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Styx and Stones
Percy Jackson meets The Labors of Hercules Beal in this hilarious, page-turning fantasy adventure with a heart of gold from two award-winning authors.
Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.
With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?
From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.
Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.
With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?
From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2026
About the author
Gary D. Schmidt
84 books2,278 followersGary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
Did Not Finish
April 13, 2026Read: April 1st - April 13th
Format: E-Book
Rating: No rating, DNF-ed at 40%
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
First off, I have no idea who this book is for. It's marketed as Middle Grade, but there's random mentions of weed and more curses than you'd expect at a book that is targeted at 8-12 year olds...
But it also tries to be as in-depth as a young children's book by explaining itself very minimally. Why in the world is this kid from very-early Athens understanding English perfectly? And why is everyone just cool with "random kid who had travel issues but has no parents or information on him anywhere"??? Like, yeah, sure, I guess middle grade logic, but even this is pushing it, especially when the kids are apparently in high school???
I thought the idea of a young, determined kid escaping the underworld with all his experience of the place over the centuries + suddenly seeing modern times would be interesting... But I am just forcing myself to ignore oddities every page.
Maybe this book will hit for others, but for me, just too many what-the-heck things that I do not have the desire to deal with.
Format: E-Book
Rating: No rating, DNF-ed at 40%
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
First off, I have no idea who this book is for. It's marketed as Middle Grade, but there's random mentions of weed and more curses than you'd expect at a book that is targeted at 8-12 year olds...
But it also tries to be as in-depth as a young children's book by explaining itself very minimally. Why in the world is this kid from very-early Athens understanding English perfectly? And why is everyone just cool with "random kid who had travel issues but has no parents or information on him anywhere"??? Like, yeah, sure, I guess middle grade logic, but even this is pushing it, especially when the kids are apparently in high school???
I thought the idea of a young, determined kid escaping the underworld with all his experience of the place over the centuries + suddenly seeing modern times would be interesting... But I am just forcing myself to ignore oddities every page.
Maybe this book will hit for others, but for me, just too many what-the-heck things that I do not have the desire to deal with.
Read
June 27, 2026This wasn't as good as some of his other books, but still a great read-aloud
April 23, 2026
Styx and Stones is an engaging and imaginative novel that blends mythology with a modern-day setting in a way that feels fresh and accessible. One of its strongest elements is how it brings the underworld to life, weaving in familiar figures like Cerberus, Persephone, and other gods. These mythological details add depth and intrigue, especially for readers who enjoy connections to ancient stories.
I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the underworld and the present day. Watching the main character navigate our world and learn how it works led to some entertaining and thoughtful moments. This fish-out-of-water experience makes the story both fun and relatable.
Overall, this is a solid 4-star read. Its mix of mythology and contemporary life makes it appealing to younger audiences, and it would be a great addition to a Grade 4 classroom. The themes and mythological references tie in well with the Ontario social studies curriculum, offering both entertainment and educational value.
I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the underworld and the present day. Watching the main character navigate our world and learn how it works led to some entertaining and thoughtful moments. This fish-out-of-water experience makes the story both fun and relatable.
Overall, this is a solid 4-star read. Its mix of mythology and contemporary life makes it appealing to younger audiences, and it would be a great addition to a Grade 4 classroom. The themes and mythological references tie in well with the Ontario social studies curriculum, offering both entertainment and educational value.
February 10, 2026
Glitch in the system and I lost my review that had been the top review of this book, despite me having not read it. (sad. I hate it when goodreads kicks books off my shelves for no reason)
Anyway, I needed to retract something anyway.
In my last review I mentioned being a little apprehensive because I didn't like the other book cowritten with Ron Koertge as much as I had liked the other Gary D. Schmidt books I had read, which is still valid. But I also said something about hoping Hercules Beale wasn't an "end of an era."
Which I retract. Because, according to Schmidt, Hercules Beale (or, more accurately, Jupiter Rising) was meant to be the end of an era.
I was listening to this podcast where he talks about Hercules Beale and he was talking about how the books he's written over the past fifteen or so years (probably all the ones I think of as the Wednesday Wars-verse: Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, Lizzie Bright, Orbiting Jupiter, Just Like That, Carter Jones, Jupiter Rising, and Hercules Beale) were him working through his own grief, and Hercules Beale is about coming to a point where what you have found outweighs what you have lost, which I think is just beautiful. So, yeah, it may be an end of an era, and I may not wind up liking this one quite as much. But we'll see.
(I'm really hoping he actually winds up publishing that adult novel he was talking about on the same podcast).
Post-read:
Ok, so it was good. I liked all the mythology and literature references that I was able to get and it was a solid story.
