Review: Bloody Jack

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy

L.A. Meyer

YA historical fiction

Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

I had this book on my shelf for the loooongest time. My friend had shoved it into my hands forever ago. At first it looked to me like a cute middle grade adventure, the kind I would've liked when I was younger, and therefore didn't strike my fancy during the period in which I was reading Fifty Shades of Grey, for example. However, a few weekends ago (yes I'm so behind in my reviews) I opened the first page to see what it would be like and I was hooked.

Let's start with the setting. EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON. DOES IT GET MORE PERFECT THAN THAT?? Notice my blog design and you get all you need to know about my favorite time and place to read about. Except this time it's not a grand Institute, no balls or seasons or corsets and carriages. No, in Bloody Jack we visited London as the regular people experienced it - dirty, people dying of diseases left and right and not even getting a proper burial as their bodies are getting picked up by experimenters. Starving orphans on the streets scavenging to survive- that is where we meet or protagonist, Mary.

We learn that Mary actually come from a semi-ok financial situation, and that she was even taught to read. But no money or education can stop the death of your parents by plague and being cast out onto the streets. There Mary is picked up by a gang of smart and tough kids led by the lovable Charlie.

I loved this first part of the book. The way it's written, in Mary's garbled street-speech, the fast pace, the childish way in which Mary understands things - it all sucked you right in to the tragedy that was those kids' lives, but also their fun and adventure and family that they built together.

Throughout the novel, we grow up with Mary. How she gets herself on that boat, cleverly hides her identity as a girl, and takes on the name and role of Jacky. It was incredible how a story about a child became a tale of a ship's boy, but then slowly to that of a woman. Despite the book's blurb, I didn't expect the book to dive that deeply into femininity and what it means to be a woman. The whole theme of it made the story so much more realistic - if you were a growing girl among boys who hasn't seen any grown women in years, it would also be a subject that kept you up at night. In this respect, Bloody Jack was very different from other stories where girls pass as boys, like Leviathan or Alanna.

So, behold:

Review: The Sword of Summer

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)

Rick Riordan
middle grade, Norse mythology

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . 

Behold, the book I basically started reading in November and finished a week ago.  Round of applause, please.

No matter what, come hell or high water, Rick Riordan's books will be good. However, I realize now that the appeal will lessen the older you get. 

Unlike the Percy Jackson books, and like Heroes of Olympus, The Sword of Summer was a massive, almost 500-page book. Let's be honest - Heroes was not as good as PJ, but we loved it and read it anyway, partially because we loved the familiar characters and world. In the case of Magnus Chase, I found the size a bit of a problem. The Norse world and it's rules are not as familiar to the average reader as the Greek Gods and stories are (at least to me) and I found all the character arcs and backgrounds and subplots rather confusing. 

Also, I found the supporting characters rather dull and not as relatable as Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson always were. Blitz and Hearth were not young kids, and Samirah, while having cool and useful abilities, didn't usually add much to the scene. 

Truthfully though, all of the above is really just one flaw, and that is that the book was not Percy Jackson. If you can read it without expecting it to be what it cannot be, you should enjoy it(:

On to the things I loved: humor as spot on as usual, THE CHAPTER TITLES, the cover, the fact that it's a trilogy, pure originality, pop culture references, the dedication, Rick Riordan fandom inside jokes (passes out even more than Jason Grace), the talking goats, the talking sword. 

Review: The Atlantis Complex

The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl #7)
Eoin Colfer
Middle grade, adventure, fantasy

When Artemis commits his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy, it seems that goodness has taken hold of the world's greatest teenage criminal mastermind. But the truth is much worse: Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies and most likely triggered in Artemis by his dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind-and the grips of a giant squid-in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

You can read my reviews of The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl #8) and The Artemis Fowl Files here.

Ya, about that. I had accidentaly skipped book 7 of the series. *cringe* 

So in this installment, Artemis has a crazy disorder causing him to be.... well, crazy. At first I thought this would ruin the book for me, because Artemis being Artemis is what makes this series, you know? In the beginning, it was like that a bit. But as the story and Artemis's condition progresses, we get Orion, Artemis's alter ego. Need I say hilarious? All the things Artemis supresses in himself come out into full play, including his affections for Holly. As a huge Holly+Artemis shipper, you can bet I was WOOT WOOT-ing the whole time. 
(Either way, I needn't have worried. Every once in a while our favorite snooty criminal mastermind emerges from the depths have his own mind just in time to save everybody and be mortified by his alter ego's confessions)

Mulch was absolutely wonderful. I was giggling like a 5 year old being tickled after his every line. And it was nice to have Foaly on the field for a change. 

