Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book Reviews and Series Review
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Content Warning
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief was truly a great start to a really great series, and it certainly didn't waste any time with the exposition as the first chapter dove headfirst into the story and the initial plot point right away. I would have appreciated (as an adult reader) perhaps a little more time in the exposition, getting to know Percy and his relationships with Grover, his mother, and his horrific stepfather before delving into the Greek mythology of the story. However, I understand that this is a children's/middle grade fantasy story, which means that getting to the action right from the start is probably the best call to hook a young reader's attention.
One of the things that I really first loved about this story is that it didn't go with the cliche right away. A cliche would have been having Percy be the son of Zeus, because Zeus is the most powerful of the Greek gods and arguably the most well-known. A cliche would have been making Annabeth the daughter of Aphrodite, because she's going to end up being Percy's love interest later down the road, so it would have been easy to make her the daughter of the love goddess. But instead, Riordan went with having them be the children of Poseidon and Athena instead. Both are still well-known deities, and Poseidon is still one of the big three (which is necessary for Percy to be the son of The Big Three later), but Riordan took the less stereotypical route when deciding who the protagonists' parents would be.
That's not to say that the story doesn't have any cliches, because after all, it is a middle-grade fantasy series, so of course there are cliches. The fact that it was obvious from the very first book that Percy and Annabeth, the main guy and the main gal, would end up together later is a cliche. However, what Riordan loses in cliches of the genre, he makes up for in excitement, fun characters, a compelling overarching plot, and a fresh take on Greek mythology.
I especially loved the twist at the end of this novel that Luke stole the lightning bolt. It would have felt like such a cop-out by the end of this entire novel if it had all been Ares, the war god's, way of starting a war without anyone else's help. Making Luke the primary antagonist, however, helped fuel what would later be a running conflict in all five books--the idea that the gods don't do much to protect their halfblood children or really be parents to them.
Another thing this novel does well is incorporate disabilities in such a positive way. Percy and the other halfbloods all have ADHD and dyslexia, but it isn't really portrayed as a flaw. Rather, it's part of their identities as the children of gods; it's part of what makes them such unique people. Given that this series is aimed at children and young adults, I could see this representation helping a child who does struggle with ADHD and/or dyslexia feel like they don't need to be ashamed, and they aren't alone in what they are dealing with.
The relationship between Percy and his mother is also a highlight of the story for me. It was heartbreaking to find out that Sally willingly allowed herself to be abused by Percy's stepfather Gabe because she knew that Gabe was actually what was keeping monsters from finding Percy and scenting him as a halfblood. I'm so glad that Sally got to get her vengeance against Gabe (using Medusa's head to turn him to stone) in the end. I like that Riordan went with that subtle metaphor of a woman saving herself from a bad situation like that, instead of Percy being her savior.
My main critiques of the novel come down to one minor thing: we don't get to spend, what I would consider, an adequate amount of time with Percy after his mother is disintegrated by the minotaur. Realistically, I think a twelve-year-old (or any-year-old honestly) who just watched someone they love get apparently killed by a monster would have a much harder time coming to terms with the death and the idea that gods and monsters are real. Even if Sally wasn't actually dead, Percy believed she was, so I was expecting a much larger reaction. Instead, it seems like he dives immediately into life at camp halfblood with not much contemplation of the supernatural existing. I get it though. It's a kid's book, so the plot has to move faster and can't linger as long in the characters' thoughts as an adult fantasy book might.
I could see it as a flaw or consider it a sticking point that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover encounter so many monsters on their quest that just seems to keep delaying them further. Could it have been condensed by maybe keeping Medusa and the Chimera, but removing Procrustes or Alecto to save time? Absolutely. At the end of the day though, it's a fun, fantasy, adventure novel, and so all these encounters just add more to the mythology and the action, and they don't really amount to being major flaws by the end of the series, so I won't count them against the individual novel.
Overall, I would give The Lightning Thief 4.0/5 stars. It wasn't without its cliches or contrivances here and there, but it was exciting and enticing, and a great introduction to this story and its universe.
The Sea of Monsters
Ah, second book syndrome. Sea of Monsters was by no means not a good book or not a good sequel. Though it didn't quite live up to the first book (nor was it better than the three books that follow it), it was still fun, and it did its job moving the plot along for the next installment. It also introduced some really great new characters, like Tyson and getting to see Circe! I would also really praise the resurrection of Thalia at the end of the novel, as I was waiting to get a glimpse of her character.
That being said, of the five novels in the Percy Jackson series, I would consider The Sea of Monsters to be its weakest link. It was the shortest installment, and I had trouble suspending my disbelief in the plot point of Grover posing as a female cyclops pretending to prepare to wed Polyphemus. Yes, it's a children's series, which means more hard-to-believe plot elements can be allotted. However, I feel that even if I were reading this as a child, I would find this just a tad bit too cheesy and cartoonish. In fact, this is really the only place in the plot of Percy Jackson where I think the fantasy goes from being believable children's fantasy to becoming cartoony. I also didn't think that the introduction of Tantalus to briefly replace Chiron was necessary. If Tantalus had gone on to have an important role in later books, I'd be okay with it, but it seemed he was only a one-time character in the series that did not really bring much to the story.
