The Trials of Apollo

Bibliographic Information:  

• Title: The Trials of Apollo 
• Author: Rick Riordan 
• Publisher: Disney Books   
• Copyright Date: 2016  

Genre: Teenager, Fantasy   

Awards or Honors: None  

Reading Level: Young teenager 

Plot Summary: The book follows the Greek god Apollo after he is punished by Zeus. He is thrown to Earth in Manhattan, New York as a teenage boy named Lester. While being beaten up in an alley, he is rescued by a teenage girl named Meg. Apollo gets help from Percy Jackson, a demigod. Lester is dismayed to now be a mortal and has trouble adjusting to mortal life. Lester and Meg are chased by spirits and met a centaur named Chiron. Enemies of Apollo are closing in on him, and he must turn to a group of teenage demigods at Camp Half Blood to help him. They discover Apollo needs to restore the light of several oracles on Earth to return home. His enemy is a man named Python who wants to destroy him. Apollo and Meg then go and see an Oracle named Rachel. They learn from her a company called Triumvirate Holdings, controlled by Emperor Nero, is trying to become Gods and take over the world. Apollo and Meg journey to a grove to find missing children from Camp Half Blood. Together with kids from Camp Half Blood and Percy Jackson, they stop Nero and his minions. Apollo realizes he has been arrogant throughout his time on Earth, and he knows he needs to mature.   

Author Background: Rick Riordan is a best-selling author who has written over 20 books for young adults. He has written the Percy Jackson series, the Kane Chronicles, the Magnus Chase series, and the Trials of Apollo series. He also writes mystery novels for adults. He has sold over 100 million books worldwide in 37 countries. The Percy Jackson series has been turned into a movie (Riordan, 2020).   

He was an English teacher before becoming a writer. During his time in San Antonio, he received a Master Teaching Award from his school. He has lived in the Bay Area and Texas. He now lives in Boston with his family (Riordan, 2020).   

Critical Evaluation: The book is told from the view of Apollo, and he comes across as an arrogant but funny narrator, which helps drive the story. Many dangerous situations are made funny because of his quips and his unshakable belief in being right. The book is fast-paced, and the plot moves quickly. The book is mostly action, with some light-hearted moments. It seems like it would do well as a movie because most of the dialog is jokey or describes action scenes. The book is long enough to get the backstories of the kids. The book also does a good job describing Greek and Roman history and is a good introduction to Greek mythology. The book has a clear arch and follows a teenage human Apollo’s maturation process as he tries to save the world. The book also leaves enough unanswered to turn the book into a series, which it is. The book is mostly written for younger teenagers rather than teens graduating from high school.   

Creative Use Library Program: I would use this book as part of a Greek God mythology art program. I would first have teens read the book and decide their favorite Greek god or creature. There were many different Gods mentioned and explained throughout the book. I would then have them take an in-depth look at the favorite Greek god, with options for an art portion allowing them to draw, create, or write their favorite god.   

Book Talk: Apollo, the god of the sun, is cast out of Olympus by Zeus and becomes a teenager mortal teenager, cursed to roam New York City. He is not allowed to return until he relights Oracles on Earth. His only friend is a mysterious girl named Meg, who turns out to be a demigod. With the help of other demigods from Camp Half Blood, he fights against ancient emperors, spirits, cyclopes, and his hubris to save the world.   

Potential Challenge Issue: There are no challenge issues currently for the book. There are no controversial issues that could be flagged at this time.   

Reason for Inclusion: I included this book because it is a well-known book series. It was also well-rated and recommended on my local library webpage. I also know the author, Rick Riordan, is a well-known author, and many kids enjoy reading his books. The book also fits into the teen fiction section I decided to review for this project. Greek mythology is also an interesting topic for teenagers.  

About Rick Riordan. (2020). Rick Riordan. Retrieved on November 22, 2020, from https://rickriordan.com/about/  

Riordan, R. (2016). The Trials of Apollo. Disney Books.