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Book Review: Percy Jackson:The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan

Nov 3, 2013

First Published: May 5^th 2009

Pages: 381 (hardback)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

ISBN: 1423101502

Book Depository – AmazonUK – Amazon US

Synopsis

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.

In this momentous final book in the “New York Times” best-selling series, the 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.

Review

What an epic, perfect ending to a brilliant series. I just cannot get over how amazing series this was, and now it’s ended. Again it was full of action, unexpected events, and scenes that pull a smile on my face.

The Action was amped up in The Last Olympian, with the war coming to its peak, and the climax of the series, the prophecy finally coming to its moment. One thing I have to say about this book that it made me think about hard, trying to imagine how, how these Demi-Gods are just so young and they are fighting a war, I know it’s not real and all, but the way Rick wrote and just the whole premise of these books made me reflect about it. It made me imagine how hard it was in WWI and WWII and all those young men fighting. The book starts off with a bang and there is never a dull moment. There was either war action, or conflict between characters.

I really enjoyed that it was fast paced, like the other novels right from the beginning we can already see things are going to move quickly. There was not a moment where I wanted to put the book down, all I wanted to do was to keep reading and reading. I found that with all the books the Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series they were all fasted paced but I think The Last Olympian was the most fasted paced out of all of them.

I have probably said this in all of my reviews on the Series, but I love Mythology, especially, Greek Mythology. And I love the way that Rick Riordan incorporates his views on ancient stories. So I loved all seeing and hearing about all the gods and all the Mythology creatures and all about the world, from the heroes to the villains.

Most of the Characters development throughout the series, but I think the Characters development the most in The Last Olympian. They all grow more, especially Percy. He learns to deal with uneasy situations and ones that at the start of the series would not have overcome. I love that we get to see his growth throughout the series, we finally to get to see him grown up. I also like that we get to see ‘normal’ teenage situations occur. It makes the characters more real in a sense.

After wanting to strangle Annabeth for the way she always stands up for Luke, she finally realizes that Luke isn’t Luke anymore. It was really happy and heartbreaking at the same time, she finally realizes that he has change in more than one sense, but she also has to come to terms with the circumstances.

Annabeth and Percy’s relationship is kind of strained and Rachel showing up isn’t helping matters, but after the long wait off 4 books and the war. We finally get to see them together and happy to a point. The end scene, made the fangirl of me, squeal.

We also get to see some other characters such as Clarisse and Grover and all the other demi-gods. We also get to see Tyson again, whom I love to bits.

We finally get to see how the prophecy plays out. I was so what shocked with what happen but not completely as I did guess something bad would happen, just not what occur. We all also find out more about Luke’s past, which I thought was great characterisation from Riordan. Many other secrets that come to light, which held to the climax of the book and the series.

I enjoyed this series so much, they were fun, emotional, light reads. That put a smile on my face. I recommend everyone to read these books, they are for everyone. But if you love Mythology, then grab this now. Also people of any age will love these books. I’m 16 and I just was mesmerised by them. I cannot wait to start the Heroes of Olympus Series.

Some of my Favourite Quotes;

“With great power… comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.”

“It’s hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one.”

I have to give this book nothing else than a 5 stars out of 5

Have you read the Percy Jackson Series yet? What did you think of it? If you haven’t has my review helped in your decision to read it?

Fan Art Friday (2)

Nov 1, 2013

Hey Everyone, and welcome to Fan Art Friday. This is a new feature on my blog, Angelreads, where every Friday I will Post fan art that has either been sent to me or I have found. Each week there will be a different topic and the art choice will relate to the top. On Thursday or Friday Morning’s I will tweet what the topic is and will ask anyone if they want to share their art. Everyone is welcomed to join in. Let me know if you have so I can see what art you have found. Everyone Art id credited to them. If you want your art featured contact me and I will feature it, in the topic week.

This week the topic is Leading Ladies. Those Female characters that, we hear from, the ones whom tells us their story.

First up with have none Other than Rose Hathaway

Next Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior from the Divergent Trilogy

Next Up is Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments Series

Now Katniss Everdeen the Girl on Fire from the Hunger Games Trilogy

Hope you enjoyed this week Fan Art Friday. What art is your favourite?

Book Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Oct 31, 2013

First Published: March 1st 2012

Pages: 257 (paperback)

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN: 0007446373

Book Depository – AmazonUK – Amazon US

Synopsis

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth–her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Review

I knew nothing about Slide when I first picked it up in the bargain bin on the Book Depository but I am very happy I did. It was a refreshing, interesting, quick read. I had never read any murder mystery novels before Slide, which is wired as I love all those types of TV shows. Jill Hathaway skilfully welds together a mystery novel while carefully adding a touch of romance and cleverly addressing contemporary issues.

I love that Jill Hathaway had the ability to write well rendered characters and their relationships with others. . We’ve got very deep, emotional issues that are touched in this story. Absentee fathers, deaths, bullying, affairs – she was able to create serious life problems that are somewhat dramatic, but also sincerely realistic.

I really enjoyed Slide’s protagonist Vee, she was a very strong, interesting character and I love the way Jill wrote her. I really like the voice that she gave to Vee, she was somewhat easy to relate to. I am a lover of strong female characters, so I think that is one of the main reasons why I loved Slide so much. Vee has so much going on her life, yet she remains headstrong. She did make a fair few mistakes but I think that is what makes her more real; which makes her easier to relate to. It’s incredible the way Vee deals with difficult situations she’s thrown into.

I loved the character of Rollins; he was a mystery at first. But when I did find out why he was all mysterious, what he really was ‘hiding’ I admired him a great deal more and it made him that more amazing. I found alot of Jill’s character very realistic and I think that’s what I really enjoyed.

I was and still am fascinated by her ability to ‘Slide’ into someone mind. It was new and unexplored. It was quite interesting and it made me think about, what would it be like, if this was real, if I was able to do this. In the end I don’t think that’s the best idea because, you might see, like Vee does, things you don’t want to see. Things that you will be haunted by forever. But in saying that the way that the way that Jill wrote about the ability to slide was very captivating, and what drew me in, in the first place.

The murder mystery was a very compelling component of the book as it was what kept me glued to the pages, desperate to finally uncover the culprit. All sorts of twists and red-herrings were included, creating a gripping plot that was full of suspense. I to some extent I thought I knew whom the murder was, as there was hints of foreshadowing, but I was never fully certain until it is said whom the murder is and in that was not very shocked at whom, but why. That was very much unexpected.

I expected Slide to center more on the romance, but the first half was practically romance-free, and I must admit I’m glad that was the case. I love novels that are not solely based on romance and everything revolves around it, I think that’s one of the main things I enjoyed about this novel. It let me take in the mystery elements, Vee’s ability, her loneliness and her fears, more seriously and it gave the story more weight.

The enjoyed Jill writing style but I did find it that there were choppy sentences, oddly specific figurative language, that kind of thing. That is probably the only bad thing I can really say about this well.

I found it middle paced, in a sense that it was not fasted paced but not slow at all. Just right in the middle, this was quite pleasing. I was a nice quick read that I read in a few hours, which kept me hooked to the very end.

Quotes that I liked;

“People have emotional ties to books, more often than you think…”

“His hands are behind his back.‘Choose,’ he says.‘I’ve already made my choice,’ I say, and I grab the sleeve of his leather jacket and pull him inside.”

I Give this book a 4 stars out of 5.

Have you read Slide? What did you think of it? Will you read it?