The place where The Sea of Monsters really shines the most, however, would probably be in the new character depth that Riordan started exploring with Clarisse. Though being a bully is never okay, this novel sheds some critical light on Clarisse's relationship with her Olympian father Ares, heavily implying that Ares was physically abusing Clarisse, which allowed both Percy and the reader to start to understand her and empathize with her better.
Overall, I would give The Sea of Monsters a 3.5/5 stars.
The Titan's Curse
Personally, I consider The Titan's Curse to be an improvement over the previous installment, and every bit as engaging as The Lightning Thief. Part of what makes it such a great next installment in the novel is so many of the new characters who get introduced, such as Artemis and the hunters, Elizabeth Rachel Dare, Nico and Bianca di Angelo, Percy's eventual stepfather, Paul Blofis, and perhaps the most exciting to me, Annabeth's parents, Dr. Chase and Athena. I had been anxiously waiting to see Athena ever since the first book when we learned she was Annabeth's Olympian mother, and it was very insightful to see Annabeth's father and stepfamily. I was glad to see the novel show that Dr. Chase actually did care about his daughter when previously we had only gotten implications that he didn't.
The way the overarching plot and the looming prophecy was really built on in this book made it a great third installment to the series as well. Riordan teased Thalia is the prophecy's subject, but almost as soon as she was removed as being a possibility, he reveals Nico as Hades' son, keeping the reader guessing if Percy would be the one to fulfill the prophecy or not. It's a great way to build suspense for the final two novels.
The main critique I have of this novel would be the lack of Annabeth. Having her gone for the majority of the story certainly helps to move along the eventual romance between her and Percy, as it gives Percy an opportunity to reflect on how he really feels about her. That being said, Annabeth seemed a bit too damsel-in-distress in this novel compared to her character in all four other installments. She seemed to need Percy, Thalia, and the hunters to come save her, but Annabeth has always been shown as every bit Athena's daughter and is very resourceful. I truly believe Annabeth could have been more involved in her own escape in this book.
Oh yeah, and this novel introduced Blackjack the pegasus, who is a scene-stealer in any chapter he appears in.
The Titan's Curse earns a 4.0/5 stars.
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Interesting and worth noting that I was reading The Battle of the Labyrinth at the same time that I was reading the novel Circe by Madeline Miller. Daedalus, the Greek mythological figure who created the Labyrinth, appears in both of these novels. The timing just happened to work out that I read the Daedalus chapters in both books at the same time. I'm not sure if this helped or hurt my experience with either novel.
The Battle of the Labyrinth was every bit as enjoyable as the previous installment of the series, and we got some good, old fashioned chapters of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover together again, not to mention having Tyson back for a good portion of the time as well, and it was great to see Annabeth as the one leading the quest this time around instead of Percy getting all the glory. With the progression of the character's ages as well, the integration of romantic feeling developing between Percy and Annabeth felt natural and written well. Though I wasn't a fan of the "love triangle" between Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel that starts brewing in this book. It seemed a bit forced, as I don't believe anyone reading the novel ever thought Percy and Annabeth weren't going to end up together. Knowing how the novel ends and knowing that Rachel gets characterization beyond just simply "Percy's other love interest," I can accept the short-lived relationship between the two.
Percy and Rachel's ambush by the evil monster cheerleaders felt a bit corny for me, but I'm willing to forgive it because I love the concept of Paul Blofis working to get Percy into a nice school. The reoccurring subplot of Percy getting kicked out of every school he attends was humorous, and I think it really helps contrast Paul Blofis to both Percy's biological father Poseidon and his first stepfather, the abusive Gabe. Paul clearly cares about Percy genuinely and takes an interest in him that he's never had from a father-figure before. It's also good to see Sally getting to have a real supportive future husband after putting up with Gabe for years.
One of the highlights of this installment had to be Grover finally finding Pan. I certainly wasn't expecting that Pan was going to die as soon as Grover found him, but I enjoyed what it meant for Grover's character development in the final novel, and I genuinely felt for our poor, sweet satyr, who had dedicated his life to finding Pan, only to be the last satyr to see him alive.
Special shoutout as well to the chapter where Percy finds Luke in the coffin. That was an amazing push forward in the plot.
The Battle of the Labyrinth earns a 4.0/5 stars.
The Last Olympian
Is is cliche of me to consider the final book in Percy Jackson to be my favorite of the series?
I greatly enjoyed this conclusion to the series. I found it compelling, consistent with everything that came before, and I finished the novel in two days if I remember correctly. I loved seeing old characters return, such as Thalia and the hunters, who I had missed in book four. It was also wonderful to see the prophecy unfold as well as seeing the ultimate twist of its meaning when it came down to Percy and Luke.
