Son of Neptune reaction post

[greenconverses]

I'm finished. It's now time for free-for-all discussion, gif spamming and capslock.



Ahem. Now that my feelings about the ending and our troll of an author are off my chest...

I have so many feelings about this book and they're all pretty much feelings of the good variety. I liked this one much more than The Lost Hero. That's not to say I don't like Jason, Piper and Leo or the general plot of TLH, but I dislike the way that book was set up. Sorry RSquared, but I still maintain that making your beloved title character go missing and not having the book be about searching for him was a huuuuuuuge mistake. Fans of the first series are way more attached to Percy and the old crew than they are the newbies, and the frustration with Jason, Piper and Leo not caring about Percy outweighed a lot of the joy I would've gotten out of reading the book originally.

But anyway, enough with my whining about the last book. We're here to talk about The Son of Neptune which did not have the same problem because PERCY JACKSON WAS BACK, BITCHES.







I basically felt like SoN was a lesson in, "HOW TO BE A GQMF 101" because damn, son of Poseidon is the most badass demigod who ever badass'd. Like every chapter was, "Oh, you Romans think you're tough shit, huh? Let me just pull out my BAMF CARD and slap you with it a few times." I was talking to a couple of people while I was reading the EPIC SHOWDOWN chapters and my reaction basically like, "Oh ho hum, Frank turned into a fucking bear or eagle or whatever, finally... wait. Did... what. PERCY JACKSON JUST FELL OFF A GLACIER. ON PURPOSE. WHAT NOW, GAIA. WHAT NOW."

Whenever it was Percy's time to narrate, I giggled with glee. Even when he wasn't narrating and something big happened, like the showdown with Mars (SO MANY LULZ WERE HAD), I couldn't stop grinning. Percy Jackson is one of my favorite literary heroes of all time - probably one of my favorite characters ever - and I was so so glad to have him back in this book. He was what was missing (literally) from the first book, and he's one of the linchpins to Son of Neptune's success.

But the other characters were great too! Even though I got a little tired of Frank and Hazel near the end, I really enjoyed them in the beginning. I want more Reyna, less Frank in the future though. I thought Hazel's curse was clever and kind of cute and omfg, I literally squealed out loud when Nico was revealed to be her brother. EVEN THOUGH I was spoiled for this beforehand, RR just has this way of writing a reveal that makes me want to pee my pants out of excitement. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS REGARDING HIM AND WE MUST DISCUSS ALL THE THINGS NICO RELATED.

Camp Jupiter was so much more than I had imagined. I really like that RSquared made a legit differences between the two camps and the two types of demigods, not just made them carbon copies of one another. Camp Jupiter was really cool, and there are so many things to play around with in there. And it also goes against the Word of God that says demigods usually don't live long enough to have kids or get married (unless he was just referring to Greek gods), which makes all kinds of possibilities.

Other thoughts I had?

- I giggled so much with the Amazon, Skype and iPad references. Also anything with Percy and Arion made me collapse into giggles. I noticed that RR relied less on butt and fart jokes in this book, so maybe he's almost over that? It can only happen too soon.

- PERCY'S CALL TO SALLY.



Just... have all my creys, Rick. Take them.

What's actually kind of scary is that I had a scene almost exactly like this in a fic I abandoned. R U READING MY GOOGLE DOCS, RICK.

- Speaking of Sally, Percy you gonna be in trouble when you come home with a tattoo.

- I really don't like the way that RR keeps foreshadowing that Percy's going to have to make a horrible choice that he'll fail at? It makes me nervous because "horrible choice" automatically equals Annabeth in my mind and any time Annabeth is threatened, I GET EXTREMELY NERVOUS. All that bullshit at the end about Annabeth being a problem for the next quest (although I don't think that's all that negative? Annabeth's stubborn if things don't go how she expects yo. Exhibit A: The Sphinx) and stuff just makes my nerves extremely jittery.

