A year after The Eye of Zeus was released, Alane Adams releases the second book in the Legends of Olympus series, The Medusa Quest. Twelve-year-old Phoebe Katz returned from ancient Greece as a newfound hero, satisfied with her heroic origin and content with her modern life. The contentment is short-lived. Phoebe soon discovers that the events that transpired during her trip to ancient Greece caused the whole mythological timeline to shift. Her brother Perseus is now directly in danger, and she must figure out how to save him and help him defeat Medusa. If Phoebe doesn’t return to Olympus and fix her mistakes, then the entire mythical realm will be in jeopardy.
Phoebe is an intelligent and daring girl who doesn’t back down from adversity. She grew up in foster care and didn’t have the most leisurely life. It always seemed like trouble followed her everywhere, but now she knows why. She is a demi-god, daughter of Zeus, and she is special. Phoebe and her two closest friends bravely embark on adventures together even when the odds are stacked against them. This series is geared toward tweens and shows young readers that even when life is difficult, it is possible to rise to the challenge and overcome adversity. Phoebe faces seemingly impossible challenges with bravery, hope, and strength.
The characters and dialogue are what I like most about this book. The characters are well developed, and they feel like real people. The conversations move the story forward seemingly effortlessly.
As much as I love reading about Greek mythology, The Medusa Quest tackles so many myths at once that it seems a little outlandish. However, since the story is written for tweens, the wild adventures are part of its charm. While this isn’t a book I would pick up just for myself, I did enjoy the story, and I think it is a great book for kids ages nine to twelve who are interested in Greek mythology. I read The Eye of Zeus to my children last year, and I look forward to reading The Medusa Quest to them this year.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, SparkPress, for review.
