Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

I began reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series in January after following along with a PJO readathon initiated by some ladies on instagram. I had never read the series before! I don't know why they never crossed my radar in the past, but I was absolutely in love from the first page of The Lightning Thief. The four books that followed took me on adventures that helped me escape the stressful reality of my day to day life. 

Instead of reviewing each book individually, I will just talk today about the series as a whole. I've always been interested in mythology, and this was somewhat of a mini-refresher on the Greek gods and goddesses. Percy is likeable and I didn't find him annoying even as a middle schooler. Annabeth is a smart and fearless girl. She's strong and I really respected her as a character. It was great watching them grow up and grow their powers and abilities. They faced their battles while also finding themselves, as cliche as that sounds. I loved getting to know all the characters, and even the less likeable ones earn a bit of fondness (or at least some sympathy) as the story moves on. While Percy and the other Half-Bloods are progressing through each quest, they are coming to terms with their strengths and weaknesses as a single warrior and as a team. Regardless of how the group feels about each other as individuals, when push comes to shove, they are family. 

A coworker of mine mentioned that his one argument against the series is that each book kind of follows the same formula, but overall he enjoyed the whole series. He makes a point, but the predictability didn't bother me while reading. I found the storyline to be easy to follow and familiar. I read each book within just a couple of sittings, I devoured them all. The series got better and better, and I found myself looking forward to the next quest as soon as I finished the last. The fifth book, The Last Olympian, is the best story of them all.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys adventure and fantasy. It was similar to the Harry Potter series in the way the series progresses. The first story written more for middle grade readers, and each of the five books progressed for each school year. 

4 stars for The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth
4.5 stars for The Last Olympian
5 stars for the series overall