- Can I just... copy and paste all of the Percy/Annabeth references in this post? I think I broke my highlight key on my Nook. HERE ARE MY FAVS.

1. Also, he was reluctant to share his one clear memory: Annabeth's face, her blonde hair and gray eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss whenever he did something stupid.

She must have kissed me a lot, Percy thought.

He feared that if he spoke abut that memory to anyone, it would evaporate like a dream. He couldn't risk that.


2. He imagined holding hands with Annabeth at a cafe. Maybe when they were older, watching their own kid chase seagulls across the forum...

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ forever

Annnnd, just to round this entire post off:

"I'm gonna be Percy Jackson when I grow up," she told Hazel solemnly.

Comments

[aimmyarrowshigh.livejournal.com]

I'm just incoherently "awwwwwwwwwwww"-ing over and over.

I have mixed feelings on another child of Hades/Pluto, though, because I liked that he was the only one not to break the pact and I love the alone-ness of Nico? BUT. But.

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

Weeeeeeell, technically Hades didn't break the pact...

[shineyma.livejournal.com]

ljshfdlkajsdf I'm like 239 on my library's request list. I will not be reading SoN for like two months. But I couldn't resist. I can never resist. sdkjlfhasdf I WANT TO READ IT SO BADLY. THAT QUOTE AT THE END. I NEED THIS BOOK.

[dmitchell1985.livejournal.com]

You can always buy it from Walmart.com. It's like $10.73 with free shipping. The site told me it'd be here in a week minimum. I got it like 2 or 3 days later. ♥

[saturninepen.livejournal.com]

BASICALLY JUST YES TO ALL OF THIS.

I still can't form thoughts about Nico. Like. I just can't. There's a mental block, I think. I can totally understand why he brought Hazel back, even though she's about on par with Jason as far as Liking of New Characters Level goes -- has her moments, doesn't suck, but not a favorite by a long shot. But what I don't get is just...who what when where why how does he know about the Romans? There is more to this story and I want to KNOW IT.

And yeah, really, the rest I just agree with every word. And I really, really hope there's a canon interaction between Sally and Percy over his new tattoo. All I'm sayin'.

[lambbaby.livejournal.com]

I just spoiled myself so badly but it was worth it to know that PERCY JACKSON is back!And please tell me there is Nico in this one. Please?

Going to go read this tomorrow and not care if I look crazy to people on the metro when I squeal like a kid.

Also the feedback at the beginning? Perfect. I wish I 'd had that while reading the Kane chronicles.

[artemisrae.livejournal.com]

I really really really don't want him to BotL Annabeth again. GIRLFRIEND ALREADY WENT THROUGH THAT ONE TIME, CAN'T SHE HAVE ANY PEACE OF MIND?

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

NO. TORTURING ANNABETH IS RR'S FAVORITE PAST TIME APPARENTLY.

[lovelysolitude.livejournal.com]

Yes all of this. YES.

I'm kind of upset about their being another kid of Hades/Pluto, because I just love the whole idea of Nico being the only one of his "kind". But just the fact that he's in this book makes up for it all. I just can't stay angry at RR. But he needs to explain what the fuck Nico is doing at the Roman camp, apparently having known about them for, what, months?

Oh, and if there isn't an actual Percy-Sally convo about the tattoos I expect a proper drabble from someone you! And those quotes: /dead.

[mcgirl13.livejournal.com]

i'm am seriously so sick of RR's stupid cliff hanger endings. i literally kept scrolling through my kindle pages looking for a next chapter. really? really? i mean c'mon. you can't even give us the reunion that the entire books been building up to? i just want some good ol' percy/annabeth action. is that too much to ask?

