The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, Book 3) [Hardcover]

In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?
The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

This is a very fun read. I like it because it feels different enough from the other books. There's action - but not too much. Instead we get to see the characters who were separted for so long kind of merge and the struggles that go with that. There's a lot of drama relationship wise, and I know Percabeth fans will be very happy with this book because there are a ton of Percy/Annabeth moments.

I also thought it was interesting seeing so many different views of Percy. Of course we know him very well, but then you have Piper's view point who is like - well Jason is way hotter.

And in this book we are FINALLY able to get to know Annabeth a lot more, even more than we did Percy in this book (which is kind of disappointing) I think her personality really shines. In the Percy Jackson books we had Percy's POV of Annabeth, but Annabeth is a master at hiding her emotions. She is a really complex person underneath that blonde hair, and I like that. Plus, she really cares for Percy, and she has such a big burden that doesn't have such a simple solution which made for an exciting read.

A problem I found with this book was that there were too many view points that didn't offer anything meaningful. Piper is sort of just there, and more worried about her relationship. Sadly, Percy also seems like a filler character. He has some concerns but I don't think his POV added much besides that. Annabeth and Leo combined told the story well, and the thoughts of the other characters could've been told somehow through their chapters. I almost wish Frank or Hazel also had a POV but I suppose that's for the next book.

What I really loved in this book were all the funny moments. Leo is quickly becoming my favorite character. He's likable in that Percy kind of way, but different enough with his own problems that it's not tiring.

Overall a solid book. As usual the wait for next year is going to be long and hard. 

Buy The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, Book 3) 

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revuew Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn: 'Plays her readers with the finesse and delicacy of an expert angler'

Oliver and Barbara, the toxic married couple from The Wars of the Roses, have nothing on Nick and Amy Dunne, the co-narrators of Gillian Flynn's dazzlingly dark, searingly intelligent new thriller. The novel opens as Nick – "I used to be a writer… back when people read things on paper, back when anyone cared about what I thought" – finds that Amy has gone missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary. Their front door is open, the coffee table shattered, books scattered, and Amy, a trust fund New Yorker who has been miserable since Nick dragged her to his Missouri home town to care for his dying mother, is gone.
Nick calls the police, of course, but there's something off about his reactions. He keeps referring to Amy in the past tense, and then catching himself. He ponders her "finely shaped head. You could imagine the skull quite easily". And he is not quite worried enough about her disappearance. "I felt myself enacting Concerned Husband," he says. "I wasn't sure what to say now. I raked my memory for the lines. What does the husband say at this point in the movie? Depends on whether he's guilty or innocent."
Gone Girl switches between Nick's narrative, as the hunt for the beautiful, blond Amy consumes the attention of America's media, and Amy's diary, as she writes about the early days of their relationship. "Tra and la! I am smiling a big adopted-orphan smile as I write this… I met a boy!" she says. And then later: "He promised to take care of me, and yet I feel afraid."
Gradually the two stories begin to converge. The pointed finger of media – and police – blame starts to swing Nick's way, and he doesn't endear himself to his readers as a hint of misogyny enters his tone. Women have "girl brain[s]" and female scents, "vaginal and strangely lewd". He lies to the police: little lies that don't really matter, but why is he doing it? And there's something odd about Amy's diary too; her version of the events of their past is different from Nick's, fails to ring quite true, grates in its perfection. We begin to see flashes of the darkness which lies in the cracks of this seemingly perfect marriage: where is Amy, and who is telling the truth?
Flynn, an extraordinarily good writer, plays her readers with the finesse and delicacy of an expert angler. She wields her unreliable narrators – and just who are they? – to stunning effect, baffling, disturbing and delighting in turn, practically guaranteeing an immediate reread once her terrifying, wonderful conclusion is reached. This American author shook up the thriller scene in 2007 with her debut Sharp Objects, nasty and utterly memorable. Gone Girl, her third novel, is even better – an early contender for thriller of the year and an absolute must read.

The most helpful favorable comment review

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can never know what goes on between two people behind closed doors. Certainly that idea is at the heart of Gillian Flynn's third thriller, Gone Girl. It's the story Nick and Amy Dunne. Amy has disappeared on the fifth anniversary of their marriage. There are signs of a struggle at the house. Nick is sick with worry.

The tale of what happened is relayed in alternating first-person he said/she said chapters. Additional interest and suspense are created by the fact that the two narratives are not on the same timeline. Nick's narrative is taking place in the present day and describes the police investigation into Amy's disappearance and the many surprising details that come to light in the wake of that event. Amy's narrative is in the form of a diary written during the course of their courtship and marriage. As time passes and Amy remains missing, her narrative is steadily moving towards the day of her disappearance. There are plenty of shocking revelations that will come from her as well.

The twist is that these are both unreliable narrators--and absolutely fascinating characters! Nick, Amy, and the many supporting characters are terrifically well-drawn. But plot is king here, and Gillian Flynn has constructed a top-notch page-turner. There were twists, turns, surprises, and out and out jaw-droppers all along the way. I couldn't put it down. More than anything, I was just delighted with a mystery that didn't follow the conventional formulas. The structure added real interest to the reading experience, and Flynn kept me guessing until the bitter end. Bravo!

Buy Now : Gone Girl: A Novel

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