In fact, I would say that Luke's story was one of the highlights of this novel. Don't misunderstand me, I know nothing excuses Luke actions. However, I'm always a sucker for a good villain origin story, and The Last Olympian delivered all the missing pieces that we were missing in Luke's history and in his relationship with Annabeth to finally put everything into perspective, and that really made both his sacrifice at the end feel earned, but it also made everything he did from the previous novels feel more earned too. The way that Riordan calls back to the beginning of The Lightning Thief, to the chapter where Percy witnesses the fates cutting a string, was well done as well. He placed it perfectly in a way that I had assumed it meant Percy's fate in the first novel, then forgot about it all together, and then said "Oh yeah!" when it was mentioned again in this conclusion.
Nico was also a highlight. Since his introduction in book three and the reveal that he was Hades' son, I had grown increasingly fond of his character and was glad to see more of him. All of the chapters in which he and Percy work together on their plan involving the river Styx were suspenseful, and it was refreshing to see Percy working closely with a character outside of Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, or Thalia (who we had already seen him interact with plenty).
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn more about the oracle, to get a teaser for the spin-off series' prophecy, and to see Chiron get a bit of a stand against his father Kronos. Oh, and of course, Percy and Annabeth finally end up together!
One of the things that I found interesting about this novel as well, and rather liked, was the meaning behind the title. Hestia didn't have much of a role in the story, however her explanation to Percy about being the last olympian felt so meaningful, that I was glad to see this is where the title of the final book derived from. I only wish that we could have seen more of her, or perhaps to have seen more of Pandora's box, but that's only a minor complaint.
Also, shoutout to the way Riordan has Percy call Sally and Paul "my parents." He never feels the need to stress the fact that Paul is actually his stepfather (the way he did with Gabe), because Paul actually acts like a father to Percy, so he is comfortable thinking of him as a parent.
With The Last Olympian being such a strong conclusion to the Percy Jackson series, I rate it 4.5/5 stars.
The Entire Series
One of the strengths that every book in the Percy Jackson series shares is Riordan's decision to explain who and what every Greek mythological creature, character, or concept is. Some readers who already have knowledge of Greek myth may find this annoying, but it seems that Riordan understood that not all his readers would and took care to make sure they weren't confused (especially given that the series is intended for young readers).
I also, personally, feel that Dionysus was such a treat. No, he wasn't particularly a "good" person, but he often offered comic relief to the story, and I would consider him a scene-stealer, just like Blackjack. I appreciated that Riordan never felt the need to develop him into a caring person later or try to give him a heroic plotline. He remained as prickly and conceited as he ever was, but those few moments where he actually called Percy by his real name or his reaction to his son's death were enough to indicate that his character had more depth than met the eye.
I also enjoyed the twists in the meanings that Riordan puts on each novel's prophecy, so the way each one plays out isn't always as straightforward as it may seem.
My main critique for the series as a whole would be not giving some of the side characters more meaningful introductions sooner. Ethan Nakamura and Chris Rodriguez both get important plotpoints later with the effects of Chris going into the Labyrinth alone and becoming Clarisse's boyfriend, and with Ethan joining Luke and Kronos and his eventual death. Both of these subplots could have had a larger impact if we had seen Ethan and Chris involved with camp halfblood and interacting with Percy in the earlier novels, so that their defect to Luke and Kronos would actually be felt by the reader. I would also say the same thing about Silena Beauregard and her relationship with Beckendorf (especially with Beckendorf being one of the only canon POC characters to reoccur throughout the novels too; the series could have used more representation). If Riordan had actually loosely weaved their characters and relationship into the earlier novels, their demises in The Last Olympian and the reveal that Silena was the spy could have had a much larger impact.
I also think that Riordan could have done more with addressing the implications from The Sea of Monsters that Ares was physically abusing Clarisse (and possibly other members of the Ares cabin). Otherwise, I feel that Riordan does a good job of addressing domestic abuse in this series in a way that is understandable for young readers, such as how he handles Sally and Gabe--especially with having Sally essentially being her own savior by using Medusa's head to turn Gabe to stone. With Clarisse and Ares, though, it feels uncomfortable the way that The Last Olympian ends with Ares praising his daughter, and Percy thinking it looked as if Clarisse was afraid he might strike her when Ares put his arm around her. That's really the last we get out of a subplot that should have been more serious.
Overall, I would give the entire series a collective rating of 4.0/5 stars. There were a few missteps along the way and things that perhaps could have been improved, however Riordan clearly had one story from start to finish that he intended to tell, and he did that. He used the division of the story into five novels and the pacing up and until Percy turned sixteen effectively. The prophecies always worked to the advantage of their respective novels, with each one coming true in ways that the reader expected as well as in ways that they likely didn't. Riordan also manages to introduce fantasy and mythology in a way that is accessible to young readers but is still enjoyable for older readers who have an interest in the genre.
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