It just wasn't...I don't know...Schmidt.
(my only mythology nitpick was that Ovid's Metamorphoses was referred to as Metamorphosis-singular-when it should really be plural. Singular is the story about the guy who turns into a bug)
(also I thought it should be clarified why Mother Teresa didn't stay in Elysium for long. Was it that she went to a further heaven or something? but if so, why is Augustine still just in the underworld?)
Anyway, I needed to retract something anyway.
In my last review I mentioned being a little apprehensive because I didn't like the other book cowritten with Ron Koertge as much as I had liked the other Gary D. Schmidt books I had read, which is still valid. But I also said something about hoping Hercules Beale wasn't an "end of an era."
Which I retract. Because, according to Schmidt, Hercules Beale (or, more accurately, Jupiter Rising) was meant to be the end of an era.
I was listening to this podcast where he talks about Hercules Beale and he was talking about how the books he's written over the past fifteen or so years (probably all the ones I think of as the Wednesday Wars-verse: Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, Lizzie Bright, Orbiting Jupiter, Just Like That, Carter Jones, Jupiter Rising, and Hercules Beale) were him working through his own grief, and Hercules Beale is about coming to a point where what you have found outweighs what you have lost, which I think is just beautiful. So, yeah, it may be an end of an era, and I may not wind up liking this one quite as much. But we'll see.
(I'm really hoping he actually winds up publishing that adult novel he was talking about on the same podcast).
Post-read:
Ok, so it was good. I liked all the mythology and literature references that I was able to get and it was a solid story.
It just wasn't...I don't know...Schmidt.
(my only mythology nitpick was that Ovid's Metamorphoses was referred to as Metamorphosis-singular-when it should really be plural. Singular is the story about the guy who turns into a bug)
(also I thought it should be clarified why Mother Teresa didn't stay in Elysium for long. Was it that she went to a further heaven or something? but if so, why is Augustine still just in the underworld?)
August 24, 2026
I didn't expect this to be a GARY D Gary D Schmidt book, because of the different genre and the fact that it was cowritten, and it wasn't; but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It isn't like Gary D Schmidt's other books, but I could still tell it was him. He has such a great way of subtley getting across points and themes and mixing humour with seriousness and I found that he did the same thing even in a different genre!
June 7, 2026
What the heck did I just read? While reading, I literally stopped to check TWICE that this was the same Gary D. Schmidt that wrote The Wednesday Wars. How could the same guy write one of the best books I’ve ever read and one of the worst books I’ve ever read?
June 4, 2026
Let's get one thing from the beginning: If Gary Schmidt has no haters, I am dead. I didn't think it could get WORSE than The Labors of Hercules Beal and somehow...that has become the case. So if you love this book, this isn't going to be the review for you. This is going to lay out all of the (many) problems with this book. There will be MAJOR spoilers going forward.
Another thing to get out of the way: I'm extra mad about this because the authors are a 2-time PEN award winner and a finalist for the National Book Award, as well as a 2-time Newbery Honor winner and a Printz honor winner. They are both HIGHLY decorated and the book is lazy as hell. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
So let's talk about Simon. Ostensibly, he is the main character. But he's not really. The main character is Zeke, a modern-day kid who has no powers and very little earned growth. Simon is a Mary Sue that acts as the catalyst for everything else, but he does NOTHING. He escapes from the Underworld and despite NOT being there anymore and there not being any evidence of him interacting with normal shades who aren't extremely famous people, he's inspired an uprising? Shades we've never seen him interact with are chanting his name and defying gods and suddenly remembering things? Why? Unexplained. The book says "everything could be different because he was who he was, because he had been kind to everyone and everything." But we only see him interact with Persephone, who he's serving as a shade, Cerberus, who isn't a person, and Diogenes very briefly. This is nonsense.
And while we're in the underworld, let's clear up another thing these two authors don't understand despite writing a book "based on Greek mythology": Hades =/= Hell. Hell is hot and full of fire and demons. Hades, the place, is typically depicted as being cold, dark and dreary. There are FIVE rivers running through it. If it was that hot, the water would evaporate. Makes no sense. The book is riddled with references to hell and demons and fire. That isn't accurate to myth. Hades, the god, is also not myth accurate. I understand they need to have a conflict to overcome, but traditionally, Hades is the fairest of the gods. He's the one most willing to make a deal and honor said deals. That isn't to say he doesn't have flaws, but his flaws don't usually involve him behaving like a tyrant throwing a tantrum. That's Zeus and Hera. Additionally, they go out of their way to fat-shame Hades multiple times and it does nothing for the plot. He's the only plus-size character in the book and we don't see him eat. Meanwhile, Persephone mentions how much she enjoys eating pomegranate seeds with oil, sea salt and caramel on at least four separate occasions.
