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Myth-O-Mania #9
Hit the Road, Helen!
When Paris and Helen decide to hit the road together, it means more trouble than they can imagine for both themselves and the people of Troy. But who says Helen is entirely at fault? Sure she had a face that launched a thousand ships . . . but she also had a little interference from the meddling god of love and his mother, Aphrodite. Think you know the truth behind the Greek myths? Think again. Hades is here to set you straight once more on the true story of the Trojan War.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2013
303 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Kate McMullan
219 books154 followersKate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 15, 2013
This is one of my favorite middle-grade series, right up there with the Alcatraz Smedry books and Sammy Keyes. Hades, misunderstood god of the Underworld, reveals the truth about the myths that Zeus, megalomaniac and "myth-o-maniac," has rewritten to cast himself in the best possible light. I was so excited to see McMullan return to this series after several years, in this case ambitiously tackling the Iliad and the Trojan War. This is an excellent introduction to the classic; McMullan has done her research and presents all the background to the story of Helen of Sparta who becomes Helen of Troy, including some bits from the Iliad that rarely make it into retellings. If it falls a little flat at times, that's mostly because on the surface, the story really is a lot of battles, but Hades' perspective as the guy who has to welcome all those dead souls into his realm gives it greater depth. Next up: the Odyssey, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.
April 8, 2014
If you are a fan of Greek mythology, or perhaps you are a new reader of these magical tales, then you will certainly enjoy this re-imagined story of Helen of Troy. According to Hades, the ruler of the underworld, the Trojan War was all Helen's fault. In a way it was.
“Helen was the world's most beautiful woman. She married a Greek king, Menelaus, but fell in love with Paris, a prince from Troy, and ran off with him. Menelaus raised an army to help him get Helen back, and for ten years, the Greeks fought the Trojans in the Trojan War.”
Hades tells the story with lots of humor and wit. He is a bit disgruntled and feels as though his brother Zeus left out a lot of details when he told the story. Young readers will get a kick out of Hades and learn about Helen and the Trojan War. The back of the book has a glossary for quick reference along with a guide to the myths. This fast-paced read will keep readers engaged and chuckling.
“Helen was the world's most beautiful woman. She married a Greek king, Menelaus, but fell in love with Paris, a prince from Troy, and ran off with him. Menelaus raised an army to help him get Helen back, and for ten years, the Greeks fought the Trojans in the Trojan War.”
Hades tells the story with lots of humor and wit. He is a bit disgruntled and feels as though his brother Zeus left out a lot of details when he told the story. Young readers will get a kick out of Hades and learn about Helen and the Trojan War. The back of the book has a glossary for quick reference along with a guide to the myths. This fast-paced read will keep readers engaged and chuckling.
September 18, 2022
I absolutely love this series. This one in particular I enjoyed because it doesn't focus so much on the Trojan horse story but an overarching story prior to that. Obviously, it's a myth, so don't go into it thinking this is the end all be all type story. However, probably one of my favorites from the series.
May 13, 2017
As we learn from the underworld god Hades, Zeus has monkeyed with the myths we think we know so well, but he's got the real scoop. In this humorous retelling of Helen's tale, it was all Zeus' fault that Cupid ended up shooting Helen just as Paris showed up, and then all the gods seemed more eager to promote and continue the war than try to stop it. Hades himself apparently tried countless times to get it stopped (it was clogging up the underworld and taking time away from his addiction to TV wrestling), but you can't mess with fate.
