My Favorite Characters from Books I’ve Read in 2011
- Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: What I loved most about Anna was just how much I could relate to the protagonist. I feel extremely similar to Anna which was why I really loved the book. I’d freak out exactly for the same reasons she did, and overanalyze just about everything like she did.
- Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins: I adore Lola because she’s got impeccable style. I wish she was my best friend so I can constantly raid her closets. I’d let her give me a make-over any day.
- Mary Quinn from the Agency series by YS Lee: Um, Victorian girl spy – need I say more? Quick with her tongue and not afraid to dress in disguise, Mary is one of my favorite characters in historical YA. She’s just so much fun to read about since she doesn’t quite fit the cookie-cutter mold of a Victorian lady.
- Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series: I totally had a love/hate relationship at first with Rose during the first few books of the series. But once she finally stood up for herself, that‘s when she really started to kick butt in my eyes. I love strong female protagonists.
- Pearl from Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst: Oh my god, I don’t think I’ve encountered such a funny narrator this year. Pearl just had me giggling. The premise does play a part in the humor, but nothing beats Pearl’s voice.
- Lady Calpurnia Hartwell from Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean: Callie is one of my favorite romance characters ever. She’s witty and just so much more likeable than your usual romance protagonist.
- Percy from the Percy Jackson series: I’ve got a soft spot for Percy. After reading all the books in the series, I have to say that I really enjoyed watching him grow. It’s a bit sad that I ended the series so I’ll definitely have to pick up the spin-off series soon.
I obviously could not think of 10. 
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Memes - Author: Richelle Mead, Author: Rick Riordan, Author: Sarah Beth Durst, Author: Sarah MacLean, Author: Stephanie Perkins, Author: YS Lee, Book: Anna and the French Kiss, Book: Drink Slay Love, Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door, Book: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake, Series: Love By Numbers, Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Series: The Agency, Series: Vampire Academy | 
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THE LAST OLYMPIAN by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5
Publication Date: May 5th 2009 by Disney Hyperion Books for Children
Rating: 
Summary: Climactic battles rage on New York streets in the final book of Rick Riordan’s large-scale Olympian series. As Kronos’ massive offensive moves towards its ultimate goal, Percy Jackson struggles to comprehend the full meaning of a long-awaited prophecy. A momentous fantasy cycle rumbles to its ominous conclusion.
Review Overview:
- Loved that Manhattan was a battleground
- Actual plot wasn’t as engaging because of the lack of a main myth tied to the plot
- Overall, still a fantastic series that can’t be missed
While THE LAST OLYMPIAN was a fantastic conclusion to the epic Percy Jackson series, I admit that it was my least favorite of the books.
I absolutely loved the fact that Manhattan served as the battleground. Living in the city, it was fantastic to read about familiar places covered with monsters and demi-gods. I was easily able to map out the locations Percy mentioned. The map at the beginning of the book was a fantastic and beautiful addition to the book, especially those to who are not so familiar with Manhattan. I loved Daedalus’s automatons sprinkled around the city – mostly because the first one, William H. Seward, is only a few blocks away from me. Immediately after reading that Percy was on 23rd Street, I was already making plans to visit the automaton. How cool.
Though I loved the setting and the bits of mythology sprinkled throughout the book, the pacing of the book completely threw me off. I honestly wasn’t at the edge of my seat because it felt like Percy was always in battle. In a way, it did feel a bit anti-climactic because I felt like there was no build-up to the big battle between Kronos and Percy. I knew it was going to happen, and it became one of those events that I just felt like, okay, it’s going to happen, no big deal.
Furthermore, what made this story different from the others was that there was no main myth that was woven perfectly into the story. I guess I had such high hopes after reading The Battle of the Labyrinth. The story of Daedalus was integrated so well and THE LAST OLYMPIAN only had the prophecy to pull it to the end. Lack of a central myth was a huge loss to me as a reader. The prophecy only entertained me so much and it wasn’t engaging enough to me as a reader. There were no really jaw-dropping moments.
Despite my qualms with the book, it was still an enjoyable read. I still highly recommend the Percy Jackson series despite the fact that the last book was not as epic as I thought it would be. Riordan does a fantastic job tying up the series nonetheless. I was left with a warm fuzzy feeling, but at the same time, I felt like a connection between me and a close friend had been severed. I’m happy with the conclusion to the series as a whole, and I will miss the Percy Jackson cast tremendously. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a fantastic middle grade series that you cannot miss.
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Book Review, Four Stars - Audience: Middle Grade, Audience: Young Adult, Author: Rick Riordan, Book: The Last Olympian, Genre: Action, Genre: Fantasy, Genre: Mythology, Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books for Children, Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians | 653 words
THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4
Publication Date: Published May 6th 2008 by Hyperion
Rating: | 
Summary: Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.
Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and the Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn’t safe, as Kronos’ army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth — a sprawling underground world with surprises and danger at every turn.
Along the way Percy will confront powerful enemies, find out the truth about the lost god Pan, and face the Titan lord Kronos’ most terrible secret. The final war begins . . . with the Battle of the Labyrinth.
Review Overview:
- One of my favorite story-lines so far; I love Deadalus and his labyrinth!
- Fast-paced adventure that fans of the series will love though not as funny as the previous books
- Percy continues to grow as a character
- Heightens up the tension for the next book!
In a fast-paced adventure, Rick Riordan continues to amaze me by bringing myths to life in the fourth installment of the Percy Jackson series. As the evil Kronos and his army become more powerful, it is up to Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover to beat the army to the heart of Daedalus’s labyrinth. The fate of Camp Half-Blood is in the hands of Percy and friends.
Story-wise, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH is my favorite so far. Daedalus and his labyrinth is one of my favorite myths, mostly because it brought me back to my Latin class in high school. I loved how Riordan brought the labyrinth to life. As usual, his writing was full of vivid descriptions that brought me into the intricate maze right next to Percy.
The writing was fast-paced as usual full of action and surprises around every corner. Unlike other authors, Riordan still has the ability to surprise me with awesome plot twists that I never would have seen coming despite having recently read his other books. THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH will not disappoint fans of the series.
This book lacked the humor that I loved in the previous books, but THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH makes up for that area in terms of character development and relationships. Percy continues to grow as a character, not only maturing with age, but as well as the powers he has. It was amazing to read what he could do with the gifts bestowed by him as the son of Poseidon. Furthermore, I loved his interactions with Annabeth, as awkward as they were. I love that their friendship is developing into something more, though Percy doesn’t really understand it at the moment. So adorable!
The ending left off with a lot of tension. I can just anticipate how amazing the last book will be. With Percy’s sixteenth birthday a year away, I can only imagine how much adventure there is to come. The war between the Titans and the Gods of Olympus is just about ready to go into full swing!
I am enjoying the series tremendously. Despite the fact that I still have one book to go, I can honestly say that the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will become one of my favorites of all time! I strongly urge you to read the series if you haven’t already!
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Book Review, Four Stars - Action, Action Packed, Audience: Middle Grade, Audience: Young Adult, Author: Rick Riordan, Book: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Genre: Adventure, Genre: Fantasy, Page-Turner, Publisher: Hyperion, Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians | 720 words
- Borrow It
- Hahaha Funny
- Keeps You Guessing
- Heartwarmer
- Makes You Think
- Masterful World-Building
- Must Buy
- Poetic Prose
- Romantic Read
- Tear-Jerker
