“Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.”

From Rick Riordan’s The Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero.

Jason, Leo, and Piper may be classmates, but the three are far from friends; in fact, Jason doesn’t remember anything from before he just woke up, but now this girl Piper is supposed to be his girlfriend and his best friend is supposed to be Leo.  Jason know where or who he is and Piper doesn’t know why her boyfriend can’t remember her, but she has other problems to worry about now that her father has disappeared.  Jokester Leo is unsure what’s going on with his friends, but their weirdness quickly fades into the background when the trio are attacked by mythical monsters.  Jason, Leo, and Piper soon find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, a camp hidden from the dangers of the world, both human and mythical; none of them know what’s going on, especially when the other campers begin explaining that each each one of them is a child of a ancient god (demigod).  The craziness doesn’t stop there, though as the campers continue to talk of a curse, their Coach Hedge turns out to be a mythical guardian for them, Piper is having terrifying nightmares, and the three demigods are given a quest to rescue the goddess Hera.  As they embark on their dangerous adventure, each one will be faced with unexpected highs and lows, with no one to rely on but each other.

The first book in Riordan’s Greek and Roman mythology crossover series is full of mystery, adventure, and comedy that made the Percy Jackson series so successful.  While the main characters are all new, there are enough returning characters to seamlessly connect the stories.  An interesting look into the similarities and differences between Greek and Roman mythology, readers of the original series will have the best experience, but The Lost Hero is an addictive start to the new series for any reader.