Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9781423101505
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series

     SYNOPSIS

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.

     REVIEW

The Last Olympian is my favorite book of this entire series. That may not be surprising to you because usually the last books are always the most epic. TLO was definitely epic. But I liked it the most because this is the only book out of all 5 that kicks right off with the action and maintains that throughout the entire book. Even with this being the second time I've read the book, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. In the other books in the series (save for the first one cause that obviously had a lot of setting up and introducing to do), I always felt like the book would start of with some action - something happening to Percy or Percy on some minor mission, then it would taper off to spending half the book at the Camp not doing much of anything until things picked up again. Thankfully, book 5 did not follow that mold.

While I don't have much else to say about this book or the series as a whole, I must say that I am so, so glad that there is a spin off series (which I've obviously read already) because the ending of TLO does not provide enough closure for me. I was a mess with some of the things that happened and a few of the very unexpected deaths that occurred, and was pleased overall with the way things turned out, but Riordan must've had the spinoff, Heroes of Olympus, planned already because again, not nearly enough closure. I can't end a series like that on a "and they had a good day." I need a happily EVER AFTER!

But HoO gives that a chance (thank goodness) so I can forgive Riordan for the ending of TLO, though it was still pretty awesome and had me all teary eyed and what not even if it didn't quite give the closure I was looking for.

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2

Overall, The Last Olympian was my favorite of this series because of the non-stop action and plot twists coming out of nowhere! It probably also helped that Percy was a bit older and it's easier for me to relate to YA that to MG. I've already started the spin off series, Heroes of Olympus (I'm on book 2 now!) and am so glad I get to continue being a part of this world and reliving the fun I had when I read them a while ago.

Have any of you completed the Percy Jackson series? Which of the books was your favorite? Did you enjoy them as much as I did? Let's talk books!

A.

Review: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9781423101468
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Format: Paperback
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4
Release Date: March 6, 2008
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for all books in this series

     SYNOPSIS:

Freshman orientation is about mastering new things, but this is ridiculous. Percy didn't expect that in his first week at school, he would have to face a squad of demon cheerleaders. And the dangers are far more than scholastic: Kronos's armies are threatening even the relative safety of Camp Half-Blood. The fourth installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians deals out action, surprises, suspense, and gripping characters.

     REVIEW:

The Labyrinth has to be one of my favorite myths of all. I was so excited to start this book because, like Annabeth, I'm so wildly intrigued by the endless possibilities of the Labyrinth... not that I'd go exploring without some guidance though, haha. I particularly enjoyed this book because I didn't remember a lot of the smaller details, so playing the guessing game on some things was fun to experience again.

And Percabeth! So many important things happen for Percabeth in this books and I just LOVE it. Kind of mad about the little love-"square" that was going on there considering it was about a 15-year-old (my wittle Percy! He's too young!), but Percy's confusion over most things having to do with relationships was pretty cute so I can deal.

Once again, there isn't much left to say about these books. They are all fun, even a bit educational (on Greek Mythology, of course) while continually making us fall in love with Percy, Annabeth and all of Camp Half-Blood!

     RATING: Really Liked It! ★★★★ 

This is definitely my favorite so far out of the the first four in this series, though you and I both know book 5 blows everything out of the water. Have you read this far into the series yet? What did you think? Did you enjoy the Labyrinth as much as I did? Can't wait to hear from you!

A.

Review: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9780141382890
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series

     SYNOPSIS

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.
But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.
Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

     REVIEW 

Can I be totally honest here? Besides Percy and Annabeth, who will always hold a place in my heart, my favorite parts about this entire book were Artemis and Apollo. Other than Athena, they are my absolute favorite of the gods and I really enjoyed having them be a part of this story (especially Apollo who I imagine being really hot).

