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CHAPTER 1: I Go Cruising with Explosives
The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car.
Up until then, I was having a great afternoon. Technically I wasn’t supposed to be driving because I wouldn’t turn sixteen for another week, but my mom and my stepdad, Paul, took my friend Rachel and me to this private stretch of beach on the South Shore, and Paul let us borrow his Prius for a short spin.
Now, I know you’re thinking, Wow, that was really irresponsible of him, blah, blah, blah, but Paul knows me pretty well. He’s seen me slice up demons and leap out of exploding school buildings, so he probably figured taking a car a few hundred yards wasn’t exactly the most dangerous thing I’d ever done.
Anyway, Rachel and I were driving along. It was a hot August day. Rachel’s red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore a white blouse over her swimsuit. I’d never seen her in anything but ratty T-shirts and paint-splattered jeans before, and she looked like a million golden drachmas.
“Oh, pull up right there!” she told me.
We parked on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic. The sea is always one of my favorite places, but today it was especially nice - glittery green and smooth as glass, as though my dad was keeping it calm just for us.
My dad, by the way, is Poseidon. He can do stuff like that.
“So.” Rachel smiled at me. “About that invitation.”
“Oh...right.” I tried to sound excited. I mean, she’d asked me to her family’s vacation house on St. Thomas for three days. I didn’t get a lot of offers like that. My family’s idea of a fancy vacation was a weekend in a rundown cabin on Long Island with some movie rentals and a couple of frozen pizzas, and here Rachel’s folks were willing to let me tag along to the Caribbean.
Besides, I seriously needed a vacation. This summer had been the hardest of my life. The idea of taking a break even for a few days was really tempting.
Still, something big was supposed to go down any day now. I was “on call” for a mission. Even worse, next week was my birthday. There was this prophecy that said when I turned sixteen, bad things would happen.
“Percy,” she said, “I know the timing is bad. But it’s always bad for you, right?”
She had a point.
“I really want to go,” I promised. “It’s just - “
“The war.”
I nodded. I didn’t like talking about it, but Rachel knew. Unlike most mortals, she could see through the Mist - the magic veil that distorts human vision. She’d seen monsters. She’d met some of the other demigods who were fighting the Titans and their allies. She’d even been there last summer when the chopped-up Lord Kronos rose out of his coffin in a terrible new form, and she’d earned my permanent respect by nailing in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush.
Copyright © 2009 by Rick Riordan
All year the Half-Bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’ army is stronger than ever, and with every new recruit, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.…
Imagine the pressure Rick Riordan must have been under to write a conclusion worthy of his fans’ epic expectations. Boy, did he deliver with Book Five of his highly acclaimed Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. Rave reviews for The Last Olympian just keep coming—from fans and critics alike! (Ages 9-12)
Hardcover : 368 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Bks For Children ( May 05, 2009 )
Item #: 13-161633
ISBN: 9781423101475
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 inches
Product Weight: 15.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

I really enjoy the Percy Jackson books and book #5 definitely did not disappoint me. I've considered reading this to my girls however at 3 & 4 I do think they are a bit to young for the fighting scenes and I'm not sure that I want to discuss the creatures from mythology, they may never get to sleep. BUT these are definitely a way to get kids intersted in their Greek mythology studies.
Reviewer: Michelle
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