Teen Review: The Serpent's Shadow, by Rick Riordan

Teen reviewer Jillian Wolf, 15, read The Serpent's Shadow, the third book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles (for those not in the know, The Kane Chronicles are about Egyptian mythology). In this exciting conclusion, it is up to siblings Sadie and Carter to save their family and prevent the evil god Apophis from ending the world. Will they be able to achieve this nearly impossible feat without paying the ultimate price?

Although The Serpent's Shadow was entertaining and "a pretty good conclusion to The Kane Chronicles," there were things Jillian found lacking:

"Although The Serpent's Shadow is packed with action and has a fast-moving plot, I didn't get to enjoy seeing the characters grow as people or learn from their mistakes." --Jillian Wolf.

Jillian would recommend The Serpent's Shadow for all ages.

Percy Jackson Read Alike

The empty shelf is evidence: Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" books have been experiencing a renewal in popularity lately. This is thanks in part to the "Sea of Monsters" movie and the recent release of "The House of Hades," the newest addition to the "Heroes of Olympus" series. As librarians, we love when books are so heavily circulated (means we're doing something right) except for one thing: Sometimes, there aren't enough of a certain book to satisfy demand. Of course we can always place a hold on our copy the coveted book or procure a copy from another library... But what if the patron wants something "now"?

Bummer, right?

Not really. Fortunately, there's a pretty good solution to this dilemma: The Read-Alike. 

In this case, I'd like to recommend Michael Scott's "Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel" series (Yes, this is the same Nicolas Flamel mentioned in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). Beginning with "The Alchemyst," this exciting six-book series boasts just as much magic, mythology, and excitement as Percy Jackson. The series follow the adventures of mortal twins Sophie and Josh Newman as they travel through time and space, assisting Nicolas Flamel in trying to retrieve a magical book stolen by the diabolical Dr. John Dee. If they don't retrieve it in time, the world (and everything and everyone in it) will be destroyed. Once you start this series, you won't be able to put it down! --AJB

Like Percy Jackson? Try these!

You've read about Percy Jackson's adventures defeating the dreaded Titan Kronos (and maybe you've even seen the movie). You've devoured the first three books in the Heroes of Olympus series. Maybe you've even delved into The Kane Chronicles. And now you're anxiously awaiting Rick Riordan's upcoming book, due out in October. But considering it's only May, that's a long time to wait! And you definitely need something good to read between now and then. Fear not! We've got just what you're looking for. It may not be Percy, Annabelle, Grover, and everyone else at Camp Half-Blood, but hopefully it's close to being as good.

For the rest of this month, the Teen Department will be featuring a display of books you'll very probably enjoy if you liked the Percy Jackson series. This can be found along the top of the fiction shelf closest to the Teen Reference Desk.   And trust us...we did a lot of research to come up with this list of PJ read-alikes. There's even an "Ask the Oracle" game, where the answers to all those universal questions will be revealed to you. But be sure to concentrate on your inquiry. Otherwise, the Oracle might ask you to order her a pizza instead of answering your question (Hey, it's tough being cooped up all those years!). 

And, of course, the librarian on duty is always happy to help you if further reading is what you desire. --AJB