[belongtotheday.livejournal.com]

NOT READING THIS POST IS POTENTIALLY THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER. FREAKING. DONE. I DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED BUT BUT BUT AHHHHHH I SKIMMED IT AND AND AND NICO AND PERCY BEING BAMFS TOGETHER AND AND THAT QUOTE FROM HAZEL. I JUST - I JUST - I NEED TO READ IT NOW /SOBS

[from-elysium.livejournal.com]

WOW THAT CLIFFHANGER PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH I THREW THE BOOK ON THE FLOOR WHEN I FINISHED.

But other than that

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE SO MUCH LOVE I HAVE. Ughhh, I just loved every moment of this book and it was mainly because PERCY IS FUCKING AWESOME ON EVERY LEVEL and Frank and Hazel > Jason and Piper.

Also, jokes were better. A lot better. Maybe because Percy is actually funny without trying to be.

I'm just so mad because I was telling myself, yeah okay there probably isn't going to be a reunion in this book, but then it got so close at the end and it gave me hope. Then RR BRUTALLY CRUSHED MY DREAMS. I can't bear to wait another year. Cannot bear it.

Also, fuck Hera. What a bitch.

[oneoffour111.livejournal.com]

Basically all of this comment. Another YEAR, come on RR, for real. Who needs another book about those Egyptian kids anyway. ;___;

Also, jokes were better. A lot better.

+1

RR BRUTALLY CRUSHED MY DREAMS.

ugh I KNOW. I was getting so excited near the end and fidgeting constantly and then I turned the last page and it was not there and I died. :|

[green-climber.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. I liked it a lot better than TLH, but I think RR is still finding his stride a bit in third person narration, and also he's STILL telling us how special and awesome his new characters are. I think the problem, maybe, is that with Percy, the entire series was about Percy's journey. We learned about him and his friends from the beginning and watched them grow and develop. With the new characters, he's basically thrusting them upon us already formed, so rather than letting us reach our own conclusions, he's trying to cut to the chase--Piper is SPECIAL. Jason is SPECIAL. Hazel is SPECIAL. It still isn't working for me.

Also...I mean, okay, I get to some extent why Nico had to pretend he didn't know Percy. But...(sputters)...I mean, come on! That's, like, one of his best friends all wandering around with no memory and with tons of people looking for him! But I was happy just to see him I guess, even if I didn't love his behavior. And also, Bianca decided to be reborn without telling him? That's f'ing cold, man.

In conclusion--I really hope Annabeth doesn't get thrown under the bus AGAIN. I have the same anxieties you do about all this sacrifice stuff. My only hope is that this will be a way to give Annabeth a POV and a big part in book three. Without, you know, somehow separating her from the others at the end.

[rialovescake.livejournal.com]

First time commenting on here but when I discovered that you're a fellow PJ fan and lover of Percy/Annabeth, as well as Annabeth as a character (which btw their is WAY too much hate for her in fandom),I knew I had to comment.

All that bullshit at the end about Annabeth being a problem for the next quest (although I don't think that's all that negative? Annabeth's stubborn if things don't go how she expects yo. Exhibit A: The Sphinx) and stuff just makes my nerves extremely jittery.
Ugg I got so mad at Hera and nervous, when she made that comment. I was like how dare you talk badly about Annabeth! Don't you dare try and turn Percy against her either. He just better not ruin PA in this series, or I'll probably want to use my books for firewood. Then all the talk about Frank having to help Percy with his choice, cause he always will save his friends, I'm so nervous. And apparently I will be until 2014 when the last book finally gets released.

I shouldn't have convinced myself of the PA reunion. I think the teaser of Percy remembering Annabeth just made me so excited that I thought for sure we'd get their reunion, but then the damn cliffhanger at the end. I can't believe it will be 2 freaking years until I finally get the reunion scene. RR is a troll if I ever met one.

But omg how badass was Percy? How he was just chilling at the top of the glacier like NOTHING HAD JUST HAPPENED.

And I almost forgot, please please tell me that the next book will have one of the mains POVs be Annabeth. I need this in my life. I think I was freaking out more when I read the title of the next book then I was during the whole of SoN. What if we get both Annabeth AND Percy chapters? Too much awesome to contain in a single book?