But getting back to our "main character" who does nothing. Here are just some of the egregious issues with him and this book:
-Persephone notes multiple times how "handsome" and "pleasing to look at" this 12-yo child is. It's weird, but given we have two male authors who do not know how to write female characters, I get how it got in here.
-He doesn't know how things work until they need him to understand how things work for the plot, then he knows immediately. He can speak French, knows about electricity, knows instinctively how to dance, and picks up pickleball within an hour (seriously), but doesn't know about phones or how a toilet works (which serves to make a stupid joke about him trying to drink the water).
-The authors try to force a "bonding moment" with him and Zeke because they both have dead brothers, but Simon says he was "too cowardly to save them" and it's played like this is something he's overcome now. He's never put in a position to stand up to authority because he's a plot device. The ending proves this, but I will talk about that in a minute.
-He is in the modern world for two weeks. This is important to note because within ONE week, we have the teacher character, Mr. Salvalas, telling him he's "the brightest student I've ever had." Absolute insanity.
-Simon is never allowed to be anything less than perfect at everything, but the lowest of low points is him throwing a frisbee at a pool party so far that (verbatim) "someone started to clap. And then everybody clapped. And whooped." Really? And then everybody clapped for a FRISBEE?
But the biggest and most glaring issue with Simon is that they named him Simon of Lacedaemon. The book says this makes Simon Athenian and it's why he initially freaks out at Zeke because the school's mascot is a Spartan. I know a little bit about Greek myth, but not how to pronounce that name, so I went looking for it. And that is how I ended up writing an email to the publisher because two highly decorated authors and I'm assuming at least one editor at a major publishing house missed that Lacedaemon *is the official name for the city-state of Sparta*. Seriously. So this child is a Spartan who is afraid of other Spartans, a fact which will come up MULTIPLE times, because the authors were too lazy to do a bare minimum of research before picking a town name for their book. It's actually upsetting at this point.
To add to the laziness of the writing beyond "Mary Sue who does nothing", they try to force the "both boys have dead brothers, so they can relate" aspect and when Simon asks what happened to Zeke's brother, he says "Ethan just...died one day...Like that...There's a medical name for it. It happens to kids mostly." Convenient death is convenient. "There's a medical name for it" that we're not going to tell you because we couldn't be bothered to look it up! We couldn't even be bothered to come up with a reason why this kid died. Also, we've told you exactly two things about him: he can read and he makes extremely precise paper airplanes, but "no one at school knows" that Zeke has a dead sibling. How? There's no way he wouldn't have been in school, in which case, SOMEONE must know and remember. I haven't been in high school in 16 years, but I remember one of my classmates had a sister who died tragically while we were in school. Absolute nonsense.
Let's talk about the female rep. We've got:
-Persephone, who does nothing but boss people around and eat pomegranate seeds until Simon leaves and then she's super upset this ONE shade out of millions is gone and starts reflecting on her marriage? And calls all of her girlfriends "silly" because only boys can get unearned credit for things they didn't do. Women don't do things.
-Zoe, who is implied to be a gold digger at one point before she clears that up.
-Gemma, who is only there for one chapter so Simon can info dump about Artemis to a girl who, in this day and age, likely has read Percy Jackson and therefore would know who she is, but needs to be dumb as a rock so he can tell her the story. She then is inspired to get in a pool after talking to Simon, which is explained as "she was previously worried boys only talked to her because she 'developed fast' [read: has big boobs] but SIMON talked to her, so she's good now."
-Lucinda, the girl who likes Simon cause "he's different" and tells us at the end of the book that he's "inspired her" to "not [watch] TikTok for six hours. Not [call] up Harper and [gossip] about someone in class. Not [let] Rowan copy my papers anymore. Not [buy] a sweater so someone would see me in it and then [take] it back." Reader, this is the sole time in the entire book TikTok is mentioned and Harper only comes up one other time, the page before, in which Lucinda mentions some gossip about a classmate of theirs. So 1.) no, he hasn't inspired her to change because she was literally doing the thing A PAGE AGO and 2.) This is some lazy moralizing if I ever saw it.
-Mia, Zoe's older sister, who drives them places
In short, all women are in love with Simon and/or silly and don't need to be anything more than cookie cutters. Got it. To be fair, all of the characters are cookie cutter, but the girls get shoved aside in a particularly awful fashion. There's a lack of care.
Some other gripes before I wrap this up:
-Zeke's parents avoid him because of his dead brother and that is never addressed or resolved.