Although I now know some books in this series were published before The Lightning Thief, my first reaction on read this was that it was clearly trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Percy Jackson series by retelling the myths for kids not quite ready for Percy, and making them lighter and sillier while still sticking to the basic outline of the classic tale. Perhaps that's not true for the previously published volumes, but as this series has gone into recent reprints, I can't help but still think there's an element of taking advantage of the Riordan books' popularity. I loved the Percy Jacksons mostly because Riordan mixes humor and heart so well, and his humor is actually funny. I never laughed while reading this one, though I didn't dislike it--it just seemed sort of a predictable type of humor lacking Riordan's genius for it. Kids who read it will come away with a good understanding of the structure of the myth, so I could see it being used for curriculum, but more in elementary school. I think it's a bit young for middle school, when 5th graders are happily devouring Riordan. It includes a helpful list of names and how to pronounce them, a glossary, and discussion points, so clearly the author intends it for school use (trying to make the myths palatable).
Although I now know some books in this series were published before The Lightning Thief, my first reaction on read this was that it was clearly trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Percy Jackson series by retelling the myths for kids not quite ready for Percy, and making them lighter and sillier while still sticking to the basic outline of the classic tale. Perhaps that's not true for the previously published volumes, but as this series has gone into recent reprints, I can't help but still think there's an element of taking advantage of the Riordan books' popularity. I loved the Percy Jacksons mostly because Riordan mixes humor and heart so well, and his humor is actually funny. I never laughed while reading this one, though I didn't dislike it--it just seemed sort of a predictable type of humor lacking Riordan's genius for it. Kids who read it will come away with a good understanding of the structure of the myth, so I could see it being used for curriculum, but more in elementary school. I think it's a bit young for middle school, when 5th graders are happily devouring Riordan. It includes a helpful list of names and how to pronounce them, a glossary, and discussion points, so clearly the author intends it for school use (trying to make the myths palatable).
November 13, 2017
good book come to me if you are instrid on borowing the book
May 7, 2020
If you don't have the patience to slog through Homer's Iliad, read this humorous abbreviated version. Ms. McMullan (speaking through Hades) hits all the high points, except Achilles seems less like a spoiled brat than Homer portrays him.
Editing oversights found in the Kindle version: Page 16, Zeus said climbing into the passenger seat / Zeus SAID, climbing into the passenger seat ; 16, My chariot broke an axel / My chariot broke an AXLE ; 27, I thought tiptoeing out / I THOUGHT, tiptoeing out ; 58, Charon was polling a few new ghosts over / Charon was POLING a few new ghosts over ; 79, Clytemnestra just arrived from Mycenea / Clytemnestra just arrived from MYCENAE ;
Page 83, Awright! / ALL right! ; 112, Awright! / ALL right! ; 122, the Greeks snuck back / the Greeks SNEAKED back ; 150, Go Troy! / GO, Troy! ; 150, Go Greeks! / GO, Greeks! ; 151, put a couple chairs / put a couple OF chairs ; 156, Go Hector! / GO, Hector! ; 174, 'I am Achilles' he said / 'I am ACHILLES,' he said (add comma) ; 179, I felt a terrible sickness coarse through my blood / I felt a terrible sickness COURSE through my blood ;
Page 187, That's what the prophet Calchus said / That's what the prophet CALCHAS said ; 201, Odysseys said / ODYSSEUS said ; 203, he snuck back into the city / he SNEAKED back into the city .
Editing oversights found in the Kindle version: Page 16, Zeus said climbing into the passenger seat / Zeus SAID, climbing into the passenger seat ; 16, My chariot broke an axel / My chariot broke an AXLE ; 27, I thought tiptoeing out / I THOUGHT, tiptoeing out ; 58, Charon was polling a few new ghosts over / Charon was POLING a few new ghosts over ; 79, Clytemnestra just arrived from Mycenea / Clytemnestra just arrived from MYCENAE ;
Page 83, Awright! / ALL right! ; 112, Awright! / ALL right! ; 122, the Greeks snuck back / the Greeks SNEAKED back ; 150, Go Troy! / GO, Troy! ; 150, Go Greeks! / GO, Greeks! ; 151, put a couple chairs / put a couple OF chairs ; 156, Go Hector! / GO, Hector! ; 174, 'I am Achilles' he said / 'I am ACHILLES,' he said (add comma) ; 179, I felt a terrible sickness coarse through my blood / I felt a terrible sickness COURSE through my blood ;
Page 187, That's what the prophet Calchus said / That's what the prophet CALCHAS said ; 201, Odysseys said / ODYSSEUS said ; 203, he snuck back into the city / he SNEAKED back into the city .
