Review: The Last Olympian

Title:  The Last Olympian
Series:  Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5
Author:  Rick Riordan
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion 
Pages:  381
Format:  Hardcover 
Source:  Bought

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.
In this momentous final book in the "New York Times" best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

My Review:  I think this is my favorite book of the series.  All of them were wonderful, of course, but there was something about this one that I just really enjoyed.  The action alone was enough to keep me glued to the page.  We were thrust into the battle from page one and I absolutely loved it.  It was so awesome seeing everyone come together and fight.  I especially enjoyed seeing Percy use his power a lot more.  He was an absolute menace on the battle field.  

The action wasn't the only thing I liked, though.  The characters were also spectacular.  They have grown so much since the first book.  Thinking back on how they used to be, I was amazed at how well Rick Riordan developed them.  It was realistic and happened gradually.  None of them just changed over night which I appreciated quite a lot. 

A lot happened in this installment but none of it seemed rushed or underdeveloped.  I felt like all the major plot points shined during their time.  It all flowed well and never felt choppy or fragmented.  Rick Riordan has such an amazing writing style that makes it so easy to fall into his stories.  I look up from the page and realize it's been 2 hours when it felt like it'd been 5 minutes.  

I definitely enjoyed this read.  I have no doubt I'll be coming back to it very soon for a reread.  There's so many amazing parts, I don't think I'll ever get bored of this.  If you haven't picked up this series already, I don't know what you're doing.  One of my very favorites.  

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