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Screenwise Verdict
If your kid has already burned through the original Percy Jackson books, this is the inevitable and very satisfying next stop. Rick Riordan knows his lane, and he stays in it beautifully here, swapping the 'chosen one' earnestness of Percy for the 'fallen celebrity' snark of Apollo.
It’s fast, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful about what it means to be human. While it's technically a sequel series, the new perspective keeps it from feeling like a retread. It’s high-quality middle-grade fiction that respects the reader's intelligence while keeping the jokes flying.
Age Fit
Perfect for the 9-13 crowd. It’s the logical next step for kids who finished Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus but aren't quite ready for the darker grit of YA.
WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
82
Apollo starts as a Grade-A narcissist, but his forced humility and the focus on protecting his new friends provide a great arc about character growth and empathy.
Imaginative
94
Rick Riordan’s gift for dragging ancient myths into the 21st century remains unmatched. Turning the sun god into a flabby, acne-prone teenager in New York is a brilliant creative pivot.
Safe
88
Standard middle-grade fantasy violence—monsters, combat, and some peril. It’s safe for the intended audience, though Apollo’s internal monologue can be a bit bratty initially.
Enriching
90
It’s a stealth mythology lesson wrapped in a comedy. It also tackles themes of accountability and the weight of immortality in a way that’s actually accessible to kids.
Parent Info
✓
Why It Might Be Great
Character growth that actually feels earned, as Apollo moves from self-obsessed deity to someone who actually cares about others.
Hilarious internal monologue—Apollo is an unreliable and deeply funny narrator who thinks very highly of his own bad poetry.
Mythology deep-dive that expands beyond the usual Olympus highlights into weirder, more obscure Greek lore.
Percy Jackson cameos provide a nice bridge for fans of the original series without letting the old cast steal the spotlight.
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What to Watch For
Apollo’s initial arrogance is the point, but it can be grating for the first few chapters until he starts to get humbled.
The villains are genuinely creepy—The Beast and the Triumvirate represent a more corporate, calculated kind of evil than the usual giant monsters.
There’s some fantasy peril and death; while it’s not graphic, the stakes for the demigods at Camp Half-Blood feel real and occasionally heavy.
Conversation Starters
"If you were a god turned into a mortal, what's the one thing you'd miss the most (besides the powers)?"
"Apollo is pretty full of himself at the start. Do you think he's actually a 'good' person, or just doing the right thing to get his powers back?"
"Which Greek god do you think would have the hardest time surviving as a regular teenager in your middle school?"
"Meg is a very different kind of hero than Percy. What do you think makes her a good partner for Apollo?"