March 17, 2021
I'd give this 3.5 stars. It is a little busy because so much happens in this book, and I imagine it was hard to write a child friendly rendition of the Trojan war. I thought some of the foreshadowing was very clever and had a good chuckle over parts. Especially when Hades claimed he didn't get involved with mortals unlike the other gods and goddesses... since the basis for this series is Hades getting involved in mortal heroes quests. But I did enjoy it overall.
January 25, 2018
Either this one wasn't as good as the first few, or these books were a lot more entertaining when I was in 4th grade...maybe both? I really liked the innovative takes on the myths when I was a kid, but this didn't feel as creative. Just sort of more of what had already been done. Kind of disappointed.
May 29, 2019
This book is really good! I really like this series! The one thing I don't like about this book is it talks so much about the war. I LOVE THIS SERIES AND IM GETTING IT FOR MY FRIENDS BDAY BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!!!
June 26, 2023
This book is a retelling of the Trojan War. It is slightly darker than the rest of the series, being about war. But only slightly. It is still funny like the rest of the series and has that good Myth-o-mania feel that’s in the rest of them.
November 29, 2017
While the book is titled about Helen, she doesn't actually appear much in it. But it's still a fun lil introduction to the Trojan War.
December 31, 2017
School assigned
March 1, 2020
A funny and unique perspective on the Trojan War as told by the King of the Underworld himself.
November 7, 2020
Lol I loved it! SO funny!
April 10, 2021
Great light book for introducing Greek mythos to kids! My daughter and I really enjoyed it.
September 7, 2022
It was a really nice book I really liked it!
November 26, 2022
It was very good. I read this for school. It was quite slow at some parts, but other than that, it was pretty good, but nothing I thought about for days after I finished it.
March 4, 2023
I love this book!! It tells you the story from different eyes. Also because my name is Helen.
April 15, 2023
A book about the tragedy of war, but for kids! I honestly really enjoyed this one although I found it a bit different than past books. The shenanigans the gods get up to really have the petty feel of the actual myths so I still found it enjoyable. You can really sympathize with Hades frustration at his kingdom being overrun by ghosts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2024
Tbh, this is one of my favorite series, for multiple reasons
1 It shows Hades in a better light then most books
2 It is sooooo funny!
3 It's Mythology!
1 It shows Hades in a better light then most books
2 It is sooooo funny!
3 It's Mythology!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2015
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This was such a fun read! I especially liked that Hades was the narrator...I really like him! He's always portrayed as the bad guy when really he's not! And this book shows that!
So, anyway, this book tells the story of the oh-so-famous Trojan War. You know, the wedding of the goddess Themis (mother of Achilles) to a king and the only goddess not invited to the wedding was the troublesome Eris, goddess of discord. Eris resented not being invited so she decided to do what she does best: stir some trouble among the guests. She threw a golden apple into the crowd with the words "to the fairest" carved into it. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple to be theirs, and thus the trouble began. Zeus decided that in order to settle things, a mortal man would choose which goddess was the fairest (bad move, Zeus). And that very (un)lucky mortal was Paris of Troy! Long story short, Paris chose Aphrodite who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Sparta who was already married!) Paris stole Helen and took her back to Troy; Helen's husband was not happy and put together an army to attack the walls of Troy, beginning the start of a very long war, featuring many great heroes of Greek mythology!
When you think Trojan War, you might think, "Oh, that war that was started because of Helen of Troy?" and that everything was her fault? Well, it wasn't! I really liked how this book showed that, and the she was merely a victim of the gods' wrath.
