Book Review: The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle

By Rick Riordan

5 Stars 

Apollo, who is the god of the sun, music, poetry, and much more, is now stuck in a weak human body. He has to survive monsters, lots of humiliation, and quests while learning what it actually means to care about mortals and all of their struggles. He teams up with Meg McCaffrey, who is a powerful and secretive demigod, and reconnects with familiar characters from Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus. One part of The Hidden Oracle that I really liked was how Apollo slowly began to understand what his children had been going through all along. This is what I think really shaped the book! At the beginning of the book, Apollo is selfish and doesn’t take responsibility for the demigods (which are his kids) he has abandoned. However, after becoming mortal, he experiences fear, pain, and weakness for the first time. This helps him realize how hard life has always been for his children, who were forced to face monsters and danger without any help from him. I thought this was so very important because it showed real character growth instead of Apollo changing all at once. As the story continues, Apollo starts to feel guilt and empathy, which makes him more relatable and human. He begins to care about protecting others rather than just himself, especially Meg and the other demigods. He starts to make sacrifices that are life-changing because of how much he feels guilt. This change made the story more meaningful to me because it showed that understanding often comes from experiencing hardship. Overall, I liked how Rick Riordan used Apollo’s punishment to teach him empathy and responsibility, and it made Apollo’s journey more emotional and interesting than a typical hero story.   

Reviewed by Hanan as part of the Teen Reviewer, opens a new window program

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