It’s almost crazy how enjoyable the Percy Jackson series has been so far. From the exterior, I’d have never thought they’d be so awesome. Sure, they’re fantasy novels, but they’re told in first person by a male protagonist, geared at perhaps a fourth or fifth grade level, and never go very deeply into characterization or details—all things that normally turn me away from a piece of fiction. And yet I’ve devoured the first two rapidly, and am anticipating reading the third as soon as possible (over the weekend?).

Maybe it’s because the books fly by so quickly that they’re so enjoyable. It’s like getting on an amusement park ride; you don’t do it to ooh and ahh over the scenery. You do it for a quick thrill, and that’s what I get out of Rick Riodan’s novels. The chapter titles are fun, if a bit childish—and why wouldn’t they be? It’s not an adult series!—and you dive into the action right away. There’s no camping out for days trying to decide how to defeat Voldemort, no sporadic history lessons intertwined with aging cranky gods in business suits (both of which come from books I largely otherwise enjoyed, by the way); instead, you strap yourself in and hold on until the ride is over.

In Percy Jackson’s second adventure, The Sea of Monsters, we find him battling a group of giant cannibalistic creatures alongside a boy who turns out to be his half-brother—as well as a Cyclops. The adventure only skyrockets from there as Percy, Annabeth, and Percy’s brother Tyson must embark on a treacherous journey to find the Golden Fleece and restore their beloved camp back to normal after an attack. Yes, there’s another Cyclops—as well as Calypso, the sirens, and all of the amazing creatures Jason encountered on his own voyage, with Percy’s own unique twist to them. Sure, there are still some annoyances—especially, once again, the lack of emotional depth that could have been attributed to certain scenes, or Percy’s own apparent befuddlement upon learning that his half-brother is a Cyclops, which you’d think he’d have been able to see—but overall it’s yet another thrill ride of an adventure.

If I had a son, I know I’d buy him the whole series because it’s a perfect set of books to get boys who don’t normally enjoy books reading. (I’m not stereotyping—there are boys and girls both who don’t enjoy books—but boys do tend to really enjoy action-oriented stories.) That said, I’m sure that I’ll buy the books anyway for my daughter when she’s old enough to enjoy them.