I really like all the little quirky things you found throughout the book, such as Hades and his favorite pastime: wrestling, believe it or not! The books just had so many fun little things like that that certainly made things interesting.
There was one little thing though...because I LOVE mythology, I'm always (whether subconsciously or not) looking for accuracy in the myths. Now, all myths have many variations, and I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I am almost absolutely positive that Cupid (Greek: Eros) is not a son of Zeus. He is usually always said to be son of Aphrodite and Ares or just Aphrodite alone. But anyway, there might be versions I might not know about.
But overall, I think this is a very fun read and entertaining read, especially for kids wanting to learn about the myths.
This was such a fun read! I especially liked that Hades was the narrator...I really like him! He's always portrayed as the bad guy when really he's not! And this book shows that!
So, anyway, this book tells the story of the oh-so-famous Trojan War. You know, the wedding of the goddess Themis (mother of Achilles) to a king and the only goddess not invited to the wedding was the troublesome Eris, goddess of discord. Eris resented not being invited so she decided to do what she does best: stir some trouble among the guests. She threw a golden apple into the crowd with the words "to the fairest" carved into it. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all claimed the apple to be theirs, and thus the trouble began. Zeus decided that in order to settle things, a mortal man would choose which goddess was the fairest (bad move, Zeus). And that very (un)lucky mortal was Paris of Troy! Long story short, Paris chose Aphrodite who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Sparta who was already married!) Paris stole Helen and took her back to Troy; Helen's husband was not happy and put together an army to attack the walls of Troy, beginning the start of a very long war, featuring many great heroes of Greek mythology!
When you think Trojan War, you might think, "Oh, that war that was started because of Helen of Troy?" and that everything was her fault? Well, it wasn't! I really liked how this book showed that, and the she was merely a victim of the gods' wrath.
I really like all the little quirky things you found throughout the book, such as Hades and his favorite pastime: wrestling, believe it or not! The books just had so many fun little things like that that certainly made things interesting.
There was one little thing though...because I LOVE mythology, I'm always (whether subconsciously or not) looking for accuracy in the myths. Now, all myths have many variations, and I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I am almost absolutely positive that Cupid (Greek: Eros) is not a son of Zeus. He is usually always said to be son of Aphrodite and Ares or just Aphrodite alone. But anyway, there might be versions I might not know about.
But overall, I think this is a very fun read and entertaining read, especially for kids wanting to learn about the myths.
August 11, 2013
Find this review at Bookalicious.org on August 12, 2013
This is the first book in the return of the Myth-O-Mania series since 2003. In this series, the Greek Gods, that we have all come to know, are portrayed in different lights. Kate McMullan has managed to take the typical characteristics of the Gods and make them feel modern, with normal problems. Zeus is usually a dumb oaf and it appears that he is the reason for everything that happens–good or bad. Hades returns as the narrator in this book and is actually quite hilarious.
In Hit the Road, Helen! the story about Helen of Troy, we get the entire story from Hades. On many occasions Hades tells us why he thinks things are going the way they are, and how his dumb brother could have prevented them. Most of the time Hades suggests that if Zeus would just keep it in his pants many of the tragedies of the past wouldn’t have happened.
I absolutely loved this telling of the beginning of the Trojan War and if at all possible would love to sit down and have a few drinks with Hades and Persephone. The tone that Hades narrates in is snarky and playful, all the while showing he does love his brother Zeus even if he is a little . . . ambitious. I love how Hades doesn’t cover anything up that happens because, well he is already the ruler of the Underworld . . . how much further could he fall? The way each God is portrayed is simply fantastic and makes Greek mythology interesting for any age.
As soon as this book releases, I plan to buy the entire series. All the books in the series just received new covers and they are all as amazing and quirky as this one. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves Greek mythology or wants to get a younger reader interested in mythology. I think these books would be great for young readers, middle grade, and even young adults. They are a light and easy way to get all the information from the myths, which are usually buried under complex language, and I think that everyone will love Hades’ no-nonsense recollections. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and hope that Kate McMullan continues to write many more.