-A shade who has never interacted with Simon begs Persephone to return him to hell because (and I quote) "Simon is like our sun." Why? We're told retrospectively that he "hugs" the others (something this shade could do). This particular shade has also let us know that being in the underworld is a special kind of torment and she's begging a goddess to bring a child back to hell for her own benefit when, again, she is more than capable of being the change she thinks Simon was.
-Mr. Salvalas overshares about his dead wife with a student and later is getting daily teas after school with a different student. Immediate firing. He is way overstepping professional boundaries.
-The book sets up like Simon is going to have to be brave and fight Hades. Instead, Cerberus jumps over the rivers and runs off with a whole Olympian god in his mouth so the conflict is over and Simon doesn't have to fight. God forbid he DO something in this book.
-A minor demon character performs at a battle of the bands in a necklace that is described as having a "doll around her neck hanging from a makeshift noose." Absolutely unacceptable, especially from two white men in this current climate. It was unnecessary imagery.
Last few notes:
-I complained about the amount of repetition in Schmidt's last book. This isn't any better. It's a habit he continues to abuse.
-Everyone complained about the buddha reference (in a book about Greek gods...which I find hypocritical. Why is one appropriate and the other isn't?) and the "mature themes", but I haven't seen anyone clock "You're a real knob", which was wild. Also seen some reviews that mention "weed" references, and I think they're referring to one time where Zeke tells Simon he "smells like smoke". This is a brimstone scent, not weed.
-Persephone fights with Hades and says he "kidnapped her" while appealing to Zeus' authority. Except in the myth, Hades asks Zeus for his blessing and Zeus TELLS HIM to kidnap her. Zeus is also waaaaaaaaaay worse in his dealings with women than Hades is. Someone saw Hadestown and wanted to copy their dynamic without establishing the decades of time and how Hades has changed since they were married.
In conclusion, the plot is garbage. The main character does nothing. None of the minimal growth is earned by the characters. And the one author has learned nothing and done zero research since his last book on this topic. I cannot believe there are people arguing this should win a Newbery on its merits. I have to believe you have as little respect for child readers as these authors do. It would be no stars if I could give them.
Another thing to get out of the way: I'm extra mad about this because the authors are a 2-time PEN award winner and a finalist for the National Book Award, as well as a 2-time Newbery Honor winner and a Printz honor winner. They are both HIGHLY decorated and the book is lazy as hell. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
So let's talk about Simon. Ostensibly, he is the main character. But he's not really. The main character is Zeke, a modern-day kid who has no powers and very little earned growth. Simon is a Mary Sue that acts as the catalyst for everything else, but he does NOTHING. He escapes from the Underworld and despite NOT being there anymore and there not being any evidence of him interacting with normal shades who aren't extremely famous people, he's inspired an uprising? Shades we've never seen him interact with are chanting his name and defying gods and suddenly remembering things? Why? Unexplained. The book says "everything could be different because he was who he was, because he had been kind to everyone and everything." But we only see him interact with Persephone, who he's serving as a shade, Cerberus, who isn't a person, and Diogenes very briefly. This is nonsense.
And while we're in the underworld, let's clear up another thing these two authors don't understand despite writing a book "based on Greek mythology": Hades =/= Hell. Hell is hot and full of fire and demons. Hades, the place, is typically depicted as being cold, dark and dreary. There are FIVE rivers running through it. If it was that hot, the water would evaporate. Makes no sense. The book is riddled with references to hell and demons and fire. That isn't accurate to myth. Hades, the god, is also not myth accurate. I understand they need to have a conflict to overcome, but traditionally, Hades is the fairest of the gods. He's the one most willing to make a deal and honor said deals. That isn't to say he doesn't have flaws, but his flaws don't usually involve him behaving like a tyrant throwing a tantrum. That's Zeus and Hera. Additionally, they go out of their way to fat-shame Hades multiple times and it does nothing for the plot. He's the only plus-size character in the book and we don't see him eat. Meanwhile, Persephone mentions how much she enjoys eating pomegranate seeds with oil, sea salt and caramel on at least four separate occasions.
But getting back to our "main character" who does nothing. Here are just some of the egregious issues with him and this book:
-Persephone notes multiple times how "handsome" and "pleasing to look at" this 12-yo child is. It's weird, but given we have two male authors who do not know how to write female characters, I get how it got in here.
-He doesn't know how things work until they need him to understand how things work for the plot, then he knows immediately. He can speak French, knows about electricity, knows instinctively how to dance, and picks up pickleball within an hour (seriously), but doesn't know about phones or how a toilet works (which serves to make a stupid joke about him trying to drink the water).
-The authors try to force a "bonding moment" with him and Zeke because they both have dead brothers, but Simon says he was "too cowardly to save them" and it's played like this is something he's overcome now. He's never put in a position to stand up to authority because he's a plot device. The ending proves this, but I will talk about that in a minute.
