Thursday, September 10, 2009

Troy High by Shana Norris

Homer’s Iliad, the classic tale of love and revenge, is shrewdly retold for teens in Troy High.
Narrated by Cassie, a shy outsider who fears that an epic high school rivalry is about to go up in flames, the story follows the Trojans and Spartans as they declare war on the football field. After the beautiful Elena—who used to be the captain of the Spartan cheerleaders—transfers to Troy High and falls madly in love with Cassie’s brother Perry, the Spartans vow that the annual homecoming game will never be forgotten. The Trojans and Spartans pull wicked pranks on each other as homecoming approaches. And the Spartans’ wildcard football star, Ackley, promises to take down the Trojans’ offensive line. But the stakes are raised when Cassie is forced to choose between the boy she loves (a Spartan) and loyalty to her family and school. Troy High will seduce readers with its incendiary cast of mythic proportions.
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Troy High was such a fun read. It was based on Homer's Iliad, but even if you are unfamiliar with it you can still follow and enjoy the story. Readers who have already read the classic will still be able to have fun reading this funny, dramatic retelling.

Having not read the Iliad, I can't say how accurate or true to the original Troy High is. However, I don't think it really matters. Shana Norris did get the idea for the main storyline from the Iliad, but she took it and made it into something entirely her own which, in my opinion, is awesome. I think that Troy High will appeal more to teens because of its modern language and setting.

If you're a fan of remakes, you'll be sure to love Troy High.

Teens will be able to relate to all the high school drama and rivalries. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting, fun read.

3.5 out of 5 stars

2 comments:

  1. Sounds good. I actually love all that greek mytholgoy stuff- and I have sort of read Illiad.

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  2. I love Greek mythology, which we are actually studying in school right now. I want to read this one really badly, and your review makes me want to read it even more!!!

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