The beginning with the Butlers was a little slow, but push past that and you'll have a blast with the rest of the book. Rating:

What are you reading this week! I would love for you to let me know in the comments!
Love,
Esty

Happy Birthday Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

The Lightning Thief: 10th Anniversary Edition (B&N Exclusive Collector's Edition) 

Rick Riordan

Illustrated by John Rocco

My review of Percy Jackson's Greek Gods.

Before my thoughts, a tidbit: I reread a lot. A lot of times, in between every review I post here, I've reread another book that I don't review.  In most cases, every time I review a book in a series I reread all its predecessors, meaning I recently reread all of The Sisters Grimm series and The Lorien Legacies. Not to mention all The Heroes of Olympus and Mortal Instruments. 

I don't review rereads on principle (I'm talking about a book I read before I started blogging, therefore there is no review for here on Boarding with Books). The reason for this is because if your reading it again/ continuing the series you obviously liked it enough to do so. Also, your thoughts are very different from the initial impression you got when you immersed yourself in it the first time, more like a personal comparison with what you felt before, not so much review material. 

Anyway! Why, if so, am I doing this review on a book I have learned by heart read many times since my youth and is among my all time favorites? 

Well, it's been ten years. 

God this is so emotional.

When did we get so old??

I remember getting my copy of The Battle of the Labyrinth and staying up all night (or so I thought) until my dad made me go to sleep so I went to bed clutching it. I also remember spoiling it for myself because in grade 4 (or 5) I did NOT have the self-control it takes to avoid the internet. Lord, I didn't even try! I googled it myself! (:

Oh, wait. I meant to review the bonus content in the anniversary edition.

We'll start with the cover: I've seen opinions all across the spectrum. Honestly, I kinda like it. But no, not enough that if given the choice I'd choose to own the new ones. Christine at PolandBananasBooks made a video with her new Percy Jackson swag (so jealous) and made a good point... they just don't stand out like the old covers did! I'd miss the big gold writing on my shelf. 

However, just for this anniversary edition of The Lighting Thief it worked. It was done by the amazingly talented John Rocco (who did every other Rick Riordan thing ever) along with a gorgeous mural of all the new art on the inside jacket. On the inner side of the cover are the covers of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief in a bunch of different foreign languages... so cool!

There's the original outline (Twas the first time I've seen a real manuscript ouline. Twas fascinating), Riordan's first submission letter, a little Q&A, a letter from John Rocco, maps of Camp Half-Blood and the Underworld, a little note from Percy, a Greek Mythology reference guide and a list of myths relating to the story. Basically, lots of cute stuff. If I could ask for more I'd want interviews with the gods, maybe with some of the campers - though I realize it's premature for The Lightning Thief, come on. Who buys the collectors edition if not for avid fans?

Overall, I was so happy. It is an amazing gift to get, and I urge you to give the same present to yourself or to your favorite demigod friend. Rating:

Review: The Blood of Olympus

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5)

Rick Riordan

Middle Grade, Greek Mythology

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

SPOILERS BELOW

GUYS. THE END OF AN ERA IS UPON US.

*sniffs*

The standout thing about this? I did NOT expect the tears coming our way. I thought I personally would be emotional (because of the fact that I have like kissed the Percy Jackson books goodnight since I was 10 years old) but in no way did I think Rick Riordan would crank up the feel factor like he did. 

The personal journeys our characters went through are immense - but the series truly reached it's peak in that aspect in The Blood of Olympus with Nico's and Reyna's points of view. My heart just broke for them again and again but also swelled with insane pride. 

And the MOMENTS. I just can't even. Percy and Annabeth in the spot of the rivalry in Athens. Never before has a book made me sob from PURE HAPPINESS. 

I EVEN STARTED TO LOVE PIPER AND FRANK! If that doesn't speak of character development, nothing does. 

LEO. Enough said. 

And of course, the never- ending slew of cracks that could make even the most mature reader bust out laughing. Even Jason got in a few this time!

But there was just this one thing that nagged and nagged me about this installment and that was the lack of closure. 

For God's sake this is the last demigod book EVER and we didn't have any chapters from Percy or Annabeth's point of view. We never found out what happens to Apollo or the Oracle of Delphi. And all the FREAKING GODS OF OLYMPUS THEMSELVES come down to fight with their children and we don't know what they said to them. The book ends with everyone thinking Leo's dead. HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL SATISFIED HERE?? 