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

Fandom definitely needs more Annabeth fans. I love her to bits and pieces, and if anything bad happens to her in the next book, I will cry all of the tears in the world.

[oneoffour111.livejournal.com]

I basically felt like SoN was a lesson in, "HOW TO BE A GQMF 101" because damn, son of Poseidon is the most badass demigod who ever badass'd.

BASICALLY ALL OF THIS PARAGRAPH. WHAT NOW is RIGHT.

Mars, lolololol favorite god ever. Him writing down the prophecy and trash talking with Percy made me giggle constantly. lulzzz

Hmm, was I the only one who loved Reyna as Pluto's daughter? I felt like it made Nico that much more human, to be chilling on the roof of Pluto's temple or whatever with her and just talking. I actually LIKE Nico now, that's how good this book was.

Percy and Arion, that was like a Flynn + Max Tangled sort of relationship except better.

One thing I was really relieved about was the fact that near the end Percy remembered everything. I would have gone crazy if it was the last chapter and he still had no idea who his friends were, who his mom was, etc. The phone call to Sally was heartbreakingly epic and the message from Leo at the end was SUCH a teaser.

The absolute cutest part of this book was Percy imagining the domesticity with Annabeth, holding hands with her at a café and having a kid and having a somewhat normal life together. It was so adorable and I hope with ALL THE HOPE that they actually get that future together. just, be more priceless, would you.

[from-elysium.livejournal.com]

Baby Jacksons! <3333

[sj0126.livejournal.com]

Considering the next book is called "The Mark of Athena" I would say there's a very very good chance that Annabeth will have some chapters and in the least will be a big part of the story. I can already see what's gonna happen in the next book or the last one. Percy may have to lose Annabeth to win against Gaea and he will tell the prophecy to go fuck itself.

[mediate89.livejournal.com]

THAT'S WHAT I FORESEE HAPPENING.

Percy will have to make a decision: Annabeth or Victory?

Fuck victory.

Right? And then that's when Frank the hero will step in and put duty above his own life because Percy Jackson is such a fool.

Ahh, I can't wait. <3

[mediate89.livejournal.com]

Finished! I got the book a week before everyone else but I knew I'd still be one of the last to finish. I'm such a poke about books, I swear.

Anyway.

As soon as I got the book I skimmed frantically for a P/A reunion, spoilers be damned, I didn't even care. When I looked over the last chapter I was like WHAT and I wanted to just put the book away forever. I think RR was smart about it though. He gave us just enough P/A in Percy's thoughts to keep it bearable.

Percy and Nico (AH, NICO <3) are they only things that kept me reading until about the middle of the book. It wasn't a bad book though, actually. I think I liked it more than TLH.

Did anyone else feel like this book had a very different feel than the other ones? The hundreds of cliffhangers when characters are trying to reveal their deepest darkest secrets and the convenient, perfect escapes were just as annoying, but the humor was different. I found myself very amused and wondering: What are you on, RR? The references to modern culture were overwhelming but hilarious. Ordering on Amazon will be a whole new experience.

I'm going to avoid going into Hazel and Frank's relationship (seriously, RR, every time?) and how they TOTALLY STOLE P/A'S BOTL KISS and move on Arion the magical horse...

At last Arion stopped at the top of a wooded hill. He snorted with satisfaction, as if to say, That's how we run, fools.

Oh my god, greatest line ever.

