 Romance 2/5 DDS 1/5 Language 3/5. Language: Infrequent swearing includes "bastards," "hell," "goddamn," "a-hole," "son of a bitch," "jackasses," "dammit," "s--t," "crappy," "piss," and "bulls--t." "Gods!" used as an exclamation. Brief middle-finger gesture.
28jaydenw
28jaydenw Adult
November 8, 2021
age 11+

Greek Mythology

Imagine this, a book with the most interesting mythology ever, by the author that has 3 national awards! The book: Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune is worth your while reading, because the theme is very strong, but most importantly the character development is very complex. All the characters in the book have complexity that is different for each one of them which makes it way more dramatic. Something that was interesting was that every chapter they would switch the character perspectives. One significant theme is that trust is gained through time, this is shown at the beginning and the end. At first the three friends didn’t trust each other enough to share their deepest secrets, but in the end they trusted each other. Because all the characters in the book have complexity that is different for each one of them, it makes it way more dramatic. You should read the one and only book Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune for all the amazing things, for example character development, and the inspiring theme. So what are you waiting for!
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What's the Story?

Pursued by gorgons and with no memory of who he is or how he got to California -- or why, after killing the gorgons more than once, they won't just stay dead -- Percy finds his way to the entrance of a secret camp. Camp Jupiter is a special place for Roman demigods, organized neatly like an ancient Roman army. Percy arrives just in time for some serious warnings from the gods: Gaea the earth goddess is waking and has a force of monsters on the way to attack the camp in just four days. And even worse than that, Thanatos -- who usually guards the gates of death -- is chained in Alaska, where an ancient giant is also awakening. With no one to control death, no monsters will ever die. Can Percy and two new Roman friends, Hazel and Frank, make it to Alaska, free death, and get back in four days? Even for Percy, that's a tall order.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (48):

Readers meet two new heroes here, Hazel and Frank; they're not as lively and fun as Leo and Piper from the first book, but they're even bigger underdogs who really come into their own.

With the introduction of Jason in the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, fans of Camp Half-Blood got hints that somewhere, there was another special place for heroes. It's fun to see the differences between the Greek and Roman camps, their war games, and their ways of making predictions about the future (all those poor stuffed animals!). And Frank's big mystery gift is pretty cool.



There are some slow moments during the heroes' travels to Alaska and a few too many detailed flashbacks, but Riordan makes up for it in the final rush for Percy and friends to save the day.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the return of Percy. Is he the same, even with his memory gone? Did you miss him in The Lost Hero? How are Jason (from The Lost Hero) and Percy similar? Different?

  • Talk about what you learned about Greek vs. Roman gods. Were you surprised by all the differences? Were the details hard to follow? Did it make you want to learn more?

  • What makes a fantasy series stand out? Which are your favorites, and why?

Book Details

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