Percy hasn't seen his mom in a year. The Hunters and Amazons don't come to the final battle. There's no Olympic council rewarding all the heroes. The demigods of Camp Half-Blood don't make a new clay bead. REYNA DOESN'T FIND LOVE.

I WANT MY ENDS TIED UP ALL NICE AND PRETTY, MR. RIORDAN. I'VE LOVED EVERY BOOK OF YOURS FOR ENOUGH YEARS TO EXPECT THIS. 

But of course, it was beautiful nonetheless. I could never give anything by this author anything less than 5 stars. Now all that's left is to go mourn the loss of my childhood. Supporting comments much appreciated! *wipes tears and blows nose* Rating:

Review: The Artemis Fowl Files

The Artemis Fowl Files
Eoin Colfer
Companion to the Artemis Fowl series

The Artemis Fowl Files is comprised of two original stories: "LEPrecon": the story of Fairy Police Captain Holly Short's move from Traffic to Recon following her initiation into the Fairy Police; and "The Seventh Dwarf", featuring Mulch, Butler, and Artemis himself.

EXTRAS INCLUDE: 
• "Behind-the-scenes" interviews with major characters including: Artemis, Holly, Foaly, Mulch, and Eoin 
Colfer himself
• Coded section from the Fairy Book for kids to translate
• A section for Fairy Spotters including the different categories of Fairy and their physical characteristics 
and personality traits, including: Elves, Trolls, Sprites, Pixies Goblins, Dwarves and Centaurs
• Technical diagrams of Foaly's inventions

Hey there! Here for a rare middle-of-the-week post. Enjoy!

You can read my review of Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian here. As you can see in the link, I absolutely ADORE this series. Genius young criminal mastermind? Kick-butt faeries? What's not to love? So, naturally, I was overjoyed to stumble upon this great find in the library.

The book was quick and fun (200 pages) with activities to entertain a kid for hours (fortunately, I have stuff to do. I did not abandon my maturity. But I would have like to:)). 

The stories were written flawlessly and the interviews had me laughing. I adored getting bonus content from my favorite characters- you get some more of Holly's background which I thought was pretty cool, and a story of Artemis and Mulch that has been referenced in the series but I hadn't known had been written! You can read this companion after having read just one of the series. 

Rating:

Love,
Esty

Review: The Shadow of the Swarm

The Shadow of the Swarm (The Morrow Secrets #2)
Susan Mcnally
Middle grade, adventure

What will Tallitha do next? How will she escape from the sinister castle at Hellstone Tors and the grip of the Morrow Swarm? Will she ever see Winderling Spires again?

Grand Witches, Hellstone Shroves, evil relatives, strange creatures and supernatural powers abound in the second book in Tallitha Mouldson’s exciting adventures in the strange land of Breedoor.

Find out what happens in the next instalment of The Morrow Secrets and meet some exciting new characters as Tallitha and her trusted friends’ battle to free her from the Swarm and the spell of Hellstone Tors. 

You can read my review of book #1 here.

The Morrow Secrets and it's sequel, The Shadow of the Swarm,  were sent to me by Sweet Cherry Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you guys!

In the end of The Morrow Secrets I really started to get into the story. In this installment, Tallitha and Tyaas are stuck in Hellstone Tors, separated from Esmeralda and their friends the skinks. This made for an opportunity to play with the POVs, which I am happy to say the author took. We get chapters told by Cissie and her family who meet up with the Skinks, Esmeralda, and the Morrow Sisters back at Winderling Spires. I like the new and old characters so this method was a a refreshing change from book #1 :)

The novel is much bigger than the first, but a lot more happens so it can be excused. I also think the writing got a lot better, not colorful for the sake of being colorful like before but more natural. 

The art and cover were, as always, gorgeous. Recommended for a strong young reader, or for a spooky bedtime story to read to kids a bit at a time.

As you can see, from now on I'll be posting on weekends only. School is so intense this year! 
Love,
Esty

Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society #1)
Trenton Lee Stewart
MG sci-fi, adventure

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" ad attracts dozens for mind-bending tests readers may try. Only two boys and two girls succeed for a secret mission, undercover and underground into hidden tunnels. At the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, the only rule is - there are no rules.

The above blurb really doesn't do this book justice. It's been a long while since a middle grade series that's new to me managed to delight me like this one did. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society features 4 kids, each utterly genius and awesome in totally different ways. I loved that, because it really highlighted how different people have different types of intellignce and how each one can save them. The villain was scary, the plot moved quickly and told me only what I strictly needed to know about the people and places, leaving me thirsty for more. 

