Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting misadventures at Percy's pet-sitting gig gone wild.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In WRATH OF THE TRIPLE GODDESS, Percy is muddling through his senior year of high school in New York City and still needs two more college recommendation letters before he graduates. Hecate, the triple goddess of magic, crossroads, and necromancy, offers to write one letter in exchange for a week of pet-sitting with his friends Annabeth and Grover. What could be easier? Except these pets are a giant hellhound, a flatulent polecat, and a tankful of massive slimy eels. Add to that, Hecate's mansion in Gramercy Park is full of hidden dangers—something Grover finds out quickly while Annabeth and Percy are at school. When Grover samples an irresistible ice-cream potion, he blows up half the house, and the hellhound and polecat escape into the wilds of New York out the mangled front door. Uh-oh.
Is It Any Good?
It's a Halloween adventure, Percy Jackson style, with a farting polecat, a hellhound that is also Queen of Troy, cranky ghosts, and of course, Percy's closest pals Annabeth and Grover. Any kid that's pet-sat for the neighbors will empathize with the trio's plight the second Hecate's mansion is destroyed and the animals are lost in New York City. How can it possibly get worse? They tackle one problem at a time, starting with the lost pets. Percy's solution for bringing the hellhound, aka Hecuba, home is the sweetest part of the book and reminds us of why he's such a beloved hero. Annabeth reminds him too, when she says that he's good at understanding others and making them feel seen.
It's hard for Gale the polecat's rescue to compete with Hecuba's, but that misadventure reminds readers of what else there is to love about the Percy books: outlandish scenarios that are both funny and exciting. Beware of nymphs peddling perfume and holding grudges. Faithful readers will recognize the nymphs as well as Hecate and Gale from other Percy books. They will also enjoy all the Camp Half-Blood buddy cameos for the climactic action—but not Nico or Hazel, who would have been most helpful. Spoiler alert: that's two college recommendation letters down by the end. What on earth or Olympus will Percy have to do for the last one? Readers will be clamoring to find out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Percy's integrity in Wrath of the Triple Goddess. Why did he feel like he needed to tell Hecate everything? What did he risk by doing so? What did he gain when he did?
What do we learn about Hecuba? How does Percy's empathy convince her to come home?
Do you find farting polecats and peeing-on-everything puppies really funny or not so much? What about Percy's sarcasm? What kinds of humor do you find in Percy Jackson books and what makes you laugh the hardest?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Animals , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : September 24, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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