-He is in the modern world for two weeks. This is important to note because within ONE week, we have the teacher character, Mr. Salvalas, telling him he's "the brightest student I've ever had." Absolute insanity.
-Simon is never allowed to be anything less than perfect at everything, but the lowest of low points is him throwing a frisbee at a pool party so far that (verbatim) "someone started to clap. And then everybody clapped. And whooped." Really? And then everybody clapped for a FRISBEE?
But the biggest and most glaring issue with Simon is that they named him Simon of Lacedaemon. The book says this makes Simon Athenian and it's why he initially freaks out at Zeke because the school's mascot is a Spartan. I know a little bit about Greek myth, but not how to pronounce that name, so I went looking for it. And that is how I ended up writing an email to the publisher because two highly decorated authors and I'm assuming at least one editor at a major publishing house missed that Lacedaemon *is the official name for the city-state of Sparta*. Seriously. So this child is a Spartan who is afraid of other Spartans, a fact which will come up MULTIPLE times, because the authors were too lazy to do a bare minimum of research before picking a town name for their book. It's actually upsetting at this point.
To add to the laziness of the writing beyond "Mary Sue who does nothing", they try to force the "both boys have dead brothers, so they can relate" aspect and when Simon asks what happened to Zeke's brother, he says "Ethan just...died one day...Like that...There's a medical name for it. It happens to kids mostly." Convenient death is convenient. "There's a medical name for it" that we're not going to tell you because we couldn't be bothered to look it up! We couldn't even be bothered to come up with a reason why this kid died. Also, we've told you exactly two things about him: he can read and he makes extremely precise paper airplanes, but "no one at school knows" that Zeke has a dead sibling. How? There's no way he wouldn't have been in school, in which case, SOMEONE must know and remember. I haven't been in high school in 16 years, but I remember one of my classmates had a sister who died tragically while we were in school. Absolute nonsense.
Let's talk about the female rep. We've got:
-Persephone, who does nothing but boss people around and eat pomegranate seeds until Simon leaves and then she's super upset this ONE shade out of millions is gone and starts reflecting on her marriage? And calls all of her girlfriends "silly" because only boys can get unearned credit for things they didn't do. Women don't do things.
-Zoe, who is implied to be a gold digger at one point before she clears that up.
-Gemma, who is only there for one chapter so Simon can info dump about Artemis to a girl who, in this day and age, likely has read Percy Jackson and therefore would know who she is, but needs to be dumb as a rock so he can tell her the story. She then is inspired to get in a pool after talking to Simon, which is explained as "she was previously worried boys only talked to her because she 'developed fast' [read: has big boobs] but SIMON talked to her, so she's good now."
-Lucinda, the girl who likes Simon cause "he's different" and tells us at the end of the book that he's "inspired her" to "not [watch] TikTok for six hours. Not [call] up Harper and [gossip] about someone in class. Not [let] Rowan copy my papers anymore. Not [buy] a sweater so someone would see me in it and then [take] it back." Reader, this is the sole time in the entire book TikTok is mentioned and Harper only comes up one other time, the page before, in which Lucinda mentions some gossip about a classmate of theirs. So 1.) no, he hasn't inspired her to change because she was literally doing the thing A PAGE AGO and 2.) This is some lazy moralizing if I ever saw it.
-Mia, Zoe's older sister, who drives them places
In short, all women are in love with Simon and/or silly and don't need to be anything more than cookie cutters. Got it. To be fair, all of the characters are cookie cutter, but the girls get shoved aside in a particularly awful fashion. There's a lack of care.
Some other gripes before I wrap this up:
-Zeke's parents avoid him because of his dead brother and that is never addressed or resolved.
-A shade who has never interacted with Simon begs Persephone to return him to hell because (and I quote) "Simon is like our sun." Why? We're told retrospectively that he "hugs" the others (something this shade could do). This particular shade has also let us know that being in the underworld is a special kind of torment and she's begging a goddess to bring a child back to hell for her own benefit when, again, she is more than capable of being the change she thinks Simon was.
-Mr. Salvalas overshares about his dead wife with a student and later is getting daily teas after school with a different student. Immediate firing. He is way overstepping professional boundaries.
-The book sets up like Simon is going to have to be brave and fight Hades. Instead, Cerberus jumps over the rivers and runs off with a whole Olympian god in his mouth so the conflict is over and Simon doesn't have to fight. God forbid he DO something in this book.
-A minor demon character performs at a battle of the bands in a necklace that is described as having a "doll around her neck hanging from a makeshift noose." Absolutely unacceptable, especially from two white men in this current climate. It was unnecessary imagery.
