THE EYE OF ZEUS

A young girl discovers that she’s a daughter of the Greek god Zeus in this middle-grade fantasy series starter.

Phoebe Katz is a 12-year-old foster kid, and havoc, including hailstorms and lightning strikes, seems to follow her wherever she goes. As she moves from one terrible foster home to another (and from school to school), her one constant is Carl, the social worker who found her at the Manhattan bus stop where she was abandoned as a baby. Phoebe is determined to make things work at her new school, Dexter Academy—especially now that she has two new friends, Angie and Damian. But trouble finds Phoebe yet again when she discovers that she’s not only a daughter of Zeus and the twin sister to the great hero Perseus, but also connected to a prophecy of the end of Olympus itself—which is why she was sent away as a baby. After the god Ares, who wants the prophecy to come true, kidnaps Carl, Phoebe and her friends time-travel to ancient Greece to rescue him. Nerdy Damian’s convenient encyclopedic knowledge of Greek mythology, Angie’s daring, and Phoebe’s developing demigod powers help them as they tangle with personages of myth, including numerous monsters. This first installment in Adams’ Legend of Olympus series is a nonstop, fast-paced adventure with an engaging, brave, and resourceful protagonist; fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, in particular, will likely enjoy it. Phoebe’s story arc involves her coming to terms with who she is and with her place in the world. The book intriguingly examines the balance between her choices and the unfair expectations that have been placed upon her—both as a troubled foster child and as a demigod child of prophecy. Phoebe’s touching relationships with Carl and her two best friends form the heart of the book, and the charming, realistic grayscale illustrations by Thompson effectively show the people and the creatures they encounter.

Fans of Greek mythology will find much to love in this fun novel.