The myths about the Greek gods as narrated by Perseus "Percy" Jackson, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's mega-popular "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" YA series.

This was better than I expected. It gives a pretty reasonable overview of the Greek mythology (the part more directly involving the gods, since a forthcoming book will cover the great heroes). Percy's teenage snark makes it very accessible and entertaining to read. It will help if you are familiar with Riordan's books, so that you know who Percy is, but it is not absolutely required. The myths are not watered down, you get the sex and violence of the original stories, but Percy's wit smooths it over with non-explicit language.

Do not expect any poetry or literary beauty here. However, while the Greek mythology can sometimes become a bit repetitive, in Percy's voice it never becomes boring. It is extremely easy to read and an excellent choice for young readers or even older ones who are not necessarily attracted to the subject. ( )

I didn't care for the narration style where the author was continually in the story. It was also highly fictionalized in a modern style. I am more interested in how the ancient greeks understood their gods.

SASSMASTER PERCY AT THE HELM ( )

A collection of stories from Greek mythology, told in the voice of the well known and well loved character, Percy Jackson. While reading mythology on your own is fine, there is just something so charming about how Rick Riordan writes Percy Jackson’s character. Percy finds a way to make anything interesting. The way Percy tells the Greek mythology stories and his commentary throughout the book is very enjoyable to read. Definitely worth reading. ( )

Fun retelling of the myths for the major Greek gods. Great for younger kids who are curious but who may get bored by the language of other mythology books. ( )