Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian
~by Rick Riordan

         In a world where almost every single story that is written is just the remake or redo of another, its amazing to find a gem like this amongst the works. In Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian, Rick Riordan adds the creativity, mystery and danger of the world of Greek Mythology with the insanity of the modern society. He creates a book that is unique and hilarious while at the same time discussing mistreatment and loss and the effect they have on persons morals.
         The creation of this story is a heartwarming and amazing one. Rick Riordan says that this series came into existence thanks to his son. His son had become fascinated with mythology so Rick Riordan decided to make a story out of it. He created the character Percy and the adventure began. Each night the story got longer and longer. He wrote down the story and soon the first book of the series was created and now five books later here we are with a spectacular finale.
         In this final installment in this hilarious and intense series Rick Riordan leans heavily on a theme that he has focused on throughout this entire series, morales and how they are affected by greed or mistreatment. In this book almost every single opponent or foe evolved from just to corrupt because of their mistreatment and desire for the better. Most of these people were renowned for their kind nature and strong morales, these characteristics simply dissolved due to the unfair treatment. Its not just bad guys either many good guys suffered from morale struggles or their ideas of morales evolving. Many characters such as Silena Beauregard and Chris Rodriguez both struggled with what they believed was right and what they believed was wrong. Even one of the main characters in the end sacrificed himself to stop Kronos and he was the guy who helped Kronos come back, but he sacrificed himself because his idea of morals  changed due to seeing the atrocities he was witnessing.
         Despite all the seriousness that he funnels into his books he somehow manages to still keep the books light hearted and funny. He intertwines humor into almost every single page and its never overwhelming either. He could kill off a character and then add a few lines of jokes or puns and somehow you would still be laughing through your tears. Whether its just luck or if its some strange gift that has been bestowed upon him, it works.
          His books never cease to amaze me and this final book is no exception. He throws the characters into one final epic battle that takes place in every corner of New York City, from the Empire State building to the United Nations battles raged. He puts all his chips in play for this final intense scene, bringing people from all corners of the Percy Jackson universe here for this.
        In the end wraps everything that occurred in the entire series up in a nice little bow in this book. Some characters died, some lived, others we will never really know what happened to them. The Minor Gods finally get the respect they deserve, the lack of respect that caused their loyalties to falter. The many unclaimed Demigods also got the thing the wanted the most, a place to call their own. Some things may never be fixed though, such as the emotional scars that come with loss and sacrifice and betrayal, but that only adds to all the emotion you will feel when you flip the final page.