I don’t care if this is a hot take, but Sea of Monsters truly is my favorite book of the original series, and I’m so excited to see it come to life. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the books (like a parent trying not to start a fight), but there’s just something so special to me about the Sea of Monsters. I’m really hoping that the series will bring more people over to my side, but for the time being I’m simply going to yap at you all about why I love this book so much.
#1: SOM gives us our first substantial look at Camp Half-Blood. Although TLT offers a brief overview of what the camp is and its purpose, it doesn’t provide much detail beyond the basics. In Sea of Monsters, however, we’re introduced to important background characters like Beckendorf, Silena, and the Stoll brothers. These details really help to fill out the world of Percy Jackson, transforming it from just another book series to its own universe.
#2: This is a completely biased point, but I LOVE the fact that SOM is based on the Odyssey. I know it’s been pointed out that each of the 5 books is vaguely related to a mythological hero, i.e., Perseus, Hercules, Theseus, and Achilles; this is the one I feel is the most obvious. Percy and the group pretty much hit every single Odyssey plot point they can. Which is not only fun for those who already know the myth, but it also serves as a great intro into the HEU (Homer extended universe) for readers who aren’t.
#3: I’ve already hit this horse before, but the fact that Annabeth is our Odysseus throughout this story will never not fill me with joy every time I remember it. It’s just so incredible to see a female character in the media not be just pushed aside as a love interest but instead be given the lead role in a book that’s not even about her. As an Annabeth Chase stan first and a human being second, it’s just so incredible to see her highlighted so prominently in only the second book. We learn so much about her past, her flaws, her dreams, and her place in Percy’s story, which I find just brilliant.
#4: The amount of iconic moments that happen despite a lot of people saying that “nothing really happens in SOM”!? Not only do we get the siren scene, Thalia’s awakening, Guinea Pig Percy, Luke poisoning Thalia's tree, Hylla’s first appearance, the cursed trio’s backstory, and Tyson (just…Tyson in general), but we also get the first technical Percabeth kiss. It’s honestly crazy how important SOM ends up being to the overall story despite being the shortest of the 5 books.
#5: I honestly feel that this goes without saying, but The Sea of Monsters has the absolute best ending of the original 5 books. The full-body chills I got from reading the ending for the first time stayed with me through the entire series, and I still feel like I’m chasing the high of reading it for the first time. Likeeeee the fear of hearing that something had happened on the hill with only Annabeth on duty to the absolute horror of realization once Percy locks eyes with Thalia??? Absolute cinema, I can’t wait to see it.