Last few notes:
-I complained about the amount of repetition in Schmidt's last book. This isn't any better. It's a habit he continues to abuse.
-Everyone complained about the buddha reference (in a book about Greek gods...which I find hypocritical. Why is one appropriate and the other isn't?) and the "mature themes", but I haven't seen anyone clock "You're a real knob", which was wild. Also seen some reviews that mention "weed" references, and I think they're referring to one time where Zeke tells Simon he "smells like smoke". This is a brimstone scent, not weed.
-Persephone fights with Hades and says he "kidnapped her" while appealing to Zeus' authority. Except in the myth, Hades asks Zeus for his blessing and Zeus TELLS HIM to kidnap her. Zeus is also waaaaaaaaaay worse in his dealings with women than Hades is. Someone saw Hadestown and wanted to copy their dynamic without establishing the decades of time and how Hades has changed since they were married.
In conclusion, the plot is garbage. The main character does nothing. None of the minimal growth is earned by the characters. And the one author has learned nothing and done zero research since his last book on this topic. I cannot believe there are people arguing this should win a Newbery on its merits. I have to believe you have as little respect for child readers as these authors do. It would be no stars if I could give them.
April 28, 2026
Thank you to Werner Books & Coffee for allowing me to read and review this ARC!
———
STYX AND STONES is a refreshing, easy-to-follow story for young readers interested in Greek mythology. Although young Simon of Lacedaemon has been dead for over 2,000 years, his determination to return to the world of the living holds strong. He is a kind, likable character, though he is riddled with guilt surrounding his untimely death. However, he proves to be a beacon of hope to all others who come to know him, especially the shades he’s left behind in the Underworld and Queen Persephone.
The book provides an interesting blend of mythology and modern living, throwing Simon right into the at-times humorous throes of middle school. In doing so, it highlights both the good and bad of this experience: impactful teachers, life lessons, crushes, and of course, bullies.
Its portrayals of Hades and Persephone were especially interesting to me, as I feel I’ve seen many adaptations where they’re the Power Couple of Olympus. Here, we are reminded of the fact that before she was a queen, Persephone was first and foremost a prisoner, and she despises her downright evil husband.
My criticisms: While we are given multiple POVs for this story, I did not care for Evelyn, Hades’ demon emissary, or her motivations at all. She was wicked without any real substance, and we never even learn if she got what she desired in the end. I was also shocked by the book’s casual mentioning of weed and some cursing. I guess it’s authentic for the modern day middle school experience (sadly), but still a shock to see. Also, why weren’t the adults more alarmed by this random kid showing up, naked, with nothing to confirm his existence?
Overall, I think this book will be enjoyable for young readers interested in Greek mythology. It emphasizes the importance of friendship, building one’s self-esteem, and fighting for what you believe in.
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STYX AND STONES is a refreshing, easy-to-follow story for young readers interested in Greek mythology. Although young Simon of Lacedaemon has been dead for over 2,000 years, his determination to return to the world of the living holds strong. He is a kind, likable character, though he is riddled with guilt surrounding his untimely death. However, he proves to be a beacon of hope to all others who come to know him, especially the shades he’s left behind in the Underworld and Queen Persephone.
The book provides an interesting blend of mythology and modern living, throwing Simon right into the at-times humorous throes of middle school. In doing so, it highlights both the good and bad of this experience: impactful teachers, life lessons, crushes, and of course, bullies.
Its portrayals of Hades and Persephone were especially interesting to me, as I feel I’ve seen many adaptations where they’re the Power Couple of Olympus. Here, we are reminded of the fact that before she was a queen, Persephone was first and foremost a prisoner, and she despises her downright evil husband.
My criticisms: While we are given multiple POVs for this story, I did not care for Evelyn, Hades’ demon emissary, or her motivations at all. She was wicked without any real substance, and we never even learn if she got what she desired in the end. I was also shocked by the book’s casual mentioning of weed and some cursing. I guess it’s authentic for the modern day middle school experience (sadly), but still a shock to see. Also, why weren’t the adults more alarmed by this random kid showing up, naked, with nothing to confirm his existence?
Overall, I think this book will be enjoyable for young readers interested in Greek mythology. It emphasizes the importance of friendship, building one’s self-esteem, and fighting for what you believe in.
August 28, 2026
I said at the start of reading this book: "Read 2 Gary Schmidt books, read them all. Each one is like Wednesday Wars or Trouble, or a combination of them." In other words, they're fun and heartfelt but also a bit formulaic. Oddly enough, this book actually escapes many (but certainly not all) of the Schmidt cliches.
