so i recently reread this in anticipation of the tv show that's about to air and i've been sitting here for a week thinking of how to review it because this is seriously like in my top five all time favorite books ever like i love everything about this book and i don't know how i can possibly convey that with words. this is the book that started my love of mythology and i am so thankful for that. 
 so instead of just gushing over it [because there are way better 5 star reviews on here than anything i could write] let me just kind of address something that i saw pop up in a lot of the bad reviews on here: that the book was boring and nothing happens in it. at first i was like 'oh my god how dare you' because like i said, favorite book and all, but then as i went along with my reread i realized they might have a bit of a point. this is a very character driven book. if you are not the kind of person that can say 'i would read about so and so reading the phone book' and actually mean it, then maybe this book isn't for you. there is a lot of time where the characters are just wandering around and having random conversations and dreams and whatnot and while to me every single bit of that is absolutely important, i can see how some people wouldn't be able to power through until the end when the 'action' happens. so you know, just something to keep in mind if you're on the fence about this book. 
 i absolutely 100% recommend it to anyone who has an interest in mythology though. and i got so much out of it this time around because before i didn't know who most of the gods were so i didn't catch like half the references he throws in. it's just such an immensely detailed book, i love it.