The Last Olympian

In this final book in the Percy Jackson series (though not Riordan's final book, thank goodness) the evil forces have descended fully upon the United States. The gods battle in the Midwest while the young demi-gods take their fight directly to New York City, the ultimate destination of the monsters and Titans. My first impression while I was reading this book was how wonderfully competent Percy had grown to be. At the very beginning of the book it becomes obvious that he is no longer relying on luck or assistance from those more capable than he is. Now he is the capable one. I read these books in quick succession, especially the last three. This changed how I experienced them, as compared to books I've had to wait for like the Harry Potter books. At times I was a little surprised at how much the characters had grown but I had to remind myself that time had passed and they had had time to plan and develop their skills. I loved this entire series, have recommended it to others, and will continue to recommend it as long as people will listen to me!