The book is at its strongest where it focuses on the underworld. It feels fresh, new for Schmidt and even for contemporary retellings of Greek myths. The idea of how just one life (filled with simple acts of kindness) can make a huge difference is just so beautiful.
The middle school plotline feels a lot more familiar, but even it has enough emotional weight to keep the reader invested. There's a perfect quote near the end that I'll be thinking about for a while.
Plenty of other reviewers have pointed out very real problems with this book (and some not very real "problems"), but on the whole it affected me in a way Schmidt books haven't in a while, so I think it's great.
The book is at its strongest where it focuses on the underworld. It feels fresh, new for Schmidt and even for contemporary retellings of Greek myths. The idea of how just one life (filled with simple acts of kindness) can make a huge difference is just so beautiful.
The middle school plotline feels a lot more familiar, but even it has enough emotional weight to keep the reader invested. There's a perfect quote near the end that I'll be thinking about for a while.
Plenty of other reviewers have pointed out very real problems with this book (and some not very real "problems"), but on the whole it affected me in a way Schmidt books haven't in a while, so I think it's great.
July 16, 2026
Simon has been dead for well over two mellennia and trapped in Hades. Once he can figure out how to get past Cerberus, Simon plans to go back had have normal life.
May 30, 2026
It was alright.
The story itself was very sweet and I liked it in the end, but there are certain things that I expect to see when I read a Gary Schmidt book that weren’t there which was a little disappointing. Another way to say that is that this book didn’t really meet my expectations, but I also say that knowing that my expectations were extremely high.
I enjoyed reading it, but I probably won’t reach for it again soon
The story itself was very sweet and I liked it in the end, but there are certain things that I expect to see when I read a Gary Schmidt book that weren’t there which was a little disappointing. Another way to say that is that this book didn’t really meet my expectations, but I also say that knowing that my expectations were extremely high.
I enjoyed reading it, but I probably won’t reach for it again soon
June 8, 2026
The blurb reads: Percy Jackson meets The Labors of Hercules Beal in this hilarious, page-turning fantasy adventure with a heart of gold from two award-winning authors.
Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.
With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?
From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.
This book may or may not have brought me to tears. It took me a while to get around to reading this, just due to how full my TBR was, but I truly do regret not getting to it sooner. First up, I will say that I wouldn't recommend this book to every middle-grader. There is definitely harsher language, one instance of an adult swearing, and other stuff. However, there is a saying that "art is meant to disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed" and this book reminded me very much of that. At its heart, it is full of wit and humor and kindness and understanding, and I think a lot of things in this novel are things that middle-grade readers today will relate to. Simon is a wonderful character, strange as he might seem to the other characters in this novel, and I absolutely love his friendship with Zeke! Zeke is also a brilliant character and I felt so much for him. I also really loved seeing the chapters from Persephone's POV that you get (often you don't see a lot of chapters from an adult's POV in middle-grade, which does make sense, but it works brilliantly here) and the way the Underworld was described! It's somewhat similar to Percy Jackson, but so very different in a lot of ways, and I loved how the Greek mythology aspect was woven in! A few parts of the novel felt a tad clunky at times (such some character relationships and the climax), but overall, it is a beautiful novel that I loved reading!! Five out of five stars from me!
Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.
With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?
From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.
This book may or may not have brought me to tears. It took me a while to get around to reading this, just due to how full my TBR was, but I truly do regret not getting to it sooner. First up, I will say that I wouldn't recommend this book to every middle-grader. There is definitely harsher language, one instance of an adult swearing, and other stuff. However, there is a saying that "art is meant to disturb the comforted and comfort the disturbed" and this book reminded me very much of that. At its heart, it is full of wit and humor and kindness and understanding, and I think a lot of things in this novel are things that middle-grade readers today will relate to. Simon is a wonderful character, strange as he might seem to the other characters in this novel, and I absolutely love his friendship with Zeke! Zeke is also a brilliant character and I felt so much for him. I also really loved seeing the chapters from Persephone's POV that you get (often you don't see a lot of chapters from an adult's POV in middle-grade, which does make sense, but it works brilliantly here) and the way the Underworld was described! It's somewhat similar to Percy Jackson, but so very different in a lot of ways, and I loved how the Greek mythology aspect was woven in! A few parts of the novel felt a tad clunky at times (such some character relationships and the climax), but overall, it is a beautiful novel that I loved reading!! Five out of five stars from me!
June 16, 2026
It could have been so much better. I miss Gary Schmidt’s other style of writing. There was a lot of language for a middle school book. If the authors deepened the characters, make the pacing be less fast and weird, took out all the language, it probably could have been really good. Honestly pretty disappointed.
There were some points that I just knew where Gary, and others where it was so far from it.
