The Last Olympian
Disney Hyperion Book for Children, 2009
Fantasy
ISBN: 1423101472
400 pages
Synopsis
Percy Jackson, now 15, is just about to turn 16. Unlike normal kids, he’s a demigod, the son of one human and one Greek god or goddess. As such, his life is not the norm. There’s a prophecy about his 16th birthday, which says that the end of the world will depend on the choices that he makes. Fiercely adamant about defeating the Titan Kronos, Percy must defend Manhattan Island and from the onslaught of evil forces that threaten to destroy Mount Olympus, situated directly above the Empire State Building, and with it, all of civilization as they know it. In the end, it will be up to him to determine the fate of the world.
Critique
This being the 5th and last book in the series, Riordan has to tie up a lot of loose ends, but does an excellent job of it. There are some new tricks that Percy and his crew pick up, which make the elements of magic throughout the book seem to come alive in ways that the previous books don’t exhibit. Percy is stronger, smarter and faster, but his weaknesses remain largely the same, keeping him human. The blossoming love relationships that show up in this book also give it a few more layers of conflict that the predecessors. Ultimately, this series was fun to read, and I recommend any of the books to readers 9+.
The other books in this series are The Lightening Thief (book 1), The Sea of Monsters (book 2), The Titan’s Curse (book 3), and The Battle of the Labyrinth (book 4).
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For the Classroom
This series make great companion books to the study of Greek mythology, and in many ways, it makes the ancient storied come alive for a modern audience. Also, Rick Riordan has a handful of companion materials to accompany with the study on his website, including teacher’s guides and other great elements: http://www.rickriordan.com/.
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