This book releases September 2, 2013. My review was from an ARC through NetGalley.
July 23, 2013
Background: Hit the Road, Helen! Is the story of the Trojan war and how it “really” went down. Narrated by none other than the famous god Hades, it retells the evens leading up to and during the epic battle of the Greeks and Trojans over what seemed to be a woman, Helen. Little did we know, that is not the story at all, but instead a story of the gods getting too wrapped up in the lives of humans.
Review: The Myth-o-Mania series is a group of books that parody the mythology of centuries ago in a way for young readers (ages 9-13 is what my ARC tells me) to learn as well as enjoy themselves. Hades is a very funny narrator for this tale and it also shows him in a different light. Normally Hades is represents as a hot head, angry all the time, shepherding the dead in the underworld. Here in this tale, he is trying to stop the war with all of his ideas, even though they are not working well. He is just a normal character.
The book is a very complete picture of the events leading up to the war and then the war itself with all the big pieces of history included. Hades spins it as if the war is all Zeus fault and also includes snippets about a good number of the gods who participated.
This is the ninth book in the series and I have not read any before this one, however I may just go to the library and grab them. It was a good thing that these seem to be stand alones as well. You can read them in any order really and it seems the next one is already in the works, per the epilogue. I learned a good amount of information I had forgotten and it was delivered in a fun and lighthearted way for young readers. I recommend this book to young readers and parents for their children to learn/enjoy at the same time.
Review: The Myth-o-Mania series is a group of books that parody the mythology of centuries ago in a way for young readers (ages 9-13 is what my ARC tells me) to learn as well as enjoy themselves. Hades is a very funny narrator for this tale and it also shows him in a different light. Normally Hades is represents as a hot head, angry all the time, shepherding the dead in the underworld. Here in this tale, he is trying to stop the war with all of his ideas, even though they are not working well. He is just a normal character.
The book is a very complete picture of the events leading up to the war and then the war itself with all the big pieces of history included. Hades spins it as if the war is all Zeus fault and also includes snippets about a good number of the gods who participated.
This is the ninth book in the series and I have not read any before this one, however I may just go to the library and grab them. It was a good thing that these seem to be stand alones as well. You can read them in any order really and it seems the next one is already in the works, per the epilogue. I learned a good amount of information I had forgotten and it was delivered in a fun and lighthearted way for young readers. I recommend this book to young readers and parents for their children to learn/enjoy at the same time.
May 2, 2013
These myth-o-mania books follow a familiar formula, but it is a formula that works, so that is okay! This has the same inner cover art (showing a checkout card from the underworld library) and the familiar "burned page" look at the chapter headings. And again, Hades is our narrator giving us HIS view on a myth we thought we knew.
Here, it's the tale of Helen of Troy. Now I've seen the movie "Troy" and recently read "Starcrossed" and felt like I was fairly up on my mythology ... yet these book do manage to provide such a fresh perspective, and I do always feel like I am learning something new. While Hades POV is different than the well known mythological tales, most of the important stuff is actually correct. So these books are a great educational tool for teaching mythology.
As always, there is humor galore to keep kids (and adults) entertained. Hades steeds are "Harley" and "Davidson". He relaxes in his Lazy-God recliner and has to wear a toga tux to fancy events. There are tons of little punny plays on words (like the Motel Styx *Ü*).
This book is very engaging and easy to read (as is the entire series). While there is a girl on the cover and she is featured in the book, this is still a great read for boys (I have boys, so that is always something I pay attention to). The only thing that makes it a little difficult for young readers are the names ... there are a lot of big, complicated names (but there IS a helpful glossary in the back for reference).
... another thumbs up for the myth-o-mania series!
Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy for review.