The chapter titles were adorable, the tone was like Raold Dahl ish mixed with like Narnia and Lemony Snicket- light but old-fashioned, the kind that a both kids and adults will find addictive and well, mysterious! Everything about this novel just came together beautifully.

And the best part? I got to be totally surprised!! As all veteran readers know, read too much of a certain genre and it becomes difficult to catch you off-guard, let alone completely throw you off. That happened to me twice near the end of the book. Needless to say, I'm ridiculously happy :-) 

I know they're young, but I'm holding out for a Reynie-Kate romance in the future. Hey, Percabeth started when they were 12, too. Rating:

I'm sure you all read about the Kathleen Hale scandal. All I'll say about it is that I know we're better than that as a community (readers, writers, bloggers). Let's put a stop to slander, stalking, identity stealing, and remember to be careful on the internet!
Love,
Esty

Review: The Morrow Secrets

The Morrow Secrets (The Morrow Secrets #1)
Susan McNally
middle grade adventure

‘The Morrow Secrets’ is a fantasy adventure story written for readers who love delving into the world of mystery, suspense, imagination and make-believe. It is the first book in a series about Tallitha Mouldson, a headstrong girl caught up in the sinister web of her eccentric family, the powerful Morrow dynasty. This fantasy saga is set in an alternative world and begins in a strange, rambling house called Winderling Spires in the land of Wycham Elva. The Morrow Secrets is an epic tale of dark forces, with a beguiling mystery to be solved, an exciting yarn of deception with frightening twists and wicked turns. The story has weird, whimsical characters, some motivated by wicked intent. They lurk round corners... watching Tallitha and luring her further into the dreadful secret....

The Morrow Secrets and it's sequel, The Shadow of the Swarm,  were sent to me by Sweet Cherry Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you guys!

So where to start? I had thoughts all over the spectrum regarding this novel. It started off VERY slow. Not much happens in the first 100 pages at Winderling Spires, and we don't get much background regarding place and it's history, nor the role of the family there. It seems Tallitha had only left the mansion once or twice in her life and doesn't know anyone outside the people (and creatures) who live there with her. Despite that, she never spares the outside world a thought before the adventure. We were also never given anyone's ages, which kinda threw me off. I was reading about characters I didn't know or understand, let alone like. 

However, towards the last third of the story, the novel really picked up. The stakes were raised, more people became involved, with more complex personalities. I wasn't able to predict the events from there on, and I started to feel the desired spooky atmosphere. I even started to read a little of book #2, and I can see the momentum is kept up so I'm looking forward to it :-)

Cover + art: LOVE IT. The art was nice, but I think the cover is really spectacular.

I'd recommend this as the kind of story you read to your kid (or in my case, kid siblings:-)) before bed, two chapters at a time. Rating: 

Sorry for the delay in returning comments! I'm on to it right now(: Happy reading!

Review: Lioness Rampant

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness #4)
Tamora Pierce
YA fantasy, adventure

"I'm not sure I want to be a hero anymore." 
Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. Perhaps being a knight errant is not all that Alanna needs....But Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when a new challenge arises. She must recover the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good -- but only in the right hands. And she must work quickly. Tortall is in great danger, and Alanna's archenemy, Duke Roger, is back -- and more powerful than ever. In this final book of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna discovers that she indeed has a future worthy of her mythic past -- both as a warrior and as a woman.

So I have library books to return and the Clean Out Your E-reader Challenge on my mind, urging me to read those books, and yet, on Saturday I was struck by a "Screw it all" attitude, "I wanna read Alanna". So I did.

This is the last book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet and I read the first one before I had a blog so I'm going to review this series as whole. You can read my review of book 2 here, and book 3 here.

As girls' adventure books go, there's no beating Alanna. Smart and headstrong, she leads the pack in heroines. Think Deryn from the Leviathan books, or Mulan. She longs to be a knight so she switches with her twin brother and trains in the palace as a boy. Over the years she makes powerful friends (Some may be a little more than friends:)) and accomplishes extraordinary feats.

