Book Review #537 - Peter Pan by J.M Barrie

Fly across the sky with Peter and Wendy

One starry night, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where lost boys play, mermaids splash and fairies make mischief. But a villainous-looking gang of pirates lurk in the docks, led by the terrifying Captain James Hook. Magic and excitement are in the air, but if Captain Hook has his way, before long, someone will be walking the plank and swimming with the crocodiles...

My Rating: 3/5

Before reading this book, I had not seen any movie adaptations or anything and only knew basic pop culture things about the story and characters. 

I was a little confused at first as to whether this book was trying to be a fantasy novel or a contemporary with a twist. 

The writing style wasn't very descriptive and for that reason I didn't find it very engaging either. 

The whole idea of of Wendy being a mother to Peter and all the other lost boys, with her taking care of all of them and such was rather sexist although it was on an innocent level. 

The character of Peter Pan was the most fascinating element out of the story. If viewed as a fantasy novel then Peter's abilities are justified however if viewed the other way then Peter is likely a ghost. 

Overall I can definitely see why this book and story is such a well loved classic and I am going to go and watch the Disney movie adaptation as soon as possible. 

Book Review #536 - The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) 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’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, 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, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

My Rating: 4/5 

This being the last book in the series that I have done nothing but read for the last week I was very hesitant to read it as I was reluctant to finish the series. 

The action in this book was immense. There was significantly more in this book than any of the others. Even with that it still maintained the humour used throughout the series. 

Annabeth was a little too emotional and angsty in this book whilst showing obvious (to everyone but Percy) jealousy towards Rachel, who was also rather annoying in this book. 

The ending obviously sets up the Heroes of Olympus series which I am eagerly wanting to read as soon as possible. 

Book Review #535 - The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

My Rating: 5/5

This is my new favourite Percy Jackson novel. This series just gets better and better and I regret waiting so long to read them (especially when they have all been sitting on my bookshelf for years). 

I loved the whole concept of the labyrinth and the monsters contained in it. 

There was a lot more depth in this book compared to the others and this was largely due to the maturing of the characters. 

I loved that Tyson played a larger role in this book than in The Titan's Curse as he is one of my favourite characters. 

There was a lot of action in this book including a great battle scene. 

I had planned on reading a contemporary book or something else before I started The Last Olympian but with the way this book ended quite ominously I couldn't help but delve straight into Percy Jackson's last adventure.