[green-climber.livejournal.com]

I have to say, the one trope that RR seems to not be able to resist using in this new series is the "character with a deep, dark secret," and it's just too much. Every character has a secret, as we are told none-too-subtly over and over, and then we go back in that character's chapters and learn that secret. And every single new character thinks that once everyone learns that secret, no one will like him/her anymore. It's too much. Back in PJO a few characters had secrets (like Rachel being rich, or Nico being in the casino for so long), but they came out naturally and we weren't smacked over the head with the idea that they had a secret and that we didn't know what it was. It goes back, IMO, to RR trying too hard to make his new characters super-awesome. Every character needs a dark secret, a crazy superpower, and a unique weapon, and for me it's achieving the opposite effect. I think I'd like these characters a lot more if I weren't being told constantly how awesome they are and how they're the most courageous warriors and the most gorgeous and their weapons are so cool and blah blah. I did like the book, though, so I don't want to imply that I didn't--just that I think developing characters was something RR did better in PJO than in this series.

[tatooine.livejournal.com]

tvtropes says book three will be called "mark of athena"!

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

Didn't you see that at the back of your book?! But omg, so excite.

[ceryni-10.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh SoN was just sooo good. And it as hard ignoring this post to finish it myself but was very much worth it!!! My main feels/review I posted here:
http://middleenglandmyth.tumblr.com/post/11180729030/review-the-son-of-neptune

Waiting another year is just going to be a drag!

Question though: who did Octavian remind Percy of?

Not much more to add apart from general fandom happiness, I feel like cussing with joy like Arion cussing horse :)))

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

Question though: who did Octavian remind Percy of?

Probably Luke. He's the only other evil blonde in the series.

[laura-sommeils.livejournal.com]

"and the frustration with Jason, Piper and Leo not caring about Percy outweighed a lot of the joy I would've gotten out of reading the book originally. "

This, I mean they were like: so your leader dissapeared, we don't give a crap about it!

When Percy did that trick with the poison I was like: PERCY, BABY, DON'T. I LOVE YOU, STOP. And for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about Poseidon and Apollo watching over Percy. (Poseidon because well, he's his father, and Apollo because I shipp these two a lot <3)

The thing with Mars was KJASDLKASJDÑALKSDJASKLÑ, I mean, ñjdádadkaslkdjs. "Again, Frank waited for the god to strike him down, but Mars just grinned like they were two old buddies talking trash" <3

I just loved Reyna with all my heart, I mean, how she tried all the damn time to act tough. She glanced up at the warship. Her expression turned a little wistful. “You say Jason is aboard…I hope that’s true.
I’ve missed him.” I love her, aslñkdjasl´kdjasñlkd.


Also anything with Percy and Arion made me collapse into giggles. I know, me too! :D

I know, the call and when he tried to contact Annabeth with an Iris-message but couldn't do it because his memories weren't too clear... :((((((((((((
NAD THIS, THIS JUST BROKE MY HEART:

As for the necklace, the four clay beads were each decorated with a different symbol. One showed a trident. Another displayed a miniature
Golden Fleece. The third was etched with the design of a maze, and the last had an image of a building—maybe the Empire State Building?—with
names Percy didn’t recognize engraved around it. The beads felt important, like pictures from a family album, but he couldn’t remember what they
meant.

WITH NAMES PERCY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ENGRAVED AROUND IT. That, that just... ;______________________; MICHAEL, CHARLES, SILENA,LEE, CASTOR A´PODJA´PSDOUASDPOI

[mediate89.livejournal.com]

WITH NAMES PERCY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ENGRAVED AROUND IT. That, that just... ;______________________; MICHAEL, CHARLES, SILENA,LEE, CASTOR A´PODJA´PSDOUASDPOI

My thoughts exactly, OMG. Except maybe that last bit.

[mediate89.livejournal.com]

I went to start my fic and then I realized...I don't know what month Percy disappeared in. I thought it was December, since he and Annabeth had just met up at camp to start their Christmas break but in SoN he says that they only dated for two months before Hera kidnapped him, and they started dating in August...

Another one of RR's many errors, or did I miss something?