Here, it's the tale of Helen of Troy. Now I've seen the movie "Troy" and recently read "Starcrossed" and felt like I was fairly up on my mythology ... yet these book do manage to provide such a fresh perspective, and I do always feel like I am learning something new. While Hades POV is different than the well known mythological tales, most of the important stuff is actually correct. So these books are a great educational tool for teaching mythology.
As always, there is humor galore to keep kids (and adults) entertained. Hades steeds are "Harley" and "Davidson". He relaxes in his Lazy-God recliner and has to wear a toga tux to fancy events. There are tons of little punny plays on words (like the Motel Styx *Ü*).
This book is very engaging and easy to read (as is the entire series). While there is a girl on the cover and she is featured in the book, this is still a great read for boys (I have boys, so that is always something I pay attention to). The only thing that makes it a little difficult for young readers are the names ... there are a lot of big, complicated names (but there IS a helpful glossary in the back for reference).
... another thumbs up for the myth-o-mania series!
Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy for review.
July 20, 2013
Hades, ruler of the Underworld, tells the Greek Myth of Helen of Troy as it should be told - with no convenient cover-ups. It turns out that the myths that we know are actually incorrect as they had been altered by Zeus to cover up any embarrassing situations that painted him in a bad light. According to Hades, it was really Zeus' fault that the Trojan War started in the first place! The other Gods involved didn't help out much either, their interference just ended up causing the war to last longer.
Our story starts off with Zeus falling for Helen's mom, Leda, which results in her giving birth to two blue eggs, each with a set of twins. One set of twins looks like their father, Leda's husband King Tyndareus, while the other did not. Zeus continues to meddle in many ways that affect Helen's life, while Hades tries his hardest to stop his little brother from doing something stupid. Good luck, Hades! If only he could save the world from the comfort of his La-Z-God chair!!
Kate McMullan returns to get Myth-o-Mania series after a 10-year hiatus. This fractured tale, or classic, well-known tale that has had its characters, plot, setting, or point of view changed, is told from Hade's perspective, which adds a touch of humor to the story. McMullan has managed to add another amusing chapter-book to her popular series. The book does a good job introducing all of the key players and explaining the various parts of the legend in a way that was easy to follow. Hit the Road Helen! is a quick and fun read that will help children ignite a spark of interest in Greek Mythology.
Our story starts off with Zeus falling for Helen's mom, Leda, which results in her giving birth to two blue eggs, each with a set of twins. One set of twins looks like their father, Leda's husband King Tyndareus, while the other did not. Zeus continues to meddle in many ways that affect Helen's life, while Hades tries his hardest to stop his little brother from doing something stupid. Good luck, Hades! If only he could save the world from the comfort of his La-Z-God chair!!
Kate McMullan returns to get Myth-o-Mania series after a 10-year hiatus. This fractured tale, or classic, well-known tale that has had its characters, plot, setting, or point of view changed, is told from Hade's perspective, which adds a touch of humor to the story. McMullan has managed to add another amusing chapter-book to her popular series. The book does a good job introducing all of the key players and explaining the various parts of the legend in a way that was easy to follow. Hit the Road Helen! is a quick and fun read that will help children ignite a spark of interest in Greek Mythology.
December 2, 2013
This book will be available in September 2013, and is a re-telling of the Trojan War, written with a younger audience in mind.
McMullan re-wrote the story using more modern lingo, without the lists, without the graphic description, without the poetry. She wrote it trying to appeal to kids. Maybe it will appeal to kids more than some of the translations already in existence. I’m not sure.
I am sure, as the parent of a ten-month old who will need to read aloud to her child for some time, that I feel like an idiot reading this book out loud (And I can read the Seussian Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? with no problem).
An aspect of Hit the Road, Helen! which I enjoyed is that it compiles all of the Trojan war information into a slim, handy volume. (For those who are unaware, Homer's Iliad does not contain all of the mythology surrounding the Trojan War. In fact, it begins in the middle of the war, and ends before the war has reached resolution. Great cliffhanger to get you reading the Odyssey, but kind of annoying for kids, who generally want an ending.)