We are introduced to some new characters in this book who (kind of spoiler alert?) end up being really integral to the series later on: Bianca and Nico DiAngelo, young demigods who are found at a boarding school by Grover and saved by Annabeth and Percy. I had a hard time finding sympathy with Bianca and I can say she wasn't one of my favorite characters, but... oh Nico. I remember the first time I read this series, I had a hard time connecting with Nico, so I took some time to really focus on him while reading this book, and I connected with him a lot more, if not exactly as much as I'd hoped to. Really, my problem is that I had a hard time with his "development" at the end of this book and into the next, but I suppose that is a story for another review.

I thought the pacing was a bit off in this book in that it seemed to start off slower than the others. Honestly, all of the books start off real slow, spending a lot of time building up to real action and plot resolutions, but this one seemed to take the longest. With that being said, we see a lot of set up later in the book for some major things happening later in the series, and with the characters maturing and the writing somehow getting better, it was pulled off very well, all in all.

RATING: Pretty Good! ★★★ 1/2

Books 3-5 of this series are where things really start to get good. I especially think so because the characters are getting older, and apparently the older I get, the harder time I have connecting with MG (who woulda thunk?!). While a bit slow (as usual), I really did enjoy The Titan's Curse and can't wait to talk to you about the next two books in the series, which I especially love.

Have you gotten this far in the series yet? What did you think of The Titan's Curse? Let's talk about it!

A.

Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9781423103349
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2
Release Date: April 1, 2006
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series

     SYNOPSIS

Percy Jackson’s seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

     REVIEW

There isn't much that I have to say about this book (or this series, for that matter) that hasn't already been said. I enjoyed Sea of Monsters even more than I did The Lightning Thief even though it was almost 100 pages shorter. It was definitely a bit slow at the beginning but after reading the first two (and subsequently the entire series as I'm writing this review), I've learned that all of the books save for the last one start off slow, some slower than others.

The action scenes are better the second time around and it was fun to read, not to mention Riordan's sarcasm being manifested through his characters which is hysterical as always. I especially loved seeing the groundwork being laid out for Percy and Annabeth's relationship. They are still young in Sea of Monsters but you can see how much they like and respect each other and it's adorable!

I don't think any of these books are quite mindblowing because they are so geared toward a younger audience which is very apparent in the writing, but I love being a part of this world and I especially love revisiting Greek mythology in a fun way because I absolutely love mythology!

RATING:★★★★

Sea of Monsters was such a fun, easy ready. It was silly and sarcastic which are my favorite but our heroes are still tested to show what they are made of! The movie was released on DVD recently, which I saw and actually kind of liked! I really hope they make the rest of the series too!

Have you read Sea of Monsters yet? What did you think of it compared to the first book (and the rest of the series)? Tell me what you think!

A.

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9780786838653
Source: Purchased
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1
Release Date: March 21, 2006
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

     REVIEW:

I've realized, after re-reading and reviewing the Harry Potter series over the last few months, that it's hard to review books that you've already come to love despite their faults, etc. Percy Jackson is one of those series for me. After re-reading it, I did realize that some of the action scenes lacked a little bit for me and that yes, these books, at their core, are middle grade fiction. They are fun and silly, but for children nonetheless, so just a bit simple at times, too.

The world building is awesome and not only to we get a mythology lesson, we learn about Percy's new world, his new life at Camp Half-Blood. Though simple, the writing is great and easy to understand and fly through. The characters are hysterical, and I love Annabeth and Percy's dynamic and how they help each other grow, as regular kids and as demigods. Its hard not to love a series you can just get lost in... not to mention the fact that I have an unhealthy obsession with Greek Mythology, so that also bumps the entire series up a whole lot (as if it needed a bump).

     RATING: ★★★ 1/2

A fun, clever start to an awesome series! The rating is relative and the book gets a 3.5-4 from me mostly because I know how much better the books get and they are a little a lot juvenile at first. Not to mention it being 5 years since the first time I read them. It doesn't make much sense to say that the later books are better, but rate them all with a 5, right? I especially enjoy the books when Percy and friends mature a bit, so though this is a great start to one of my favorite series, it's definitely not my favorite in the series.

Have any of you read this book (or the whole series) yet? If so, what did you think!? If not.... well, what are you waiting for!? Can't wait to hear from you all!

A.