The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson #5) by Rick Riordan

(Summary taken from the back book cover) "All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a 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...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."

I have loved all of these books, especially since I have been reading them aloud to my boys. Even though they are 10 and 8, I love reading to them, and I like to hope that they still enjoy it as well. These books have all been action-packed and fun, and this one was no exception. There were the usual characters plus a few new ones, and I enjoyed seeing how the series came together in the end. I thought it ended well and my boys liked it, except for the kissing scene (oohhhh-I won't tell you who was kissing), which I think they liked but they won't admit it. Hahaha. There were some good twists and turns in the storyline, and some surprises. Some of it was a little predictable as well, but not enough to make us dislike it. There was a little more violence in this book, and some of it was a bit graphic, but it was a war for Western civilization, so it was expected.

I still love that Mr. Riordan can take mythology and make it so fun. My boys know so much more about mythology than I ever did at their age. I took a mythology class in college......

I highly recommend this series! It is fun with a bit of hidden education in it, which I love.

Rating: PG+ (Lots of fighting, especially against monsters, some main characters die, no language, and a kissing scene)

Recommendation: 3rd grade and up. If your child has read the previous ones then he/she should be fine with this one. It is a little more violent, but my third grader did fine with it. I still recommend a mythology lesson with these books, if they are not being read aloud.