Overall, I would recommend avoiding Hit the Road, Helen! The irreverent tone of the narrator is annoying, and the myths are dumbed down to an undesirable degree. But maybe that’s just me being a Classics snob.
McMullan re-wrote the story using more modern lingo, without the lists, without the graphic description, without the poetry. She wrote it trying to appeal to kids. Maybe it will appeal to kids more than some of the translations already in existence. I’m not sure.
I am sure, as the parent of a ten-month old who will need to read aloud to her child for some time, that I feel like an idiot reading this book out loud (And I can read the Seussian Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? with no problem).
An aspect of Hit the Road, Helen! which I enjoyed is that it compiles all of the Trojan war information into a slim, handy volume. (For those who are unaware, Homer's Iliad does not contain all of the mythology surrounding the Trojan War. In fact, it begins in the middle of the war, and ends before the war has reached resolution. Great cliffhanger to get you reading the Odyssey, but kind of annoying for kids, who generally want an ending.)
Overall, I would recommend avoiding Hit the Road, Helen! The irreverent tone of the narrator is annoying, and the myths are dumbed down to an undesirable degree. But maybe that’s just me being a Classics snob.
August 30, 2015
This is the ninth book in the Myth-O-Mania series by Kate McMullan. These books are fun to read and have a youthful and humorous perspective that makes it simple for people to remember the various characters and their stories. The humor is fantastic.
We are balancing these fun tales off with more classic fare, like The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff, so our girls can hear the original tales, too.
This book offers a humorous take on the story of the Trojan War - we really enjoyed the wit and wry sarcasm. The tale was rendered with enough fidelity to recognize the story, but it was still a very different version. It's an entertaining and quick read.
interesting quote:
"'Do you like to travel?' Penelope asked him.
'Not too much,' said Odysseus.
'Good,' said Penelope. 'I'd really hate to have a husband who was away for long stretches of time.'
'Nah,' said Odysseus. 'I'm a regular homebody.'" (p. 40)
We are balancing these fun tales off with more classic fare, like The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff, so our girls can hear the original tales, too.
This book offers a humorous take on the story of the Trojan War - we really enjoyed the wit and wry sarcasm. The tale was rendered with enough fidelity to recognize the story, but it was still a very different version. It's an entertaining and quick read.
interesting quote:
"'Do you like to travel?' Penelope asked him.
'Not too much,' said Odysseus.
'Good,' said Penelope. 'I'd really hate to have a husband who was away for long stretches of time.'
'Nah,' said Odysseus. 'I'm a regular homebody.'" (p. 40)
April 14, 2015
i got this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hit the Road, Helen! is the 9th in a series but it's the first I've read. It's a fresh, and frankly hilarious, retelling of the myth of the Trojan war. it's narrated by Hades, the god of the Underworld, who's usually seen as gloomy sometimes even evil, in this case however Hades isn't particularly gloomy and not the least bit evil he just happened to promise his mother Rhea to look out for little brother Zeus who tended to create a lot of problems.
I expected to dislike Helen a lot 'cause i mean she was responsible for a ten year long war, wasn't she? weeeeell, not really the thing you don't hear that often is that she was shot by Cupid's arrow, and i found that when she wasn't with Paris i actually liked her a lot, i mean she wasn't exactly the brightest but she wasn't some dumb bimbo who didn't care that people where dying for her and a lot of them. most of the gods were really unlikable, they were childish and selfish, but i liked Persephone who though a bit of an air head, didn't wan't the war and did her best to help Hades with hiss work stress.
the age range is Middle Grade and thought i'm a fair bit out of that age range i enjoyd a lighter take on the myth.
Hit the Road, Helen! is the 9th in a series but it's the first I've read. It's a fresh, and frankly hilarious, retelling of the myth of the Trojan war. it's narrated by Hades, the god of the Underworld, who's usually seen as gloomy sometimes even evil, in this case however Hades isn't particularly gloomy and not the least bit evil he just happened to promise his mother Rhea to look out for little brother Zeus who tended to create a lot of problems.
