Recommending the Percy Jackson Series

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series are comedic, fun, adventure-filled, Urban Fantasy YA books. It is a five-book series by Rick Riordan, and it also has a spin-off 5 book series called the Heroes of Olympus.

The order of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (PJO) is the following:

1. The Lightning Thief (Starts out with 12-year-old Percy learning he's a half-blood and going on a quest for the lost lightning bolt to restore peace between the olympian gods.)

2. The Sea of Monsters

3. The Titan's Curse

4. The Battle of The Labyrinth

5. The Last Olympian

There are also short stories and books that can be read alongside the series like The Demigod Files, Demigods and Monsters, and The Ultimate Guide.

The spin-off series, Heroes of Olympus, includes some of the same characters as this series with some new faces as well.

The Heroes of Olympus series follows this order:

1) The Lost Hero

2) The Son of Neptune

3) The Mark of Athena

4) The House of Hades

5) The Blood of Olympus

Below is a list of reasons why you should read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series:

1. Found Family trope: (there are special bonds between Percy Jackson and his friends and it's so heartwarming)

2. Adventure and action (Each book discusses battles and journeys the demigods go on so there are always entertaining events to read)

3. Greek Mythology (Greek Mythology is a big component of this series as everything about the world is crossed between Greek Mythology and modern-day)

4. Slow-burn romance, friends-to-lovers

5. Friendship and betrayals

6. Demigods, mortals, gods, titans

7. There is an oncoming war that builds in the books to a climax with the war in full swing in the last book so lots of tension

8. Comedic lines and sarcasm

9. Powerful, Strong Women (So, so many including Annabeth, Thalia, Zoe, Clarisse)

There are also many other pieces in the books you should look out for in this series in case you aren't as comfortable with it:

1. ADHD (Most Demigods have this disorder as it is a sign of their battle reflexes and better sensory perception) and dyslexia(most demigods have it because their brains are more hard-wired towards reading ancient greek).

2. Back from the dead (quite a few characters toe the line between life and death)

3. Some characters are morally grey

4. Parental abandonment and abuse

5. All myths are true

6. Fatal Flaws

However, this series is really good, and the author knows what he's doing when he applies the above pieces to the story.

Here are a few quotes from the series. I don't think they hold that many spoilers, but you may skip them if you wish:

"If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself." -The Lightning Thief

“Don't you ever feel that way? Like you could do a better job if you ran the world? ''Um... no. Me running the world would be kind of a nightmare.” -Sea of Monsters

“Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady." -The Titan's Curse

“Are you guys busy?" Juniper asked. "Well," I said, "we're in the middle of this game against a bunch of monsters and we're trying not to die." "We're not busy," Annabeth said.” -The Battle of the Labyrinth

“With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.” -The Last Olympian

I will also include the synopsis for the first book in the PJO series, The Lightning Thief.

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

So, in conclusion, you should read this series. It will always be a nostalgic, comforting read for me. I started and finished it in middle school, and I still go back for rereads sometimes.

If you feel this is for you, then go buy it and read it. If you've read it, comment your favorite character, and let's discuss in the comments!