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EmJo21 wrote: ↑27 Jul 2015, 18:49 Who do you think is a better author? J.K. Rowling or Rick Riordan?
They both are phenomenal authors, however statistically speaking J.K. has had a lot more success than Riordan. Her book series having global success alongside successful movies as well. Her books were a gateway for many young readers to explore their imagination and creativity. Not to say that Riordan's books weren't successful but retrospectively J.K. has had far more success and her books have continued to populate interest even as we are passing the eighteen year mark since the first book was published in the UK.

rachel_jacks wrote: ↑30 Sep 2015, 08:04

zeldas_lullaby wrote:If I recall, he had acne, he had a stepdad who stole his lunch money, he had a severe learning disorder, etc. Harry Potter had a depressing life too, but he didn't have to deal with a learning disorder all those years at Hogwarts! Rowling made his issues magically infused. Riordian failed in that regard, and I just couldn't keep reading.

Alright, plot spoiler alert! I picked up the Percy Jackson series only in the past few months. I only have the 5th book left. The first book does start off with Percy's life in the normal world, before he knew he was the son of Poseidon. After he goes to Camp Half-Blood and becomes friends with Grover, he learns a lot more about himself and his life. First, what kid doesn't have acne? I'm not sure that that's a depressing thing, but probably the only normal thing about Percy. Second, his mother married his stepfather because he smelled so bad that the monsters couldn't smell Percy. As the son of one of the "big three" gods, Percy had a stronger smell than most half-bloods. Since his mom kept his stepdad around, the monsters couldn't find Percy and he was able to live a relatively normal life. Eventually he mysteriously disappears . Third, Percy doesn't really have learning disabilities. His ADHD is a manifestation of his warrior instincts growing and developing. As a Greek warrior he needs to be prepared to fight at all times, so sitting still isn't his thing. His dyslexia is a manifestation of his ability to read Greek.

That being said, I do feel the first book spends a lot of time on Percy's pre-half-blood life, so it's a bit slow, but once he goes to camp things progress more quickly. Future books spend less time on the mundane things. If you enjoy Harry Potter I believe you can enjoy Percy Jackson, so don't give up on it yet!