I expected to dislike Helen a lot 'cause i mean she was responsible for a ten year long war, wasn't she? weeeeell, not really the thing you don't hear that often is that she was shot by Cupid's arrow, and i found that when she wasn't with Paris i actually liked her a lot, i mean she wasn't exactly the brightest but she wasn't some dumb bimbo who didn't care that people where dying for her and a lot of them. most of the gods were really unlikable, they were childish and selfish, but i liked Persephone who though a bit of an air head, didn't wan't the war and did her best to help Hades with hiss work stress.
the age range is Middle Grade and thought i'm a fair bit out of that age range i enjoyd a lighter take on the myth.
August 21, 2013
The story of the Trojan War as explained by Hades is very entertaining. He says that his brother Zeus is to blame for the whole war and that he lets Helen get blamed because he's such a coward. There are many funny things about the book. The steeds that pull Hades' chariot are named Harley and Davidson. He likes to watch wrestling on his TV, with matches between cyclops and other creatures. Cupid calls one of his arrows the Smoochie Woochie. Hades earns frequent flyer miles zipping around trying to prevent the war and then trying to end it. His wife convinces him to cash in the miles to take a cruise and they meet Thor on board the ship.
If you like funny versions on famous stories, or like to hear a story told from a very different point of view - you will probably enjoy this very much. There is also a "Quick-and-Easy Guide to Myths" in the back of the book. It provides the names of many famous characters from the story, how to pronounce them and some information on who they are. There's a glossary for a few of the more challenging words and some ideas for discussion topics.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
If you like funny versions on famous stories, or like to hear a story told from a very different point of view - you will probably enjoy this very much. There is also a "Quick-and-Easy Guide to Myths" in the back of the book. It provides the names of many famous characters from the story, how to pronounce them and some information on who they are. There's a glossary for a few of the more challenging words and some ideas for discussion topics.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
October 9, 2013
Book Review: Hit the Road, Helen by Kate McMullan
This is a YA novel that retells the story of Helen of Troy from the viewpoint of Hades. He begins by letting the reader know that Helen wasn’t to blame. In fact, he personally blames Zeus. He decides to set the record straight and launches into the story. He starts with how Helen was born. She and her siblings hatched from blue eggs and she is the daughter of Zeus.
Hades spins the tale as he moves through Helen’s life. He gives information that is pertinent to her story. He expresses his concerns and his exasperations he has with Zeus. He is very entertaining in doing so. He divulges personal information all in the name of back story.
The book gives the young readers a humorous look at the myths of Greece and makes the gods and goddesses more relatable. In the book they attend weddings and parties, the birth of babies, competitions and wars. It is very easy to read with lots of modern phrases that a younger audience will understand. The reader relies on Hades to tell the story and does he ever. I’m quite sure he doesn’t leave anything out. I give this book a 4 out of 5.
This is a YA novel that retells the story of Helen of Troy from the viewpoint of Hades. He begins by letting the reader know that Helen wasn’t to blame. In fact, he personally blames Zeus. He decides to set the record straight and launches into the story. He starts with how Helen was born. She and her siblings hatched from blue eggs and she is the daughter of Zeus.
Hades spins the tale as he moves through Helen’s life. He gives information that is pertinent to her story. He expresses his concerns and his exasperations he has with Zeus. He is very entertaining in doing so. He divulges personal information all in the name of back story.
The book gives the young readers a humorous look at the myths of Greece and makes the gods and goddesses more relatable. In the book they attend weddings and parties, the birth of babies, competitions and wars. It is very easy to read with lots of modern phrases that a younger audience will understand. The reader relies on Hades to tell the story and does he ever. I’m quite sure he doesn’t leave anything out. I give this book a 4 out of 5.
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