1/18/2015

Let's talk about || Percy Jackson and the Olympians


(warnings: as this is a talk about the entire series, it will contain spoilers. So if you haven’t read the series, and don’t want to be spoiled – you might want to click out of this post)

I started reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series back in 2014. It had been on my TBR list for such a long time, and in September I finally put the first book on hold at my library, and within long, I had it in my hands, and I started reading. 

I immediately got sucked into a wonderful world, full of Greek Gods and mythical being, with New York as its primary setting. Rick Riordan has managed to create a world you can’t help but love, and characters to match. They are such fun reads - despite the sometime sinister tone the book can take. There's a ton of humor, and I found myself laughing several places throughout the books - I even snorted out loud in public a couple of times. People looked at me weird for that.

There are an array of different characters to connect with. Of course there's Percy, the main character, and the son of Poseidon. We experience this world through his eyes, which is beautiful, because we get all these different emotions and impressions of this world. This world is new to us, and Percy as well, so we get to experience it at the same level as him.

I do have my problems with Percy. He really can be quite clueless sometime. Yes, I realize that he is only like 12 in the first book, so he can get a pass there– but damn when he’s 15 he’s still quite clueless. There are things that should be quite obvious for him, but for one reason or another he just doesn’t get it. Sometimes this can be quite frustrating, and I did have an urge to shake him once in a while. However, in the end, I still ended up adoring him more than not. 

My favorite character in the whole series is without a doubt Tyson. I think he is completely adorable. He is such a strong character – and is also incredibly loyal. This might be why Titan’s curse was my least favorite book of them all – there was a lack of Tyson. He was such a lovely character, and I don't understand why people don't talk about him more.
Another character that I fell absolutely in love with, isn't a big one, It's not even a human character. I'm talking about the amazing Pegasus that is Blackjack. I think Blackjack is a hilarious character and, as Tyson, he is extremely loyal. Basically Blackjack is just a fun character, who adds something fresh to the books whenever he turns up. 



One of the things I loved about the book, was the constant repetition of what had happened in the former books. I think the fact that this is a middle grade series plays a great deal in that. It could get a little annoying for me at times, but for someone way younger than me, I think it’s a great tool. It makes sure that you wont forget some of the most important details of the book – even if it’s been a while since you’ve read the book before.

The language is very easy to understand, which I love. As this is a middle grade book, I think it's important to have an easy and understandable language, especially if you have younger children who are to read this series on their own. This may be the teacher in me talking, but I do think it's important either way.

The thing is, I've always been interested in Greek Mythology, and mythology in general. I had classical studies in school, and it was my absolute favorite subject - sadly I was only able to take one year of the subject, but it was absolutely awesome while it lasted. I hadn't really touched mythology in any way for some time, but these books made me want to get right back into it.

The Sea of Monsters, and Battle of the Labyrinth were my absolute favorites, while I didn't like Titan's Curse as much as the others. It wasn't that Titan's Curse was bad per say, I just didn't feel the same about it, that I did the others. The Last Olympian definitely had the most action. That final battle was pretty amazing, but it did get a little mixed up at the end. I mean, so many things were happening at the same time, and I found it a little hard to follow at times. However, it was still easy to catch up if you felt like you missed something.

I really adored the ending of the series. I thought it was a great way to end the whole series, but it still left a small window open for more. I felt like all the loose ends got tied up, and I wasn't missing anything at the end. I definitely can't wait to continue reading about this world in the 'Heroes of Olympus' series. I know it's got new perspectives and new characters, but I'm still very excited about it. All of the books are in the four & five stars category for me, and this has definitely gone on to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite, series I've read.

All in all, this is such an amazing series, and I would definitely recommend this, especially to those who like middle grade books, and mythology. I'm sure I could probably talk more about this series, but the post would be way to long if I continued. 

What are your thoughts on this series? Have you read it? Do you want to read it, or is this just not the thing for you?

2 comments:

  1. I love PJO! I love all of Rick's books, period. I still have to read The Blood of Olympus in his other series, but it makes me so sad to think that the series is over!! *sobs* But thankfully he is writing more mythology books! Woot!

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    1. I just checked out the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, and I'm so excited to get to it - hopefully I'll get to read it soon!
      I'm so happy he's writing more mythology books! Especially the fact that his new series is going to be about norse mythology.. I can't wait for it!

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