[green-climber.livejournal.com]

I was just trying to figure that out! Yeah, the timing doesn't really make any sense--if Percy has been missing for eight months, and it's June, then that would be October/Novemberish which would also fit in with the two months of dating timeline. But I'm rereading TLH, and Annabeth definitely says they were on Winter break for three weeks--which, sorry RR, doesn't happen in October OR November. And also, there's snow, which isn't something that happens in Long Island in October. Finally, Annabeth says she spent all semester at Olympus, then adds that it has been closed for the last MONTH. So if it's October, that would mean she spent...a couple of weeks at Olympus? Which is hardly a semester, and also would not have allowed her to get much done, and Rachel seems to imply that she's almost finished when she says "Annabeth was redesigning Olympus...you should see the salad bar."

So, in conclusion, this timeline is not well thought out and I am once again wondering why the editors didn't catch it.

[belongtotheday.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Sally, Percy you gonna be in trouble when you come home with a tattoo.

I need this conversation in my life.

Aaaaannndddd I pretty much agree with everything you've said. AND I FREAKING AGREE, RR NEEDS TO TAKE THIS PERSONALLY! lol

[mediate89.livejournal.com]

Does anyone foresee a Hazel/Frank/Leo love triangle going on? When Hazel finds out that Leo is Sammy's grandson or whatever, she's going to want to check that out.

[poptartmuse.livejournal.com]

definitely. but, did NOT see it coming that Leo would be the spitting image of Sammy. that one blindsided me.

[hit-in-the-usa.livejournal.com]

Favorite part of the entire book?

Nico introducing himself to Percy :d I threw down my book and did like a victory lap around my house xD

This entire thing was just amazing <3

[poptartmuse.livejournal.com]

I want more Reyna

DITTO. and Hylla. I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR PIRATE ADVENTURES. why, why are they so awesome

definitely loved SoN more than TLH, agreed

if the next book has POV from Annabeth and Reyna, I would do the dance of joy, probably

[rosegilmore.livejournal.com]

Can I just say how freaking happy i was that RR didn't just over look the whole percy/annabeth fandom? I really was afraid he would downplay how freakin horrible it would be to lose your memory when you are in love. I was actually really happy with all the scenes RR pushed in about Percy remembering Annabeth, calling her, thinking about their could be future at camp jupiter. It just seemed like she was always on his mind, every Percy chapter had a little bit of him thinking of her. <3

Ohhhhh yes. The tatoo. His mom is going to be pissed! I hadn't even thought of that until you mentioned it! I wonder if annabeth will like it though...
(also, i'm really sad he lost his Achilles heel, the fic that came out of that was so hawt. lol)

[rosegilmore.livejournal.com]

ALSO:
I love that the reyna/jason relationship i assumed would be a mirror of percy/annabeth was more of a one sided longing on Reyna's part. Made me like her more.

AND:
I really hope the doors of death are open long enough for Luke to escape because I need some more fodder for my Luke/Thalia shippers heart.

[chibimarchy.livejournal.com]

AHHH So I'm totally not done with this book yet but I've been spoiled SO FUCK IT.

-I like Frank and Hazel SOOOOOO much more than Jason and Piper. Jason bored me to tears and Piper's eh, okay, but at least Frank and Hazel were LIKEABLE. But, of course, Leo's still my favorite of the new demigods :P

-PERCYYYY YOU BAMF YOU Totally agreed that him being back is really what makes this book. And every time he thinks of Annabeth, I die a little inside ;_;

-Nico, you troll, what are you up to? I'm sad he's not part of the prophecy, though...

-AMAZON'S RUN BY AMAZONS. TROLOLOL. Buying products from them will be a whole new experience now...

-Ugh, Octavian, why are you trying to copy Luke? AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN BOY PERCY WILL WRECK YOUR SHIT.

-Wonder who will get chapters in the next book, but Annabeth BETTER be one of the narrators. Or I will cut something.

[rosegilmore.livejournal.com]

Ok, so i wasn't doubting that Annabeth was going to narrate chapters, but now you have worried me!!!