240 pages
Kate Grable, the future doctor/genius who saved the world from a steroid-based zombie virus in "Bad Taste In Boys" is back. Things are going well for her: she's got a sweet and hot boyfriend, and she's about to start shadowing the county medical examiner as part of her school's pre-med program. But when Kate's brother, Jonah, discovers a mutilated corpse at a local gaming convention, it appears that something has gone wrong again. Particularly because the body seems to have been killed by something inhuman. Something really hairy, really strong, and with really huge claws. As the bodies keep coming, it seems that Kate's got to figure out how to take her mind of zombies and figure out how to defeat werewolves.
Silly, silly fun and I love it! Kate is great--in some ways, she's regular high school girl, worrying about her boyfriend and arguing with her brother, but she also has her mind on bigger things. It's refreshing to read about a girl who's got brains and ambitions but also has normal teenage fun. The plot is pretty straightforward and predictable, but it's great for a quick read.
586 pages
Annabeth and her friends Jason, Pier, and Leo are approaching Camp Jupiter to attempt to make peace between the Greek and Roman demigods. The world is literally at stake, because if the heroes can't band together there's no way they can't find and close the Doors of Death. And if they can't do that, then they definitely won't be able to stop Gaia's monsters from taking over the earth. Despite all of that, Annabeth is still anxious about being reunited with Percy after six months of separation. And her mother's odd demand still rings in her ears: "Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me." And she's not the only one with doubts. All seven of the demigods are dealing with their own personal fears, insecurities, even unrequited love. It's going to take all they have to pull together and complete this leg of their quest.
I love this series, and almost everything about it. There's lots of action, but the characters are well developed, too. The humor is fun and cheesy as ever. The plot has several twists and turns. It's one of those that there's not a lot to say about, as it's just good simple fun.