There were some points that I just knew where Gary, and others where it was so far from it.
October 12, 2026
Somehow too modern (mentions of TikTok, Ubers, and matcha) and too outdated (bullies shoving kids into trashcans) at the same time.
Plot holes aplenty.
Plot holes aplenty.
September 30, 2026
3 1/2
Really fun!
It somewhat loses the subtlety of other Schmidt stories and is quite on the nose at times, but still has that delightful subtle humor/wit and thoughtful poignancy.
A much quicker/easier/not-as-heavy read as his other works.
Really fun!
It somewhat loses the subtlety of other Schmidt stories and is quite on the nose at times, but still has that delightful subtle humor/wit and thoughtful poignancy.
A much quicker/easier/not-as-heavy read as his other works.
July 15, 2026
I originally thought this would be a good book to recommend for my 6th graders during our mythology unit but I was less than impressed. Maybe some of my students will still like it but it felt there was a lot missing. The beginning was very slow with a lot of build up and then everything happened so fast at the end.
Did Not Finish
September 24, 2026I have loved most of the Gary Schmidt books I've read, but this one did not hold my interest once Simon got out of the underworld. It didn't make sense to me that Zeke would take full responsibility for Simon. How is Simon absorbed into Zeke's world so easily? Why did he go from the underworld to an American school bathroom in the first place? I gave up reading at the pool party where Simon is like a wise old man dispensing advice and dropping knowledge on middle schoolers like Yoda or Mr. Miyagi. He is actually thousands of years old in the body of an adolescent, which could be funny, but just wasn't. (If you've ever read The Fourteenth Goldfish, you know an old man in the body of a teenager can be very funny.)
August 24, 2026
After suffering in the Underworld for over 2,000 years, Simon escapes Hades and suddenly appears in a middle school bathroom. He meets Zeke, a nerdy outcast, and the two become friends. This story was both touchy and hilarious. Everyone at school is amazed at Simon's extensive knowledge of Greek Mythology, especially his English teacher. I think kids will relate to the cast of middle school characters and will enjoy the mythology theme in a modern day world.
August 3, 2026
Ehhhhh. It was mid. The message behind the book is well-intended and good, like being grateful to be alive, being kind, power of friendship, etc. Unfortunately, it was rather lacking in other aspects. Aside from Persephone, and maybe Zeke, there wasn’t really any character development. The character relationships, the world building, and overall plot were underdeveloped and rather rushed.
May 22, 2026
If you’ve seen the movie “Michael”, you’ve basically read the book Styx and Stones. I really liked it, but was hoping for a stronger ending (what I wanted to see instead I don’t know but I expected more bang than it delivered).
May 24, 2026
If you like Percy Jackson or Greek mythology in any way, this is the book for you! I really loved the mix of mythology and present day. Zeke and Simon are great characters and you will love them instantly!
September 8, 2026
I'm surprised by how much background knowledge the authors expect. Tough to get into if you don't remember quite a lot about ancient greece and Olympia. My 12yo couldn't get into this one and asked to quit reading after 4 chapters.
Read
May 23, 2026Not what I was expecting after The Labors of Hercules Beale.
June 9, 2026
Definitely not a typical Gary Schmidt book, but his tone and voice was still evident and I enjoyed reading it
July 14, 2026
I'm really excited to read this with my boys. Mythology brought to Jr. High was fantastic.
Content: disappointed that there was a little language in it-shouldn't be any in middle grade fiction
Content: disappointed that there was a little language in it-shouldn't be any in middle grade fiction
August 21, 2026
A teen from the underworld finds himself in a modern day high school and is rescued by an unlikely hero. Greek mythology meets high school underdog. Schmidt makes it work. One of my favorites of the year.
September 17, 2026
3.5
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Decent story, but not enough depth.
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Decent story, but not enough depth.
Did Not Finish
September 21, 2026I am a huge GDS fan. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I'm not finishing this one. The whole feel was off for me.
July 27, 2026
This was such a great short book. 13-year-old Simon has spent the last 2000 years in Hades after his family is slaughtered by Spartans when he manages to escape and winds up naked in a 7th grade modern school bathroom stall. He is rescued by a student who is trying to escape from his bullies, and an unlikely friendship forms. Simon learns to navigate a modern middle school while trying to avoid being recaptured by a furious Hades. Sounds ridiculous, right? But woven between the mythological characters and some stereotypical middle schoolers are Schmidt's trademark moments of insight, brokenness, and healing. I really enjoyed this. Sweet and funny and smart.
June 7, 2026
Though an interesting idea, the world building was poor, leaving the story confusing, not to mention the depressing and unsastisfactory ending.
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