Characters- ALL AWESOME. Jon, the boys, Sir Myles, George, Liam, Buri, Thayet, Coram, Thom... I could go on all day. Everyone has such personality! They're what make these books so much fun to read(:

Themes and ideas- this, I think, is the area where the quartet stands out the most. Aside from the girl-warrior-dressed-as-boy thing, the novels explore the ideas of believe it or not, your first love isn't necessarily your true love. Also, while I personally don't approve of this choice, Alanna sleeps with her lovers. Multiple ones. And wears a protective charm for pregnancy. Not only does she contest womens' right to fight, she also disproves all the things that would traditionally make her a respectable woman in her world, and I found that refreshing and inspiring. Also, her love life doesn't end in happily ever after marrying the prince- she loves him but contemplates her ability and will to rule, and ultimately makes a decision based on things other than what's expected of her but rather for her own and others' good.

Note: The first book centers around Alanna at ages 11-12, and is suitable for middle-grade readers. Book two has more mature content.

Another aspect of the series that I love is how you are with her over a period of almost 10 years, and really grow to love her world and friends.

And now, the REASON FOR GIVING BOOK #4 ONLY 4 STARS:
I'm not sure. Maybe it's that sometimes Jon has seriously out of character moments, something that I see as a flaw in the writing. Or maybe it's that Alanna kinda goes looking for trouble (though that's arguable- it's her job as a knight) I think it's mainly that the big plot point in  book #3 is resolved with little explanation in book #4, and that the big plot point in book #4 pops out with little explanation as to WHY it was allowed to happen in the first place.

Also, I was disappointed in Thayet's final decision , because I felt that so much could've been done with the loose end of her country, Sarain.

Rating:


overall note: I have been enjoying these books for years and will dearly miss Alanna. Really really recommended.

Review: House of Hades

House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4)
Rick Riordan
Middle Grade Adventure, Greek Mythology

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

Usually I try to keep my blog spoiler free, because in my opinion if you can't read the review because you haven't read the book than what help am I? I want to help you choose your books. The exceptions are novels like Clockwork Princess and this, about which nothing can be said about the writing, character development, pacing, or feeling, because all that is obviously completely flawless. No, this won't be much of a review- more a rant discussion of the actual events. So, if you haven't read it, GET OFF YOUR DEVICE AND READ IT. If you have, please comment and help me sort through my feelings.

SPOILERS START HERE


OK, NICO IS GAY?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTT OMG.
I think my shock has less to do with the fact that he is gay rather than the fact that Rick Riordan put a gay character in his book. For a long time we've been trying to figure out what Nico's deal is, and while I had a lot of theories, I didn't think in that direction AT ALL. You just don't expect to encounter homosexuality in a kid's book! But when I got over the original heart attack, I appreciated what Riordan did there. He writes his books for kids, not white straight kids. If all his characters were what is considered default than in a way he'd be adding to the discrimination people face today.  In addition, I'd like to give him credit for not actually using the words 'gay' or 'homosexual' or 'attracted to boys'. It makes it not a political issue, rather a difference- and the kids read and are like, 'ok, Nico had a crush on Percy. That makes him different' . What a subtle and brilliant way to promote acceptance. Also, notice how the new series features Hazel- who is black, Frank- who is Chinese, and Leo- who is Hispanic. Refreshing. 

Guys: I FINALLY began to like Jason. Up until now he was given all the respect afforded to Percy but the readers didn't know him or love him, so it was like, STOP BEING AN EQUAL TO PERCY. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU DO ANYTHING YET.  But in this book you do. He really becomes a leader- gets to know his team, relents when needed. I STILL think Piper is useless, though. Sue me. 

Me-when-I-found-out-Coach-Hedge-is-having-a-baby (it was obvious in the beginning if you've ever had a little sibling): AHAHAHAHAHA OMG EEEEEEHHHH

LEO AND CALYPSO- one word:FEEEELS
More than one word: I genuinely missed Calypso! It was such a disconnected incident in The Battle of Labyrinth (right  book?) that I didn't think about her very much after. I am so happy Leo found her- he deserves her the most. 

Dear Rick Riordan,
Can we get some Grover, Tyson, Thalia, Chiron or Rachel please? Or at least some more Reyna.
Sincerely,
Where-have-all-my-awesome-people-gone

PERCABETH
WOAH. I knew they would come out changed and a little scarred. It was kinda a beautiful process, actually. Also, it was nice to see them grow up and start planning their future, if a little heartbreaking. 
And the big surprise? We see an almost fatal mistake of Percy's-forgetting about Bob and Calypso. It showed that even the good guys can make bad mistakes. It was a little shocking, having worshipped Percy all my life, but a good wake up call. Nobody is perfect. Not even close.

Last two things: Anyone else catch the dedication? *gnashes teeth and growls*
THE TITLE OF BOOK FIVE: THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS. MAKE OF THAT WHAT YOU WILL.

How will I live after next fall?