Rick Riordan's Curse Sparknotes

A New Journey With Percy Jackson

The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

312 pages

Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series based on Greek mythology, takes Percy

on a new journey in his third installment of the series “The Titan’s Curse”. Percy must now

venture out on a new quest when he learns of two half blood children that are in trouble. He and

his friends Annabeth and Thalia meet Grover at the boarding school where the children are to

help save them from a manticore who is in disguise as the principle. When Percy and his friends

try to help the children escape Annabeth falls off of a cliff with the manticore. This is where

Percy’s journey begins in “The Titan’s Curse” as he must now save Annabeth, a goddess herself,

before the winter solstice.

Percy and the hunters will have to battle in many places like the

junkyard of the gods where Bianca ultimately sacrifices herself to save everyone else. It is in this

quest that Percy will come face to face with the prophecy of the titan’s curse and solve the

mystery of the monster that is believed to be powerful enough to destroy Olympus.

The purpose in writing “The Titan’s Curse” was to introduce the third installment in the

Percy Jackson and The Olympians series. In this book Percy, the Hunters and the campers

undertake a new quest. Rick Riordan gives us “The Titan’s Curse” to show us how Percy is

growing as a demigod. Even though Percy doesn’t accept that his father is Poseidon and that he

is a half blood he realizes that he can still be the person he wants to be. The intent of this

installment in the series is to show us how Percy is growing up and the lessons he is learning

along the way.

There are many themes presented in this book. A major one is that of friendship and

loyalty. Another is that someone should not be judged because of where he or she comes from or

who their parents or family may be. All of the main characters show that true friendship

and

loyalty can get them through any situation. Percy does not sit by when he finds out that Annabeth

was captured by Atlas and Luke. Instead he instantly leaves to start his new quest to save her.

Sacrifice is also shown when Bianca gives up her life to help save the others on the quest so they

could carry on and succeed.

“The Titan’s Curse” shows readers that no matter what happens in

life loyalty and friendship are the qualities that matter the most as Percy’s mom shows when she

tells him “I know you’ll do what’s best for Annabeth because I know she’d do the same for you.”

(105-106)

Symbolism is often found in Rick Riordan’s writing in The Percy Jackson series. Percy

tells Annabeth “No. I choose the prophecy. It will be about me.” (206) Symbolizing that some

meanings of things only become clear through the search. Percy didn’t want to take on such

responsibility but he knew he had to step up and find a way to save his friends. Sometimes

reasons for doing things aren’t always clear in the beginning. There are times when one has to

just take the first step and the reasons will show themselves along the way.

I was able to really connect with this book. Percy and his friends were there for each

other through everything they were faced with. I believe that I have that kind of a connection

with my friends and family. We all have different backgrounds and come from different places.

We don’t all have the same amount of money or fancy things to play with but we all treat

each

other the same. I believe that we all share what we have and we don’t judge someone because of

something they may or may not have or where they come from. This book taught me that no

matter what a true friend will always be there for you but that you have to know who you can

really trust.

I have enjoyed the Percy Jackson series and with “The Titan’s Curse” I look forward to

reading the next installment. Rick Riordan writes in present day language so that todays kids and

adults will understand what he is writing about while still learning of true history of Greek

Mythology. I give this book an A- as it took me on many adventures and journeys but sometimes

it just sort of dragged on. The book was funny at times, sad at times and had a lot of

action and I felt that I was on the journey with Percy and his friends.