I recently finished reading the children's epic, The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan, the final Percy Jackson & the Olympians novel. Though it was confusing and frustrating to read, this lengthy blockbuster often went beyond the simple emotions of its ‘Percy Jackson' predecessors. Reading this book made me excited to finish, but once I was finished, I was sad that the adventure series had come to an end.

The series follows Greek Mythology set in a modern world. The previous novel, The Battle of the Labyrinth, ended with Kronos, the Titan ‘Lord of Time,' completely re-formed, and, well, evil. The Last Olympian starts when the story's hero Percy, now reaching his Sweet 16 when the ‘Great Prophecy' is predicted to take place, must convince his fellow half-human, half-god (demigod) friends to protect the Empire State Building, a.k.a. Mt. Olympus. Meanwhile, the Olympian gods are busy battling the monstrous beast, Typhon.

This is my favorite book series, and when this one came out, I was very eager to read it. But when I finally got it, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. It was so confusing compared to the other ‘Jackson' books that I almost thought about taking notes to keep track of everything. On top of that, its small font and long chapters made me feel like time was being slowed by the Lord of Time, himself. At one point, I stopped reading it for a while.

When I continued reading The Last Olympian again, I loved it! It had adventure, it had humor, it had tragedy (yes, that may mean tears for some!). I related to Percy. He is not only going through the whole teenage experience, but he also has to save the world. I sometimes feel like that, too. It is difficult to be a teen, because not only are teens changing, but they are also going through social dramas, school issues, and, in Percy's case, saving the world.

While I had mixed feelings about this book, in the end, it gave me joy and excitement. I recommend this book, along with the rest of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. All are great reads, fun enough to read more than once!

Oh, and a tip: in this book, though it may be tempting, do not read ahead for spoilers. I learned that the hard way!