The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Page Count: 553
Rating: A
Keywords: Demigods, Greek, Roman, Mystery, Adventure, Amnesia, Love, Mythology
Genre: Middle Grade
Younger Readers: Since this is a middle grade novel there is nothing graphic or overly inappropriate in this book. Some of the humor might be lost on much younger children.

Synopsis 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 about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, 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, and some camper who;s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?


My Review:

Rick Riordan is quickly becoming one of my favorite author's of all time. I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series about a year ago and loved every single one. The Heroes of Olympus series is the continuation of this series. At first I was apprehensive. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover aren't the main characters? Grover and Percy aren't even in book one? When you're attached to characters it can be hard to move on in a series when they're not present. I really shouldn't have worried. The Lost Hero was fantastic! Well developed characters and an intriguing storyline carry this new installment.

Riordan's humor is present immediately and had me laughing the entire time. I try not to write on my non-school books, so my copy is COVERED in sticky notes marking all the funny, awesome, and adorable moments. Lines such as "goat fu" and "home dawgs" had me giggling (out loud) throughout the read. The adventure was fun and kept the book going at a nice pace. Plenty of conflict and intriguing new mythology to keep readers engaged. It flew by and certainly did not feel like a 553 pager.

If you're a hopeless romantic like me, Jason and Piper will make you smile. Despite amnesia and ridiculous antics they are so cute. As soon as Jason thought "Cute, smart, and violent. Jason wished he remembered having her as a girlfriend" I knew that I was going to love them together. Piper saves the day from time to time and is not a constant damsel in distress. She's spunky, strong, and complex. But she also has doubts and fears. She's not perfect. I love multidimensional female characters that actually represent the reality of being a girl, so much easier to connect with. Jason encounters plenty of girls but still only has eyes for Piper. Soooooo cute. They are supportive of one another.

Grover provided comic relief in the original series and Leo does not disappoint as the new source of comic relief. This son of Hephaestus is hilarious and easy to love. Silly mistakes, massive crushes and instalove on cold goddesses, and heroic antics make him loveable. He's multidimensional like Piper, with a complex history and doubts of his own. His relationship with the dragon Festus was so much fun and absolutely heartbreaking at times. I was crying like a baby at certain points.

Some of the humor might not be caught by REALLY young children but I would recommend this for all ages. You're an adult? Read it. You're a kid? Read it. Recommend for everyone. This would especially be a great idea if you're looking for a book to read with a child/tween. Just be ready to feel all the feels.