Styx and Stones

by Gary D. Schmidt, Ron Koertge

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.

Genres: Middle Grade

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

Gary 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.

Reviews

[Flannery]

I will read this 100% because SCHMIDT, even if the premise wasn't exactly something I would expect to see from him, but whatever more Greek mythology.
I do see that this is another co-authored book with Ron Koertge, which makes me a little uneasy since I didn't love the last book with him as co-author as much as I love the purely Schmidt books. Maybe Hercules Beale was an end of an era. I hope not.
I really should not be judging this book too much seven months before it comes out, though.
We'll see.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I love Gary D Schmidt, but I wasn’t a huge fan of A Day at the Beach, his previous outing with Ron Koertge - it was lacking some of that typical Schmidt magic (and not just because there weren’t any Wednesday Wars cameos). I had much the same problem here - it feels like a pale imitation of Schmidt’s trademark humor and heart. It is also distractingly similar to the plot of Hadestown, with the brewing war in the underworld.

I confess that I have NEVER been a Percy Jackson person. I don’t really have anything against the series (and I like everything I know about Rick Riordon as a human - he seems like a good egg), but it has always been very firmly Not My Thing. I think it’s partly that I was too old when the books came out to have the sort of deep connection to them a lot of my younger colleagues seem to have. And I’ve just never been all that interested in mythology (I was strictly a Salem girlie). I have read countless book projects about Percy’s adventures over the years and while I definitely feel like I’ve read the books, I have never been motivated to give them a try. All of which is a long-winded way of saying that if this IS just a Percy Jackson rip-off, I will not be able to spot it! And finally, I feel like I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn’t read Katabasis recently. I realize it’s hard to compare a middle grade novel to an adult one, but that is what my stubborn brain kept doing. Given that Kuang’s book takes place entirely in Hell, it makes sense that her version is more fully realized than Schmidt’s. It’s not really fair to compare the two.

Anyway, Simon is a shade - he was killed in ancient Greece and has been trapped in the underworld for centuries. But since he never drank from the Lethe, he retained all of his memories and was ultimately able to break out back into the human world (in part by taming Cerberus, who really just wants to be told that he is a good dog). He appears, naked, in a middle school bathroom in the present day, where he meets Zeke. Zeke is a bit of an outsider, so he takes Simon under his wing, all the while not really believing the stories Simon tells him about where he came from and how he got there.

Meanwhile, a storm is brewing in the underworld. Hades doesn’t want the shades to know that it’s possible to escape (and Persephone is bored - Simon had become her favorite), so he’s contrived to bring Simon back to the underworld where he belongs.

I was worried this might be a series-starter, but it definitely feels like a standalone, which is a plus, but I do wish the plot had been fleshed out a bit more. I don’t know that we needed to keep revisiting Persephone and Hades - yes she’s technically also a teen in the “real world” apparently, but it felt weirdly like leaving the kids behind to check on the grownups. Persephone isn’t terribly well developed as a character, and it all just kind of felt like Hadestown fan fiction. I would have much rather just spent time with Simon and Zeke instead. Schmidt has always excelled at showcasing friendships and growing pains and all of that quintessential middle school angst. I wish Simon had just left the Underworld behind entirely and the story had been more about him finding his way in the present.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What worked:
Other books have characters leave mythological worlds to enter the human domain, but this book takes the time to describe Simon’s woes in Hades. Upon entering the underworld, he refuses to drink water that will make him forget everything he’s known, and that’s the smartest thing he does. However, Simon is tortured for more than 2,500 years by memories of his family and being alive, and he’s punished thousands of times for trying to escape. The author describes the suffocating atmosphere in Hades and the dreariness of existing among mindless shades. The only positive moments come from Persephone when she allows scholars to educate Simon about math, science, and philosophy.
Simon’s introduction to the modern world is rocky, as he appears naked in a middle-school bathroom. Coming from ancient Athens, he’s immediately angered to learn he’s now in the middle of a school full of their enemies, Spartans. Simon was murdered by a Spartan! Zeke, a seventh-grader, calms him down and tells others that Simon is his cousin from Las Vegas. Obviously, Simon is unaware of middle-school culture, and he misunderstands situations, speaking without foreseeing the consequences. Young readers will smile when a bully gives him the middle finger, and Simon happily returns the greeting. A teacher tries to explain a map of Hades, but Simon ends up drawing an entirely different layout based on his time down there. Simon’s knowledge, maturity, and compassion have positive effects on almost everyone he meets, although a pompous bully probably disagrees.
Simon’s effect on Hades is an expected, thought-provoking aspect of the plot. He holds onto hope for becoming alive again, and he displays a curious, kind disposition. Hades rules his realm with hatred, cruelty, and fear, so Simon’s personality is an annoyance. The other shades and characters don’t know what to do with his kindness, but it slowly becomes the key to his escape. The subtle changes that remain after he leaves cause Persephone to wonder what makes him so different. Simon’s civility and gentleness have lingering effects in the underworld that will make Hades even angrier and vengeful.
What didn’t work as well:
Hades is supposed to be for those who were evil during their lives, so readers will wonder why Simon ended up there. The answer is revealed late in the plot, but it doesn’t seem worthy of being banished to the underworld for eternity. Also, it’s strange that Zeke doesn’t initially question Simon’s sudden appearance at school, even though Simon isn’t wearing clothes and talks about living in Hades. Most middle-school boys would flee when faced by a nude stranger in the school bathroom.
The final verdict:
The book may be more than readers expect. The threat of Hades underlies the whole story, but Simon’s gentle demeanor is the highlight of the book. I recommend you give this book a shot!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are introduced to Simon when he enders hades, having been killed by Spartans. Like all the newly dead, he is expected to drink from the river to forget everything, but he does not. He wants to remember, and he wants to go back to the world above.

And he does, otherwise this book wouldn’t have had much to it, except depression and torture.

And so Simon appears in the boys bathroom, naked, and alive, where Zeke finds him. He thinks he must be on drugs, to be in that state, and befriends him, makes up a story about him, that is plausible, and gets him into his private school, where he amazes the classical literature teacher by know the make up of Hades, and all the classic Greek philosophers.

Meanwhile, Hades is upset that he has escaped, and Persephonie misses him because he was so sweet, and kind.

So, for the rest of the story, we know that Simon will probably be dragged back to Hades, and that hangs over everything that happens.

And like any good middle grade book, this book is about friendship and how Zeke tries to be the best friend he can be to Simon.

I really enjoyed this story, though I have forgotten much of my Greek mythology, the book makes it very clear what was going on, by use of context. I liked how the teacher saw that Simon was in pain, and chose to talk to him about it, and relate from his own experience. Usually with books like this, the adults are left out.

All the stars. It helps that the author is a twice Newberry honoree. Makes me wonder about his other books.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 4th of May 2026.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Styx and Stones (Kindle Edition)
by Gary D. Schmidt
A new twist on the greek stories. The crossing of the rivers of Hades, and the power of the gods is brought into the modern story that allows that if a spirit does not read from the River Lethe. The contact with modern schools and people shows the vast difference in ideals. I think this book would be a good choice for sixth graders as the look into the original tales, and begin writing their own stories.