The fourth and final book of the Who Let the Gods Out? series, Against All Gods is an enjoyable and humorous introduction to the world of the Olympian gods. Following the story of 13-year-old Elliot Hooper, the book opens in the Underworld as Elliot attempts to retrieve the fourth and final Chaos Stone. Once brought together, the Chaos Stones give the user a variety of powers which of course Elliot must prevent from getting into the wrong hands, notably Thanatos and Hypnos who want to end the world as we know it. Unfortunately, they have promised Elliot the return of his deceased mother, and so we watch him wrestle with his desire for a reunited family versus saving the world.
Although the last in the series, Against All Gods is easy enough to read as a standalone – there is enough exposition to allow the reader to catch up and enjoy the story. Written in large font and with illustrations at the start of each chapter, the book would be an easy and enjoyable read for most secondary school-aged children, though I suspect it would most be enjoyed by those under 11. I particularly enjoyed the drawings of Achilles as a general at the bottom of each page – when flicked through, he gets up to all sorts of activities and regularly falls apart as does his character within the narrative.
The characterisation of the gods is a quick way to allow children a greater understanding of the Olympian gods’ roles and background stories – Demeter is forever trying to feed everyone and Zeus and Hera have recently had a nasty divorce on account of Zeus’ relationships with a few Miss World contestants. There were times when this characterisation did not always seem obvious – Hermes as a stereotypical ‘gym bro’ with an obsession with dieting, working out, and using youthful slang would not have been my first choice, but nevertheless there are links and perhaps these were explained in the preceding books. As an adult, I did find Hermes’ colloquialisms somewhat grating, but I can see that younger readers would see the humour.
The story also allows the reader to gain an understanding of key myths – Elliot's mortal nemesis, Patricia Porshley-Plum eventually gets her just desserts in the Underworld, where she sees evildoers such as Sisyphus carrying out their punishments. Although these prisoners are not named, they could help form a background knowledge for later study of Classics.
The book ends with a ‘What's What’ of characters, places, and objects mentioned in the story, allowing the reader to learn a little more about the classical world and fill in gaps if the previous books have not been read.
Overall, Against All Gods is an enjoyable read that allows children to gain a general understanding of and interest in the classical world through a humorous and fast-paced story.
Open access
