Troy High

by Shana Norris

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810946475
• ISBN13: 9780810946477
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Amulet Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 16 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 11

Customer Reviews

Troy High

What would happen if the Trojan War was fought not in ancient Greece, but in high school? A school boundary reassignment has left cheerleader captain Elena starting her sophomore year at Troy High rather than with her former Spartan team. When Elena dumps her Spartan boyfriend for the star of the Trojan football team, soft-spoken Cassie is the only one who sees trouble brewing. It isn't long before lines are drawn, and there's about to be an all-out high school rivalry war. Readers who aren't familiar with Homer's //Iliad// probably won't even realize this is a retelling of that famous story. And you don't need to be familiar with the tale to enjoy this book either. The clash between the Spartans and the Trojans is transferred from a bloody battlefield to the fury of a high school football game. The idea is a unique one, and the book follows through. Overall, it's a good book, even if it isn't great. Those who are sick of high school drama may want to skip this one, but those who enjoy love triangles, high school popularity contests, and football will find this a satisfying and enjoyable read. Reviewed by Alyssa Feller

Great read!

This was a great modern day retelling of The Illiad. I'm a total sucker for Greek Mythology, but to write good retellings of Greek Mythology is hard, and this one did not let me down. I pretty much read straight through in a couple of hours. It was totally original, and will appeal to different groups of readers. Troy High was smart and well-written. The characters were fitting. Cassie, the narrator of the story, is the only one with her head on straight, seeing the stupidity of everyone around her. She was easily my favorite character, probably for the reason stated above. The rest of the characters have the sole focus of kill the other side, and it did get a bit old at times. Cassie and Greg were so oblivious to the other, which drove me nuts! But once again, I think that was part of their charm. All the characters fit nicely together to the whole story. I really like the cover. It totally fits the story, as Elena is the girl responsible for everything.

Epic Excellence.

Yes, Troy High is a retelling of Homer's Illiad in a modern High School, but that's not how I'm going to review it. I will say that it is quite charming and fun. It basically does for The Illiad what 10 Things I Hate About You did for Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew. It a fresh spin on an old story, but it will absolutley be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with the original. It holds it's own as a teen romantic drama. Cassie is in love with her best friend Greg. If that's not awkward enough, she and Greg go to different schools. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but there is a feirce rivalry between her school, the Troy High Trojans and his, the Lacede High Spartans. They have remained friends for years even though they are supposed to be enemies, but things are about to get much more difficult for them. This year, the board of education has redrawn the lines for the school district and some of the Spartans will now be attending Troy High. Namely, Elena Argos, cheerleader, beauty queen and girlfriend of Greg's football star brother. Cassie knows Elena, but she is unprepared when she is befriended by the popular girl. After all, Cassie is a nobody band-geek and Elena is, well, Elena. She's a nice girl, what's the worst that can happen? Poor, poor Cassie. This is only the beginning of the saga. The gorgeous Elena has fallen for Cassie's brother, a Troy football star, which enrages the love-spurned Spartan when she dumps him. This simple act begins an epic war between the two schools. Harmless pranks become dangerous and it is even more forbidden for Cassie and Greg to be friends, let alone anything more. All Cassie wants is for the madness to stop before someone really get's hurt. If things continue to get worse, she may have to choose between the one she loves and remaining loyal to her family and school. This book is just a good time. It's a quick, fun read and it's pretty clever. I really enjoyed it.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

What would happen if you took the story of the Trojan War and set it in a modern-day high school? TROY HIGH does just that as it pits the Trojans against the Spartans starring typical teens in the lead roles of the great old story. Cassie is a student at Troy High. She keeps herself pretty much out of the action and observes as her two brothers play football and act as big men on campus. Her main interests are playing flute in the band and playing video games with her best friend, Greg. They met two years ago when both their schools attended the same band camp. There has always been a healthy rivalry between the Trojans at Troy High School and the Spartans from nearby Lacede. Things are different this year, however, because the geographical boundary line between the two school districts was changed, causing a shift in attendance requirements. Some of the Lacede Spartans are now required to attend Troy High. This change has disrupted the students and school loyalty is being tested. Elena, formerly a Spartan, is now attending Troy. She already was acquainted with Cassie since she dated Greg's older brother. However, on her first day at her new high school, Elena discovers Cassie's brother, Perry. She immediately falls for him and decides to dump her Spartan boyfriend. Cassie would like to steer clear of the romantic mess since she has some of her own to deal with, but Elena insists on turning their casual friendship into more of a best friend situation. At first, Cassie thinks it is because Elena likes her older brother, but Elena constantly assures her that she is seriously interested in becoming BFFs. TROY HIGH is not just about romantic interests. The school rivalry heats up and students from both sides begin playing more and more dangerous and destructive pranks. The administrators are not happy with the escalating level of these pranks and threaten to suspend the involved students. The football season is also affected by the rivalry. Players are out not just to win, but to disable their opponents in order to end with a winning record. Author Shana Norris explains in her author's note the amount of research necessary to make the famous Trojan War story come alive in this modern telling. She also lists the character parallels (Cassie/Cassandra, Greg/Agamemnon, Perry/Paris, Elena/Helen) just to name a few. Fans of mythology will appreciate the comparisons, but anyone familiar with traditional high school rivalries will find things to like about TROY HIGH. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

An Exciting Read!

Troy High is a hip re-vamping of a classic tale. It highlights the implications of high school rivalries as the Trojans take on the Spartans (both on and off the football field). Cassie, the narrator, is sucked into a war she wants no part of and must determine where her loyalties lie: with her Spartan best friend, or her football-playing Trojan brothers. Norris's storytelling is witty and engaging, and readers will love the classic pranks played by both schools. Though many parts are laugh out loud funny, Norris does an excellent job showing just how deep rivalries run, and the devastating effects they sometimes have. Shana Norris (Something to Blog About, 2008) is a funny new voice in YA literature, and definitely an author to keep an eye on.