The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan is the fifth book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

For most of this school year I’ve been having an ongoing discussion about what is appropriate in books with a parent I have known for several years.  I taught her oldest five years ago and now am on her youngest.  She’s someone I trust and whose judgment I value.  She has several times mentioned how the later Percy Jackson books have some inappropriate content.  I’m not sure whether she’s read them herself or if she’s relying on reports from her children.  Needless to say, I was pretty curious as to what was going to happen in this book.  Was Percy going to drop the f-bomb?  Would a budding romance get graphic and even result in s-e-x?  Could there possibly be more battling/fighting/violence? Would Dionysus drive the impressionable young demigods to drink? The anticipation was killing me.

The result: while the book itself certainly kept me interested and turning the pages, there wasn’t anything particularly racy, shocking or vulgar.  While the characters are more mature than in the prior books, I believe it’s still handled in a tasteful manner (although judge for yourself below).  The question is whether or not younger kids will remain interested during the sections that veer away from the violent and towards the romantic side of things.  Like I said, the romance is tame, but I’m thinking that readers would need to have at least a passing interest in the opposite sex or they’re going to be saying “ew” over the feelings.  Seeing as I’ve marked it as tween/teen I don’t think you’ll get too much complaint from those audiences, but I know plenty of third graders who have read the series and I can’t see them liking (or even really understanding) those bits at all.

In this one, I missed the quest aspect that had been present in the prior books, instead The Last Olympian takes place almost entirely in New York.  It also ramped up the intensity of violence and death as would befit a great battle for power.  Although The Last Olympian is currently the final book in the series, Riordan leaves the door open for future related books.  Also here we officially veered into too many characters territory. Just about everyone you’ve ever met in any of the books is back and it can be really difficult remembering who’s who.  A handy guide at the beginning or end would be a great addition if it’s reprinted (are you listening publishers?)

Sex, Nudity, Dating –Since the characters are teenagers in this book, there is a certain amount of love and relationship based content.  In particular, characters are called upon to act based on who they most care about.  There is definitely noticing of the opposite sex, but in a “she looks pretty” kind of way, not a “look at her hot bod” kind of way.  There are 3 or 4 kisses and a reference to a kiss in a prior book as well as some hugging and handholding.  None of the kisses is graphic (no tongue or bodies touching or anything).  Various campers date.  There is a bit of an explanation of how demigods can date and it’s not gross because they’re not really related on their godly side.  The wives of various gods (Poseidon, Hades) are peevish when forced to talk to their husbands’ illegitimate children or about their husbands’ mistresses.
Profanity – “hell”hounds again, “darn”, “sux”, “Gods”,
Death, Violence and Gore – This is a book recounting an epic battle between good and evil.  There are soldiers and the soldiers are armed, guns, swords, knives, bow and arrows, explosives, you name it.  As this is the climax of the series, we can no longer expect everyone to make it through safely, so if you need to know exactly who is okay and who’s not, drop me an e-mail.  Humans and demigods suffer injuries including bleeding, burns (one girl’s face is pretty much burn off) and death.  The bad guys tend to explode into dust (much like the vampires on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) so at least we’re spared some gore there.  There are of course more monsters (some good, some bad) including an evil pig (who is destroyed by lions) and a drakon who kills/poisons/otherwise injures many campers.  The Minotaur’s axe is decorated with necklaces from half-bloods he has defeated.  We are told that there are hundreds, maybe thousands, dead in the war between the titans and the gods.  Finally, Hades and all his underworld buddies fight, so expect more skeleton warriors and some zombies.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Percy is transported to a bar for a meeting with Dionysus.
Frightening or Intense Things –  The war is causing natural disasters like floods, tornados, storms.    Possessed by visions.  Lots of close calls.